I see...getting even smaller. I take it that there is a ceiling and floor? What materials are these made of? How much sun does this area get? I find it very hard to think of ideas without a context.

- Brent

Does the door open into the space or away from the space or slide? What is above the space? What is the view from the window on to the world and does that window open? What is the 'floor' of the space? Is there climate control in the space? Which direction does the window face?

What you need is one shapely but dead tree, "Skeleton in the closet" you could call it.

Be really, really trendy and paint it cobalt blue.

Interesting replies already! Here's a more informative follow-up that's somewhat less cyptic.

The plan for the space is as such:

• It is a glassed-in balcony
• The door swings onto the balcony (as shown in the diagram)
• The two solid walls are of large red brick (red cinderblocks?)
• The floor is concrete
• The ceiling is a painted brown plastic
• There's a 3" space between the bottom of the door and the surface of the balcony floor
• The view is onto a tree-filled grassy park
• It faces south
• The entire area can be completely contained by closing the windows and doors
• There is no source of heating in the area, but it can be heated by opening the door into the room
• Nothing permanent can be done, so no paint!

Does that make it sound even more so like a real-world situation? It's awfully specific! Stay tuned for more details and updates!

-Audric

P.S: Here's a black-and-white version of the plan, if you happen to get bored and wish to doodle!

P.P.S I like the skeleton-in-the-closet theme, Ink! It'll be good with the jack-o-lantern once Halloween rolls along.

The door takes up all the space Audge is there any chance that it could be removed and replaced with a glass door or as it seems to be useless space anyway...no door, then the view is the park.

Good observation, Ink. I neglected to mention that the door IS glass. Kinda like Alice through the looking glass. What should it look like on the other side?

-Audric

This seems like one of the frustrating school design exercises that is designed to make one think, but that I always thought were so pointless back in the day I was assigned them, and would have preferred to do something more realistic. After another 25 years to reflect on what seemed like pointless exercises, I will concede that trying to get students to think about unrealistic exercises is not completely pointless, but I still am very glad that I don't have to do them anymore.

In a real world situation, it would be most pragmatice to reverse the door swing in to the house, so that objects could actually be placed into the space. A dead tree trunk would actually be one of my suggestions, then mounted with epiphytic bromeliads or orchids to act as a sculptural piece viewed against the backdrop of trees outside. The relative lightness of such a construction and the "see-through" quality would still allow views out, give something of interest to view in the foreground, and have a good chance of actually growing in such a space.

If changing the door is also not permitted, maybe just a sculpture or interesting boulder or semi-precious large stone, leaving no need to actually tend a garden with such ridiculous access.

O.K Audric, are we doing your project for you or what? How did this particular enclosure come to be called a garden in the first place, give us a clue. Looking in, you ask? Is this 'balcony' on the ground floor or do you want to make it interesting for Mr and Mrs Noseyparker across the street, birds, voyeurs with binoculars perhaps?

Bahia, close guess! It definitely is frustrating, and it does relate to my current schooling, but it is not an academically-related project. It's a personal project for my balcony off my dorm room (yes, I do have a balcony!)

Unfortunately, I can't change the door. I may be able to get away with unscrewing it from its hinges (to replace it before I leave), but it is definitely risky business! As I stated before, nothing of permanence can be put in (residence rules). Something sculptural seems interesting, almost like a Japanese dry courtyard garden.

Ink, it's called a garden because if it wasn't, I'm pretty sure that I would have lost most people's interest! It really meant for a quirky title, but I found it to be somewhat descriptive of what I want to be acheiving here. The balcony is on the 4th floor, and there's no one looking in from outside. The only people outside my room in the park are the regular drunken students, so I don't aim to please them (not that they'll remember much). It's for my personal use, so I'll be looking out, into the garden, from inside my room. Confusing? Maybe!

-Audric

Okay then: moon gate it is, material to be decided by one Audric the teaser.

Wind chimes.

Based on the measurements you provided, I figure you can get ~12" pot in the dead space in the corner, but you might be able to build some kind of sliding track on the floor to push a potted sculpture/planting into the center space as the door swings open and close.

Otherwise, I vote for a stick on mural to the glass.

This space must be fire egress related? Do you have fire inspections?

If the window is a large plate. How about a tromp l'oeil garden. A large piece of clear vinyl with view altering drawings or enlarged photo to frame the view would be cool. You could press it onto the glass and change it at will. You draw beautifully and it wouldn't need any care during exam week! There is some fabulous faux turf on the market for the floor. The ideal garden for a busy student!

Hmmm... Interesting suggestions! But first, to address pressing questions:

Kurtg, everything should be relatively fireproof. I.e. no decorating with tinder-like materials such as dried florals, woodchips, hay, etc. It is not part of a fire-escape route (it goes no where), but it is a last resort should the hallway leading from my room be engulfed in flames. I can ask my residence assistant if I have any questions about flirting with residence regulations.

There's a lot of suggestions to use the glass (window, I'm assuming) as the major part of this space, this "garden" (call it what you will). I like the moon gate idea (transitions, transitions!), but because the window is so tall and narrow, I'm afraid of something like turning into something like which doesn't seem to hold to same appeal.

