PoRtFoLIo
[Mengli Pi]
I
II
III
CONFLICTS OF TIME
ANTARCTICA BRUTALITY
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
20-23
4-9
10-17
2
24-27
28-29
INTERACTION CENTRE
TOWER
LEARNING HUB
IV
V
VI
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I CONFLICTS OF TIME Year Completed: 2020
#Sociology
Project Duration: 14 weeks
#Pavilion
Contributor: Mengli Pi
#Experiment
Location: Eight-hour Reserve, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
Rational limits to progress
Limited Resources
One of the more-than-rational beliefs that the socially instituted time of Modern Capitalist societies is that time is rationally quantifiable and linear. Therefore, the progress of our Modern Capitalist societies is rendered infinite. The conflict between the more-than-rational belief in infinite progress and the rational limits to progress has grown non-negligible, as it has taken tolls on our environments, resources and personal conceptions of time. This thesis extends upon the notion that societies can and should investigate these conflicts of their time. As such, a design response of three pavilions, as reworked versions of one another, will re-evaluate the conflicts between the rational limits to progress and the more-than-rational belief in unlimited progress by proposing alternative forms of Work, Leisure and Rest, as defined in the 8-hour Day Movement.
8-hour Day
8-hr Rest
Lenses
Oscillation
Modern Capitalist Time Conflicts
Human
Alternation of day & night Vs Oscillation of sleep
More-than-rational belief in unlimited progress
Unlimited Demand for Resources
Pavilion Events during the day Vs Events during the night
MATERIAL Alternatives Day Deam Wind Down
Connected Space Vs Isolated Space
8-hr Leisure
Fragmentation
PAVILION 3 - DAY DREAM
Distracted Time Vs Concentrated Time
PAVILION 2 - WIND DOWN Slow Build
8-hr Work
Speed
Expected Speed Vs Actual Speed
Fast Appearance Vs Slow Construction
PAVILION 1 - SLOW BUILD
Material Sourcing 1 Construction of Pavilion 1 Pavilion 1 Workshops
Pavilion 1 Workshops Material Sourcing 2 Construction of Pavilion 2
Pavilion 2 Garden Material Sourcing 3 Construction of Pavilion 3
EVENT 4
Pavilion 3 Dream Pods
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P1 SLOW BUILD
Fig 1. Ovn-site worlshop in operation
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P2 WIND DOWN
Fig 2. Meditation garden in operation
P3 DAY DREAM
Fig 3. Dream pods in operation
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II Antarctic Brutality Year Completed: 2019
#Installation
Project Duration: 12 weeks
#Narrative Design
Contributor: Mengli Pi
Birth of Caldera A Echo of Bailey’s Head B Blood of Whaler’s Bay C Banishment of Eruption D
#Phenomenology
Peace of Science E Speculations of 2048 F
Research Subject: Deception Island, Antarctica. Location: Federation Square, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. F
E
D
Antarctic Brutality is a hypothetical multi-sensorial installation, located on Federation square in the city of Melbourne. The installation entails the hidden stories of Deception Island in Antarctica, meaning to provoke the public’s reflection on the exploitation of natural resources.
C
Deception Island is a Caldera on the South Shetland archipelago from around 10,000 years ago. Before the island was discovered by humans in the 1820s, it was a natural habitat for many marine species. Human had been using Deception island as an outpost for exploiting resources and research around Antarctica up to this very day.
B
A
The installation is made up of 6 Sequenced spaces telling 6 stories that happened on Deception island in chronological order, from its birth extending into the future. Fig 4. Entry to the Antarctic Brutality.
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A Birth of Caldera
B Echo of Bailey’s Head
Media: Volcanic Sand, Post-eruption Volcanic rock, Antarctic Ice, Charred Timber Bio-acoustic Audio
Media: Luke Warm Water, Basalt Rock, Tuff Stone, Volcanic Rock, Antarctic Ice
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C Blood of Whaler’s Bay
D Banishment of Eruption
Media: Volcanic sand, Synthetic Blood, Volatised Chemical Compound, Weathered Steel, Corrugated Steel, Basalt Rock. Boiling Water, Lowiron Glazing
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Media: Volcanic Ash, Volcanic Rock, Rammed earth, Boiling Water, Sulfur , Polished Steel, Red -pigmented Glazing
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E Peace of Science
F Speculations of 2048
Media: Luke-warm Water, Volcanic Sand, Antarctic Ice, Weathered Timber, Decayed Timber Structure, Blue-pigmented Glazing, Digital projection
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Media: Anodised Aluminium Panel, Pre-cast Concrete, Pen, Paper, Digital Projection, Pre-recorded Audio
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III Entry to the Chamber of Secrets Year Completed: 2019
#Set Design
Project Duration: 2 weeks Contributor: Ying Ruey Lee, Mengli Pi, Juan Planells, Sara Tan, Richo Wirawan. Contribution: Design Development, 3D Modelling, Digital Fabrication, Physical Modelling.
