Chicago, IL
ARTH 24270 Wooden Block Project
DURATION: October 2022 - October 2022 (1 month)
Children and Architecture
In my fall quarter of 2022, I took the class ARTH 24270, or “Children and Architecture”. The class aimed to accomplish these four goals:
- embrace a mindset of childlike wonder, while engaging actual children of various ages, to confront the material and built world with new eyes
- prioritize actual making, and quick, functional drawing towards actual making, as methods of developing design ideas
- read, think, and share ideas about children’s relationship with material and built worlds (and ours) as collaboratively and supportively as possible, to expand our collective sense of what’s possible and what’s at stake
- investigate practical questions of scale and material use, in both children’s development and architectural making, and learn (as children do) from inevitable pitfalls as we move from smaller things to larger worlds.
Our midterm was to create two identical sets of wooden blocks, with our various trips and readings in mind.
We would then test out these blocks by visiting the University of Chicago’s Lab School, a local elementary school, and playing with our blocks with assigned classes.
I was assigned to test out these blocks with 4-5 year olds.
Brainstorming: Realizations and Ideation
A big part of the project was realizing I am not designing for adults. Rather, I was designing for an antithetical group to that — children who are constantly taking in new stimulations and experiences every day.
At first, I was thinking what I would personally find interesting.
Some of my initial sketches and ideas are pictured on the right.
While I found them fascinating for myself, I realized that younger children may not find as much enjoyment. Rather, they may actually get frustarted.
I decided to focus on mathematically proportionate blocks: simple, satisfying, with a bit of a twist.
- Round gear-like objects with and axis and spindle
- Complex puzzle-like pieces, among others.
While I found them fascinating for myself, I realized that younger children may not find as much enjoyment. Rather, they may actually get frustarted.
I decided to focus on mathematically proportionate blocks: simple, satisfying, with a bit of a twist.
Detailed Sketches
On the right is a picture of my sketches.
I focused on being able to construct a 0.75’x1.50’x4’ block with other blocks.
I sliced this basic block vertically, horizontally, etc.
I eventually added an “L” shape block. It would allow people to stack blocks downward, as well as make interesting shapes and constructions.
I focused on being able to construct a 0.75’x1.50’x4’ block with other blocks.
I sliced this basic block vertically, horizontally, etc.
I eventually added an “L” shape block. It would allow people to stack blocks downward, as well as make interesting shapes and constructions.
Woodworking
Throughout the class, I learned woodworking via UChicago’s woodworking shop. I learned the following:
- How to use a... chop saw
- bandsaw
- drill press
- sanding machines
- gluing according to wood grains and directions
- how to make jigs
- how to finish and color wood
