Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Alternate Solutions







The exterior walls of houseboat are fiber glass in order to keep the inside of the home dry. The interior walls are various simulated wood and real wood designs to give a nature theme. The first design of the houseboat focuses on the master bedroom having the most access to the house without being disturbed by late night guests. The houseboat has two access points for guests: the front glass sliding doors and the side stairs. The houseboat design has four outside areas. The first outside zone is the bow deck which people walk on to get to the front door or the occupants can use it to fish and swim. The stern deck is mainly for the home owners since that deck's only access is a double glass sliding door in the master bedroom. This same concept is seen for the second floor guest bedroom's balcony area. The last remaining deck area is on the second floor and accessible through the game room as well as the stairs leading from the bow deck.

The master bedroom occupies about a third of the first floor. It can either be open to the entire house or closed off to be private for the home owners by use of the pocket door shown in yellow in the first picture.The master bedroom has a queen size bed for the couple to sleep on as well as a dresser and closet for the couple to share. Also, the master bedroom has its own bathroom but shares the shower with the rest of the house. In addition, as stated before, the master bedroom has its own deck area on the stern.

The other two bedrooms are used for guest living. The bedroom closest to the kitchen and under the stairway is the smallest bedroom but most convenient. Any room adjacent to the kitchen has a better value because of its easy access to food. This bedroom next to the kitchen is a single man room and has a dresser and closet available. The second, more luxurious guest room is upstairs right above the master bedroom. The access point to this room is up the stairs right before the master bedroom. The upstairs room has its own balcony. Two people are able to relax in chairs on the balcony and even bird watch in the night and star gaze at night with the use of the telescope.

The first room one walks into when entering the houseboat is the living room. The living room consists of a couch and desk for lounge purposes and an area to use a laptop if desired. Also, the dining table is located in the living room for the owners and guests to eat in a spacious environment. The kitchen is connected to the living room in order to save room and allow for a constant flow of food from the kitchen to the living room with ease. The kitchen has a stove, sink, and refrigerator for the owner's use. The stairway that leads to the game room is also located in the living room.

One of the best feature of this design can be found on the second floor on the bow of the ship. On the bow deck of the ship, there is an exterior stairway tucked away on the starboard side of the ship that gives people access to the second floor balcony. This balcony is an ideal place to lay out on lounge chairs and take a middle of the day nap or sun bathe all the while in complete peace and tranquility. In addition, there is a double sliding glass door leading to the houseboat's game room. By having this access point to the game room, the owners are able to invite friends over for fun without bringing them through their home. The owners may not want people to see a messy home, may be trying to avoid getting their living room dirty, or might be uncomfortable allowing first time guest who are coming over for a game to walk through their home, therefore, the double access to the game room is perfect for all scenarios. The game room itself has a game table which allows friends to partake in poker, card games, or other activities and also has a self serve bar for the participants of the game night to relax with.







The second alternate solution has a first floor exterior similar to the first solution. The bow deck can be used for fishing and swimming on a hot day and there is a somewhat skinny front door in the center of the house front. The stern deck is the best area for water activities and is open for all personnel in this design since the hallway leads to the stern. The hallway is the immediate area one is in when entering the houseboat and following the hallway will lead one to all essential parts of the home. In addition the exterior walls are made of fiberglass in order to keep the house dry but the interior walls are made of simulated wood and real wood to follow the nature theme.

The two guest bedrooms are located on the first floor. The first guest room is the first on the port side of the hallway and consists of the average bed, nightstand, dresser, and closet set up. The second guest room is the second room on the starboard side of the hallway and consists of the same essential components as the other guest room. The two rooms share a bathroom which is located as the first room on the starboard side of the hallway.

The first floor also has a living room and kitchen combined room in the stern of the houseboat. The kitchen has the average refrigerator, stove, sink, and cabinets included. The dining table is located on the starboard side of the room. In addition, there is a L-shaped couch and coffee table for friends to lounge on while waiting for a meal or just to relax and talk. The stairs leading to the second floor are located right after the guest bedroom on the port side of the ship. After the stairs on the port side, one will find the den. The den is a room for the owner to work on a laptop, read a book, or do any other work one might need completed in peace. There is a single desk, filing cabinets, and bookcase for the owner to store all books and papers needed.

