Design worshop journal b_ Hao Feng_742200

DESIGN WORKSHOP

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL B

STUDENT NAME: HAO FENG STUDENT NUMBER: 742200

TABLE OF CONTENTS Topics B: PLAYING WITH (= EXPLORING) DESIGN IDEAS B1: CINEMA + ARCHITECTURE B2 Design Decisions B3 What to do when stuck 2016

B1: CINEMA + ARCHITECTURE LECTURE: Project: CAMERIMAGE LODZ CENTER Architect: Frank Gehry Film and architecture are quite similar, which are both articulation of space and do exploration of time and space. Some architects may specially love some films or film makers. So, their design may be inspired by the films. For example, the facade of Camerimage Lodz centre which is unbuilt is an image of Inland Empire by David Lynch. He designed the building based on the drawings and complex narratives of the film. So the films and architecture are connencted. They both create a senese of beaty and a sense of space.

Project: Dutch House Architect: Rem Koolhaas The designer considered the context and environment of the design. The house is built on an uneven topography.

However, Rem designed and incorporate the space above ground and below ground quite well. The picture shows aisle. The central wall is used to seperate two system and ramp above provides functional and visual connections. So, this space is both seperate and connected. With the good use of light and shadow, it looks like a film scene.

# MONTAGE THEORY Montage and Architecture: - Montage theory is an approach to understanding and creating cinema that relies heavily upon editing.

- same thing + different fragments = different meanings - similar to architecture: in order to create different functions by using different elements; like furniture, colour or arrangements

Filip Dujardin — “Impossible Architecture” In the first building, Filip put four different fragments to form this architecture. In the second one, the building is formed of a series of geometries.

These two buildings are used montage theory.

For people, they are all “impossible architecture”.

However, I think that he wants to try something new and try transform the future into the present.

Gluing different points of building together can combine different ideas together. People can get different meanings when they look at the building from the different angles.

Another example is the MSD building. Its west facade is applied to montage theory, a combination of old and new. The newly built MSD building not all is new. One piece of former building on the site is stone Bank of New South Wales facade. It was moved from the centre of Melbourne and rebuilt within the University grounds in the 1930’s. It is also retained in this recent overhaul. The former facade adds historical value to the MSD building. It is also meaningful to the design students. What we learnt and what we saw are old and how to applied these past ideas to the project and generate good and new ideas is quite essential.

Films are journey of the space, the same as the architecture. In the past few weeks, we were asked to use the storyboards to explain the space of the architecture. We need to make a feeling of walking into the space, not just cutting into different points of the views.

We can do it in sequence, starting from the gate then following the path to different rooms. The drawings you draw are eye views, just like the film.

Concise Townscape/ Gordon Cullen/1961

Montage and Architecture/ Sergei Eisenstein/1940

Commonalities: # Movement Journey through spaces [E]motion/motion # Time Duration/ Temporality #Spatial Articulation Depth/Volume/ Masses/Recessed vs Protruded spaces #Scale Close-up/Medium Shot/ Long-shot Sub-human/ Human / Architectural (scale) Materiality/Furniture / Buildings Details / Objects / Interiors Hand / Body/ House #Peripheral Vision #Extra Dimensions : Sound

HOMEWORK:

1.Make a short film about an architectural element.(Try to convey the spatial experience of the architectural element by your film.) #Window, #Door, #Corridor, #Ceiling, #Balcony, # etc 2. Design an architectural element that provides anatmosphere similar to the experiences you depicted in your film. Do not copy its form and focus on spatial experience. Use the technique of storyboarding to communicate and try to utilise the same frames and compositions as the shots of your film

3. Design a facade based on the spaces of film[s]/filmmakers you like.

4. Reading: Reading Perspective and Architecture through the Film ”In the Mood for Love“ - The director’s prerogative is to create, through editing – a rhythm – a movement – that celebrate how the human body negotiates itself around the city.

- This style of storytelling is to suspend time, to emphasise and prolong the relevance of what’s going on - Piero della Francesca’s Flagellation of Christ, c. 1469, places the main subject in a seemingly subsidiary space. Likewise in the film, the emphasis on the main characters are manipulated by controlling lighting used within the space.

- Spaces are ‘sculpted’ through the precise placements of these ‘natural’ light sources and given a more ambient hue with filters.

- There is also a lot of panning used by the director of photography - All events that happen in this movie are directly associated to the specific locations

The facade I designed is based on the film — Lala Land. My favourite scene is that the couples dancing in the top of the hill, with beautiful night view. So the emphasis of the design is the symbol of two people dancing. The top of it are windows and fixed windows below. I want to use the stained glass to represent the night view.

