theCASTLE intro:

Phase 1 of the CASTLE: To test, research and explore the basis behind the CASTLE project, the needs of the users and the expectations of the participating organisations; Youth Futures (providing emergency accomodation and employment solutions for displaced youth and adults) and StudentWorks (providing high school students a school alternative to learn trade skills to benifit their employment chances and situation).

Areas of exploration: Buildability, Habitation and Services.
The Buildability foci will be towards the means and methods of material use and construction, which influence economy (of space, budget, time in use...), buildability, sustainability and personalisation.
The Habitation foci will be to examine how people would use the space of the CASTLE, in terms of the psychology and attitude towards a tight environment. Also to inform the basis of the design process of the CASTLE, how and why, the implications of and around the identity of occupants.
The Services foci will be to explore the systems and functions of built elements such as plumbing, ventilation, natural and artificial lighting, particularly in terms of the compliance with local governmental regulations, sustainability and efficiency in the spatial dimension.

The outcome of our semester long investigations will be a test rig (undetermined 1:1 physical examination of our ideas, their feasibility and interaction within a reasonable space) to then inform later teams of designers who will undertake the continuation of the CASTLE project and manufacture.

What we know... + What you know... + What we can do together... = Learning by Making and Invention!!!