From: Charles J Knight (c.knight_at_juno.com)
Date: 03/08/00
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 22:24:06 -0600 Subject: Interiors Message-ID: <20000308.223238.-303857.0.c.knight@juno.com> From: Charles J Knight <c.knight_at_juno.com>
> > I've been focusing mainly on the external structural
> > elements, to get people thinking in terms of a space pod/
> > house you can pick up and move. I think that concept is
> > pretty clear and firm for people viewing the pages, now.
> > So the next step is to start working on interiors...
>
> How about building a dome from the interiors out? Using
> spaceframe/octet
> truss to define areas within the dome interior (on different floors,
> even) that are seamless with the enclosing dome shell -- rather than
> building a shell and then figuring out how (or if) you divide the
> inside
> and support a second story.
I've always been troubled by something when I looked at a dome's
interior. I think I finally figured out what bothered me. In a house
with basically round exteriors, all the interior walls (except a few
noteworthy examples) are usually vertical, straight, and usually
rectilinear. They just don't go together in my mind.
I always *felt* that the insides should be round too...and not just
cylindrical. Here's what I mean. (forgive the rather crude word
picture...I can see it perfectly in my mind.)
Most domes are arranged somewhat like a torus, or a donut -- a
central room (or utility closet, bathroom, whatever) surrounded by
the remaining circle, with spoke-like walls dividing up the space.
Invariably this creates awkward corners, difficult to decorate areas,
etc.
What if we literally designed an interior wall system that represented
the inner surface of that torus? It could be round, and curved towards
or away from the central room. If curved towards the inside, each
panel would be a section of an inner dome. If curved towards the
outside, the panels would create an anticlastic curve...a hyperboloid
of revolution, I think. Either way, they'd posess double curvature,
and be strong while light in weight. The curves would be visually
quite dynamic, too.
Next, if they were installed on a track, they could also be movable
like shoji screens, while still suiting the interior of the dome. I
think
the intersecting curves would be a lovely complement to the interior
of the dome itself.
For a prefabbed unit, we could run tracks in a "football" shape, and
install wall panels which would divide the entire space into 3 subunits.
If run in a "curved" triangle, it would subdivide to 4 spaces...if run in
a circle, 2 spaces...an inner and an outer curve.
This track could be completely modular, or integrated into the outer
walls...the movable inner walls, of course, are designed for individual
customization based on lifestyle and need, very much like the shoji
screens from Japan.
So, what do you all think?
-- Chuck Knight
P.S. In theory, the floor doesn't have to be flat either...Wright used a
gradual spiral in the Guggenheim. But let's not go *too* wild for a
first
design.
________________________________________________________________
YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!
Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!
Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.