Content Personal Work Week 1: Architectural Discourse
P. 4-6
Week 2: Contemporary Computational Design
P. 7-9
Week 3: Contemporary Scripting/Programming Cultures P. 10-11 Week 4: Matrix Experiments
P.12-13
Week 5: Case Study
P.14-17
Week 6: Model Making
P.18-21
Group Work Design Brief
P.21-25
Site Analysis
P.26-27
Group EOI
P.28-29
90 Matrix
P.30-33
Model
P.34-35 2
Introduction: This journal is use to record the progression of each week’s work, which eventually will develop a installation for the gateway project. I will try to drop down some inspirations from each week, and see whether they will be applicable on our group design.
Inspiration/reflections: Week 1: Architecture—Spatial Expression (EOI) Week 2: Use of lighting to create strong visual expression and hence create the spatial expression Week 3: A strong design theme need to be maintain through the whole design process no matter it is classical culture or modern high tech culture Week 4: Options within options = infinite outcomes Week 5: Materials and visual/spatial expression Week 6: When giving up laser cut, you need a laser hand to do a parametric design model. Week7:
Finding ourselves a bit confuse with the original theme, the model is made, but the theme is weak.
Week8:
After the presentation, we are advised that we need to bring in more features, and pull ourselves much further from the Shanghai Expo Axis, as we are like reproducing it.
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Week 1 01 March 2012
EOI Journal: Architectural Discourse When I first understood the word ‘Architecture’, I thought Architect = Building Designer Architecture = Building Styles but than a few projects changed my thought.
Project: Andalucia Museum of Memory Architect: Alberto Campo Baeza Location: Granada, Spain
I am very amazed by the arrangement of the building, as it will be definitely a surprise for all the visitors when they get to see the center of the building. The rectangular and dull facade actually amplify the visual effect of the center part of the building. Everything is arranged around a central courtyard, in elliptical form in which circular ramp rise, connecting the three levels and creating a very interesting spatial tensions.
“The new building, silent in its forms, is resounding in its elements to communicate the messages of the new millennium in which we are already immersed” - Baeza 4
Project: Blur Building Architect: Diller + Scofidio Location: Neuchatel lake, Switzerland
“BLUR is not a building, BLUR is pure atmosphere, water particles suspended in mid-air. The fog is a dynamic, phantom mass, which changes form constantly . . . .”
The design theme of this project is very interesting that the architects want to construct a cloud with the help of technology. It is also remarkable that the focus of this design is trying to put visitor out of focus, creating the blur experience of the visitors.
“BLUR is a spectacle with nothing to see. Within BLUR, vision is put out-of-focus so that our dependence on vision can become the focus of the pavilion.” - Diller
Project: Rasapura Masters Architect: FARM Studio Location: Singapore The space is designed as an open layout which is divided into “islands”. It is interesting that although there is not a physical division between the spaces, the division is very clear with the aid of the wavy ceiling design as well as the different floor patterns. The design details and other features reflect the atmosphere of eating street food and Asian cuisine. Different types of traditional floor tiles, ironmongery details, furniture and traditional glass pendant lamps are used and mixed throughout the space in a nontraditional sense to create unique pockets of eating corners and spaces. The resultant of these is a tactile and everchanging spatial experience!
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After looking at these three projects, I realized that designing a building is also at the same time designing a space. In my previous design, I always look at the design with the perspective of a designer, modifying it in Sketchup, Rhino or AutoCad just to make it look good, but sometimes easily forget the viewing perspective as a visitor, how the feel when they first see the building, how the feeling change when they enter the building, and what message am I actually giving them. Therefore I had change the definition of architect and architecture as :
Architect = Someone who design ‘experience’ Architecture = The experience of the visitors feel on that particular space
I hope in my future design, I would be able to emphasize the important of spatial expression, and this will also be my person express of interest for this course.
Sources: http://www.wayfaring.info/2009/10/14/andalucia-museum-of-memory/#more-13854 http://www.dillerscofidio.com/blur.html http://www.carywolfe.com/16.3wolfe.html http://knstrct.com/2012/03/13/rasapura-masters-singapore/
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Week 2 08 March 2012
EOI Journal: Contemporary Computational Design This week I am going to look at several design that is using advanced technology to create unique spatial expression.