The second floor is the master suite which allows for the owners to have complete separation from any guests they may have. Immediately at the top of the stairs, one will notice a miniature kitchen set up which allows the owners to wake up and make coffee or get a snack without having to go downstairs. Also, directly next to the mini kitchen is a small balcony with chairs which is meant for looking out and over the lake with a cup of coffee in the morning. Furthermore, the master bathroom door is on the starboard wall directly next to the stairway. To make the plumbing easy, the master bathroom is directly above the small bathroom. The master bathroom is the only bathroom with a shower so occupants must share it. Also, the master bedroom has a toilet, sink, and a makeup table for residents to freshen up before leaving the house.

The final section of the houseboat is the master bedroom. The master bedroom has a queen size bed, two nightstands, dresser, closet, and a small sitting area where a couple could sit and chat together in solitude. The bed in the master bedroom is situated directly in front of the complete glass wall and sliding double doors in order for the bed users to be able to wake up to a beautiful lake view every morning. Also, the occupants can walk out to their private balcony and relax on the lounge chairs. In addition to the lounge chairs, there is a telescope available on the balcony for one to use to bird watch or star gaze.






In the third solution, the exterior walls are made of fiberglass while the interior walls are made of simulated and real wood. The bow deck is open for activity while there still is the stairway to the upstairs balcony. The stern deck is only accessible by walking through the master bedroom and has an open space in order to allow fishing and swimming to occur or even hold items such as floats or waveriders. The largest open exterior space is found on the second floor balcony on the bow. One can reach the balcony through the game room or by walking up the stairway on the bow of the houseboat. This area is meant for people to relax and sun bathe on lounge chairs. If the items are cleared from the balcony, the balcony can be transformed into a dance space for parties.

The front door is a double sliding door that leads to the living room which contains a couch and entertainment unit. Also, the dining table is located in the living room to save space in the kitchen. The kitchen contains all the essential components, such as a refrigerator, stove, sink, and cabinets. The stairway to the second floor game room and guest bedroom is also located on the port side of the living room towards the stern. There is a bathroom accessible to the whole household behind the stairs which leads to the shared shower room.

The master bedroom is completely isolated from the rest of the houseboat because of its solid door separating it from the kitchen. The master bathroom is only for the master bedroom and shares a shower room with the other bathroom. The master bedroom also has a large closet with double folding doors for the couple to share. Also, there is a L-shaped couch and coffee table for the couple to sit and relax with a cup of coffee in the morning in the safety of their own room. As stated earlier, the stern deck is also a private area for the couple to use unless they desire to allow people to come back to the deck.

The second floor is designed for guests. There are two access stairways to reach the second floor. The exterior stairway leads people to the bow balcony and the living room stairway leads people to the games room. The exterior stairway is best if the owners want to have guests over but do not wish for people to be in the main area of their home. The guests can simply walk up the exterior stairs and reach the balcony for either a dance party or go into the game room for some activity. The living stairway is meant for the owners to be able to make trips to the kitchen if needed or just another easy access to the second floor from within the house.

The game room on the second floor can act as either a game area or a bedroom. In the center of the room there is a game table which can be used for card games or other board games which are located in the game closet on the starboard side. There is also a self serve mini bar on the starboard side of the game room. The way that the game room becomes a bedroom is if the game table is moved, the couch pulls out and converts into a bed for a guest to use. In addition to the makeshift game room bed, there is also a guest room in the next room towards the stern. The second floor stern bedroom contains a bed, nightstand, dresser, closet, and even a coffee making table so that the guest can wake up to a refreshing brew of coffee to enjoy. In addition to waking up to a nice cup of coffee, the guest room bed is situated in the middle of the room with a large window in front of it to give the guest a beautiful view of the lake every morning.





The exterior walls of the fourth solution is once again made of fiberglass since it is the best way for the houseboat to keep lake water out of the house and the simulated wood and real wood is the best way to follow the nature theme. The first floor bow deck remains the same as the first alternate solution with an entrance to the house and also the stairway to the second floor balcony is on the starboard side of the bow deck. Unlike the first and third solutions, the stern deck is accessible to all people. A person is able to walk through the house without advancing through any bedrooms to reach the stern deck. The stern deck has an L-shaped in order to make use of the largest room possible for outdoor activities such as swimming or fishing. The third outdoor area is found on the second floor bow. The second floor deck is the largest outdoor space and permits people to use it in multiple fashion. One can find lounge chairs on the second floor deck in order to relax and sun bathe or one can clear off the deck and have a party with friends on the large outdoor space. There are two ways to reach the second floor deck: the game room double glass sliding door entrance or the stairway on the starboard side of the bow.

