programmingdocument

iar 411 : fall 2010 : ghanaian library & media center

heather link : leah petriccione
table of contents
3
› purpose/opportunity
› critical issues
› area profile
4
› user profile
› interior activity requirements
› exterior activity requirements
› furniture requirements
› wayfinding
› adjacency diagram
5
› spatial requirements
› concept exploration
6
› material analysis
› sensory experience
7, 8, 9, 10, 11
› precedent studies
12
› water for ghana information

2
purpose & opportunity area profile
design a library in kyekyewere, ghana for approximately 250 pri- kyekyewere, ghana, africa
mary school students of varying ages, as well as the surrounding › part of the asante region
community of young adults, adults, and elderly. the design should › right above equator
also include outdoor bathroom facilities, gathering spaces, and a › tropical climate
community garden. › 2 rainy seasons: april-july, september-november

the spaces should be physically engaging and mentally stimulat- › population: about 3,500
ing for all ages, and each age group should have a separate space (about 1,900 female, about 1,600 male)
catering directly to their needs. › area (sq km):
› nearby: kumasi (1 hour drive)
should provide opportunity for both individual and group/commu- › transportation: foot, cars, tro-tros (public mini bus), plane, boat
nity character development, as well as hands-on, life-long learning. › plants: tall silk cottons, kolas, mohogany, odum, ebony (forests),
shea trees, acacias, baobabs, oil palms (savannahs)
all building materials used should be appropriate in terms of loca- › animals: antelope, baboons, buffalo, cobras, gazelle, hippopota-
tion, availability, and sustainability. mi, hyenas, lions, leopards, jackals, pythons

*the library should be fun for all to attend, promote learning, and
respond directly to the villager’s needs. › site profile:
› location: unknown
› size: 4 acres of land
critical issues

(donated by Chief Nana Boakye Ababio)
*land has gently rolling plains
› both child & adult engagement
› heating, lighting, ventilation, rain › temperature/rainfall:
› accessibility › average temperature: 26ºC
› limitied material availability
› sustainability › average yearly rainfall: 736.6mm
› sensory experience › per month:
› positive learning environment
› sense of community & place
› northeastern winds (harmattan)
› budget (depends on funds/grants)
› access to clean water
› bathroom facilities

3
user profile furniture requirements
› 30+ students: ghanain children ages 5-14, grade levels 1-6 › 5 individual reading spaces
› 1+ teachers: usually european, sometimes ghanaian › tables for crafts, games, reading, teaching (children & adults)
› computer tables, storage for accessories
› languages: asante twi (native), english (spoken in schools) › faculty desk space
› shelving/storage for books, magazines, newspaper, board games,
› religions: majority are christians musical instruments, kaleidescopes, radio, maps/photographs
› seating
› occupations: majority are farmers (others are carpenters, › card catalogue
masons, or teachers) › files/record keeping/archives (for old magazines, newspaper, etc.)

interior activity requirements wayfinding

› book searching
› architecture
› computer activities
› shelving/storage arrangement
› games, music, crafts
› table placement
› reading, listening, playing, walking, reaching, writing, squatting,
› different sections (reading, group/individual, magazines,
sitting, standing, talking, whispering, laughing, learning, napping?
newspaper, music, outdoor, etc.)
› cleaning, putting books away
› indoor vs. outdoor
› space paths, nodes, edges light/shadow

exterior activity requirements adjacency diagram

› entering, exiting, drinking water children’s section
› sitting, standing, walking, gathering young adult section
› group reading adult section
› restroom facilities
› gardening? card catalog

individual reading
computer area
music area
outdoor space
desireable
water closets semi-desireable
undesireable

4
spatial requirements
(all dimensions in cm) staff desk
(measurements from interior graphic standards) pg. 344

overall 45 80 50 150
pg. 394
61
116
55

45
91 56 45
146 56
192
45 bookshelf
pg. 392
200

147

concept exploration
computer desk orbit, wrapping, encapsulate, nurturing, cradling, symbiotic
pg. 353
61 36 81 the library/media center should be form-fitting to not only students’
needs, but to all other occupants of the surrounding community.
while the occupants need the space, the space needs the occu-
pants—creating a symbiotic relationship. the physical structure of
the building should also emulate this relationship. the library should
nurture the students and allow them to grow, improving their qual-
ity of life through their time spent inside the ”cradle.”