Project: Amplitude Architect: rAndom International Location: Rome
The design is concentrate on the direct and physical relationship between the viewer and the installation. The spatial experience changes through movement by the audience, and the viewer is drawn into the light itself. The lighting create a very strong movement which I suggest you can take a look through the below youtube link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQO2Bi_RBrA
Project: MEGAPOV Architect: Teddy Lo Location: Singapore The design is a High Tech Led flash, it can project symbols which will draw the viewer’s attention . Again, light is the element that used to attract people, this make me interested to have a deeper research on lighting.
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Project: Shanghai Expo Axis Architect: SBA GmbH Shanghai Location: Shanghai, China The Expo Axis is the world’s large membrane roof, the high funnel vaulting of the membrane roof and open sides create the illusion of being outside. In day time, the funnels act as solar siphons, directing natural light into the lower levels of the pavilion, it also aid the natural air flow, circulating the breeze around the space. In the evening, funnels are illuminated with colour-changing lights that bring the structure to life and reflect off the pool beside it.
Project: Absence Of Light Architect: Hans Moor Architects Location: Rotterdam The design theme of this project is creating the illusion of the bridge resting on the water. The lighting in the pedestrian section is design differently in pace and movement of the traffic. This gives a strong and diverse spatial expression for both the pedestrians and the motorists which may give inspirations on the Gateway design project.
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Project: Stay down champion, stay down Architect: Woodbury University Location: California I like this design a lot, as it appears as a combination of matrix, lighting, movment and spatial expression to me. With this installation, the floor is now break away from the planar to compose a flowing and colourful interior landscape that guests can navigate through on foot. I like the idea that the landscape is created by gradually elevating the handmade tiles on transparent acrylic supports, a simple idea but a dramatic and inspirational outcome for me.
To conclude this week, I would say lighting and spatial expression is closely related. I think for my gateway project, our group can starts from some simple and interesting ideas and developed it. I found the Shanghai Expo Axis’s design is very inspirational, as for a design, its function varies in different time, and I would like to put this theme in my gateway design.
Sources: http://www.virtualart.at/index.php?id=62&no_cache=1&type=323&tx_vafe_pi1[work] =2478&tx_vafe_pi1[imageid]=4705&cHash=37f5c034c19c2992c4e2056f9c0ad31d http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQO2Bi_RBrA http://www.akshardhool.com/2012_02_17_archive.html http://inhabitat.com/shanghais-stunning-sun-valley-pavilion-boasts-the-worlds-largest-membrane -roof/sba-expo-axis-shanghai3/?extend=1 http://www.architecture-page.com/go/projects/absence-of-light__all http://inspir3d.net/2011/01/15/stay-down-champion-stay-down/ 9
Week 3 15 March 2012
EOI Journal: Contemporary Scripting/Programming Cultures During this week, we are looking at the conflicts between original/classical architecture culture and the contemporary computing cultures. While many argue that the modern computing culture has create many “meaningless” buildings which only has a good outlook or complex structure, I still believe that if the Architect is talented and treat the new technology as a tool that increase his working efficiency or as a decorative tool, their works are still very creative. Unless some Architects who are totally depends on these software and without a clear design scheme, their work will become meaningless. The below are some projects that I found very interesting which are related to the contemporary scripting cultures.
Project: Minimal Surfaces Architect: Vlad Tenu Location: London The term “Minimal Surface” was first introduced to me by my tutor Paul. Although it is totally a computing work, the outcome is still very stunning. The network produced was cell– like, although I cannot tell the design intension of it, but this kind of computing work is not quite possible to done by hand and the theme “minimal” maybe applicable for some projects.