The first room of the first floor is the living room which consists of a couch, recliner chair, coffee table, and entertainment unit. This area is meant for people to relax and watch television or talk on days with poor weather conditions. Also, the kitchen shares the space with the living room. The kitchen contains the usual refrigerator, stove, sink, and cabinets. In addition, the kitchen has a five person island for people to dine at for meals. The closeness of the kitchen and living room allows for the living room to be consistently well fed for events such as watching a sports game with friends or a movie night.

The mater bedroom is located in the port side of the houseboat and is the last room in the stern. The master bedroom has a queen size bed, dresser, nightstand, and closet for the couple to share. Also, the master bedroom has its own bathroom with a toilet and sink with an extend counter for a makeup station. The shower for the houseboat is share between the master bathroom and regular bathroom which is located on the opposite side of the shower from the master bathroom. This second bathroom is for the rest of the house so that the owners of the houseboat do not have to share a bathroom with their guests. The master bedroom has easy access to the stern deck because of its double glass sliding door connecting it to the stern deck.

The second floor is made specifically for guests. The guest bedroom is made for two people to room together. However, by placing a closet between the two beds, each guest receives more privacy than one would if nothing separated the beds. Also, each of the guests have their own closet for their belongings. In addition the guest room has a dresser for the guests to share but also a miniature kitchen set up. This will be mainly used for preparing coffee in the morning or having snacks and drinks in the fridge so that they do not have to make a trip downstairs constantly for food. There are two access points to the guest room which are a set of stairs in the kitchen-living room and also through the game room door.

The final area of the house is the game room. This space is for entertaining guests and even having a party if one desires. The second floor is especially good for parties since the game room and second floor deck are both available for a large crowd to interact. The gameroom has a large game table and also a closet which can be filled with games or items required for a party. In addition, there is a self serve bar with a refrigerator on the starboard side of the room. If a person needs to spend the night and the guest room is already filled, the couch in the game room pulls out into a bed. Access to the game room is by either coming from the guest bedroom or the second floor deck.
Detail Isometric View
Overview

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Background Information

Background Information

Busy New York City
http://www.autostraddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/stock-footage-new-york-city-july-busy-traffic-and-crowds-of-people-in-times-square-manhattan-on-july.jpg 

Pollution of New York City
http://cdn.nycitynewsservice.com/blogs.dir/9/files/2012/11/trash-image-485x250.jpg

Crowded living with no privacy
http://www.mockduck.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/the-pad3.jpg?w=300


Smog of the City
http://www.metrolic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/0air.jpg

Lake Ontario
http://www.thegreatwaterway.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/baffinpaddler-paddling-lake-ontario.jpg.jpg

Living in the city can be a health risk. A study was conducted by a group of scientists to see how frowing up in the city affected a person's mind and the results were disturbing. The study concluded that people raised in the city were more ready to result to aggression in stressful situations than rural people. Also, the part of the brain (the paCC) that regulates the amygdalas (the section of brain that causes aggression) was not as active as rural people's. The noise and activity of the city poorly affects the brain. To make matters worse, the city is very unsanitary. The photos above show how filthy the city is and that can physically hurt its inhabitants' health. Instead of living in the city year round, people would have a healthier lifestyle if they went off to vacation in a place, such as Lake Ontario, in the warmer season in order to find peace and tranquility and breath in some clean, fresh air for once rather than the thick smog that covers New York City.



Cities are filled with polluted air
http://www.nasalinsert.com/img/markets/smog_city.jpg
Cities are filled with second hand smoke
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/08/15/nyregion/15smoking.span.jpg
Lake Ontario coast
http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/glindicators/images/shore.jpg
Car exhaust creates a smog
http://www.lasvegascarclubs.com/images/fumes.jpg
Lake Superior
http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/11/Lake-Superior-537x357.jpg
 The climate of New York City is becomes more severe due to the large and densely packed buildings. New York has humid weather conditions with hot summers but no dry season. The air quality of New York is beginning to improve over the years but high amounts of car exhaust and second hand smoke makes the air less healthy for the inhabitants. The air quality of the Great Lakes cannot be beat! The clean, fresh air of the countryside can do wonders for the body and mind. The temperatures of Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes are cooler than New York City.


