Evolution\\Entropy NUS Architecture Y1S1 by Christopher Chua

EVOLUTION ENTROPY

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO nus year 1 sem 1 christopher chua

“Architecture should speak of its time and space, but yearn for timelessness.�

Frank Gehry

NUS School of Design and Environment Christopher Chua A0183499J

1

bloom lay

2

speech

3

RVRecipes

4

bandung

_indices

5

shell/spine

6

theCube

7

bricks fur future

8

final curtain call

elements of architecture

bloom lay Gottfried Semper identified the elements of architecture as the hearth, the roof, the enclosure and the mound. In designing a new hawker centre typology, we studied Boon Lay Hawker Centre, identifying its inherent issues in dealing with local culture and tropicality.

We took inspiration from biomimicry as well as South-East Asian vernacular architecture to develop an improved design that is adapted and relevant to the local context.

_light

Roof and enclosure enshrouds, blocks out light. Blocks light from illuminating most of the hawker centre

_ventilation

_initial analysis Our site selected was Boon Lay Hawker centre where we studied and identified Semper’s 4 elements of architecture. We also recognised the potential issues the hawker centre faced in dealing with the local tropical context. The current form of the roof inclines downwards, which allows for efficient surface run-off during tropical downpours.

However, despite having gaps constructed within the roof, the roof allows little ambient light from entering the hawker centre. This results in the space to be poorly lit. Coupled with the stalls, the construct enshrouds and blocks out both natural lighting and airflow.

The hawker centre is also a hub for human activity in any neighborhood communities regularly descend upon t to eat, shop and socialise. Hence is synonyumous to that of a hearth. The current design conceals rather than unveals, has a rather vapid form, overall lacking the inviting qualities of a hearth

Stalls within hawker centre blocks airflow

_hearth

_exploded axometric digram

Fences excludes and visually creates segregation.

The above two designs improve ventilation. Can they be modified to improve lighting as well?

+VE -Improved ventilation -Movement engages users of space

-VE -Lighting not improved -Running costs can be reduced by making use of architecture form to ventilate space -Environmentally unfriendly

While this design lets in more light, waterproofing is an issue

nonetheless applying the concept of a sawtooh-esque roof of our design

Bamboo has a cooling effect Rain water is directed towards the bamboos creaing a smore self-sus-

_concept The roof mimics that of a flower with 8 petals Biomimicry applied to the structure allows the “petals” to guide air around and through the structure. The bamboos mimic the stamen and carpel. Just as the stamen and carpel is revealed after a flower’s full bloom, the bamboos represent the age of the hawker center, reaching greater heights with age. In this design, the bamboo is a heart. The structure also allows natural lighting from the centre lightwell as well as the surroundings. The amount of light is regulated by louvers that provide shade from the harsh rays of the sun during certain periods in the day. The design also allows efficient airflow and promotes ventilation.

Termite Mound Ventilation _bird’s eye view improvements made to lighting

improvements made to ventilation

1:200 scale

1:200 scale

12 senses and experience field

speech bubble Sense-experience-fields as emphasised by Walter-Siegfried Hahn are absolutely essential in nurturing the body and spirit. As commercialisation and rapid urbanisation take over the need for emotional experiences with the senses, we are challenged to design infrastructure that engages the senses. In this assignment, I was assigned to design a playground item relating to the sense of speech and incorporate it within the playground.

tree

climbing net

_concept Speech bubbles are graphic convention used in comics to allow words to be understood as the representation of speech or thoughts of a character. The play-item concept relating to speech revolves around the notion of intuitive play-making and exploration of communication. Spaces are created encourage participants explore the means of communication through verbal response, gestures and body language.

a quiet place

voice pipes

the bubble louvered

_perspective _cross section

_playground locations

Speech, Ego, Thought are postitioned higher than the other senses in the playground to signify being of higher order and complexity. The sense of Thought playitem was used as a bridge between the two separate islands. The sense of taste was envisioned as the collective play experience of all the entire playground.

_front elevation

_rear elevation

_playground features

_voice pipes

Provides a form of communication from different locations

Encourage individuals to interact out of their own bubbles and explore the various ways to communicate in the playground Unidirectional communication as no two can speak at the same time and hear the other.

Teaching the importance of listening in speech.

