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==Discussion and Next Steps== | ==Discussion and Next Steps== | ||
In the initial design for the Triangle of life, there were plans to put in benches made from upcycled materials along the walkways on the side of the triangle with the highest awning. Due to time constraints, this was not accomplished, but would be a great future project for students or the community. | |||
Students are provided a safe and welcoming environment to socialize, eat lunch or cut through while heading to their destination. The Triangle of Life is presented in front of the school near the office and it helps guide visitors to the office and provide a welcoming scene when walking onto campus. | |||
In the initial design for the Triangle of life, there were plans to put in benches made from upcycled materials along the walkways on the side of the triangle with the highest awning. Due to time constraints, this was not accomplished, but would be a great future project for students or the community. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
See [[Help:Footnotes]] for more. | See [[Help:Footnotes]] for more. | ||
Revision as of 22:45, 7 May 2015
Abstract
The client is Zane Middle School, located in Eureka California. Zane Middle School is a “STEAM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) school, and features sustainable projects such as a recycling program and a rainwater catchment system. For this project, Trevor Hammons and Ron Perry from Zane Middle School asked that a patch of land nicknamed “the Triangle of Death” be converted into a hub of activity for the students.
Background
Team Triangle of Life, Amani Adams, Kelly Fuentes,Nancy Charco, Joseph Caminiti, created an alternative pathway that is aesthetically pleasing. This area includes evergreen plants and a set pathways presented in front of the school.
Problem statement and criteria
Criteria are standards that are based on a scaled system rather than a yes or no answer. Constraints are specific limitations on each of the criterion. These were determined by multiple meetings with the client and group brainstorming sessions. The final design is based around the following criteria and constraints.
Criteria
| Criteria | Importance | Constraints |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality | 10 | Faculty, students, and visitors must be able to utilize the path without causing unnecessary foot traffic. |
| Low Maintenance | 10 | The maintenance staff needs to approve the final solution. The final design must not add any extra work for the maintenance staff. Therefore, the uses of hardy, evergreen plants that thrive in the local climate and require little care, are a priority. |
| Sustainability | 9 | Strive to use recycled materials that have low impact on the environment. |
| Aesthetics | 9 | The final solution must be unique and appealing to the public because the design is a main focal point on the Zane Middle School’s campus. |
| Safety | 8 | No material utilized in the final design can cause harm or be used to cause potential harm. The plants need to be approved and avoid poisonous, hardwood branches that may cause potential harm. |
| Durability | 7 | The final design must withstand the day to day wear and tear and weather conditions. |
| Cost | 5 | The cost for all materials total below the $400 budget. |
Description of final project
The final design for the Triangle of life is shown below. There are six pathways that are laid out in a logical fashion in order to avoid all obstacles such as utility boxes, sprinkler systems, and pillars. These pathways are made out of urbanite, and are packed together with recycled cement mix. There is a circular area in the middle of the triangle to provide students with a social gathering area. This is also made from urbanite. Urbanite is implemented to reduce the amount of CO2 that enters the atmosphere because the production of new cement creates CO2 emissions. The open areas contain weed mat to prevent a rise in maintenance costs, evergreen plants to maintain an aesthetically pleasing landscape, and redwood mulch to match existing landscapes.
Costs
The projects costs consist of the cost to maintain the area, the hours of work invested in the project, and the cost of materials both in retail and how much was actually spent.
Maintenance
| Task | Cost (Hours/Month) |
|---|---|
| Weeding plants | 2 |
| Cutting back plants and clean area | 2 |
| Total | 4 |
Retail vs. Actual Cost
| Material | Retail Cost ($) | Our Cost ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Urbanite | 15 | Donated |
| Recycled Sand | 20 | Donated |
| Plants | 75 | Donated |
| Gardening Material | 50 | 25 |
| Edging | 120 | 60 |
| Weed Mat | 60 | Donated |
| Test Material | 100 | 30 |
| Total Cost ($) | 440 | 115 |
Testing Results
The initial design did not contain enough urbanite to pack the pathways together, so the steps were loose and were not visually appealing. This problem was fixed after adding more urbanite to the pathways. The pathways have held up to a lot of traffic from the students and the overall feedback from the campus community is very positive.
Video
How to build
| How To Build Triangle of Life | |
|---|---|
| Image | Steps |
 |
Step 1 Observe and plan out what to do on area before starting. |
 |
Step 2 Clear out area of weed tarp, weeds, dirt, and other waste material. |
 |
Step 3 Mark out areas for walkways and center circle. |
 |
Step 4 Dig out marked areas of dirt to desired specifications. |
 |
Step 5 Put in place urbanite for centerpiece and walkways. Make sure the urbanite pieces are level to prevent users from tripping. |
 |
Step 6 Put in sand/gravel mix in between the pieces to compact the pieces together. Test to make sure walkways are level, stable, and durable. |
 |
Step 7 Place down weed mat. |
 |
Step 8 Add redwood mulch or desired landscape material to cover the weed mat. |
 |
Step 9 Plant desired plants and flowers. |
Discussion and Next Steps
Students are provided a safe and welcoming environment to socialize, eat lunch or cut through while heading to their destination. The Triangle of Life is presented in front of the school near the office and it helps guide visitors to the office and provide a welcoming scene when walking onto campus.
