Wooden Island

It is no doubt true that post-pandemic humans will have to make choices which are in certain ways different from the time Covid-19 had not broken out. Recent research shows many people whose living space included no gardens or patios had to undergo severe mental problems while those who had access to their own outdoor spaces could benefit from a tension-free environment. Confronting the limitations of interior and exterior spaces during the lockdown has made us rethink ‘how we could approach designing a buffer space as a critical issue’.

This installation aims to consider the importance of personal outdoor space  . An observation-based research was carried out in an attempt to manipulate the  contrastive concepts of ‘inside’ and ‘outside’.  Having a portable outdoor space in mind, we started to play with a variety of simple architectural elements and study different combinations in order to create a space that could give people the opportunity to interact with the outside with a minimum footprint. We came up with the idea that it would be highly likely to produce a new and fresh outdoor space with minimum facilities. So was born "wooden Island". 
This small scale project is a conversion of a plot of land or surface into a semi-private outdoor space.  To achieve this, a prefabricated wooden floorboard is suggested as a flexible platform, which is surrounded by a round mobile wireframe with a fabric curtain. The most important feature of the design is its portability, which can be easily reorganized in different places. The placement of these elements with a simple architectural language and basic components could create a sensation of experiencing ‘inside’ while being ‘out’ in a light and poetic way.

This platform can be a part of a backyard, a personal or public garden, or even on top of a roof in an apartment building. This proposal serves to provide a provocative example of how a piece of land or surface can be dramatically transformed into a semi-private space which can bring to mind the ease and comfort of a cozy island!