AOF QUESTIONS
a list of questions learners have asked about AOF and their answers
Q1. Does your Animal Pavilion have to look like the animal your designing for?
ANSWER: No, your design can look like whatever you like. It does not need to look like your animal.
FOR EXAMPLE: This page shows all the architecture design era's https://www.architectureschool.co.nz/timeline.html & you might want to use one of the eras to inspire your own animal pavilion design, it’s what the 12AOF learners have to do, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to for 11AOF or 13AOF.
ANSWER: No, your design can look like whatever you like. It does not need to look like your animal.
FOR EXAMPLE: This page shows all the architecture design era's https://www.architectureschool.co.nz/timeline.html & you might want to use one of the eras to inspire your own animal pavilion design, it’s what the 12AOF learners have to do, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to for 11AOF or 13AOF.
Q2. Does the pavilion have to be for our animal?
ANSWER: Your pavilion does not have to be exclusively for your animal, part of it can be for humans to interact with animals if u want.
FOR EXAMPLE: The SnakeTower example project I created is based on a Snake, designed in the era of Deconstructivist (1988-2000s) for giraffes & birds + for scientists & tourists to observe all animals around a waterhole in Zakouma National Park, Chad, Africa.
https://www.architectureschool.co.nz/snaketower.html
ANSWER: Your pavilion does not have to be exclusively for your animal, part of it can be for humans to interact with animals if u want.
FOR EXAMPLE: The SnakeTower example project I created is based on a Snake, designed in the era of Deconstructivist (1988-2000s) for giraffes & birds + for scientists & tourists to observe all animals around a waterhole in Zakouma National Park, Chad, Africa.
https://www.architectureschool.co.nz/snaketower.html
Q3. What if you're not good at drawing?
ANSWER: Spend more time practicing basic line drawings like the video examples on www.architectureschool.co.nz/drawing
EXAMPLE: Do lots of the 30 second line drawings to practice your drawing skills. One technique is looking at where you want the end of the line to finish when your drawing a line - dont look at the end of the pen/pencil nib & watch your self drawing.
The more you practice drawing the more confident you become at drawing. Just draw lines, dont over think it. Be a confident drawer.
ANSWER: Spend more time practicing basic line drawings like the video examples on www.architectureschool.co.nz/drawing
EXAMPLE: Do lots of the 30 second line drawings to practice your drawing skills. One technique is looking at where you want the end of the line to finish when your drawing a line - dont look at the end of the pen/pencil nib & watch your self drawing.
The more you practice drawing the more confident you become at drawing. Just draw lines, dont over think it. Be a confident drawer.
Q4. How do you push through the creative block when it comes to producing architecture concepts.
ANSWER: Understand who your are designing for. Think about lots of random design ideas, use your imagination. Be confident drawing lines + shapes, just do lots of drawings, the more you practice line drawings the more confident you can be when designing.
EXAMPLE: Do 4 quick drawings per A4 page, 30 seconds per drawing, each drawing for a different idea, draw shapes of your ideas.
Don't over-analyse your drawings, do one then move on to the next. Do at least 8 drawings, then review your drawings.
Realise that not all drawings are awesome, these are my snake drawings, I only like 3 of them but its part of the design process.
ANSWER: Understand who your are designing for. Think about lots of random design ideas, use your imagination. Be confident drawing lines + shapes, just do lots of drawings, the more you practice line drawings the more confident you can be when designing.
EXAMPLE: Do 4 quick drawings per A4 page, 30 seconds per drawing, each drawing for a different idea, draw shapes of your ideas.
Don't over-analyse your drawings, do one then move on to the next. Do at least 8 drawings, then review your drawings.
Realise that not all drawings are awesome, these are my snake drawings, I only like 3 of them but its part of the design process.
Also... listen to this podcast about tips & tactics of how to develop an architectural design concept.
archdaily.com/tips-and-tactics-how-to-develop-a-design-concept.
archdaily.com/tips-and-tactics-how-to-develop-a-design-concept.
Q5. Do I use Sketchup or Tinkercad or Minecraft to 3D model my Animal Pavilion design?
