One of Peter Sloterdijk’s philosophies from Design Philosophy and Poetic Thinking: Peter Sloterdijk’s Metaphorical Explorations of the Interior is this:
“being in the world possesses the traits of coexistence. The question of being so hotly debated by philosophers can be asked here in terms of the coexistence of people and things in connective spaces…. Architects are involved in this consideration, since for them being in the world means dwelling in a building. A house is a three dimensional answer to the question of how someone can be together with someone and something in something. In their own way, architects interpret this most enigmatic of all spatial prepositions, namely the ‘in’” (Lee & Wakefield, 158).
In this statement, Sloterdijk explains intimacy and interiority with the term “in.” This ranges from intimacy functions such as relationships, to physically interiority functions, such as air conditioning, etc. All in all, what he explores in this quote is the relationship between society, human perception, and interior spaces. He defines the line between simply being and between design and how those spaces connect the two. This is why my project is so important to society today because it shows the relational connection between space and human beings. This is essential to understand because my project is all about space.
COVID-19 will affect the relationship and space between humans. It will also affect how future houses and buildings will be constructed and how people will reside in these spaces. How much space will each person living together in a house really need and what functions will the house require to live a normal everyday life?
The software, Foyr Neo, will aid in creating these space boundaries and will provide functionality of interior designs in my house. Dimensions of the house will be chosen based on how much space each person will need and how society changes after covid. Will larger houses be a necessity or can the dimensions remain the same, with one room having multiple functions?
As for progress in this project thus far, I have come a long way since the beginning of this semester. At the beginning of the semester, I did not have a rough sketch or idea about the layout of the house. I just had some research and some rough ideas. However, I set some goals for myself for the midterm capstone presentation which would aid me in accomplishing what I needed to for this design. They included: completing a 2 page statement of the purpose/ introduction, having a rough draft of the interior of the house and beginning to write my research paper. I have accomplished all of these goals by far.
Moreover, I mentioned before that I will be using Sketch-up to assist me in creating functionality for the house; however, when I started to use it, I did not like the layout of it. Instead, I retreated to finding and using another software: Foyr Neo. I found the layout of this software more user friendly and easy to use. Then, I created a rough draft of my house.
However, since it was my first time creating an architectural design, I faced some challenges. I did not know how to use scales and dimensions properly, creating them very large. For example, one room in the house was 50ft by 70ft. This is something I am currently working on making better so that the design can be more realistic. I did incorporate the usage of multiple functions for one room. There are two rooms in this house which can be anything from an office to a playroom, etc. I also created an emphasis on windows so that air flow and lighting can play an important role, but that will be discussed more in my paper. Another thing I wanted to focus on in my design was materials. There are several antibacterial materials that prevent germs from spreading, which I will use in this house. This is also something that will be explained more in the paper, since you cannot physically see it in the design aspect.
My project is finally starting to come together. It is still rough because I need to figure out many details, but they are tweaks to be made over time. The base of the project is set.
The motivation for this project comes from creating a safe space for individuals to survive in. This becomes significant to society not just in the case of the pandemic which is COVID-19, but other possible viruses as well. The design I am presenting in this project will allow for human beings to protect themselves from any future pandemics, not just the coronavirus. This is true because space will play an important role in any circumstance we may have to face later.
The statement aforementioned in this paper by Sloterdijk defines the relationship between interior spaces, human perception, and society. I used this relationship as the determining factor and the foundation for this project. The term “in” illustrates the interiority, which can be the physical aspects of the design, and intimacy, which can be the relational aspects of it. When creating a 3D model of a futuristic house for all sorts of pandemics, I kept in mind how all these relationships will come into play when people actually start living in these houses. This was done by being mindful of keeping windows in certain places so that people can speak to each other regardless of being quarantined. It was also done by adding the quarantine area of the house and the rest of the house not too far apart so people do not feel lonely and overwhelmed during this time. I made sure that contact between the sick and the non-sick people was obtainable, yet still safe because they have walls and windows in between. I tried to make the layout of the house as simple as possible to keep the relationship between space and interiority, society, and human perception and intimacy intact.
Once again, as Sloterdijk mentioned, “A house is a three dimensional answer to the question of how someone can be together with someone and something in something” (Lee & Wakefield, 158). With my designs of this house, this is the question that I was trying to answer, how individuals coexist in one house, regardless of having the virus or not, and still be suitable.
