Sketch Modelling

When I work on design projects, I normally rely heavily on physical modelling to test design ideas. With this project, the model is scale 1:1...

I was trying to figure out the end of the floor. I knew I wanted it to be higher in the middle, where the fireplace door is going to be. I tried first the bricks laid simply in common bond:

After stepping back and looking at it for a bit, I decided that the 'bowtie' orientation just wasn't doing it for me. As well, the joint from the end to the floor pattern becomes a problem. 
I knocked the wall down and tried them in the other orientation:

I was then trying to figure out the rest of the floor, when I realized that the best solution for the end would actually be to use the pillar design I had developed for the floor.

For the floor, the pillars are offset in plan (right), which allows them to lock together. If I instead offset them in elevation (left), they also lock together. It just doesn't work if they are offset in both plan and elevation. I would have to reverse the order of the pillars ( + and not I). 

I was glad to discover this trick of the geometry- another thing this brick can do! For the actual aesthetic of the end, though, I wasn't too sure about the height of the stepped assembly. It seemed extra high. Eventually, though, I decided that since it is serving the purpose of a third wall, the height is necessary. It encloses the sleeping space more. I just have to get used to seeing it like that.