- lighting in the movie appears uncompromisingly dark because he relies on ”natural lighting“6, such as streetlights, dim lampshades in the apartments and fluorescent lighting used by the food stalls.

WORKSHOP:

In the studio, we were asked to design 10 house plans for two people. Above are the best three plan we chose.

In the first one, we put the living room and shared space front and two bedrooms at back. Two bedrooms have a shared bathroom and the other bathroom is connected to studio. We think that the studio is the most used space, so it is the biggest and we can access to kitchen and dining space through the living room. The second one is a linear plan. A long corridor is used for pining up artworks, used as a small gallery. It is a two-storey house. Two bedrooms and the shared bathroom are on the first floor. In the third plan, the shared studio is put backward to enjoy the garden view.

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STEP1: Using bubble diagrams to design a house for an architect and a sculptor Having a living room, a shared studio, a kitchen, a storage, two bedrooms and two bathroom Considering the size and the relationship between each room

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STEP 2: Making a physical model following the diagrams Thinking about the light and shadow (openings and walls) Designing the furnitures Filming a short video following the path

REFLECTION: (Lecture and readings): This week's lecture and readings are focus on the film and architecture. Filmmakers like Peter Greenaway and Jean-Luc are regarded as architects of films.

They play with the space and light in their films. They said that films are no more or no less than articulation of space. Similarly, some architects are inspired by films or filmmakers. For example, the facade of unbuilt building, Camerimage ŁÓDZ centre is an image of Inland Empire by David Lynch. Architect Frank Grey designed the building based on the drawings and complex narratives of the film.The ceilings of the Hotel Luzerne are also images from films.

Montage is a technique to edit a series of short shots to create films. Montage theory is also applied in architectural design.

The feature of Filip Dujardin’s design is combination of different fragments. He called his buildings ‘impossible architecture’ because every part of the building seems not to be connected.

Putting different geometries, functions, fragments together in one building is a new way to design, which let the building has various meanings. From different points of the building, people can get different ideas. Filip wanted to try something new and try to transform a changeable, narrative form into a stable building.

Films and architecture have some commonalities. First of all, film and architecture both do exploration about time and space.

When we see a film, we follow the camera lens to explore the space. Similarly, in the architectural design, we usually use the technique of storyboarding to present the journey through space. It gives clients a clear understanding about the relationship between each space. Secondly, light plays an important role in both films and architectural designs. In my former designs, my tutors always asked me to test the light and shadow effect. In mass project of Studio Earth, I designed an underground space. Light is changing when people explore the space, which will affect people’s emotion. The darker the space

will be, the deeper you go down. A feeling of fear will arise. In the readings, it also mentioned that filmmakers creates spaces largely upon precise placements of natural light resources.

(Workshop): In this week’s workshop, our group were asked to use bubble diagrams to design 10 house plans for an artist and a sculptor. The most important I leant from the exercise is how to deal with spatial relationship between every space. We need to include a living room, a shared studio, a kitchen, a storage, two bedrooms and two bathroom. Our group firstly decided the size of each room. Considering that the architect and the sculptor will spend a lot of time doing their project, the shared studio will be the biggest room, accessible to one bathroom. Apart from these, the studio may be access to the courtyard and the outside view. The storage is next to the studio, convenient for them to store stuff. The two bedrooms should be separate from the public space for privacy, may be upper levels. Living room is the second biggest and access to the kitchen. We selected three best plan and made the physical model. One of them is a linear plan, a long corridor used to separate the public areas and private areas. In consideration of their jobs, they may have a lot of project to present. So we wanted to use the long corridor as a gallery as well. The physical model we did was the linear one. We put two bedrooms and a shared bathroom on the upper level. We also made a skylight and used the spotlight to test the light and shadow effect. At last we shot a short film to show the journey through each space. In the past designs, I considered little about the spatial relationship and arrangements of furnitures in real life, like how this wall looks in reality, how much light could go through from this opening, would the corridor too long. By using bubble diagrams and testing it in prototype helps a lot. Moreover, using filmmaking techniques like montage and lighting is also helpful to the architectural design

B2: DESIGN DECISIONS LECTURE: What is a design decision?

