The purpose of the Study Pod is to create a small study space in the library. This project aims to make the library a more study-intensive area when it is filled with people.

Inspiration for this project was taken from the google sleep pods. These pods are meant for sleeping, yet still offer a secluded, quiet place. The downside to the google pods is their heavyset chair bases which make them immovable. By suspending the pod from the ceiling,  a much more comfortable, swinging effect is created. The pod is also made to adequately fit one large person or two medium-sized people inside. 

The original model was made to represent a pod that is 4’x6’, but after building a few smaller-scale models, we decided it would be better to increase the height of the pod? Explain why models were structured with stretched cloth and rubber bands. 

After creating two cardboard prototypes, we decided to change multiple parts of the study pod’s overall design. While our original models adequately represented what we wanted the full-scale pods to look like, they lacked material quality. The crude models were made of stretched cloth, rubber bands, string, and cardboard cut by hand. After gluing the felt to the thick rubber bands we use as support rods, the project got messy quickly, and we had a hard time measuring the proper amount of felt to wrap around the pod walls. These early models represented the pod we had in mind, but the materials were too low quality. In addition to stepping up the overall quality, we wanted to add more detail to the project as well. 

We wanted to make sure the model had functional features that we intended to add to the final product. This included an entryway that could also serve as a dimmer or window to control light.   The next step was to laser cut a 4’x6.5’ prototype. Two support rings, one on the bottom and a smaller one for the top, were made in a design software called Rhino. Laser cutting them allowed them to fit perfectly. After assembling the barrel-type structure, five holes were drilled through each arm of the pod. We then lined those holes with string and stretched our fabric throughout the strings. The front entryway was left open to create a door.  Our next plans to make a door that will allow the user to choose how much room is able to be seen, and how much of the pod is private. We plan on doing this using a drawstring mechanism similar to a house curtain.

A suspended pod that isolates, relaxes and engages a student in order to enhance their work habits and benefit their studies.

The concept for this project came to fruition when two students realized the library was not tailored toward intensive studying or working. A library is meant to be a quiet place of work but somewhere there was a disconnect. Helpful feedback supported their realization and provided evidence that students were yearning for a change. Wanting to an environment where a student or two could sit and study with little to no distractions the idea for High Above was born.

It all started with the developing of sketches and evocative imagery the two classmates experienced during research. With many avenues to explore and a plethora of methods to use to construct their project, it took a while to settle on one specific design. Structural advice and guidance were given by Dr. Jiang and multiple Nuvu Coaches that helped them along tremendously. A notion to break away from the normal symmetrical build and make something original was prevalent throughout the entire design process. The two students achieved their goals by modeling a suspended, egg-shaped pod with the capabilities to compress in length, retract and deploy shade and provide isolation.

High Above’s greatest challenge was finding a frame that not only worked but achieved all of the goals stated during early development. Ideas ranged from using PVC Pipe to metal rings and wooden arms. Experimenting with all materials, the two decided that PVC is too hard to work with and wooden arms were the best alternative. The decision to go with wood allowed for a more lightweight frame allowing for the assembly process to be more pleasant for the user. A stretched fabric woven through the wooden ribs of the frame provides the enclosed environment the team strove for. A rotating base allows the arms to retract, exposing the user to the outside entirely, and deploy, enclosing the user entirely. Small features such as a laptop fold down, back support and LED lighting, provide a room like quality but with added comfort.

The final product is unique in its design, superior to its counterparts and beneficial to students. With a less than adequate library to use as a workspace High Above could ensure the library is used properly and efficiently.