Earth book by Chris Sun

ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO: EARTH S1, 2016 SUBJECT STUDENT BOOK Chris Sun

761196 Scott Woods Studio 12

Contents: 1.0 Three Relationships 1.1 Point - Line - Plane 1.2 Mass 1.3 Frame & Infill

2.0 Herring Island: A place to keep secrets 2.1 Site Analysis 2.2 Conceptacal 2.3 Design Development 2.4 Final Drawings 2.5 Final Model

3.0 Reflection 4.0 Bibliography

1.0 Three Relationships

1.1 Point - Line - Plane

Art Work by Piet Mondrian

Point, Line and Plane are the basic elements of architecture. My design is seeking to explore the definition of each of the elements. Even though the definition of each elements seem to be clear, however they can transcend into one another depending on perspectives. The shadow of my design is the key in exploring this concept. By positioning the light source on different angles can change each of the element on the surface to another element. For example, the line element of my model can change into plane in its shadow, the shadow of the plane element can change to line. Point element in my model is explored by making all the components in my model to focus on one point no matter the component is materialistic or shadows. This is to suggest that point is the base element in create Line and Plane, when breaking them, they all come down to point.

East Building of National Gallery of Art by I.M.Pei

1.2 Mass

Mass as an architectural element to me is very controversial. The concept began from observing the night. With street lights, the surrounding pitch black environment becomes a mass itself as it seems very solid, and light cannot penetrate through very effectively. And by observing ayers rock, I realised the concept that without emptiness, mass cannot be shown, just like the street lights are there to show the night sky is a solid mass. Combining the Buddahist concept of Sunyata (Emptiness) which states all phenomena are depently arisen, they are relative, their existence depends on many other causes and conditions. And so, without emptiness, mass cannot exist. I started with exploring emptiness in oder to emphasis and bring out mass. Since mass is something solid and heavy, I thought about bubbles as the opposite of solidness and heaviness. Since the brief requires us to make the design underground, I wanted to use the ground as the mass element by inserting softness, fragility and transparency into the ground in order to emphasis the solidity and heaviness of the surrounding earth. And so by designing a structure that is bubble-like that is drawn on tracing paper which shows transparency can demonstrate the concept that emptiness is the key of the exitence of mass.

Melbourne Night View

Bubbles

Ayers Rock

1.3 Frame & Infill

Peg Wall Bookcase By Merge Architects

Frame & Infill in a tradional sense makes the frame element as a restriction for the infill element in terms of the size, form etc. However I wanted to break that pattern by merging the two elements, restricting each other but also make sure that frame can do the job that infill does and infill can do the job that frame does. I looked at the two examples on the left. The bookcase shows a perfect example at how infill is restricting itself and becomes a frame whereas the extension to Residence Konigwarte makes the frame becoming infill by simply offsetting itself to create a surface. In my model, I chose two different materials to represent the two elements. By using the two materials in creating both frame and infill part of the model, I created a mesh up of frame and infill. Making frame and infill do the job of one another through material use.

Extension to Residence Konigswarte By Plasma Studio

2.0 Herring Island: A Place to keep secrets

Historical photos of Herring Island

2.1 Site Analysis

Herring Island is about 4km South-East of the CBD, within the city of Richmond. Situated in the Yarra River, South of McConchie Reserve and North of Como Park makes it a very isolated island. By observing the island, nothing about its history can be found, so I was interested in knowing what history this little island might have. Surprisingly, I found that the island was created by cutting through a quarry that used to situate on the North-West side of the island. I wanted to explore the history of Herring island further, and eventually it became my main concept in the final.

2.2 Conceptacal

My â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Secreteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concept is to expose the history of Herring Island which no one can see from just observing or being on the island itself. In order to create the quarry scene that once existed near Herring Island, I took inspiration mainly from my Mass drawing and Christiansholme proposal by OMA in order to create the solid, heavy sense that a quarry represents. The form of a quarry is a rather simple one, it forms a similarity with contour map like land features and the best way as well as the most simple way of representing this is through recreating a scene with contour structures.

Christiansholm Proposal by OMA

2.3 Design Development

At this point, I have a clear idea of what I wanted to do. In order to bring out the ‘quarry’, the material of the structure will be concrete forming ‘stair’ like structures inside. The whole structure is sited in the middle of the Yarra River, where the quarry used to be located. On each of the ‘stairs’, there are water ways to lead the water in from the Yarra in order to represent the history of the quarry being sunk by the Yarra River. An ‘explosion’ shaped form of the whole structure is a representation of explosives that once were used on the quarry site. On the top of design, a roof made out of glass is introduced.

2.3 Final Drawing

2.4 Final Model Mass as an underground element is represented through being under water. Point Line Plane as a on the ground element is represented through the roof area, sharing parts with the frame and infill element. Frame and Infill as an element above ground is represented through being above the bottom of the river, with the roof as a part of the frame and infill and the other part being using the shallow water that is above the roof with the edges of the whole structure with the edges of the structure is frame and the water is the infill.

3.0 Reflections

The learning experience of the three relationships were extremely helpful. They opened up an area of architecture and thinking process that I have never thought about before. The three relationships, Point - Line - Plane, Mass and Frame & Infill are the basic elements in architecture. Through the exercise of the 6 weeks, I also had a better understanding about the relationships of aboveground, underground and ground. The first 6 weeks became a solid foundation of what I could achieve in my final presentation. They pushed me into thinking alternatively and thinking deep into what each elements meant. The conceptacle also pushed me into combining three totally different architectural pieces together which was rather difficult but meanwhile, it really helped me into challenging myself and also consolidate my understanding of the three elements. During the final stage of the semester, the design development for Herring Island helped me into understanding the refinement process that occurs after the conceptable, it also helped me to develope my skills in computer rendering, 3D modeling as well as trying out new model making materials. In conclusion, the experience I had in Studio Earth was a enjoyable and fun one. I feel like I have moved on a lot since the start of Studio Earth, and understand what architecture is a lot better. It definitely helped me into moving onto a higher level and prepare for the coming studios.

4.0 Biliography

4.0 Bibliography

Ayers Rock, Licata3C, viewed on 26/03/2016. From https://licata3c.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/ayersrock.jpg?w=354&h=234 I.M.Pei, 1978, East Building of National Gallery of Art, Bluffton, viewed on 12/03/2016. From https:// www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/washdc/natlgalleryeast/east.html Merge Architects, 2007, Peg Wall Bookcase, Pinterest, viewed on 16/04/2016. From https://au.pinterest. com/pin/542261611365288927/ Plasma Studio, 2011, Extention to Residence Konigswarte, Pinterest, viewed on 16/04/2016. From https://au.pinterest.com/pin/542261611365288931/ Piet Mondrian, 1939-1942, Composition of Red Blue Yellow no.10, WebMuseum Paris, viewed on 12/03/2016. From https://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/mondrian/