The view is wonderful, and I'm not very willing to give most of it up. The tromp l'oeil garden sounds very interesting. Would this clear vinyl seamlessly integrate the image with the view, or would there be some sort of edge from where the photo ends? I guess I'm just not too familiar with the concept. The faux turf sounds interesting, however! I'm not sure where I could find some (and for such a small amount as well).

I guess my main purpose of this thread (and this is why Bahia's guess is soooo close!) is that I really wanted to hear what YOU would do, not necessarily for my own good, but to turn a rather interesting, practical scenario into a "frustrating ... design [exercise] that is designed to make one think."

So not for this space in particular, but when addressing a small area, what type of materials would you use for the floor/base of the space? What patterns make it seem larger? How would you orient the space? The flow of the eye? What type of palette would you use? Would you incorporate whimsy, and, if so, how? I guess that these are the questions that I'm posing by asking about my own personal balcony.

-Audric

P.S: I've already started "construction" of my balcony garden, but you won't get to find out how it turns out until mid October! Stay tuned!

Hey eveyone, Audric said "whimsy"!

I'm going with the dry Japanese sculptural theme here. I saw a balcony design once that had pea gravel on the floor, stepping stones set into the gravel and a bonsai tree off-set in one corner. they had room for seating and a small water feature--you don't have that room obviously--but it makes me wonder what the weight limitations are for your little space.

Jenny

If the vinyl doesn't work, how about a scrim roller shade. When you get sick of the view--roll it up or roll it down!

Hmm, college dorm room and closet sized, I am thinking of what college kids raised in their dorms back in the day. And when you said closet, I thought of grow lites.

You don't need to leave all that room for the door to swing - it only needs to open far enough for you to get out, I'd think. Does the space stay dry then? But not heated, right?

Tibs and I were thinking along the same lines...you can tell we were in college during the 70's!

And now I know that the query I posed in the other thread is unimportant. Congrats on freshman year in college. You want to be able to enjoy your space--do you want to be able to sit out there? Have a morning cuppa something?

If it were MY space--
I'm thinking a folding table and chair, that live on a hook on the wall (a couple of 3M's heavy duty command hooks MIGHT hold) on the wall to the left of the door. (With your back to the room.) Then I'd figure out a way to place a window box on the ledge...I'd have to see it to tell you how to rig it...and I'd plant it accordingly.

Alternatively--if a window box were totally unfeasable--I'd maximize my planting area by using a plant stand in the corner..perhaps one with moveable arms that I could postion out of the way of the door. I'd still do the little cafe table and chair/stool. I can't find a picture of the plant stand I had in mind--but I did find some nice over-the rail pot holders that might work...linked below. If I couldn't find the plant holder I remember my grandmother having, I'd get some of them, and give myself something to grow. One can find lightweight folding chairs and tables at many discount stores.... and if I were worried about keeping plants alive between terms...I'd get some OBVIOUSLY (as in no color found in nature) fakes...or I'd "plant" something else--figurines or some such. A bird feeder might be nice--give you something to watch when the computer screen gets to be too much...

I like TXjenny's pea-gravel bonsai idea as well...oh, and Ms. R's scrim.

Here is a link that might be useful: Over the rail flower pot holder

Considering your considerable talents and growing future, perhaps it would be time to take a page from penjing and combine this with bonseki, suiseki and the Japanese garden (or other ethnic expression).
This way the walls could be utilized as a mountain cliff of cascading scenery, the floor as bonseki, and the back of the closet door as 'sky-cloud' noren (shakkei method of your inner or outer view). And the window wall itself as the distant view.
this way, all four depths of view would be integrated + the outside.
-using layers of lavarock or melting PVC/ABS plastic 'pots' attached to waterproof shower stall board would keep the weight less than 200lbs, and be detachable/moveable. Acidic clay would accommodate moss and miniature plants to augment the larger.

http://www.manlungpenjing.org/guest_v12_june04/v12_km-wong_16.html
http://www.manlungpenjing.org/guests/northern_2005/L099.html
for the 'off the wall' variety, placing numerous of these above each other with a waterfall... or depending on scale desired...
perhaps just one large penjing.

http://www.manlungpenjing.org/guest_mar_2005/xh_zeng_09.html

depending on the climate of the university you are attending, you may be able to play with the species 'zoning' in the unheated space.

-or go ultra simple and simply make a tokonoma with single flower/branch of the season (ikebana, another worthy skill for students on budgets)
-have fun.

Here is a link that might be useful: Man Lung Penjing

Jenny, I did say whimsy! And I very much like the idea of multiple textures for the floor; a finer set of gravel and much larger (unified?) stepping stones. Some variety which doesn't take up too much space. I'm not sure if there are any weith limitations, but seeing how everything is made out of solid concrete or brick, and it's the size of a closet, I don't think I need to worry too much about weight! My main concern would be my back - carrying everything up 4 flights of stairs? C'mon, I'm a university student. You can't expect me to be THAT motivated ; P

Tibs, would now be a suspicious time to bring up lighting? It's difficult to see the balcony well at night, even though it's so small and it's directly adjacent to my room. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed halogen lighting (which would be my first choice), so I'm stranded as to what I can do in the space. As well, there are no electrical outlets, so anything that goes in will have to be plugged inside the room.