In the initial design for the Triangle of life, there were plans to put in benches made from upcycled materials along the walkways on the side of the triangle with the highest awning. Due to time constraints, this was not accomplished, but would be a great future project for students or the community.
References
See Help:Footnotes for more. Template:Reflist
- Ali, N. S., Khairuddin, N. F., & Zainal Abidin, S. (2013). Upcycling: re-use and recreate functional interior space using waste materials. In DS 76: Proceedings of E&PDE 2013, the 15th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education, Dublin, Ireland, 05-06.09. 2013.
- Assets (2015). “Inihabitat,” <http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/06/concrete-artsy-537x402.jpg> (Feb. 20, 2015)
- Bay Friendly Landscaping (2009). “A Bay-Friendly Landscaping Guide to Recycled-Content and Salvaged Materials” <http://stopwaste.org/docs/salvaged.pdf> (May 3, 2015)
- Beardshaw, Chris (2008 ). “A fern favourite: The plant with a rich and ancient history.” Mail Online, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-1077236/A-fern-favourite-The-plant-rich-ancient-history.html#ixzz3Z7eWqizb> (May 3, 2015).
- Bender, Steve (2015). “Azalea Essential Southern Plant.” Southern Living, <http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/azalea-plants> (May 3, 2015).
- Bruno, Gwen (1997-2010). “Azalea Plant History.”GardenGuide.com, <http://www.gardenguides.com/79994-azalea-plant-history.html> (May 3, 2015).
- County of Humboldt. "Welcome to an Engaged Community." <http://www.humboldtgov.org/1217/Climate> (May 4, 2015).
- Environmental Protection Agency (2014). “Park and Recreation Products | Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG)” http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/cpg/products/park.htm#benches (February 22, 2015)
- Electrical Engineering (2015). “Designing Navigable Information Spaces,” <http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/infoarch/publications/mfoltz-thesis/node8.html> (Feb. 20, 2015)
- Fire Clay Tile (2014). “Glass,” <https://www.fireclaytile.com/glass/> (Feb. 20, 2015).
- Genevieve (2009). “Gardening Basics: How to Apply Mulch ⋆ North Coast Gardening” http://northcoastgardening.com/2009/06/organic-gardening-101-mulch/ (May 4, 2015)
- Gibson, D. (2009). Wayfinding Handbook : Information Design for Public Places. New York, NY, USA: Princeton Architectural Press. <http://www.ebrary.com> (May 3, 2015)
- Haggard, Pete. (Unknown). Northwest California natives tested in Arcata-Eureka area. Northcoastcnps.org, 1-4.
- Hamilton Parker Company (2015). “Brick for Outdoor Spaces,” <http://hamiltonparker.com/brick/outdoor/> (Feb. 20, 2015).
- Ipatenco, Sara. “How to Grow Lithodora Diffusa Flowers.” SFGate, <http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-lithodora-diffusa-flowers-20980.html> (May 3, 2015)
- J&J Materials (2015). “Building a Classic Brocken Flagstone Pathway,” <http://jjmaterials.com/2014/04/building-a-classic-broken-flagstone-pathway-in-scituate-ma/> (Feb. 20, 2015).
- Litchfield, M.W. (1997). Masonry. In Encyclopedia of Home Improvement (pp. 202-204). New York: Sterling Publishing.
- O'Nan, A. (2014). “Upcycling: The bench biology built” <http://www.usi.edu/news/releases/2014/01/upcycling-the-bench-biology-built> (February 22, 2015)
- Schmidt, M., and Greenberg, K. (2012). Growing California Native Plants. University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London. 36-38.
- St. Houzz (2012). “Fireclay Tile Image,” <http://st.houzz.com/simgs/0d913b7801362524_4-2953/modern-tile.jpg> (Feb. 20, 2015).
- "Trends in Brick Plant Operations," The American Ceramic Society Bulletin. 1992, pp. 69-74.
- Typepad (2015). “Home Redux,” <http://myhomeredux.typepad.com/blog/images/flagstone_walk.jpg> (Feb. 20, 2015)
- Wood Magazine (2006). “Beating the Elements: A Guide for Building Outdoor Projects that Last” <http://msatterw.public.iastate.edu/ENG%20250%20Readings/OutdoorFinishes%5B1%5D.pdf> (February 22, 2015)
Team Triangle of Life
