A first attempt at posting something on the blog. Over a weekend I produced a competition entry for a bus stop design competition held by Utah University. The website can be found here:
http://www.nextstopdesign.com/
"This website is part of a research project called “Crowdsourcing Public Participation in Transit Planning.” Traditionally, government agencies ask for public input on planning projects by holding open meetings and workshops. The purpose of this project is to get this public input in a different way: online."
The heart of my bus stop design is a re-planted tree at the roadside, which provides both the structure for the shelter and also a fitting symbol for the ‘GreenStop’ design. A steel clamp (made in two parts which are tightened and loosened to allow for the growth of the tree) is securely fitted around the trees’ trunk, and it is this clamp which supports the two timber beams that run from the tree. The timber beams run to a brick wall that sits inside a steel frame, proudly displaying the simple structure of the shelter. The roadside of the shelter is left open for easy access to the bus, and the clear PVC roof overhangs the timber beam at the opposite side to provide shelter further back behind the main stop. This roof is very slightly angled to the roadside so any rainwater can run into drains in the road. Bus timetables and next bus screens are placed on either side of a strengthened PVC ‘wall’ (power for this screen and the lighting in the shelter is provided by a row of solar panels on the roof). The use of a clear material for the enclosing wall, and the positioning of the stop and its seats provide a perfect view of oncoming traffic. The use of the tree would provide the stop with its own unique identity, with the simple structure being supported (and openly displayed) by the tree.