- a conclusion or resolution reached after consideration - the action or process of deciding something or of resolving a question - A moment you choose between options, Resolving a question inherent in your project, Selecting a design method to employ next, Selecting to edit and reduce elements in your design, Selecting a metaphor for your project, Selecting the scale at which you will focus on the next stage development

WHAT

HOW

OUTCOME

1. Attack the context 2. Suspend the judgement 3. Embrace the complexity 4. Expand and concentrate

5. Search for patterns 6. Deepen the themes 7. Sharpen the frames 8. Be prepared

9. Create the moment 10. Follow through

1. Appraise the situation, Alter your thinking, Approach the context 2. Delay your response, Open opportunities, Create new perspectives 3. Do not reduce scope, or be aware that you are doing so and why, Recognise your assumption, Stop your assumption 4.Expand your knowledge through research, Broaden your field of understanding, Speculate and reflect on what you have discovered 5. Identify and explain patterns, in your designing or design thinking 6. Develop the potentials to bring design project further, Work at multiple scales, Interplay ideas with each other, Investigate many options to achieve the same aim 7. Communicate your interpretations clearly 8. Support your interpretation to show your journey 9. Get expert advice, Discuss with your peers, Ascertain your assumptions 10. Integrate these into your design

HOMEWORK: 1. Attempt to create a list of 20 questions to ask yourself when you are conducting reasoning, understanding, identifying and deciding when you take on a design project.

1. What problems we need to solve in the design brief?

2. Who will be the users?

3. Where is the site? / Where do the user use the device?

4. Is there any precedents I can learn from?

5. What materials I can use for this design?

6. Is the material environmentally friendly?

7. How much do the users want to pay for this design ?

8. Do I have better ideas?

9. Can these ideas combine together?

10. What are some of the resolutions to solve the problem?

11. Can this design be fabricated?

12. Which part can be developed?

13. What are some of the ways to generate quick ideas as a starting point?

14. Does this design communicate towards users’ needs?

15. How long can this design last? / How long can the device be used?

16. How people feel in this building?

17. Does this building influence the surrounding?

18. How to present my ideas to the clients?

19. Will the clients be attracted to this design?

20. What else I can do to make this design more interesting?

WORKSHOP:

DESIGN PROCESS DESIGN DECISION

PRECEDENT BRIEF

CONTEXT

RESEARCH

DOCUMENTATION

IDEA GENERATION

FABRICATION

PRESENT THE IDEAS

REFINE

SKETCH DESIGN

PROTOTYPE

SYSTEM

DESIGN CONCEPT

STRUCTURE

THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO TEST YOUR DESIGN

PROGRAM

MATERIALITY

The exercise is quite useful. It summarised the main problems we might face when we design and what we could do when we got stuck. Compared with other groups outcomes, I found that the questions our groups asked are quite broad and some steps missed. Some questions need to be specified to fix relative problems. Moreover, when we list the points of each questions, we found some aspects were connected. For example, we can use our previous experience as a precedent and this experience can also help to generate ideas. The material of the design is related to the site context.

After workshop, I made a more detailed diagram.

DIAGRAM DEVELOPMENT What is the requirements?

What is the context of the site?

Is there any relevant projects we can learn from?

What ideas we can use to generate the design?

What ways you use to present your ideas?

How to integrate the ideas?

main function

location

precedents

brainstorming

sketches

main function

What is the overall program of the project? feature

user

topology

readings

'crazy nines'

writings

user

style

budget

existing conditions

images

form

diagrams

expriences

function

spatial requirements

access

films

color

points

social context

music

composition

culture

expriences

evaluation

ecology

survey

exploration

climate

communications

expriences

size style

atomsphere emotion

sun path

virtual reality climate

digital models

existing location

physical models

environment

material

easy to maintance

user

weight

adjustable

digital models

maintance

access

renderings

cost

pressure

fixed

physical models

form

soil

plans & sections

color

connections

connections

prototypes

materials

location

writings

What are the materials that are suitable for the project?

What is the physical structure?

How to connect each part together?

How to test the design?

How to develop further?

What else need to consider in the construction process?

How to present your design?

REFLECTION:

During this week’s study, we learnt how to make design decisions. We need to decide what to choose among several ideas. In the workshop, we were asked to design twenty questions. For me, I think do research before the design is quite important. I may ask questions like ‘Is there any relevant projects I can learn from?’. Comparing other’s similar projects and our own experience can help us to design. The more experience you have, the better your project will be. I compared my recent design projects with the projects two years ago. I noticed that my recent design containing more contents. The design is not only nice in appearance, but also integrated with cultural and regional meanings. Design with your past experience is helpful. So, whenever I see an interesting project, I will print it out and pin it up. Another way to record your experience is sketching. I always carry my pen and notebook with me, especially when I am traveling. I will stop and take a few minutes to have a quick sketch when I see something special. I think it is better than taking a photo, because when you sketch you will focus on the most important and interesting elements. I can do a rough sketch or a very detailed drawing. Before I start my design, I will see the precedents and my sketches to find some inspirations.

