The Schnabelmask building is designed to respond to the current pandemic, it incorporated a series of louver systems to ensure a consistent and efficient air-change rate, providing an intriguing visual experience at the same time.

The term “Schnabelmask” comes from German, meaning “the beak mask,” which is a very special mask wore by the physicians during the Black Death to ensure their safety in the treatment process. My intention is to make this building a symbolization of the mask; protection to protect people from the virus when they’re doing activities in this building.

As a building that is designed as a response to the current pandemic, I incorporated a series of louver systems in the Schnabelmask building to ensure a consistent and efficient air-exchange rate, and this also provided an intriguing visual experience at the same time.

Each panel is supported by the vertical flutes, the rotation system on both ends allows the user to operate it. If the user wants to have more airflow into the room, they can use the remote to change the angle of the louver to allow more air into the room. The same with the sunlight, if a user feels the sunlight is too dazzling, they can simply use the remote to close the gap between the panels. But the gap would not be seal entirely since we want airflow into the room constantly. 

The louver is made out of Polycarbonate because of the good light transmittance it has which allows a decent amount of natural light travel to the interior; the acoustic property is also very well, It could absorb the ambient sound from both outdoor and indoor effectively.

Air-Flow

Natural Light

Another Covid strategy is the use of UV light since the UV light could inactive the virus. But it’s dangerous to human skin when direct contact, so I suggest this system can only be operated by the building manager, before the opening or after the building hour when on one is in the building, they could first close all the louver so no one that is on the street could be harmed, then turn on the system to let the light to kill all the virus on the surface.

Each voxel is equipped with two UV Light bulbs, it’s closed seamlessly with the frame when it turned on, the light bulbs flips around and it’s ready to operate.

The Structure is attached to the Milk’s building on a diagonal corner so that it could utilize the wind as much as possible; the wind from North-West in the wintertime and the wind from the south during summertime. There’s also wind coming from 15th street because of the Urban Canyon Effect, so the building could have a consistent airflow from almost all directions all year.

The programs are separated into working and relaxation areas, there are also two terrace spaces located on different levels.

There are two kinds of entertaining installations for kids on the 4th-floor terrace. The one on the left has a hold on one side, kids could climb in there using these little cut-outs, they could read a book in there. There is also a tunnel on the button for the kid to discover, on the top is a slide. On the right are a beehive chair and desk, this furniture is hollow and light-weight, kids could arrange it however they want, just like LEGO. All of these are custom made with Polypropylene because it’s safe for kids to contact, and the surface is impermeable which is easy to clean.