Karin, yes, it is possible to get into (out on?) the balcony without having to swing the door fully open. It can stay dry, if I close the windows. If I leave them open, it can get a little wet when it rains (but, seeing how it's covered, it is definitely not a huge amount). It's not heated, but it can become an extension of my room (i.e. heated) if I leave my balcony door open and close the window.

Ms. R, I like the idea of some sort of removable/retractable shade or screen. I already have a very utilitarian curtain in my room (closing off the door), so a more decorative curtain would be nice to cut off the view but not the light (which is at a premium, giving the narrowness of the window).

Fuzei, the idea of transforming the balcony into literally a miniature landscape is definitely intriguing and interesting! I'm definitely interested by the idea of melting PVC/ABS "pots," because I'm not too sure about what you're talking about. Do you have any pictures of the method you're describing? It seems very original, and definitely worth investigating!

This has definitely turned out to be a very fruitful thread! And to keep you out of suspense any longer (as I know you're all itching to see what I have planned!), here's a plan view of my balcony, drawn very close to scale.

The light grey squares are cheap, inexpensive peel-and-stick vinyl tiles (not completely adhered, so I can remove them easily at the end of the year!) set on a diagonal. The darker grey are smooth polished pebbles (again, inexpensive, from the dollar store, like the tiles!). I wanted a certain contrast between materials within the space, and the feeling that perhaps there's maybe more to the garden? The tiles feel like a direct extension of the room, and the pebbles pick up where the tiles end off.

To the right-hand-corner is a water feature. I don't have access to very many rocks, which precludes the possibility...

Everyone is literally thinking inside the box, or closet in this case. Time for some of you to come out of the closet, or at least look out of the closet.

Rather than thinking about "what can I fit into this closet", there is a lot going on here. There is a view out and there is a view in to begin with. The first thing to do is a site analysis. It seems apparent that the interior of this limited space yields a great deal to what is happening around it. Light, heat, views, possibly sound, and God knows what else move in both directions through the glass. The biggest impact to that space would be through enhancing or mitigating those outside influences on the space. Whatever goes in that space will also have a totally different context than if it were in a solid closet.

I'm afraid that the power of what is outside of the glass is not being experienced by us. That leaves us with little more than trying to figure out what fits in the space rather than "the big picture". Unfortunately, this is also a very common route people take when they are not denied the whole story (thinking about designers who arrange plants and not intergrate a planting into a landscape).

Audric--

You are going to have the best appointed dorm room in the building! Is your roommate helping?

For the floor--I'd suggest getting some 3M "command adhesive" to adhere those tiles--leave the backing ON the peel and stick parts. I'm concerned that you will end up with adhesive issues if you peel even part of it off. You don't want to get fined on move-out. If you can't find the stuff--e-mail me. I'll send you some. It really is amazing---comes off surfaces without damaging them--and will hold as long as you need it to. My guys have hung stuff in dorm rooms with it for four years now--and I've mounted the back drops for three major musicals, in our church sanctuary, using the big hooks. Again--all without damage.

As to lighting...

Well, there are always the ubiquitous "twinkle lights" (but I would switchout the twinkle bulb so that they are steady burning.) They have the benefit of being weather proof, and (relatively)cool, so you don't have to worry about fire. If the walls/ceiling of your cubby are white, you can purchase the ones on white cord and they will disappear. We used some for a party years ago--I'd be happy to mail you a few strings. I'll think about it some more. Most of my immediate suggestions are inappropriate for dorm usage.

I would find an exterior rated multi outlet to plug everything into--then you can have a single cord running into your dorm room.

I'll think about the curtain material...something is lurking at the back of my mind--just need to give it time to bubble up.

melanie

Audric, you're gonna have to send us pics when you're done with this! This has been a really interesting thread to follow. 4 flights of stairs--come one, you're in the prime of your life! Besides, you can always bribe your friends with brew. I've had some college guys offer to work for me if I pay them with beer. Never took them up on the offer, but I did help my neighbor with his rock garden in exchange for a 6-pack of Shiner Bock.

Or you could do what Jill (tibs) and I did, which is to turn on and tune into a 'psychedelic' garden, maybe even melanie went there what with her 'twinkle light' suggestion. I know Andrew did. Audric, bon chance, in a weird way you are our prodigy and as such you are will always find support here.

Lighting-I just saw some battery powered (triple A) LED lights that come inside "candle" exteriors--both pillars and tea light style. With the batteries they are said to run for 80 hours. While these are not dollar store items, they didn't strike me as being outrageous either and much better to your design (and intent, I think) than lights on strings--also no messy wires to deal with and no flame.

May I suggest a solar garden light?
Not dollar store--but you'd only need one.
They have small submergeble ones--so you could put it IN you water feature---speaking of which: how are you powering the water feature?

Can you post pictures when you're done?
please, please...