In the process of design, we may have many ideas. The most important selection criteria are the clients and main function. No customers will buy a device that is useless. So, when we choose an idea or combine the ideas, we need to choose those that most fit the design brief. Doing a prototype is the most efficient way to test the ideas and materials. In this stage, we try to fabricate the project at the lowest price. After the prototype, we can refine and develop our design.

The diagram on the previous page is the final outcome. It summarises the main problems that we may face when we design and what we can do when we got stuck. The criteria in each stage is different, but there are some connections. For example, we will think about material in site analysis and also in fabrication stage. The device need to be easy for clients to use, but also need to be easy to maintain. In the future design, I will ask myself these questions to refine my projects.

B3: WHAT TO DO WHEN STUCK LECTURE: # EXERCISES:

1. Design a Perfect Room (3 mins) 2. Design the most Beautiful Space you can imagine (3 mins)

3. Now, take 5 mins and jot down three points for each on why these tasks were so difficult - how to identify the ‘perfect’, ‘most beautiful’ - too many ideas come up - the function of the room and space is not clear - cannot turn into a concrete idea If you want to surprise yourself, to produce a good design, then - Never try to do or to design the best or the most beautiful, the perfect - Always, try to tease out what is possible (even if it looks very strange at first), then choose.

# Getting Stuck:

Take a Break, Changing Designer’s Frame of Reference, Changing Medium of Working, Changing When You Work, Arbitrary Exercises, Arbitrary Time periods

# Shifting Mode of Exploration:

- turning your site plan around 90 or 180 degrees and work away for a while - trying out a roof architecture rather than a wall architecture, a pointsupported rather than a line-supported one or vice versa - switching from plans to isometric/axonometric/oblique drawings - switching from drawings from above to drawings from below - shift for a time to words or diagrams rather than drawings - trying out Thesaurus Transformations of key terms in your program - shifting to physical modelling from words, diagrams, or drawings or the other way around

# ADAMS’ LIST OF KINDS OF BLOCKS:

Perceptual Blocks, Emotional Blocks, Cultural Blocks, Environmental Blocks, Intellectual Blocks, Expressive Blocks

PERCEPTUAL BLOCKS - Cannot see problem or useful information, eg. through stereotyping

- These three figures are meaningless and looks wired in the middle of the road.

- Compared with other buildings around, the architecture is too high.

EMOTIONAL BLOCKS - Fear of risk, unable to tolerate ambiguity, prefer to judge not generate, cannot relax

- not planning the buildings in a certain way, too crowd in the middle - giving people an uncomfortable feeling

CULTURAL BLOCKS - Cultural taboos, play is for children, emotions bad/logic good, tradition better than change

Although the castle is fancy and beautiful, it completely a fiction. It can not be integrate with the environment.

The tea house is not as big as it looks like. It relates to the cultures and regions.

ENVIRONMENTAL BLOCKS - Lack of cooperation, trust; autocratic leader, distractions, lack of support for realization INTELLECTUAL BLOCKS - Inflexibility, inadequate use of approaches, insufficient and/or incorrect information EXPRESSIVE BLOCKS - Inappropriate language / mode of approach, inadequate language / mode for expressing or recording ideas

HOMEWORK: 1. Watching: 29 ways to stay creative 1. make lists 2. carry a notebook everywhere 3. try free writing 4. get away from the computer 5. quit beating yourself up 6. take breaks 7. sing in the shower 8. drink coffee 9. listen to new music 10. be open 11. surround yourself with creative people 12. get feedback 13. collaborate 14. do not give up 15. practice, practice, practice 16. allow yourself to make mistake 17. go somewhere new 18. count your blessing 19. get lots of rest 20. take risks 21. break the rules 22. do not force it 23. read a page of the dictionary 24. create a framework 25. stop trying to be someone else’s perfect 26. write the idea down 27. clean your workspace 28. have fun 29. finish something

2. Find examples of who you think are the Cutting Edge of design from your Team Emphasis point of view. Explain how they have overcome their blocks. Provide evidence

The size of this micro-apartment is only 13 square meters. However, it is well designed and arranged to fit everything a person needs. Firstly, a mezzanine level is added for bedroom. The kitchen and storage space is below the bedroom. The dining table can be insert into countertop when not be used.

