For the shading device it was my objective to create a new type of canopy system on a preexisting facade on a residential building in Oxford, Ohio.
When I began the project I chose a student apartment building that I wanted to focus on for the design because it had a large courtyard in the middle of all the different buildings. I thought my design could play very well with the views that were created on three stories so I knew I wanted to pay special attention to view and how the users focus can be intentionally shifted.
With this in mind I began a series of ideas of how I wanted the form to look and ultimately decided on a steel pipe structure with various different canvas canopies that played with the views on each of the floor levels.
The steel structure on the front on the facade is designed to juxtapose the brick building it's attached to and create a focal point so people would know where they are supposed to enter. It also holds the connections for the ten different canopies that can be attached. It is my intention that the canvas canopies are three season and are able to be taken down in the winter time.
By doing this I able to provide protection from the elements while also affecting the users ability to see everything and force them to focus on whats in the frame, or in this case the window.
