Week 5

Walls

    In this weeks chapter we take a deeper dive as to what walls are capable of doing for our designs. The most important type of wall we must take into account when making a structure is a load bearing wall. what makes these load bearing walls detrimental to the plan is that it allows a path for the weight to be distributed throughout the building. This can be achieved through the use of steel, concrete or stud walls. although, these walls aren't just limited to structural elements; we as designers must find innovative ways to use walls to create spaces and experiences within the structure as well.

In chapter 5 we learn that these walls could be utilized to protect the inside from the elements. A common way we do this is through the use of insulation. there are many varieties of insulation with all the same general goal. Insulation is a great way for us to control what the temperature in our home is. it can successfully keep cool air in during the summer and warm air in the winter.



Vapor Barrier

insulation may be a good choice for keeping the temperature comfortable but there is still other elements that we need account for. the difference in temperature can lead to the development of moisture from the air to accumulate within the wall itself. Moisture in the walls can lead to may issues and costly repairs. The vapor barrier itself is just a thin material placed on the warm side of the structure; in cold climates that would be the inside, where as hot climates would be on the outside. 


Interior wall finishes 

Once the walls have been successfully made, now we as designers can begin thinking about how we want to create the experience within the structure. This is where we have a lot of creative freedom to make those experiences. In an article on Steelcase "Three Ways to Design a More Flexible Workplace" the author states something that really inspired the idea about making the experience. "The space is designed to meet the needs of all the people who work there, as each employee can seek out what they need when they need it." (Steelcase article)



Partitions 
As opposed to a structural wall, a partition is a non-load bearing wall that is a tool in defining specific spaces. Designers are able to do this through the use of furniture elements like in the image above where we see a shelf dividing a work space and a waiting area. These little differences are influenced by the needs for the people in the building. partitions are great for noise control, sound transmission or even fire separation.

Doors/windows

Doors and windows are key elements in a structure that allow us entry and air circulation into a building. Although these are requirements that come along with making a building; that does not mean we don't have the ability as to how they are incorporated. we as designers can find way to make both work together.






Comments

  1. Professor VanderNoordaaSeptember 27, 2026 at 6:37 AM

    Gilberto,
    I appreciated your statement from the Steelcase article-"The space is designed to meet the needs of all the people who work there, as each employee can seek out what they need when they need it."
    Flexibility is key- you mentioned using simple items like shelving for visual barriers/partitions. I appreciate your Blog post! 50/50 points

    ReplyDelete

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