Theories of Architecture and Urbanism

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM [ARC2224]

PROJECT: THEORIZING ARCHITECTURE PART Il - ANALYZING AND THEORIZING ARCHITECTURE

Name:

Feiven Chee

Student ID:

0312004

Lecturer:

Ms Ida

Submission Date:

14th November 2014

Theories of Architecture & Urbanism [ARC 2224]

Introduction

Ambi’s House was the first project undertaken by David Chan, and the client was his friend and ex-colleague, Ambi Mathe.

David Chan set up his current firm, Design Collective Architects, 2002 with Chan Mun Inn (one of his ex-students). The collective experience from his student days as well as working experience has shaped how he deals with his own firm today.

From his days of study and through work experience previous to starting his own firm, Chan learnt how to work in detail through a thorough understanding of construction drawings. He deals with the contracts and documentations. His portfolio shows that he has worked on various typologies of projects but he shows a certain liking for residential projects.

He also taught as a lecturer in Lim Kok Wing’s school of architecture and was very influential with his design work. This was where he met his first client, Ambi Mathe, who was the Senior Vice President of Creative Technology in Lim Kok Wing University.

His project, Ambi’s House demonstrates his ability to design according to the client and functional requirements and also shows his stance as a modernist architect.

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Theories of Architecture & Urbanism [ARC 2224]

Form follows function

Through the interview conducted with the architect, it is understood that he places a great emphasis on creating and developing a narrative for his designs. To do so, he seeks to comprehend the client and their background, the design brief as well as the site. As most of his projects are residential, he believes that the involvement and constant dialog with the client is essential and critical. Ultimately, the design will be used and inhabited by the client and so he believes that it is the architect’s responsibility to design for them a space which they will enjoy living in. The most talented of architects would be able to identify what the client needs and wants, when the clients themselves may not know it.

The essential function of this project is to provide a space for the dwelling of a family. However, this is a special kind of family and thus the functions can be split further. Firstly, it must provide private and internalized spaces for each individual to return to at night or at times of privacy – a private domain.

Secondly, considering the fact that the family takes pride in being involved with the arts; poetry as well as visual arts, they insisted on having a communal space where they could discuss, do their art and collaborate on projects together. The client is of Iban descent. Typically, they have a strong sense of community and familial bond – even more so when it comes to a place of dwelling as exemplified by their longhouses. The users of the house are 8 adults and 2 teenagers, all one family. The client discussed with the architect the intention of creating a communal space where the sense of hierarchy could be dissolved completely. Previous to the inception of this design, the family were all staying in separate houses. They decided unanimously to pool their life savings and buy the land on which the new house would be built on. The land was in Nilai.

Upon identifying the needs and desires of the client as well as the qualities of the site, the architect proceeded to design accordingly.

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Theories of Architecture & Urbanism [ARC 2224]

The spatial layout of the spaces is distinctly categorized according to the floor levels.

On the ground floor was the communal and gathering space. Thus, following the function of this space, the architect naturally designed it as an open plan with minimal enclosed spaces. It also opens out to the bamboo garden seamlessly with doors that take up a majority of the stretch of wall. The doors are designed to be open during day time and only closed at night when the family retreats to sleep. This large space directly addresses the needs of the family to gather together as an artistic community to recite poetry and paint.

Conversely, on the first floor are seven bedrooms arranged in a linear manner connected by a corridor which acts as the spine. Along the corridor facing the staircase is a long bench which the architect had implemented as per the client’s request for a space where they could use to just chat before going

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Theories of Architecture & Urbanism [ARC 2224]

to bed. However, it should be noted that the initial design of the bench did not end up working as intended and was eventually taken out. The architect noted that “a house is a living thing, and it should change”. The architect respectively pays homage to the client’s culture and heritage as this layout seems like a modern take on the longhouse typology. The use of timber flooring further accentuates the comfort and warmth the architect intended to provide for the users. The rooms are designed in such a way that they seem to be more or less modular squares. This fulfills the clients request for a dwelling space that is private and with no sense of hierarchy which is normally present in a single family dwelling.

The lower ground floor is completely designed as a utilitarian space where the family cars are parked and space is provided for storage. There is a small, winding staircase from the lower floor which leads to the garden on the ground floor. The entrance into the building is simple yet elegant and very humble. It seems to work with the surrounding landscape as it is slotted into the local topography. This allows for privacy of the inhabitants.

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Theories of Architecture & Urbanism [ARC 2224]

Once the user of the space walks through into the building on ground level, there is an immediate sense of openness and freedom. The unobstructed plan gives a strong sense of visual impact. The plan is without any pillars or structural elements and the staircase is placed behind a wall to hide it away from the immediate line of sight. This sense of freedom is further emphasized through the seamless marriage of outside and inside spaces as the boundaries are completely blurred. The living area opens up to so much greenery and nature that it exudes a great sense of artistic quality – which is exactly what the client requested for. The garden can also be viewed directly from the bedrooms on the first floor.

