9-GRID | PROCESS JOURNAL
CHIHIRO‘S DREAM LIM MINQI & TAN JIA HUI DID03
CONTENTS 01
MOVIE ANALYISIS
02
DESIGN CONCEPT & JOURNEY
03
ERGONOMICS STUDIES
04
THE 9-GRID
05
PLANS / ELEVATIONS / SECTIONS
06
1 : 10 MODEL
07
1 : 1 MODEL
MOVIE SYNOPSIS
The movie begins with an unhappy Chihiro moving to a new house with her parents. As they drive to their new house, they got lost and chanced upon an abandoned theme park. As they ventured further in, an attractive smell wafts through the streets. Unable to resist temptations, her parents begin binging on food despite Chihiro’s pleas to leave the place. As she explores the streets, she met a boy called Haku, who told her to leave this place immediately. She ran back to her parents, but to her dismay, both of them had turned into pigs. It turns out that they had entered the spirit world. In order to save them, Chihiro has to stay and work in the bathhouse. Through adventures and various events, Chihiro managed to save her parents and escape the spirit world. She also made several friends throughout her adventures and changed to a more self-independent and courageous girl as compared to her personality initially.
MOVIE ANALYSIS
PIGS
VOMITTING
To symbolise the price paid for being greedy
To symbolise the idea of greed & overconsumption
ABANDONED SHRINES
SELF-IDENTITY
People forgetting their traditional values for the more modern ones
Remembering ones’ roots & never forget their values & beliefs
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
PART 1 MIDDLE OF NOWHERE / JUST A DREAM
PART 2 A STRANGE VISIT TO THE NURSERY
PART 3 ONE FINAL TEST
At the start, Chihiro was very reluctant and unhappy to move to a new and unfamiliar place. She is afraid of a lot of things, and is highly dependent on people. After realising that she was stuck in the spirit realm, she was unwilling to accept this fact.
This part shows that Chihiro lacks manner as well. She did not knock on Yubaba’s door before entering. However, her character has developed slightly. She was ďŹ rm and determined and know what she wants. Through determination, she gets a job in the bathhouse.
Chihiro has changed from a spoilt child to an independent girl, who does all her tasks dilligently. She is willing to work hard and does her best. She resolves problems (No Face) that arise because of her and helped Haku to seek forgiveness from Zeniba.
There’s always a transition of spaces from either dark to bright or bright to dark. When Chihiro is feeling down or uncomfortable, the spaces around her are always messy and cluttered. However, when she is at peace, her surroundings are always tranquil and serene, which can be seen at the train scene.
DESIGN CONCEPT Inspired by Chihiro’s journey in the spirit realm, the 9-grid re-creates the experiences of Chihiro as she ventures through the spirit realm. Close study of her postures and movements are applied within the spaces as well. One of the most noticeable change to Chihiro at the end of the movie is in her personality; from being passive and dependent on others to an independent girl. User can understand Chihiro’s personality change by going through her experience and movements within the space.
THE JOURNEY THE START
THE END
SECOND STOREY
FIRST STOREY
SECOND STOREY
THIRD STOREY
X, Y, X, Z
Y, X, X, Z
X, Y, Z
Y, X, X, Z
TOTAL: 7X + 4Y + 4Z START
END
ERGONOMICS STUDIES 2000 2000 450
400
600 600
900
2000
2000
SIDE WALKING
1610
1690
360
600
SLIDING THINGS
2000 365
2000 470
500
620
800
2000 1610
SQUATTING DOWN / BENDING DOWN
2000 120
2000
1540
800
2000
2000 1610
1610
BALANCING
WALKING WITH HANDS UP
2000
2000 900
800
2000 1480
1610
WALKING
2000 500
2000
1540
770
1300
2000
2030
2030
2000
1400
STANDING
STRETCHING
2000
2000
430
1320
300 2000
2000 1690 720
400
CLIMBING
CRAWLING
THE
9-GRID
SCENE 1 THE TUNNEL The slits of the wall panels allow light to pass through. The slits that are hung at higher heights allows user to cling onto it as they walk through the “tunnel”.
ACTION
Clinging
SPACE
Dark with slits of sunlight passing through windows and holes Narrow
SCENE 2 GOING UPHILL By tilting the floor panel at an angle, it shows the displacement of Chihiro as she climb further up the hill.
ACTION
Climbing uphill
SPACE
Bright Open Gentle slope
SCENE 3 CROSSING THE RIVER The distance between the bar and the platform is 600mm such that in order to grab the bar, user has to stretch their body across.
