The Architectural Portfolio of
Genevieve Yew A Selection of Works from 2011 - 2014
Prologue Architecture is a multi-layered art. It involves many disciplines, from construction to cultural context, from human scale to the hand-crafted, from poetics to presentation. It comprises of many elements, and addresses various factors within a singular building. With an art of such diverse nature, I find it only evident that the selection of projects in this portfolio be of that similar varied nature. As such, this portfolio consists of exploration in formmaking, research and actual architectural design studio works. As with all sorts of creative work, I find that design starts with that which resonates within you. As such, I would say that the works in this portfolio are reflective of my own personal interests. I do hope you enjoy browsing through my works.
01 Community Upcycle Craft Centre - Sustaining Humanities
Upcycle Craft Centre [Architectural Design Project]
Description of Project: In this final year studio project, we were to propose a design project specific to the needs of our site. My site was located in Georgetown, Penang, at the junction of Lebuh Armenian and Lebuh Acheh, where lies the only small green park in the historic city.
“The main aim of this Upcycle Craft Centre is to revitalise the art of craft-making native to this heritage-rich zone by taking unwanted materials and using traditional skills to “upcycle” them into items that are useful in today’s modern lifestyle. These items would be sold in the existing flea market in the area, so as to upgrade the items sold there. Projects are also to be carried out to make interactive art installations for the adjacent park to bring awareness to the public to be more conscious of the things they throw away, as well as to attract visitors to the otherwise overlooked park.
Site
There are also programmes for traditional crafts to be taught and learnt in this centre, and thus contributing to the preservation of heritage.”
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRO
T
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
02 Heritage Chee Residence, Shophouse No. 9
- Sketch Journal & Report
Sketch Journal
[Methods of Documentation]
Description of Project:
During this short semester, we were given a culturally significant building to produce measured drawings and a report. Our building was a shophouse residence in the historical city of Malacca. As a preliminary exercise, we were to record our observations in a sketch journal. Here is a selection of sketches from my journal.
Report
[Methods of Documentation]
Description of Project:
For the of the majority of the short semester, we were to research in-depth and document our findings of the spaces and elements in our assigned shophouse.
Floor Plan of Shophouse
Shophouse Frontage
This was to the record the historical and cultural significance of our building as a curative process. Through our research, we found that the house was rich with ornamental symbolism. There was also an heirarchy in the arrangement of spaces, and a number of effective environmental responses to deal with the hot humid climate of Malaysia.
Section
Reception Hall
Courtyards
Hidden Storage for Valuable Items
Bedrooms
Ancetral Altar
Antiques stored in attics
Peepholes
03 Nature Tea Retreat
- A Design Studio Project
Tea Retreat [Design Studio 2]
Location: Boh Tea Plantation, Cameron Highlands
Site
Inspiration
Process Models
Process Skecthes
Description of Project:
In this studio project, we were to design a retreat intended for a tea enthusiast. We were to design the space with specific context to the site, which was the Boh Tea Plantation in Cameron Highlands. On site, I was drawn to a fungus found among the tea bushes, which I thought to have had an interesting pattern. I extracted this frilly pattern and used it to generate the form of my retreat.
Axonometric
Floor Plans
Upper Floor
Lower Floor
0
1
2
3
4
5m
Elevations
Sections
South Elevation
East-West Section
East-West Section
South Elevation
East-West Section
East Elecvation
North-South Section
0
1
2
3
4
5m
North-South Section
South Elevation
North-South Section
0
1
2
3
4
5m
East Elecvation
East Elevation
Genevieve Yew Siew Bee . 1102P13379 . Design Studio 2 Genevieve Yew Siew Bee . 1102P13379 . Design Studio 2
04 Geometry The Architectural Mask - Introductory Studio Project
A Space to Hide & Peep - Translation to 1:1 Tower Stixx -
- Understanding Forces in a Skeletal Structure
The Architectural Mask [Design Studio 1]
Development of concept sketches
Description of Project:
In this introductory studio project, we were asked to translate our personality onto a physical form with a selection of only one material. The form created was to be worn on the head as a mask. I would say that I am a person who looks for the beauty in the world, and so I drew upon the idea of beauty, represented as a flower. I selected paper to craft my mask, as I found that it was a more approachable material, which I felt reflected my personality. I cut strips of paper, rolled and flattened them to get the petal shapes, and fastened them together with smaller strips of paper. The Final Product
A Space to Hide & Peep
[Design Studio 1]
Description of Project:
In this studio project, we were to translate a design from a previous project into a 1:1 installation. This project got us to properly think about the structure of the model, and how it would stand. It made us realise that it was not so simple to construct a concept model into real life scale. Numbers on measurements were involved, and method of joining were explored In the end, the installation may look slightly different from the original model, but it managed to create the desired effect as originally intended.
Original Design Model
Structural Model
Assembly Sktech
Dimensions
The Final Product
Tower Stixx
[Building Construction 2]
Description of Project:
In this construction project, we were to investigate forces in a skeletal structure by designing, building and testing out our structure of popsicle sticks. In coming up with the design for the structure, we decided to use the most stable shape, a triangle, while mimicking the strongest chemical structure, that of diamond. We connected the sticks by drilling them at the ends and using thread to sew them together. On testing day, our structure managed to hold 2kgs, which is equivalent to over 300 times its own weight.
How it works:
Module Cap
Main Outer
Support Strut
Cross Linkage
Module Base
Cap and base act as flat surfaces to effectively transfer load between modules. Vertical members consist of an outer strut, and crosslinkages. Both form a zig-zag triangular pattern that distributes load downwards and also cancells out any rotational and twisting stresses. Modular design ensures quick assembly, easy replacement of damaged modules, and an evenly distributed load throughout the height of the tower.
Genevieve Yew Siew Bee Bachelor of Science (Hons) Architecture Taylor’s University, Malaysia
G Y S B © 2014