Having a storage space in such a small apartment is challenge.

The rest of the space is used for living room. The space for bicycle is settled on the wall. The colour of the apartment is natural and furnitures are all simple, which can visually expand the space.

WORKSHOP: Exersice 1 - Technology: - Imagine that you are required to present your proposal design for a residential home to clients. What is the best method(s) to do so. You may make a list / diagram and rank the methods accordingly. Consider advantages and disadvantages of the methods.

real experience, exploding the space

VIRTUAL REALITY

very detail

see visually

having quite good light effect

DIGITAL MODELS

PHYSCAL MODELS

RENDERING PICTURES

3D MODELS

some equipments required

real experience, exploding the space

have accurate measurements, easier for next stage

PLANS & SECTIONS

2D MODELS

model is quite small, making models is time consuming

hard to experience the spatial relationship

hard for most clients to understand

Exersice 2 - Amenity: - Design an educational / research building promotes creativity in students researchers.

The building should contain the following: 1. 10 class / tutorial rooms 2. a kitchen space 3. M, F & disable toilets 4. 4 storage rooms 5. An outdoor courtyard 6. 4 laboratories 7. other appropriate space Consider the flexibilities of rooms & a central space Hint: Refer to B3 technology reading.

Exersice 3 - Poetry: - Design a small gallery space for exhibition of one artist’s works from his early career to his death. There are a total pd 20 paintings. Arrange the gallery space so that the paintings can be viewed in chronological orders. Consider architectural elements such as: 1. Light / Shadow 2. Solid / Void 3. Scale of rooms / space 4. Different levels / floors 5. Continuity of movement 6. Proportion The final drawings should come in the form of a plan(s).

REFLECTION: (Lecture + readings): We all have the experience that get stuck in the process of design. This week’s topic is what we can do stuck. At the beginning of the lecture, we were asked to design a perfect room and the most beautiful space. Actually, it is too difficult because I cannot present ‘perfect’, ‘the most beautiful’ in a drawing. Too many ideas came up. So, when we design, never try to design the best and the most perfect and design what is possible. The lecturer introduced us many ways to try when we get stuck. For me, I think changing the mode of exploration is helpful. I always using plans and sections to design. However, using axonometric drawing will generate new ideas. I will have a clearer understanding of spatial relationship by using axonometric drawings. Many people design the building from the bottom to the top. I have been told to design the roof first when I got stuck. Changing your process of design will break the limitations you may have. By several week’s study, I noticed that keep creative thinking is difficult, but it can be trained. Doing games like brainstorming, going somewhere new, talking to different designers and etc help to broaden the minds and generate new ideas. The designing skill will not develop if we stay in our safety zones. Traveling around and picking up some new skills let us see the world differently. For instance, I find that when we speak different languages the way we think becomes different. When I talk to designers from different countries, I will get different information, which is useful. Picking up a skill will also influence the way you think. For example, if you are art student, try to learn some physics or mathematics knowledge. The project you design may influence by your rational thinking. So, I think the best thing to do when get stuck is to try something different.

(Workshop): The exercise for workshop is to design three exercises according to technology, poetry and amenity and exchange with others. One of the exercise I get is to arrange a gallery space so that the paintings can be viewed in chronological orders. This exercise not only asks me to place the paintings but also asks me to design the circulations. So, I separate the paintings in three groups and put these three group in three levels. The ground floor are the paintings in artist early career. This floor also contains an information desk and a gift shop. The paintings on first floor are in artist middle age.

This floor also has functions like toilets and rest areas. The paintings in artist late life are put on the second floor. An outside space and a cafe is located on this floor. After a long journey of visiting, having a chat and drinking coffee is relaxing.

The design and drawing style is different in different phases of an artist life. So, it is better to seperate these paintings.

People will subconsciously choose the short way. However, hanging the paintings in chronological orders will design and change visitors’ paths. Another exercise is to list the approaches you present your ideas to the clients. I think the best way is to use virtual reality. Clients can experience the design. However, it is limited by the equipments and the technology.

As a student, the best way to present is digital models and rendering pictures. Clients can also have a three dimensional understanding about the design by playing around the digital models. Rendering pictures can show the light change and the differences during the day and at night. Moreover, we should use different ways when we meet different kinds of clients. If my clients are young children, physical models will be better. If my clients are constructors and architects, they will be more interested in plans, sections and elevations.