Times Square summarizes New York's busy lifestyle
http://thejetlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Times_Square.jpg

Stressful life
http://expertelevation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/stressed-business-woman.jpg
Living conditions for NYC residents
http://5d48184523c8a489ed05-91a4b8ed85c04e5358f91889505a4163.r43.cf1.rackcdn.com/44/8/large.jpg
Broadway
http://cache-graphicslib.viator.com/graphicslib/thumbs360x240/5250/SITours/nyc-walking-tour-broadway-history-and-culture-in-new-york-city-105440.jpg
Central Park
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/001/cache/greenery-central-park_181_600x450.jpg
New York City is a fast paced place. Times Square is a great example to show how hectic and busy the whole city is at all times. Those who work in NYC usually have office jobs which can become very stressful due to working in a boring work area for hours on end with projects piling up. Finding time to be alone is close to impossible since most living areas are apartments which allow neighbors to listen to each other. Broadway is one thing that NYC is very famous for, however, that is just more technology and fast paced actions. The only area to get in touch with nature is Central Park, but even there one can here the constant horn beeping and loud noises coming from the city surrounding.
Fishing with friends at a lake is a great past time
http://www.aroundosceola.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/LakeTohoFeature_102613.jpg
The lake is the perfect area to be alone and feel at ease
http://www.fow-ebook.us/images/Smallmouth_bass_Figure%209_KeyesL_final_2010.jpg
Friends can have fun in the afternoon swimming off the back of the boat
http://www.explorekawarthalakes.com/en/stay/resources/HappyDaysONE.4.jpg
Lazy days can be spent lying on  lounge chairs in front of the water
http://www.beaverlakefrontcabins.com/images/chaise-lounges.jpg
The wildlife of the lakes is beautiful
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/image/vbig/90.jpg
The peace and tranquility of a lake is comparative to nothing else. The goal of the houseboat is to give the perfect lake experience to the occupants. The occupants can either lounge on the deck of the houseboat and watch nature while soaking in sun rays or be a bit more active with their day. Also, the houseboat would be perfect for people to swim or fish off the back. The main objective of the houseboat is to allow people to relax and have fun to escape the stress of their normal lives.
The ballroom has an elegant design and layout such as what the houseboat shall have
http://www.flagler.edu/sebin/l/e/Ponce-de-Leon-Ballroom-Side-Large.jpg
The barn has a natural design that I hope to recreate for the houseboat
http://www.barntoolbox.com/images/30x24HorseStable-800.jpg
The houseboat is meant to be comforting and relaxing similar to this beach scene
http://www.rockswallpaperhd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Girls-Holidays-at-Beach-Relaxing-time-with-friends-Hd-Wallpaper.jpg
The dark hard wood gives a natural vibe in which I hope to replicate
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSoITnbfygL3sdY4af9pjHm3bJy1bxWTS1t4sSLTqBFAFb-Sf2-Hg
This nature scene is what the houseboat will copy
http://www.godfuel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/george-h-morrison.jpg
The houseboat design will be modern and energy efficient while incorporating a nature theme. The design will have an elegant layout, such as the ballroom, while having a more natural feel, such as the dark hard wood. The barn appears as a part of nature with its dark shade of hard wood which is what I am attempting to create in my houseboat design. The design will be comforting and relaxing for the user. Overall, the houseboat will have a sophisticated layout and design while remaining as a nature themed home.
A person can relax with friends on the deck with friends
http://www.beaverlakefrontcabins.com/images/chaise-lounges.jpg
A person can fish off the stern with friends or family
http://www.reelretreat.com/images/fishing%20on%20boat.jpg
Game night with friends
http://money-online-slots.net/image-poker-table-accessories_3879091.jpg
Laying under the stars at night
http://www.shreeshbokadephotography.com/img/s2/v71/p926885315-5.jpg
Beautiful lake view from every window
http://wheresrooster.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Window-view-cool.jpg
The houseboat is meant to be a fun and relaxing place for people to escape their stressful lives on vacation. The users can relax on lounge chairs to soak in sun on the deck on lazy days. Also, they could utilize the deck space by fishing off the stern of the ship or swimming around the houseboat. Also, when friends are brought upon deck, the people aboard the ship can go into the game room to enjoy a nice game of poker or other games. At night, the occupants can relax on the top deck and star gaze on the lake and can even use the telescope to get a better view of the stars. In addition, each room in the house will have access to a beautiful view of the lake because of the bountiful amount of windows in the house.
Yacht
http://www.coastal-yacht-charters.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Yacht.jpg
A yacht is similar to a houseboat because they both house people overnight while having the ability to host fun games or a relaxing setting. However, unlike a houseboat, a yacht is more for cruising around the open ocean and hosting day trips or short overnight trips. On the other hand, a houseboat is built more so for a closed body of water and to house a person for a long period of time. Both vessels are built to entertain and are designed around their living area.
Small lakeside home
http://cdn.desktopwallpapers4.me/wallpapers/world/1920x1080/2/11190-house-on-the-lakeside-1920x1080-world-wallpaper.jpg
The small lakeside house is similar to a houseboat because of the fact that they both have to compress an entire house into a small area. Also, they both have to design their structures in order to utilize the lake that they are situated next to. Both structures must incorporate all of the essential components of a household into a small area.
Deluxe pontoon boat
http://www.travelizmo.com/archives/sanpan-2200-dc-pontoon-boat-2009.jpg
A deluxe pontoon boat has the fun features of a houseboat without the living space. The occupants and friends can lounge on the pontoon boat or fish and go swimming off the boat in the lake. The houseboat has the same features available but also permits overnight stays.