_the bubble

Allows children to observe outside world and interact others through voice pipes gestures visible through bubble

the with and the

_a quiet place

Area designed for rest and intimate interaction, a physical bubble where secrets are exchanged and individuals grow closer together through extended periods of verbal interaction.

participatory design

RVReCipes

Architecture in pursuit of the sublime, overlooks the real needs of the users. Participatory design aims to provoke a sense of empathy in the design process, requiring us to actively collaborate with potential users to create infrastructure that serves the people. This assignment aims to simulate the community involved design as well as create spaces that engage the community. However, we still believe in being “top-down� architects that will ultimately decide the final outcome of the design.

_concept Our site visit for RVRC made us realise the lack of engagement in the space surrounding the barbecue pit. Through participatory design, the aim is to achieve greater ownership and responsibility over the renovated space. However, our group also decided to take the position of “top-down� architects whereby we conduct ourselves as more than guides and facilitators but also final decision makers due to our expertise.

_preliminary studies

Through an online survey, basic questions are posted to year 1 and 2 residents of RVRC and the staff. Data collected can be used for early planning of space and inclusion of various features.

_sample questions

_workshop The workshop comprising of hands-on sessions and panel voting. Physical scale model of the space is created in both 2D and 3D, allowing residents to freely manipulate and explore the space. Participants can better visualise their design, to proportion and to human scale.

The panel and voting system provides consolidated options to vote on; feedback using dot stickers and post it notes. Allowing the audience to focus on a proposed selection and yet still able to give alternative ideas.

_social media Start of RVRecipes social media campaign to promote awareness of workshops and upcoming events. Posters, photos and videos of the workshop are to be shared on social media. Realistic renderings of RVRecipes can be put on social media to be shared, commented and critiqued by the community. We hope that this allows the community to participate in the design-making process from start to finish.

_designing 2D space

_designing 3D space

_panel of colours and cladding

_presentation Consolidated responses from the workshop are finalised and finalised design will be presented to the audience in a clear manner whereby minor adjustments can be made after. Residents and staff can visually realise the effects of the design workshop and develop a sense ownership over RVRecipes.

Consolidated responses from the workshop and panel voting

_final Design proposal

OFFICE OF HOUSING SERVICES

OHS @RVReCipes COMMUNITY KITCHEN CHECKLIST Name: Block/Unit No: Booking date: Matrix number:

_conception

Return date: Contact no.: Qty

Cost

5

$50 each

2 3

Wok Chairs

2 10

$20 each $10 each

4 5 6 7 8

Tables Frying Pan Air Fryer Extension cable Microwave

4 3 1 3 1

$80 each $20 each $80 $10 each $80 each

2 2

$200 each $5 each

Remarks

im

RVReCipes Outdoor Kitchen 10 BBQ pit 11 Charcoal tongs 12

Check

en

No Items RVReCipes Pantry 1 Electric Stove

Freezer

1

$100

Note: It is the responsibility of the resident to check the inventory listed above and indicate the condition

Taken over by:

ec

accordingly. The management reserves the right to inspect the said inventory following prior arrangement with Resident. Please return the inventory list to the Management Office within 5 working after Return Date.

Sp

I confirm taking over the items listed above in good working condition and in correct quantity unless stated otherwise

Name and Signature of Resident

Date

Handed over by:

I confirm that the items listed above are returned in the condition as stated herein. I shall be responsible should there be any item found handing over.

Name and Signature of Resident

damaged or missing upon my

Date

Inspected by:

Name and Signature of Staff

Communal launch activities such as a barbecue and mural painting create collective memory and greater sense of ownership.

Date

_evaluation forms

After the community kitchen is completed, residents can put in the final finishing touches to the space. This allows residents to take cahrge of the interior design, offering them the communal kitchen as their own personal space to utilise. Post occupancy evaluation allows residents to review and improve the kitchen with every single use. Participatory design does not stop upon the full construction of the kitchen and will continue with every use of RVReCipes.

sense of scale

bandung, indonesia

A sense of scale is indispensible in understanding space in architecture.

The application of scale in architecture is of paramount importance to ensure accuracy and clarity in our visual represention of space.

Our trip to Bandung, Indonesia offered us the opportunity to discover the means and ways to manually document architecture as well as a cultural insight into Indonesian architecture.

Bandung, west java, Indonesia

braga street shophouse

Kampung Cikap River Bid

_braga street Braga street, Jalan Braga, is a small street located in the center of Bandung Indonesia. It was conceived during the 1920s at the height of the industrail revolution, housing many shophouses, cafes and restaurants reminiscent of European streets, resulting in Bandung to be often referenced to as the Paris of Java. The buildings we observed were of Art Deco Style which was the popular architectural style at the time, donning modular ornamentation and clear lines to emphasise form.