#Narrative Design #Digital Fabrication
Location: Dulux Gallery, Melbourne School of Design
Inspired by the global phenomenon, Harry Potter, The scene of Entry to the chamber of secrets was re-imagined and re-created with cardboards and the laser-cutting tool within two weeks. Based on the study of the original texts from the Harry Potter book and the precedent of the film made, in the forms of images and videos, the group of us rigorously tested our ideas of the Entry to the Chamber of Secrets through prototyping detailed parts and overall compositions of the scene. The outcome features a grand revealing moment of the Chamber of Secrets when triggered by the sink in the bathroom. As the wall cracks open, a rather overwhelming maze of pipes is revealed, which somehow leads to the Chamber of Secrets. A subtle spoiler was also installed by leaving Tom Riddle’s diary on the floor.
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IV Beech Forest Interaction Centre Year Completed: 2018
#Civil
Project Duration: 12 weeks
#Community
Contributor: Mengli Pi
#Rehabilitaion
Location: Beech Forest, Colac Otway Shire, Victoria, Australia
The project initiated with field research on an abandoned quarry in the township of Beech Forest, located in Colac Otway Shire, 200 km south-west of Melbourne, exploring the idea of rehabilitation. The idea of rehabilitating the abandoned quarry gradually morphed into the rehabilitation of the township of Beech Forest itself, with a deeper understanding of the prosperous history and current desolate state of Beech Forest. The overall scheme of the project is to establish multiple nodes of infrastructures for both the local community and tourists in each town from Great Ocean Road to Colac Lake, introducing an influx of newcomers by showcasing the charm of natural beauties and local communities of Colac Otway Shire. The Beech Forest community centre is a pilot project of the scheme, for both the local community and newcomers. Fig 5. Entry to Beech Forest Interation Centre
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Fig 6. Beech Forest Interaction Centre Courtyard.
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Fig 7. Beech Forest Intervention Nodes Site Map.
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Fig 8. Interaction Centre Components.
Fig 9. Section A
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Fig 10. Section B
V Tower Year Completed: 2019
#Skyscraper
Project Duration: 12 weeks
#Densification
Contributor: Mengli Pi, Jing Wang, Songni Xu
#Construction
Contribution: Design Development, Digital Fabrication, Physical Modelling, Detail Drawings. Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Fig 11. Crown Model Detail
The project is an office tower proposed at the corner of La Trobe st and Exhibition st in Melbourne CBD. The building consists of one 20-metre podium, 61 typical office floors, 4 mechanical floors and a 20-metre crown. The office floors are divided into 4 sections, low rise, medium rise, high rise and skyrise. Each section has a mechanical floor servicing them separately. Moreover, each section is serviced by different lifts.
Fig 12. Tower Model Detail 1
Structurally, the building has a central core and 4 outriggers attached to it. Also, the building has a square footprint with its edge facing the direction of the prevailing wind, minimising the impact of wind. A double-facade curtain wall was installed on this tower to regulate the solar impact on the building.
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Fig 13. Tower Model Detail 2
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VI Multi-intelligence Learning Hub Year Completed: 2017
#School Expansion
Project Duration: 14 weeks
#Pedagogical Design
Contributor: Mengli Pi
#Multi-intelligence Learning
Location: University High, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
2F Fig 15. Learning Hub 2nd Floor Bridge
The University High School was looking to expand their teaching spaces and facilities. Therefore, a multi-intelligence learning hub was proposed on the original sports field of the High School, facing the Royal Parade in Parkville.
1F
The Learning Hub ideologically builds upon the multi-intelligence theory by psychologist Howard Gardener. The learning hub contains the programs of laboratory, workshops, library, project rooms, rehearsal studios, meditation room and stadium to provide a variety of learning environments and scenarios for the students to develop their distinctive intellectual strengths.
Fig 15. Learning Hub 1st Floor Terrace and Green House
Fig 14. Learning Hub Atrium.
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Fig 16. Stadium.