ANSWER: Its your choice, use what ever one your comfortable with. They all have their own advantages/disadvantages.
FOR EXAMPLE: You can use Sketchup & Tinkercad in-browser for free on a chromebook or laptop etc & 3D print your design at AC.
If your not sure how to use Sketchup or Tinkercad watch youtube tutorials & practice modelling what they show on the tutorials, then 3D model your animal pavilion architecture once you have skilled your self up. It takes time to learn 3D modeling, be patient.
You can use Minecraft if you have your own personal account, at the moment you cant use your school email account at home to access Minecraft Edu. If you want to use Minecraft you will have to pay for your own personal account or wait until we get back to AC. You cant 3D print Minecraft models.
ANSWER: Its your choice, use what ever one your comfortable with. They all have their own advantages/disadvantages.
FOR EXAMPLE: You can use Sketchup & Tinkercad in-browser for free on a chromebook or laptop etc & 3D print your design at AC.
If your not sure how to use Sketchup or Tinkercad watch youtube tutorials & practice modelling what they show on the tutorials, then 3D model your animal pavilion architecture once you have skilled your self up. It takes time to learn 3D modeling, be patient.
You can use Minecraft if you have your own personal account, at the moment you cant use your school email account at home to access Minecraft Edu. If you want to use Minecraft you will have to pay for your own personal account or wait until we get back to AC. You cant 3D print Minecraft models.
Q6. I dont have a computer or Internet access to 3D model my Animal Pavilion, what can I do instead?
ANSWER: You can do drawings & make physical models of your design ideas.
EXAMPLE: If you use A4 paper, fold it in half, then half again & do 4 small drawings per page to develop your ideas, once you have a good idea about your design then do bigger drawings.
Throughout the drawing design process you can also make physical models of your design ideas, using paper, cardboard, plastic, tinfoil, bamboo skewers, chopsticks, play dough, Lego… whatever you have around the house.
Look at the examples of physical models on the https://www.architectureschool.co.nz/design.html page.
Take quality photos of your drawings & models to use as content for your assessments.
When we get back to AC you can use the computers to 3D model your Animal Pavilion design.
ANSWER: You can do drawings & make physical models of your design ideas.
EXAMPLE: If you use A4 paper, fold it in half, then half again & do 4 small drawings per page to develop your ideas, once you have a good idea about your design then do bigger drawings.
Throughout the drawing design process you can also make physical models of your design ideas, using paper, cardboard, plastic, tinfoil, bamboo skewers, chopsticks, play dough, Lego… whatever you have around the house.
Look at the examples of physical models on the https://www.architectureschool.co.nz/design.html page.
Take quality photos of your drawings & models to use as content for your assessments.
When we get back to AC you can use the computers to 3D model your Animal Pavilion design.
Q7. How big does my Animal Pavilion have to be?
ANSWER: Any size. For context; the size of Kr14 classroom is 50m2, 10 metres long x 5 metres wide x 3 metres ceiling height.
Make your design bigger or smaller, its up to you. For reference, the SnakeTower base is approx 15m x 8m & the overall height is 17m tall. The bigger the building the longer it takes to 3D model your architecture design.
EXAMPLE: Some AOF learners have made their architecture designs so big they spent all their time 3D modeling & didnt leave themselves enough time to complete their assessments. Focus on the quality of your design not size of your architecture.
ANSWER: Any size. For context; the size of Kr14 classroom is 50m2, 10 metres long x 5 metres wide x 3 metres ceiling height.
Make your design bigger or smaller, its up to you. For reference, the SnakeTower base is approx 15m x 8m & the overall height is 17m tall. The bigger the building the longer it takes to 3D model your architecture design.
EXAMPLE: Some AOF learners have made their architecture designs so big they spent all their time 3D modeling & didnt leave themselves enough time to complete their assessments. Focus on the quality of your design not size of your architecture.
Q8. Can I use Minecraft on Playstation or Xbox to 3D model my Animal Pavilion?
