aeng 351 research

Fall 2010 “A HOME FOR ORPHANS” – SAFE & SAVVY

Fall 2010

Architecture Design Studio I | Yousra Gomaa – 900 07 1102

AENG 351 “A HOME FOR ORPHANS” – SAFE & SAVVY

The American University in Cairo Department of Construction and Architecture Engineering Dr. Nagwa Sherif & Dr. Zeinab Shafick

“Safe & Savvy is a book that links pages of different age, gender and background, making them the technological experts of tomorrow”


Table of Contents:

I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2

II. Statement of Purpose…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

III. User Profile ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

IV. Theoretical Example …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7

V. Empirical Example …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11

VI. Inspirations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14

VII. Space Diagrams………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………16

VIII. Site Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………23

IX. Design Components ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….25

X. Spatial Relations – Each Villa ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………26

XI. Space Relationship Matrix ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………27

XII. Bubble Diagrams ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………28


I. Introduction:

i. Design Objective:

An orphan is defined as “a page with few or no links from other pages”. The main goal behind this project is

to put the pages together, creating a complete book that links all the pages together. The orphanage is best

described as a book that links pages of different age, gender and background, making them the technological

experts of tomorrow.

ii. Design Statement

This orphanage provides safety, protection and a sense of belonging and ownership to orphans all over

Egypt. The theme for the design is safety, in terms of security and social life. It should be clear to residences that

this is their home, which they have as much right to it as any person living in any house. A name like Al Aman

comes to mind, meaning safety. This is to emphasize on their need to feel secure in their atmosphere.


II. Statement of Purpose

The main goal of this design is to ensure privacy and security for the orphans living in the orphanage. It

needs to be personal, giving the children the feeling of ownership and security in a consistent environment. My

initial image is to design a compound with 3 or 4 homes, each occupying from 6 to 9 children and a mother or

guardian. There will be one room for the guardian, and four rooms, with 2 or 3 orphans per room. Rooms will be

divided based on age and gender; there will be no same sex rooms. Instead of having a big room and filling it with

beds like done in Figure 1, the rooms will be smaller and occupy less orphans, giving them more of a chance to

have a life similar to those that are more fortunate.

The goal of the divided homes is to give the orphans a sense of family. A limited number of children and

guardians is set in order to give the kids the feeling that the residences in the same house are his or her sisters,

brothers and mother. As for the other homes, its residences would be cousins and relatives and so on. This, then,

creates a community for the orphans, making up for what they are missing; allowing them to create their own

family and get to experience living in a home with a family and having relatives live close by.


Figure 1 Figure 2

Outside the homes there will be common areas/rooms such as a playroom, a garden, a dinning area similar

to that in Figure 2 and any other necessity they might need. In order to ensure the residences of the orphanage

the utmost privacy, if guests come to visit the orphanage for donations or to play with the kids, they are to meet

with them outside the homes. It must be very uncomfortable to have strangers see your private spaces and, at

times, even take pictures of them so it is important to make sure that they have their own private space.


III. User Pofile

The target user ranges from 2 year olds to 21 year olds, both males and females. The reason is that 2 year

olds are not necessarily babies and do not need as much attention as a new born would but at the same time are

too young to remember their life before entering an orphanage. The range is so large because the setting of each

home is intended to represent an average family with all ages and both genders. Each home will have a minimum

of 6 orphans and a maximum of 9 with two mothers. The reason behind 2 mothers is to allow companionship to

the mother and put less pressure on her as a single parent and, instead, give her a second authority figure where

the ‘good cop – bad cop’ theory can apply.

The meaning of a home is the same as any person’s meaning of a home; with siblings, parents and the

sense of belonging and ownership to one’s life. In terms of needs, the kids need a safe environment where they

can feel like they have a family to lean on. They need to have the sense of community and belonging to one

entity. In terms of design, the best way to give them that is to ensure that their living environment cannot be

accessed by anyone, and, at the same time, they are not isolate from the world. The villas they will live in are the

personal place for them; the place where only their friends, whom they invite, are welcome in. If any visitors that

the residences are not familiar with happen to visit, they are to meet them either in the garden or in the

multipurpose building. Inside the homes themselves, as a means of privacy, under no circumstances are non-‐

residences allowed to visit the first floor, which has the residences’ rooms.