Inner dwellings located behind the street facade were left to grow organically without strict governement regulation.

pundung dge

Kampung Cikapundung River Bridge _Five-foot way

_braga shophouse

In order to pay closer attention to details when understanding scale, we were tasked to personally choose and document a building’s structure and facade. This particular shophouse along Braga street was constructed in the 1920’s in a dutch inspired art deco style and served as a salon during the 1920’s.

It displays modular ornamentation across all the 4 shophouses in the rowhouse typology.

The outer appearance of the shophouse has changed since the 1920’s as a result of poor maintenance and inherent lack of responsibility over built heritage.

_lost ornamention

Decorative lamps and windows based on past documentation as well as studying the remnant ornamentation from the other shophouses belonging to the same rowhouse.

_past street facade

_1920’s elevation

_present ornamention

Some of the elements from were retained in house facade poorly maintained.

2018 evelation

decorative the past the shopbut were

_present street facade

_isometric drawing

Representation of current interior of the shophouse . Wooden Javanese furnishing as well as other furniture were removed to accurately depict the space initially used by the shopowner during the 1920s

prevailing wind

_local context

fenestration and airvents allow for efficient cross ventilation to occur within the shophouse,taking advantage of the tropical monsoon winds to cool the shophouse.

Little has been done to conserve and maintain the orginal facade and its decorative elements. Details and other portions of the shophouse remain damaged or destroyed without replacement. Shopowners are unwilling to restore the original details and resort to simple or cheaper alternatives.

geometry and composition in structure

shell /spine In order to better understand the structural principles in everyday infrastructure, the assignment challenges us to produce a dome and bridge using modular and geometric systems. We took advantage of our assigned material, wood, to design structures that maximise scale and structural integrity while using minimal material.

_concept Using biomimicry, we based our dome structure on the geodesic dome likestructure of a tortoise. A tortoise shell structure is superlative in terms of its naturally designed geometric system developed over centuries of evolution. Its angled vaulting shell allows the animal to maximise its compressive-loading capacity but also optimise space for the animal’s organs and muscles. Similarly, we envision our dome to bear similar properties in terms of structural strength as well as spatial prowess.

_shell

_spine

_concept Using biomimicry, we based our dome structure on the segmented structure of a fish spine. With the pre-existing modules from the dome, we overlayed two triangular modules to form a 6 pointed star module. We then created linking modules of different lengths and sizes. Modules arranged at the top cord are larger while modules arranged at the bottom cord are smaller. This causes the bridge to span to curve, forming a arch. Top chord modules are also designed to touch each other to prevent splaying of the bridge under compressive loading.

the intangible city

theCube

Hiroshi Hara introduced the idea of the intangible city, revolving around the concept of efficient commuting and discrete space. The idea explores the means to improve energy efficiency and commuting time by regulating residential spaces and active engagement of vertical space. The assignment seeks for us to understand the relationship between buildings and space within the community context.

_concept We wanted to encapsulate the concept of marginalisation in society in the design of TheCube as well as incorporate vernacular elements within a tropical forest context. The facade comprises of reapeating geometric prints in dull black and white colours, representing the lifeless pretence of the marginalised. The openings of the facade allow for limited view of theCube’s interior space, signifying the attempts made by individuals to understand the state and condition of the segregated community. The interior space utitlises vibrant colour and organic forms to show the sublime experience of the marginalised. TheCube achieved its aim to provoke both empathy and apathy of society towards the marginalized.

TheCube Motifs made by relief printing. Each carved linoleum piece corresponding with each motif.

exploring the possibilities of materials

brick fur future Renewable resources has always dominated the dicussion for alternative construction materials.

Conventional materials such as concrete, steel and glass dominate the modern construction practices, and there has been little attention paid to the possibility of utilising renewable resources to replace building material. We approached this issue by first identifying the components of a selected conventional building material and propose potential alternatives.

The material we chose to create must also fufill the criteria of being useful additive to natural environmet.

_concept

We envisioned BFF as an initiative to provide alternative and sustainable source of building material, BFF utilises waste materials to lower the ecological footprint of brick production, thus providing an affordable, fully biodegradable and environmentally friendly choice of construction material.

material analysis

BINDER rice flour and egg whites

concrete

-relative sustainable and renewable resources

-Up to 5% of world wide man made production -primary contributor to the urban heat effect

COARSE AGGREGATE conventional concrete bricks

gravel

seashells

-in a fishery industry, seashell waste is available in huge quantities in certain regions.

