Here we take your hand drawn design and turn it into a CAD version. First we ask that you copy the design prepared by one of our students, then create a design of your own. Particular attention is paid to the needs of the disabled.
Pre-requisites - some research on the needs of disabled students
Our outdoor classroom is likely to be used by students with quite different mobility skills. The principal of the school tells us that he expects students who require a wheelchair will be users of the space. This is a good opportunity to build up a collection of pamphlets, books and other reference materials to keep on file so that you can design with the needs of disabled people in mind.
We would like you to do your own research, but here are some Internet links to some information which may help you:
General comments on accessibility
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility
Audits of spaces
http://www.accessaudits.com.au/dac/jan08/index.htm
Australian Standards
Consider handrails/balustrades, Tactile Ground Surface Indicators etc.
There is an Australian Design Guideline for walkway gradients - 1:26 in AS1428.1 part 5.2
The cross fall to walkways is 1:21, AS1428.1 part 5.6 nominates "The camber and cross fall of ramps and walkways shall not exceed 1 in 40".
Paths from boundary (for access to and from publich transport)
AS1428.1 nominates the maximum allowed gradient is 1:14.
Acces ways, walkways, ramps and landings shall be constructed with no lip or step at joints between abutting surfaces.
NOTE: A construction tolerance of up to 5 mm is acceptable using rounded or bevelled edges.
This project
You are asked to produce a CAD layout for small outdoor teaching space which measures 10 meters by 10 meters. The client wants the space to accomodate a small group of students as an outside teaching space. It needs to be as versatile and challenging as possible. The figure below shows that the space abuts a classroom. Entry to the outdoor space is through the double doors.
The brief
The court is to be used as an outdoor teaching space for primary school students aged from 5-12 years. The design should be low in maintenance and provide opportunities for 'objects' in the space to be used to stimulate ideas for classes in mathematics, nature studies, performance etc.
The figure below shows one student's solution to the design problem. As you can see, he provided a different and challenging space for students.
In this short movie we examine the GardenCAD model of the drawing shown above
Click here to play a movie in which we discuss one student's design for the space.
We ask that you copy the student example (you can always load it from the Jobs folder in your GardenCAD folder) and then produce a design of your own.
When you have completed the design, save it in your Jobs folder and the upload it into your Google Docs spce. Make sure that you give the drawing a meaningful name e.g. 4.0.5 Design for outdoor classroom.Vec