Another way to ensure that the kids feel secure is to guarantee them a career. By placing the

orphanage in the Technological Village, the orphans are given tools such as trainings and schools that

would usually be too pricy and rather unaffordable but the location allows the two organizations to collide.

By placing a day care center, people working at the Technological Village can drop off their kids at Safe &

Savvy’s day care and once the kids are old enough for school, they can use the one in the Technological

Village.


IV. Theoretical Example

i. Introduction:

The reason for the project was a young boy’s dream. His

name was John Halgrim and at the age of thirteen, was

diagnosed with a malignant tumor. He asked the Make-‐A-‐

Wish Foundation to help the kids in Africa because he

believed that his illness meant he was to give back to the

world before he would die. He passed away at the age of

fifteen and never got the chance to accomplish his dream

but his mother, along with his grandmother, promised him

that they would build the orphanage he wanted for kids in

Africa and have been working on that project ever since,

finally reaching it recently and fulfilling his dream and their

promise.


ii. Area Analysis:

The orphanage is built on slums in Nairobi, Kenya. It is, naturally

unsafe and unsanitary in many ways. The team who built the

orphanage, however, has established a way to secure the premises

and keep it as clean as can be.

unsanitary unsafe


iii. Relations Between Activities:

Ground Floor First Floor


iv. Environmental Considerations:

Seeing as the orphanage is built on slums in Kenya, as seen in the figures bellow, it is absolutely unsanitary

and unsafe for humans, let alone children, to live there. Regardless, before building, people were able to

clean it somehow and making it a livable place. It is very important to consider that, chances are, it is still

not so clean and so the orphanage itself must be cleaned on a regular basis, if there are remaining slums it

would limit the routes the orphans might take to and from the orphanage. The environment, in this case, is

a huge factor in a lot of the routines and plans of the orphange.

full of germs very dangerous


V. Empirical Example

i. Site:

The location of the home was in an area known as Sakakeyeen full of small and tight streets, with very little

parking options. However, it was off of a main road in Abassaia, which is relatively crowded. The orphanage

is located in an appartment building and one of the appartments was accomodated by the family of orphans

and their mother. The appartment building is close to the girls’ schools and most of them are within walking

distance. The area is noisy and crowded which is good in terms of safety but not so much in terms of peace

and quiet. Most of the residences in the home have family that are still alive that come visit them and see

them throughout the year.

ii. Orientation:

The design of the appartment was very practical in terms of location of rooms to kitchen to the dinner

table and so on. The kitched has two entrances, making it easily accessible. There is one separate

hallway that leads to one bathroom and the three bedrooms of the kids. The mother’s room is accessed

from the sitting area, which is in the center of the appartment, linking all areas to one another. The main

gathering place for the residences is in that sitting room, a small table for the kids to study at is placed

there, a couple of sofas and sofa chairs are placed facing the TV where the kids watch shows during their

free time together. The main and largest focus of the appartment is there.


iii. Spaces:

The appartment is quite simple and basic. The girls’ rooms are all accessed from a single hallway that

can only be reached from one point, giving them the feeling of privacy as it is the furthest place to

get to. The less personal areas are more easily accessible like the salon and living and din ing areas.

The kitchen’s two entrances are very well done seein as the entrance did not have to be from the

living and dinning area but instead, less obvious and was not very visible from the entrance. All in all,

the appartment is quite small and a little tight but the use of the space was rather well done.


iv. Users:

The home occupies ten girls, ranging from four years old to twenty one years old. Each one is of

different age and comes from a different background. Most of the girls have family that is in their

lives in terms of visiting them and so on. Two of the girls are biological sisters and a few other girls

have siblings that are staying at another home or with their parent(s). Only two of the girls are actual

orphans; both their parents have passed away.


