NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SOILS
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
OF SOILS IN THE CITY OF BOGOTA - COLOMBIA.
PROFESSIONAL PROJECT (Team Project)
Developed in: Instituto geográfico Agustín Codazzi
2018
MY PARTICIPATION:
Conceptualization of the museum.
Information gathering.
Synthesis of information.
Architectural design.
Supervision in construction.
Conceptualization of the museum.
Information gathering.
Synthesis of information.
Architectural design.
Design of visitor’s experience.
Design of interaction mechanisms.Supervision in construction.
INTERACTIONS NODES
The main subjects to consider in the design of the National Museum of Soils are grouped into three different nodes of interaction, centered on the users and their relations with the museum space. The first is architecture and the distribution of space; the second is the user's experience within the graphic identity of the museum; the third is the user's ability to interact with the analog and digital devices.
A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SOILS
The reinterpretation of geography and edaphology through graphic elements aims to communicate the importance of soil in the development and survival of human life. Without losing the technical rigor, the theoretical contents are presented for a professional public, as well as children and general audiences, and illustrate the dynamics of the soils and their vital importance for ecosystems. We distributed the contents in the museum according to their difficulty, starting with basic knowledge such as the processes and relevant factors of soil formation at the entrance. It then advances to explain physical and chemical properties, so the public can understand the classes of soil present in the country and its physical representation through monoliths.
ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTIONS
The renovation of architectural spaces included lifting the ceiling, plating the walls, and changing the floor. We also calculated the amount of light needed for the area of the room and selected the light sources and electrical adjustments needed for the internet network. The scope of the project included the design of furniture and ephemeral architecture according to the area of the museum and its spatial distribution. We planned the route for the users inside the room relative to the soil´s theoretical content.
THE USER INTERACTIONS
As my diagram indicates, an interaction line accompanies the theoretical line on soil science to enhance the visitor{s experience of the museum. In each of the central segments, there is a series of digital and analogue devices whose main objective is to complement the information presented in the graphic pieces on the walls and on the ephemeral architecture. This interactive immersion occurs by stimulating the user’s senses with cutting-edge technology such as 360° photos, videos, and UCLA’s augmented reality sandbox, an open resource for educational purposes.
THE USER EXPERIENCE
The design of the visitor's experience is based on the theory that the museum is a classroom, where users can visit temporary exhibitions on specific topics throughout the year. Children, the main audience, will use digital applications with interactive screens that complement their knowledge of soils. As part of the museology and museography, we also designed a brand identity for the museum (including logos, typography, colours, packaging, and messaging) so that the museum´s graphic pieces are consistent, permanent, and defined.