New York City is a place of high stress. Loud noises coming from people and vehicles are constant stress inducers for the residents of this highly populated city. Stress and noise can harmfully affect a person's mental and physical health. In this case, NYC is the area of discussion. In addition to the constant sound pollution, many jobs available in the city are office jobs which are known to cause a high rate of stress and depression due to the boredom of a desk job. After a while, a caustic mental state of mind can cause physical health problems. For example, being over stressed can cause heart problems or create a tendency toward alcoholism which can cause liver problems. The best way to avoid these medical issues is by relaxing and having an escape from one's everyday lifestyle.

Noise pollution and work related stress was the topic of a study conducted to see how a person's mind that was raised in the city differed from that of one from a rural setting. A group of scientists from the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim led by Dr. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg focused the experiment on two parts of the brain: the amygdalas and the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC). The amygdalas is involved in accessing threats and generating fear, while the pACC in turn helps to regulate the amygdalas. In the experiment, the scientists gathered people from city, suburb, and countryside settings. The scientists concluded that people who were raised in the city had their amygdalas appear more active on the scanner compared to those who were raised in small towns. Those raised in the countryside had the least active amygdalas. In addition, the pACC was acting in a particular way for each subject. The pACC was least active in subjects from cities while the rural-raised subjects had more activity. The connection between the pACC and amygdalas was discovered not to be as smooth in city subjects as it was in rural subjects. The poor connection between the two parts of the brain was also seen in those with schizophrenia, and schizophrenic people were much more likely to live in cities. This study did not prove that city dwelling led to mental illness, but it did suggest it.

In addition, living in a city increased the risk for people to develop anxiety and mood disorders. These mental issues can take a physical toll on one's body. The city causes one's body to deteriorate mentally and physically. People living in a city must find time to escape their regular surroundings for the benefit of their health. They need to take time off in a place that is calm, peaceful, and not crowded. Occasional vacations lasting a few days at a time would be the best remedy to help a city person remain relatively sane while living in the city. A period of unwinding in a lounge chair by a quiet, peaceful lake can soothe even the most anxious of people.

A retreat on a lake from stressful city living would be the best cure for any city dwellers suffering from anxiety. After living through weeks or even months of noisy streets and a busy work schedule, a resident of NYC would find it quite beneficial to her health to escape to a lake for a few days or more. The lake is most similar to a countryside experience due to its isolation from main stream civilization. So, as per the experiment studying the impact of stress to the brain, it was found that rural areas decreased anxiety exponentially. With that in mind, visiting rural areas, such as a lake, periodically would positively benefit one's mental and physical health.

Given the lake experience, excursions on a boat would allow a person to have an even more relaxing detox from work. A boat allows friends and family to conjugate and bond in a peaceful environment. Water therapy has been used for thousands of years; relaxing in the cool lake water can clear the mind of all worries and just allow a person to focus on oneself. A lake incorporates all features necessary for a stressed and anxious city resident to escape one’s regular domain and unwind on a well-deserved vacation for the sake of one’s mental and physical health. Hopefully, with periodic trips to a lake, the unbalanced connection between the amygdalas and pACC that occurs in city people may not happen due to this vacation home.