VI. Inspirations


VII. Space Diagrams

Space:

Bedrooms

Function:

Used for sleeping and any

personal & private time

Molecular Activity:

For any bed time stories or

one on one time between

roomates

Who?

Orphans

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to same sex

rooms & bathrooms

Environment Quality:

Big enough for 2 or 3 single

beds, not bunks! Easy

circulation for kids around

the room but not too big

Supporting Environment:

Each bed has a lamp beside it

for private use

Space:

Bedrooms

Function:

Used for sleeping and any

personal & private time

Molecular Activity:

Personal use

Who?

Mothers

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to all rooms


Big enough for a queen bed

Easy circulation


Each bed has a lamp beside it

for private use


Space:

Living room

Function:

For family gatherings and/or

any gatherings

Molecular Activity:

For residences to be able

to watch tv or have

activites together

Who?

All residences & their close

friends

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to reception

and bathrooms


Comfortable seating area

that gives the sense of a

homy atmosphere


Shutters to avoid glare

Space:

Reception

Function:

For any personal guests who

might visit

Molecular Activity:

For expecting any guests

Who?

All residences & their friends

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to entrance &

guest bathroom


Not too big but big enough

for a large group of people to

sit in


A lot of natural lighting


Space:

Entrance

Function:

Between the outside and

inside of the home

Molecular Activity:

For any guests to be

received and welcomed

Who?

Any user and visitor of the

home

Spacial Relations:

Direct access from outside

to reception


Not personal nor private


Good lighting

Space:

Dinning Room

Function:

A place for all family member

to gather for meals

Molecular Activity:

For all residences to gather

and eat

Who?

All residences of the home

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to bathroom,

reception & kitchen


Suitable for an eating

environment and not too

much movement



Space:

Ground Floor Bathroom

Function:

Hand washing & toilet

Molecular Activity:

Who?

Guests

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to dining

area, reception & living

room


Easy to clean & privacy

needed


Space:

First Floor Bathrooms

Function:

Showering, washing up &

toilet

Molecular Activity:

Who?

Residences

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to bedrooms

of users


Easy to clean & privacy

needed



Space:

Kitchen

Function:

Cooking

Molecular Activity:

For preparing any meals

Who?

Female residences

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to reception,

dining area and back door


Easy to clean and spacious


Space:

Multipurpose buliding

Function:

Any activity held in it

Molecular Activity:

For residences to use at

their expence in shows,

gatherings..etc.

Who?

All residences and all guests

Spacial Relations:

Access from garden by the

villas


Easliy adaptable, moveable

chairs and moveable

carpeting


Strong lighting


Space:

Playroom

Function:

Activities

Molecular Activity:

For residences and their

friends to play and hold

activities

Who?

All residences and any

friends

Spacial Relations:

Direct access to reception,

and bathroom


Cosy and somewhat empty

with storage places for

toys…etc.



VIII. Site Analysis

La Selky St.

Maadi Autosrad Site


IX. Design Components

Safe & Savvy Orphanage’s main goal is to ensure its orphans a safe and secure environment where they can experience an average person’s life with as equal opportunities as anyone else’s. The design will be that of a compound, wth four villas. Each villa with have between 6 – 9 kids ranging from 2 – 21 years of age as previously stated. One of the main focuses on design is to eliminate direct access between girls from boys but still provide them with an atmosphere where thye can grow up together and experience havin brothers and sisters. The neighbours are also considered as extended family, cousins and aunts.


X. Spacial Relations – Each Villa

Bedrooms

Bathrooms

Office

Kitchen

Dining room

Living room

Receppon

Playroom

Lobby


XI. Space Relationship Matrix


XII. Bubble Diagrams

i. Site:


ii. Each Villa – Ground Floor:


iii. Each Villa – First Floor:

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