︎ Indoor/Outdoor Shed
Multi-Purpose Shed at the University of Michigan.
By Areej Shahin ︎
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the mental health of individuals throughout the United States and the world.
Returning to campus will be difficult for students and faculty if they do not have spaces that will allow them to engage and socialize safely with their peers. Physical distancing will be required when schools reopen but most schools across the United States were not built to accommodate students 6 feet apart inside their buildings.
By Areej Shahin / August 2020
Hypothesis
So by designing a shed that provides both indoor and outdoor spaces and can be mobilized at different places across campus it will not only accommodate social distancing and allow students and faculty to engage and communicate safely during this pandemic but also, it will help improve students and faculty well-being.
By Areej Shahin / August 2020
Components of the Shed:
- Movable garage door: it could be open to the outside area in the pleasant months and could be closed in the winter to have closed inside space.
- Mobilized wooden blocks: the wooden blocks can be used as flexible furniture which could be placed inside and outside. Also, these blocks can provide more seating areas to space by extending the stairs.
- Windows: that are designed to improve the airflow and to increase the natural light.
This shed is a multipurpose shed. The first purpose is to have outside areas that are placed around campus. Research shows that outdoor areas are the most beneficial and safest spaces to be in during the pandemic. So by using the mobilized wooden blocks students can gather around with their peers during lunch and break time outside this shed, also there is a shaded outdoor area in the back of the shed that can be used also as a gathering area.
Using outdoor spaces will reduce the burden on indoor classrooms while providing fresh air, hands-on learning opportunities, and health benefits associated with increased access to nature.
However, due to Michigan’s weather, this idea could not be approached in the winter semester. Therefore, The design of the shed allows to have an indoor space that could be used as study groups, tutorial sessions, and classrooms for students and faculty. In addition, there are windows that are designed to improve the airflow and to increase the natural light in the space as research shows that by opening windows the rate of airflow can dilute virus particles.
Design to Outcomes
The primary outcome of this proposal is having better social interaction when returning to campus to help improve mental and physical health for students and faculty. Second, this intervention will provide a good learning environment with better air-flow and natural sunlight.
Also, this shed can be used after the pandemic as multiple purpose community space that supports inhabitants of the University of Michigan and across The United States.
Prototype multiple purposes shed that provides both indoor and outdoor space which could be mobilized at different places across campus
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Works Cited
1. Malani, M.D., Preeti N. "Managing Pandemic Health Risks on College Campuses." , The New York Times, 13 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/well/family/coronavirus-pandemic-college-campuses-student-health.html
2. DUCHARME, JAMIE. "Spending Just 20 Minutes in a Park Makes You Happier. Here's What Else Being Outside Can Do for Your Health." , 28 Feb. 2019, time.com/5539942/green-space-health-wellness/
3. "Indoor Air and Coronavirus (COVID-19)." , United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2020, www.epa.gov/coronavirus/indoor-air-and-coronavirus-covid-19
4. N.H., HANOVER. "COVID-19 Increased Anxiety, Depression for Already Stressed College Students." , Dartmouth, 24 July 2020, www.dartmouth.edu/press-releases/covid-19-stressed-college-students.html.
5. "Outdoor Infrastructure Planning Strategies for Taking Learning Outside as Schools Reopen." , Green School yards, www.greenschoolyards.org/outdoor-infrastructur