Day 10: Architecture

Part 1: 

Get ready to unleash your creativity and dive into the exciting world where design meets math and engineering! In this challenge, you’ll be the architect, the interior designer, and the construction manager of your very own dream home. 

1. Sketch Your Dream Home Floor Plan (Math & Design!):

   • Imagine your absolute dream home. What does it have? A giant game room? A science lab? A cozy reading nook?
   • On a piece of paper, sketch out a simple floor plan. Think about where each room would go.
   • Don’t worry about perfect drawings! This is just your initial idea. Use a ruler if you have one, or just do your best.
   • Label each room (e.g., Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom 1, My Awesome Gaming Den).
   • Estimate the length and width of each room. Just make a good guess in feet (e.g., “Living Room: 15 feet x 20 feet”). Write these dimensions next to each room.

2. Research & Design Your Furniture

   1. What Furniture Do You Need? Think about the function of your chosen room. What essential furniture pieces would it contain? (e.g., for a bedroom: bed, dresser, desk; for a gaming room: gaming chair, monitor table, bean bags).
   2. Estimate Furniture Dimensions:
      • Option A (Quick Estimate): Use these common approximate dimensions as a guide (all in feet):
        • Twin Bed: 3′ x 6′
        • Full Bed: 4.5′ x 6.5′
        • Queen Bed: 5′ x 7′
        • Sofa: 3′ x 7′
        • Armchair: 3′ x 3′
        • Dining Table (seats 4): 3′ x 4′
        • Desk: 2′ x 4′
        • Dresser: 2′ x 5′
      • Option B (Online Research): If you have internet access, quickly search for “standard dimensions of a [type of furniture]” to get more precise measurements.
   3. Draw Your Scale Furniture:
      • Take a separate piece of paper or cardstock.
      • Using the same scale you used for your room (e.g., 1 square = 1 foot), draw each piece of furniture you want.
      • Example: If your bed is 3′ x 6′, you’d draw a rectangle 3 squares by 6 squares.
      • You can label each piece (e.g., “Queen Bed,” “Desk”) or add simple details.
   4. Cut Out Your Furniture Pieces: Carefully cut out each furniture piece you drew.

   Step 3: Build & Arrange Your Room

   You have two options for this step; choose the one you prefer or have time for:

   • Option A: 2D Furniture Layout
     1. Place your cut-out furniture pieces directly onto your refined graph paper floor plan of the room.
     2. Experiment with different arrangements. How does the furniture fit? Can you easily move around? Does it make sense for the room’s purpose?
     3. Once you’re happy with the layout, you can lightly glue or tape the furniture pieces down.
   • Option B: Simple 3D Room Model with 2D Furniture (More Challenging/Engaging)
     1. Build the Walls: Using paper, measure and cut out rectangles that will be the walls of your room. Remember to use the same scale (e.g., if your room is 10′ long, your wall will be 10 squares long on the paper if using 1 square = 1 ft). You can make the height of your walls about 8-10 feet (squares) for a realistic feel.
     2. Add Openings: Cut out the locations for your doors and windows in the walls you’ve created.
     3. Assemble the Room: Carefully fold and glue or tape the walls together to form a simple 3D box model of your room. (You don’t need a top/ceiling or a bottom/floor for this, as you’ll be placing furniture inside).
     4. Place Your Furniture: Now, gently place your 2D cut-out furniture pieces inside your simple 3D room model. See how your furniture fits and how it feels in a 3D space. You can move them around to find the best arrangement.