Western Washington University Bike Shelter - The Bike Shelter was originally intended to cover the current hexagon shaped racks at WWU. Due to complaints about the current racks, expense of construction and the difficulties in utilizing space to cover the current racks, I presented the idea of a small, light weight shelter that would integrate the bike rack. The new rack would hopefully suit cyclist needs better while also saving construction costs compared to building many small buildings.
roof height and size - This diagram was done to show rain fall angles. This influenced design factors such as roof size and height. I wanted the most coverage, with the smallest footprint for the shelter.
original sketches - These were some of the first sketches I had done that showed the integration of the rack with the shelter. WWU Facilities Management and the Bike Shelter committee agreed to persue this direction with the bike shelter, instead of trying to cover the existing bike racks.
triangular rack shape - One of the goals of the bike shelter was to have a small footprint. By redesigning the shape of the rack, the footprint was minimized by about 20 %.
original 3D model - This was one of the first 3D models I made. It ended up being the design that WWU chose to persue. There were subtle changes made after this model, but the concept was very similar to the actual prototype.
materials - All of the steel frame was cut from 20 foot long 2" by 2" steel tubing, that was curved at a 20' radius. This process rusulted in very little left over steel. Production price per frame unit was estimated at less than $300. The roof can be done with a variey of plasics. While acrylic may be inexpensive, The prototype was done in a scratch resistant polycarbonate. Simple 2" steel strips are used to attach the polycarbonate.
shelter arrangement possibilities - These models are intended to show the variety of ways to arrange the bike shleter. The modular units are placed side by side as shown in the top picture. The footprint allows for the shelter to face in any direction possible and still allow the user room to navigate through the shelter.
full size sketch model - Before construction, I built this full scale model out of duct tape and cardboard. This was done so poeple would be able to feel exactly what the proportion was like.
completed bike shelter prototype - This is the completed bike shelter. Eventually, there are going to be more shelters built all over campus replacing the existing racks in the background. .
gLike