Sources: http://www.fabricate2011.org/ http://microrobotic.wordpress.com/bix-facade/ http://www.evolo.us/architecture/capital-gate-parametric-design-results-in-worlds-steepestleaning-building/ 10
Project: Pixel Tattos Architect: Batista, Korda, Princic & Stormajer Location: Austria The design has a very strong visual expression with the dynamic lights and reflection. The theme of this design is to create a “conversation” on the skin of the building. This design inspire me whether we will be able to create a conversation between our design and the motorists in our gateway project. For example, the skin of our installation will be able to tell the motorists the traffic density nearby, or the weather in the surrounding area. The below is a youtube link to show you the Pixel Tattos design in movement: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=QEutOiwJuIw Project: Capital Gate Architect: RMJM Architects Location: Abu Dhabi
This parametrically designed tower sitting at 160 meters featuring a leaning façade of 18 degrees off horizontal. This is a very good example for proving my argument earlier. Although this design used a high degree of computing generated components, the main theme of this design remain very clear and outstanding. The leaning effects as well as the middle structural loading part is only able to be done by complex calculations.
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Week 4 22 March 2012
EOI Journal: Matrix Experiments During this week, I had tried different inputs, associations and outputs , the below are the 30 Matrix I had done.
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I found the input: Boolean Patterning actually is able to create many different interesting surface features. I also realized that even with the same input, association and output, the outcome can be varies with different settings. So I pick one of the matrix to do a further experiment.
After this week’s experiments, I realized how powerful and creative grasshopper can be, I will try to use these matrix to find a similar desire shape of our group’s design.
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Week 5 29 March 2012
EOI Journal: Case Study Our group will look at the BANQ restaurant, and I will also look at another restaurant that is inspiriting
Project: BANQ Architect: Office dA Location: Boston
Spatial Expression of BANQ: The restaurant interior offers unique experience for guests. The ceiling of the restaurant is a striated wood-slatted system that conceals the view of the mechanical, plumbing, and lighting systems on the longitudinal axis, while offering a virtual canopy under which to dine. The columns and the wine storage, in the middle of the hall, serve to uphold the fiction, and appear to be suspended from the ceiling. Spacing between the visible ceiling ribs is variable; compressing and releasing to maintain visual densities of the overall surface as seen from different angles.
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The longitudinal axis emphasizes the seamless surface, and the lateral views offer striated glimpses into the service space above, and demystify the illusion. To underline this strategy, certain areas of the ceiling “drip” and “slump”, acknowledging the location of to place exit signs, lighting features, and other details. Below the ceiling, the functional aspects of a dining space are fabricated with warm woods and relaminated bamboo amplifying the striping affect already at play throughout the space. Striations of the ground, the furnishings, and the ceiling all conspire to create a total effect, embedding the diners into the grain of the restaurant.
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Project: Tang Palace Architect: FCJZ Location: Hangzhou, China
Spatial Expression of Tang Palace: The restaurant take advantage of the storey height and create some private room that are suspended from the roof. There is an interactive atmosphere between the upper and lower levels, thus enriching the visual enjoyments.
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The waved ceiling of the lower level creates a dramatic visual expression within the hall. The bamboo walls helps to divided the spaces and create privacy for the customers.
I think this restaurant is very well design, with diverse materials and layers, the spatial expression is very strong and remarkable. I especially like the bamboo stick wall which has very strong culture characteristics, but at the same time well functional as a semi-transparent wall. The relationship between different space is also very interesting, in/out, top/low, big/small.
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Week 6 05 April 2012
EOI Journal: Model making After all these weeks, our group had decided to use the Shanghai Expo Axis as the inspiration, and try to modify it and add in other features. The below is a few attempt of the digital model, as well as the final physical model.
Attempt 1: I am trying to create the basic form with grasshopper, by extruding circles and lofting them.
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Attempt 2: I am trying to developed a more defined shape by creating more layers of circle, and edit their values.
Attempt 3: My group mate edit the surface of it with the assiociation : Maths Function, and we decided to make the physical model by hand!
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The Physical Model
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The top and bottom are transparent cells, and the middle part with be laminated in colours in night time. My group mates also research on the materials as well as construction methods. The below is the imagine picture if the installation is installed.
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Eric Tse Fong Yik (346136) Design Journal for ADS 3
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