-similar to limestone in high calcium

-scarring of landscape -loss of agricultural land -source of radon gas

carbonate content

sand

-scarse resource harnessed excessively leading to global shortage

FINE AGGREGATE

sawdust

-waste product of woodwork operations -about 105 million tonnes generated annually in India alone -lower production cost

Composition: Gravel, Sand, Cement

-Industrail manufacturing produces harmful by products like carbon monoxide and sulfur oxides which can contribute to acid rain and environmental pollutants.

-4.5 gigatonnes of concrete bricks produced in the USA from 1901 to 2000 compared to 6.6 gigatonnes of concrete produced in China from 2011 to 2013

hair/fur

glass fibre

-increase consumption of sand -very energy expansive in producing

TENSILE

-rigid molecular structure increasing flexibility and mechanical resistence -keratin provides strong tensile strength (similar to kevlar and reinforced glass fibre)

process

1. gathering of materials

sourcing of tensile material from pet salons and hair salons, sawdust z from campus workshop and organic material from local supermarket

2. matrix

3. combine

mix rice flour and water/eggwhiter thoroughly to form the binder. grind seashells into smaller pieces as well as sieve out large particles from collected sawdust mix and incorporate binders with coarse and fine aggregate

combine the matrix and oranic tensile material (hair/fur). add tensile material in layers to avoid clumping.

4. tapping

5. microwave

tapping releases airbubbles and smoothens out the surface of the brick

microwave for 5 minutes at medium-low setting. this process aims check for the brick’s rigidity before flipping out the brick onto a mito remove moisture, drying the brick. crowave safe saucer and proceed to microwave for an additional 5 minutes at the same setting

6. flip-out

7. air dry let brick airdry for 24 hours and record the shrinkage

_trails

We explored with various combinations and proportions of materials in order to come up the bricks that best suit our aim mentioned previously. We narrowed down our trails and chose bricks A,B,C for their economic vability , environmental impact and mechanical strength

_mechanical test compression

C

A

B

tension Compressive strength was measured by placing a fixed weight on BFF bricks. Initial and final height of the blocks were recorded and deformation by percentage inversely proportional to compressive strength. tensile of strength of the brick was then calculated by suspending the free weight onto the centre portion of the brick. The supports (chairs) are gradually moved apart, forming gaps of 2,4,6 and 8 cm. The test is stopped when BFF shows signs of buckling.

Sample bricks A,B and C are sliced in half to show their cross-sections and half of each sample are subjected to uniform compressive force from at its centre. The results show that brick C to have the highest efficacy.

_future usage

Since BFF is fully biodegradeble, it provides nutirents for the growth of agriculture and green , which in turn help offset carbon emisions and nourish humans and their best friend, making it a sustainable material. BFF can be employed in many ways like conventional brick masonry and monolithic public furniture. However, it has a lifespand limited to only 3-5 years due to the nature of its composition. Hence, it will require a protective layer such as resin to delay decomposition.

BFF can also serve as a viable replacement to concrete used in coral tetrapod seedlings due to its calcium carbonate content (seashells) which react with carbon dioxide dissolved in water to produce calcium bicarbonate which enables corals to flourish

tropical paradigm

final curtain call It is known fact that architects often turn to vernacular elements when dealing with the tropical context. Tropicality has been a hot architectural conundrum, Chan Soo Khian mentioned that in dealing with tropicality, rectilinearity provides a means of continuous development of new, structural and formal devices. He suggests that tropical architecture adopt formal language with a consistent rational approach, a clear expression of space and structure.

With this in mind, we proceeded to design a tropical pavilion that distinctly represents its adaptation to the tropical climate through the use of modular and louvered systems.

_concept Final curtain call came as a response to tropicality. The facade comprises of modules arranged one after another. Each module is made up of three louvered triangular sections that angle in three different directions, this allows the pavilion to have an open facade that is still adapted to the tropical context. The visual overlapping of layers is synonymous to that of sails on an English Cutty Sark. This facade mimicry further emphasises the pavilion’s ability to ventilate and shelter its users.

_concept sketches

_renderings

Scanned by CamScanner

_elevation of modular pieces

_proposed sunpath

_front elevation

_side elevation

_rear elevation

NUS School of Design and Environment Christopher Chua A0183499J

I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to my tutor Dr Abel E. Tablada de la Torre and my studio mates. With their guidiance and support, I have observed myself grow as an individual as well as in the realms of architecture. For that, I am eternally grateful.