Music Shack
SITE: Kent, Ohio
YEAR: Undergrad Junior - 2016, Semester 1
UNIVERSITY: Kent State University
DURATION OF PROJECT: 2 months
The Music Shack is an intimate space that is designed for Kent State students to listen to music and relax.
The site that the Music Shack is located on is unique in that it is surrounded by trees but in the heart of campus life. At the top of the hill is a memorial to the May 4th shooting that happened in Kent in the 1970s, while at the bottom of the hill is a recreational field. The Music Shack is embedded into the hill surrounded by trees.
Figure 1: Site plan
Figure 2: Site location on Kent State University's campus
When I was young during the summer months, I have played drums for my dad’s band around Columbus, Ohio. Every year we play at a pizza/bar called Benny’s. The stage is a small wooden structure in the shape of a diamond which is placed in the corner of the patio. The site creates a very electric atmosphere because the people and the band are so close to one another. The patio is very loud from the music that we are playing, the talking of people eating pizza, and the intoxicated yells and laughter of people at the bar. The social context of Benny’s is chaotic, but the sound from the music reverbing off the wooden walls of this small stage creates an inexplicable calm among the chaos. This design proposal acts as a piece of sound architecture for students on Kent State's campus that are looking for serene moments during stressful times in college.
Figure 3: Inspiration diagram
Figure 4: Model of music shack interior
The Music Shack fits 4-6 people inside. It is designed to be a compact space to allow for intimate interaction with the users and the music that they are playing.
Figure 5: Traverse section of music shack
Figure 6: Longitudinal section of music shack
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The speakers and cables within the Music Shack are in between the concrete and the wood slats with small holes cut into the wood at the speaker's locations. This gives the sense of wonder about where the music is actually coming from. There are stripes of LED lights across the top of the Music Shack and the seats.
