Infinitely Insulated Interior
Taubman College Courtyard

Creating a wall design that challenges the idea of an enclosed space. We were mostly inspired by the idea of a labyrinth or maze-like pattern for the entirety of the courtyard. What we are attempting to do with our final design is to challenge the idea of what an enclosure truly is.

One important point to reiterate is that these walls are constructed with insulation so when inside some of these spaces, the heat is retained and therefore feels more like an enclosure since you’re experiencing warmth. Also, when inside the small workspace within these walls or when walking through corridor spaces where you are enclosed by walls, it may feel like you are in an enclosure or interior, but the mirrors challenge this notion by causing this infinite reflectivity that in turn creates an infinite space.

Ultimately this design of the courtyard using these walls creates a contradictory experience. We decided to create this orientation of walls that is offset or ripples from this center space so that there’s a unique but clear pattern for circulation. However, we wanted to include these 2 larger distinct features, the collective space and the center space so that people can still orient themselves and they are not completely lost.