ANSWER: Yes, but you need to be able to screenshot images or video of your architecture design.
EXAMPLE: Take screenshots of your architecture & use Photoshop or Pixlr to create images of your architecture in the site location.
ANSWER: Yes, but you need to be able to screenshot images or video of your architecture design.
EXAMPLE: Take screenshots of your architecture & use Photoshop or Pixlr to create images of your architecture in the site location.
Q9. What do we do if we lack the materials at home required to make our architecture? Just in case there is a part of someones model that would be difficult to make with paper alone
ANSWER: You can make physical models of your design ideas using paper, cardboard, plastic, tinfoil, bamboo skewers, chopsticks, play dough, Lego, sticks + leaves, wood, bricks, whatever you have around the house. Use your imagination.
FOR EXAMPLE: AOF learners have used lego & other building toys to make design models, some use cardboard & tape & wire mesh.
ANSWER: You can make physical models of your design ideas using paper, cardboard, plastic, tinfoil, bamboo skewers, chopsticks, play dough, Lego, sticks + leaves, wood, bricks, whatever you have around the house. Use your imagination.
FOR EXAMPLE: AOF learners have used lego & other building toys to make design models, some use cardboard & tape & wire mesh.
Q10. Can we combine designs from other architectures to make our own?
ANSWER: Yes. Refer to your 10x Architecture research document, why are these buildings inspirational to you, what are their key design features, what were the 2 comments you wrote about each of them? You can combine any design features from these inspirational architecture projects into your Animal Pavilion design. They can help inspire you to come up with your own designs.
EXAMPLE: Draw the basic shapes of the architecture that inspires you. The image below is my 8x 30 second drawings of the
first 4 projects on the www.architectureschool.co.nz/cool-2 website - these are my interpretation drawings of the buildings shapes.
Do your own 30 second drawings of your design ideas. Keep your drawings simple, no fine detail. Do confident drawings of your ideas.
ANSWER: Yes. Refer to your 10x Architecture research document, why are these buildings inspirational to you, what are their key design features, what were the 2 comments you wrote about each of them? You can combine any design features from these inspirational architecture projects into your Animal Pavilion design. They can help inspire you to come up with your own designs.
EXAMPLE: Draw the basic shapes of the architecture that inspires you. The image below is my 8x 30 second drawings of the
first 4 projects on the www.architectureschool.co.nz/cool-2 website - these are my interpretation drawings of the buildings shapes.
Do your own 30 second drawings of your design ideas. Keep your drawings simple, no fine detail. Do confident drawings of your ideas.
Q11. How many design processes are in designing a building?
ANSWER: 4 stages. #1 Pre Design. #2 Design. #3 Developed Design. #4 Visualise
EXAMPLE: This image shows the 4 stages & a description of what you do at each stage.
ANSWER: 4 stages. #1 Pre Design. #2 Design. #3 Developed Design. #4 Visualise
EXAMPLE: This image shows the 4 stages & a description of what you do at each stage.
Q12. What should i be doing in AOF each week?
ANSWER: You are each timetabled 3 hours of AOF a week (2 classes). Online classes are about 20 minutes long, the remaining 2+ hours of AOF learning can be done anytime over the week, whenever suits you & when you like to self learn.
EXAMPLE: How you manage your time is important, make a list of things to do, be organised. Dont underestimate how long it takes to learn new software - for example; if you have not used Pixlr before, watch tutorials & learn how to use it... how long does it take you to create an image using Pixlr? It took me 3 hours to use 9 images to create my final SnakeTower animal pavilion design image.
ANSWER: You are each timetabled 3 hours of AOF a week (2 classes). Online classes are about 20 minutes long, the remaining 2+ hours of AOF learning can be done anytime over the week, whenever suits you & when you like to self learn.
EXAMPLE: How you manage your time is important, make a list of things to do, be organised. Dont underestimate how long it takes to learn new software - for example; if you have not used Pixlr before, watch tutorials & learn how to use it... how long does it take you to create an image using Pixlr? It took me 3 hours to use 9 images to create my final SnakeTower animal pavilion design image.
