WONG DAO MIN BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONS) ARCHITECTURE 2014
Architecture for me, is above all, the art of making the world a better place. One we imagine how it ought to be. Architecture represents the zeitgeist, the spirit of our time. The values and ideals of the people but also the stories and innovations of mankind. The age-old lessons and traditions we chose to keep and the dreams and visions we aspire to. It is a reflection of the people who built them and something we all associate with a sense of civic pride and identity.
The architecture I am inspired to do is an architecture that speaks of many things and how things could one day be. Great architecture for me, resonates on many different levels. It speaks of embracing the community, harmonizing nature, bringing together the old and the new. Architecture that helps us feel involved and proud of who we are so the ideas we hold onto can become in our imagination more real and tangible. I am interested in an architecture that moves us quietly, one imbued with a sense of value that we long for or neglect in this ever more commercial and globalized world we live in today.
Although each project starts with a blank sheet of paper, there is always a line of consistency present. Every project starts with a sketch, a scribble, an idea to guide the project, and everything is done to make the idea more real. I design with models, many models. I believe that designing with models gives a sense of three-dimensional experience lacking in computers. It provides a different level of observation on the spatial experience and the construction. It allows the eyes to look at parts often ignored.
The values I aspire to instill in my architecture are pride, belonging and empowerment. Architecture being a form of civic pride, should look as though it been there forever. It should speak of an idea shared by everyone. Architecture should also speak about a sense of belonging. An architecture for the people, providing a stage so people can interact to bring us closer together. One that is as much of a psychological as well as a physical experience. One that speaks of the vastness of the forever unattainable and receding blue of the sky, the calm ripple of water, the burning ambition lighted by a ray of light and the feeling of change that comes with the gust of wind. The architecture I believe in is one of empowerment. One that speaks of the skills of the people who built it. Serving as an inspiration for future generations but also a reminder of what can be done in times of hardship and self-doubt.
A good building reveals different things from different angles, time of day and distance. Little details are what made a good building stands out from a great building,
A R C HIT E C T U R E IS
WIND DIRECTION
LAKE DESIGN STUDIO 1, YEAR 1, INDIVIDUAL In this project, we were asked to design a GRAFTED SPACE for a local security officer in school. With the emphasis on human ergonomics.
UNIVERSITY SQUARE
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Inspired by his favourite game,TETRIS, the design explores the grid as neutral plane in anticipation of things to come. The architecture becomes a backdrop for human interactions. Located in an isolated part of the campus, used only for circulation, the design acts as beacon attracting life to an area otherwise ignored. The idea of prefabrication and green features allows it to engage in a dialogue with both the built and natural environment surrounding it.
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TETRIS BOX
DESIGN STUDIO 2, YEAR 1, INDIVIDUAL Located in the hilly site of Belum Rainforest Resort, with expansive views in all direction towards a lake, this project ask of us to design a small BOATHOUSE as an alternative for guests who wants a different experience while respecting the site context. This boathouse was inspired by the concept of a CAVE. Like those found near the site, once inhabited by the locals. The idea of subtraction from a singular mass to create occupiable space and anchoring the house to the site. With the site only reachable by boat, the cave evokes the notion of going back in time, with its spaces both raw and powerful. The building uses a traditional pitched roof profile, borrowed from the houses of the locals. Contemporary materials, like concrete, steel and glass engages a dialogue that span and draw references across time to help create a design that is rooted to its place.
THE CAVE HOUSE
DESIGN STUDIO 4, YEAR 2, INDIVIDUAL With the theme of creating a civic building, this project ask of us to design a COMMUNTY CENTER in Gombak for the local indigenous people. Wanting to create a space that is modern while essentially local in essence, I imagine this place to be a book. A book that tells the stories and fairy tales of the older generation, imbued with values that can be used in writing a new chapter. The concept of a STORYBOOK is born out of the ideas of modulating human experience within pages or spaces in a coherent whole. What can be at first glance seemingly empty spaces or where the purpose is not known but there’s a feeling that the purpose can be found. Architecture thus becomes a tool that suggest as much as it advocate the way forward for the people in an age of globalization where spaces needs to be adaptive and flexible, while not losing hold of their identity. .
THE GOMBAK STORYBOOK
DESIGN STUDIO 6, YEAR 3, INDIVIDUAL With the theme of URBAN ACUPUNCTURE, this project requires us to revive the old town of Petaling Jaya through its dying craft culture with an art centre to induce a ripple effect to other towns nearby. The main concept for this design was the exploration of the idea of UNDESIGNING. In making the hand of the architect inconspicuous so that the art and artist can express themselves easier. This is seen as an antidote to the recent architecture around the area that indulges in a form of attention grabbing sculptural facade. Architecture here becomes a supporting cast to the main protagonist, which are the users. The design becomes a blank and neutral canvas for which the artist becomes the main actors Extruded volumes curate space in a theatrical way, by making physical framing the various interactions of various occupants. So movement through space reframe occupant’s vision, shifting from actors to audience. Which is also what art is, which is a form of communication.
THE ART CENTRE WITHOUT ART
DESIGN STUDIO 5, YEAR 3, INDIVIDUAL With the theme of urban place making, this project requires us to design a FOOD MARKET in Kuala Lumpur old city centre in place of a dilapidated row of shophouses. The site is located in a historic area that is largely forgotten since the shift to the new city centre, the Petronas twin towers. As retail changes and the historical city could no longer support or accept this, investors are forced to move elsewhere. Working, living and shopping are no longer in close proximity bringing money and life out of the historical city. This project thus creates an opportunity to revive old KL and redefining the historical fabric and create a public space at a time when the city becomes less and less capable of creating public spaces. The design is inspired by the idea of POROSITY AND OPENESS. Enriching the city life while respecting the urban and historical fabric. The idea of porosity helps create a lively hub, becoming a new landmark in KL. Openness is created by using the ramp as a device to help promote the publicness of the building by confusing the notion of public and private while giving the design a sense of theatre. The ramp maximizes the amount of rentable area resulting in more profit for the investors. The ramp also choreograph the movement and circulation to play with a sense of reward vital when dealing wth a vertical typology as opposed to a horizontal one.
VERTICAL URBAN MARKET