In terms of the functional requirements, the architect still has to address safety and security issues. The client was concerned as the site is in a remote location. The architect thus used metal grille doors to secure the periphery of the building. The initial idea was to keep the ground floor completely open without the boundary of walls, however this was not possible due to the functional requirements and the idea of necessity.

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Climate

Climatic response also follows the idea of form follows function. The design should be governed by the environmental conditions of the site.

However, this project is atypical to the status quo of climatic response in terms of its orientation on site. The longer facades are orientated to the East and West. The East faรงade is mostly covered by solid walls and the bedrooms are placed facing the West. This is highly unusual as it is a norm for bedrooms to be orientated towards the morning sun rather than the intense evening sun.

However, it can be slightly justified as there is a large amount of tall vegetation which surrounds the building and provides ample shading.

The architect plays with the landscaping of the site as a response to the climate and functional requirements. On the East faรงade where the main stairway is, the architect implements a lot of creepers to provide additional insulation against the heat gain on the mass of the walls. On the West side is

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Theories of Architecture & Urbanism [ARC 2224]

where the bamboo garden is located. This bamboo garden acts as a natural backdrop to the poetry amphitheater and ample humanistic steps are provided to act as seating when needed.

Cross-ventilation is a strategy that is inevitably maximized when the architect decides to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.

The main staircase is completely naturally ventilated and the spinal corridor on the first floor can be considered as semi-outdoor. It allows for outside air to come in and circulate the space and for hot air to exit. This space then becomes very comfortable at night, which is when it would mostly be used. On the ground floor, the communal hall area opens to the garden with small louvers on the opposite faรงade encouraging constant cross ventilation. In addition to this, natural daylight is allowed to flood into the spaces through the design and inclusion of all the fenestrations.

The treatment and approach of the materiality is also appropriate for the warm weather of the tropics. Concrete and timber are the two main materials.

Concrete is used as the main structure as it can be considered the most suitable material to respond to tropical weather. On the first floor however, it has been treated over with timber to create a warmer and more comfortable ambience. It also helps in maintaining a certain level of thermal comfort. The timber allows for a harmonization with the local site as well.

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Theories of Architecture & Urbanism [ARC 2224]

Modernist Architecture

The design definitely has its roots planted in the modernist movement.

In reference to Le Corbusier’s five points of architecture, the design satisfies four of them. It has the pilotis in the sense that the lower ground has been assigned for the car to be parked right under the house and the occupant can then directly walk into the house. It has an open floor plan on the ground floor.

On the first floor West façade, there seems to be a reference to the ribbon window as the whole stretch of wall is covered with windows. The first floor also sees the free design of the façade as the timber is merely a skin that does not serve a structural purpose. The only point which it does not satisfy is in having a roof garden.

The design plays with the notion of verticality and horizontality through its simplicity. The long stretch of windows on the facades imply a sense of horizontality as well as a verticality when the columns are left standing isolated

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Theories of Architecture & Urbanism [ARC 2224]

when the doors are open. This verticality is also accentuated through the tall bamboos in the garden.

The idea that the design is governed by the function also shows reference to modernist architecture. The building does not work with the landscape as Kenneth Frampton suggests every architecture should do.

Rather, it cuts the landscape according to what is necessary and thus the building looks like it is slotted into the topography. In his writings on Critical Regionalism, Frampton calls this “placelessness� and is completely against it.

Instead, he writes that an architect should respect the land and build with what is existing.

It is arguable that the building could be taken out of its context and be placed anywhere else and still function just as well. However, the building is in a rather remote location with no neighbors in near proximity at the time it was built. Thus it was free to create its own identity and start its own architectural site context. It does respond to the tropical climate and environmental properties and so one cannot argue that it is necessarily a bad design.

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Conclusion

To conclude, as an architect he was able to design according to the client’s specific needs and desires. He’s able to manipulate his architectural principles whilst still responding to the climate and the site that was given. He uses his professional skills as an architect to help in fulfilling his client’s dreams and aspirations as to what their perfect home should be. However, it is pretty apparent that Chan has a certain affinity towards modern architecture and his designs reflect his architectural theoretical and historical knowledge.

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References

1. Design Collective Architects,. (2011). Homes - Issues+Processes (pp. 10-19).

London: Black Dog Publishing.

2. Korzilius, L. (2014). A comparison of treatise and building - Basic Theory. Lesterkorzilius.com. Retrieved 23 November 2014, from http://www.lesterkorzilius.com/pubs/ma/vua_vs/02.htm

3. Sbriglio, J. (1999). Le Corbusier (pp. 38-45, 128). Basel: BirkhaĚˆuser Verlag.

4. Star Publications (M) Bhd. (2006, September 3). Archives | The Star Online.

Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com.my/404.html?item=%2fstory%2ffile%3d%2f2006%2f9% 2f3%2ffocus%2f15118180%2f&user=extranet%5cAnonymous&site=TheStarOnlin e

5. The Edge,. (2014). DREAMHOME: Ambi House. Haven, pp54-60.

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