Reflective Log: Think Design

In this project, I had to redesign the window in my room to make it more functional like adding a window seat. This was done by doing a lot of research and study of various designing protocols and applying them to the problems or the improvements required and getting new outcomes.

It was started by research on windows and their types to get the basic knowledge about them. Then taking the actual measurements of the window and the direction it is facing, or if it is an interior or exterior window. Then making the model on a 1:10 scale to do ideations. With this activity, we got to know new key terms like the sill and lintel height, etc. Then we also learned the wall to window ratio which is mostly used on exterior windows to increase or decrease the energy consumption of the building.

Then I studied the role of sunlight and daylight in window designing. Sunlight is the light that comes directly from the sun with heat and daylight comes without direct heat like a tube light. A window is then made with such protocols. The windows in east and west get the most sunlight whereas as south widow gets the lesser and north doesn't get any sunlight. This happens in Delhi which I got to know by studying the sun path diagram of Delhi. This gave us the true picture of how sunlight come into our area and its different paths in different seasons.

So talking about my window, it is an interior window that opens to a courtyard. It is not made correctly and has so many problems. It is a north-west facing window and gets no direct sunlight and is being used as a storage area even is not soundproof. So I first started with just changing the window and making it a better casement or sliding window. But it is a very simple solution with no functional advantage. Then I thought of adding a skylight for sunlight but it would make the room hotter. Then I thought of extending the window like a cube made of glass and make it a lounging area. This idea was also not looking appropriate so I decided to decrease the length and make it a study area. It looked a little awkward. Then I came up with the final idea of shift the whole wall close to the courtyard opening to get more light and even I got a lot of space and made it both study and lounging area and even no sunlight comes there and is a cool place so heat will also not trap. This made me think about a lot more factors and solving all the problems in the window and this idea become functional in a lot of ways.

By making the 2D or 3D models helped a lot to understand and make others also understand what I want to convey through my idea. This also made me think and make everything on the same scale and helps in understanding the change in furniture and plan easily. It also challenges us to make it appear more real and creates the context of a room.

The main struggle while doing everything was that my home is made with irregular architecture and I had an interior window so it took me a lot of time to think about what I must do but in the end, it was worth investing my time in it. I think this activity made me think a lot about designing under so many circumstances to make it perfect. This activity gave me very new designing terms and professional ways of doing work like drafting and working on scales, all these things encourages me a lot and now I can design windows also.