5
material analysis sensory experience
earth-bag construction
› natural building technique, first started as military
bunker construction method (they are bulletproof)
› requires simple materials: study sacks filled with
sand, gravel, clay, or crushed volcanic rock
› bags stacked and layed similar to bricks
› can be reinforced with barbed wire or twine wrap-
ping the bags; finished with cement

onduline
› lightweight but extremely tough corrugated roofing
› manufactured by bitumen-saturated organic fibres
under intense pressure and heat
› absorbs noise from rain better than steel
› factory located in south africa

sugar cane (osb)

› any available sugar cane
› fibers used to make osb (oriented strand board)
flooring

beams/columns
› any available standard construction grade wood
› needed in 30 x 5 cm, and 30 x 1 cm thicknesses

other materials needed:

› blue paint
› chalkboard paint
› concrete for foundation/columns
› wood/fabric for seating, window treatments
› packing peanuts/other recycled (seat filling)
› various screws/fasteners

6
precedent studies
library (ban tha song yan village, thailand)
sami rintala from rintala eggertsson architects in norway took a
group of architecture students from ntnu trondheim university to
a village in thailand. the group built a small library for 42 children
who are orphans in the village. the group researched natural ven-
tilation, sunshades, local materials and building techniques. the
materials used were natural lava stone, concrete bricks, wood and
bamboo.
designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/8585/rintala-eggertsson-architects-library-in-thailand.html
private in-home library (cahuita, costa rica)
gianni botsford architects used indigenous techniques and materi-
als mixed with modern design technologies to create this in-home
library. the way the pattern of the overhead beams reflects onto
the wall to form the bookshelves makes the space interesting and
dynamic.
giannibotsford.com/projects/092/index.php
7
precedent studies
open library (istanbul, turkey)
this library was designed by superpool as a three month long
installation in an art gallery. the space was designed to be like an
auditorium, with seats facing a multi-function ‘stage.’ the stage
area can be used for readings, screenings, and lectures and more.
there is a mezzanine level above the main floor for a more private
study area.
superpool.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=3
forest of culture library, cirie (turin, italy)
ecoLogicStudio designed this library within an existing warehouse.
their ‘forest of culture’ concept is expressed in the many rows of
unique shelves and sitting areas. by having large open area be-
tween some of the shelves of books, there is space with moveable
elements creating a dynamic group space.
ecologicstudio.com/v2/project.php?mp=0&idcat=3&idsubcat=22&idproj=14
8
precedent studies
hjørring library in (denmark)
bosch & fjord have transformed this once a traditional library in
to this modern, vision of the future. they successfully created a
space that housed both a playful children’s section as will as a
sophisticated adult section with the red ‘ribbon’ tying it all together.
the ‘ribbon’ flowed throughout the entire space creating shelves,
tables and wayfinding.
bosch-fjord.com/
momoy.com/2009/03/14/hjørring-ultra-modern-library-design-by-bosch-fjord/
public library (seattle, washington)
this library was designed by OMA and LMN. within the children’s
space, the design includes features such as a child-sized media
center, and books organized by categories such as “dinosaurs”, so
it is easy for parents to find many dinosaur related books quickly.
low, bouncy, pod-like seats are scattered in walkways, perfect for
children to settle down with a book.
archdaily.com/11651/seattle-central-library-oma-lmn/
hadesarrow.com/blog/2008/12/06/a-place-for-kids/
oma.eu/index.php?option=com_projects&view=project&id=202&Itemid=10
9
precedent studies
anacostia public library (washington, d.c.)
the freelon group designed this library with its users in mind by ac-
commodating the community’s needs. there are several large and
small meeting rooms, children’s area and public computers with
internet access. the children’s area is the largest section of the
library because the children in the community out number the other
age ranges. by the children’s area being the largest, they were
able to divide it into several age groups/reading levels to better fit
the children.
freelon.com/portfolio/261/Library
eco-structure.com/education-projects/branching-out.aspx
children’s activity center (koh kood island, thailand)
designed by 2H architecture, this children’s activity & education
center is part of the soneva kiri 6-star resort. included spaces:
library, music room, art room, fashion room, and movie theatre.
there is even a sleeping pod and “cooking cave” where children
can create their own meals using a vegetable garden with help
from a cook. the structure utilizes local bamboo and plantation
river red gum wood.
archdaily.com/34946/ecological-children-activity-and-education-center-24h-architecture/
24h-architecture.com/
10
precedent studies
public library (amsterdam)
this library in amsterdam provides an open and engaging children’s
space, equiped with soft places to sit and gather, modular and du-
rable shelving systems, and special computer specifically for them.
the circular shape of the shelving also sets it apart from it’s “adult”
counterpart.-
jocoenen.com/coenen_new/fl2/nl2/index.htm
ventilated pit-latrines (ghana)
a toilet is something many might take for granted, but construct-
ing a latrine much like this one would greatly improve kyekyewere
villager’s lives. these facilities are very simple to make, utilize an in-
ground pit system, similar to the water for ghana water tanks.
wateraid.org/international/what_we_do/where_we_work/ghana/2802.asp
peacecorpswiki.com/kumasi_ventilated-improved_pit_latrines_for_community_schools
11
1
a hole is dug and cemented to create the tank. (can also be an above
ground structure) villagers are also educated on how to construct the tanks
themselves, using simple materials.

2
a filter is made using bamboo tubing.

3
the filter and lid are placed and sealed on top of the tank.

4
filter piled with rocks to prevent standing water and keep mosquitoes out.

5
a gutter system and pvc pump allow clean water to be pumped to the
surface! over 10 water tanks have now been constructed in ghana.

waterforghana.org
12