ACTION
Stretching
SCENE 4 RUNNING ON STREETS The steps in blue are all of different heights to signify Chihiro’s movements of running up and down the streets as she tried to escape the spirit realm. The steps in pink are decreasing in width to show her increasing fear as she realised she is stuck in another world now. ACTION
Running and climbing
SPACE
Twist and turns Staircases Narrow and wide paths
SCENE 5 THE LEDGE The distance between the bar and the platform is 600mm such that in order to grab the bar, user has to stretch their body across.
ACTION
Grabbing Sidewalking
SCENE 6 THE BROKEN STEP The sudden drop in the heights of the walking way signify the broken step in this scene.
ACTION
Running Climbing down Hands up
SPACE
Long flights of staircases
SCENE 7 THE SOOT SPIRITES The distance between each stepping platfrom is widely spaced such that user has to stretch their legs to reach the other platform, “avoiding� stepping on the soot spirites
ACTION
Wide steps
SPACE
Restricted movements due to the large amount of soot spirites moving coal
SCENE 8 THE LIFT The user’s movements are restricted due to the cramped space. User has to reach out to pull down steps in order to climb up.
ACTION
Reaching out
SPACE
Cramp Restricted movements due to small space
SCENE 9 OPENING DOORS When triggered, the door frames will swing towards the user, as if it is automatically opened. The decreasing height signifys the rolling action of Chihiro as she tumbles into the room.
ACTION
Pulling Tumbling
SPACE
Doors swinging opened
SCENE 10 MOPPING THE BATHHOUSE As the user pushes the “mopping” bar, it triggers the steps to fall from the wall as the latches are unlatched.
ACTION
Pushing & crawling Climbing up
SCENE 11 THE FALLING PIPE The floor panel is shaped in such a way such that when dropped, it deviates at an angle from the wall. This gives the idea of the pipe falling away from the wall.
ACTION
Balancing
SPACE
Narrow walking platform High grounds
SCENE 12 NO FACE ACTION
Running
SPACE
Turns and corners
As Chihiro escapes from No Face, she runs across the bathhouse, turning at many dierent corners. As she knocks against the wall, it triggers part of a wall to drop, making her lower her height to get through.
SCENE 13 THE RETURN Chihiro’s journey ended as she runs through the intertwining streets . The floor panel is shaped in a zigzag to show her path of returning. The last part is where she goes down a rocky slope and back to where she started.
ACTION
Running Climbing down
SPACE
Turns and corners
FLOORPLANS ELEVATIONS SECTIONS
B
2000
2000
2000
A
A
FLOORPLANS FIRST STOREY
2000
02
B
A
2000
01 2000
1:50
B
B
VOID
VOID
VOID
2000
A
A
FLOORPLANS SECOND STOREY
2000 2000 2000
02
B
VOID
VOID
2000
A
01 VOID
VOID VOI V VO OD
2000
1:50
B
B
VOID
VOID
VOID
2000
A
A
VOID
VOID
02
B
VOID
VOID
2000
VOID
VOID
VOID
VOID
VOID
2000
FLOORPLANS THIRD STOREY 1:50
2000 2000 2000
A
01
B
PLANS ELEVATION 01 1:50
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
PLANS ELEVATION 02 1:50
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
PLANS SECTION A-A 1:50
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
PLANS SECTION B-B 1:50
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
THE 1:10 MODEL BEFORE ACTIVATION
AFTER ACTIVATION
0
0
200
2000
2000
200
The floor panel is activated by cranking. After the floor panel is lowered down, the user has to push the “mopping” bar as they crawl through this space. As the bar is pushed, it pushes the bar that latches the steps to the wall away. As the latches are unlatched, the steps fall one by one as the user continues to push the “mopping” bar.
THE MODEL 1:10 3MM PLYWOOD
Mechanism inspired by door latches and push bars. Model done in 3mm thick plywood. We made use of laser cutting to cut the model pieces.
THE 1:1 MODEL
Selected area for 1:1 model We choose part of the 1:10 grid to build up an 1:1 model made out of 9mm thick plywood. Tools that we used to cut are jigsaw and bandsaw. Nails and screws are used to attach pieces together as well as L brackets for support. Rough overall dimensions: 1200MM x 1130MM x 1200MM (L x W x H)
Tricky part of the 1:1 model is to think of ways to support weight. To support the weight of the steps, we designed a sliding support for it. HInges are used as additional support. L brackets and at brackets are also used to strengthen.