MAYU architects+ is an architect firm led by architect Malone Zhang and architect Yu-Lin Chen and practiced based in Kaohsiung. The company are mostly handling from the large scaled civic project and also some small scale ones. This architect firm are mainly divided into three departments which are design department, landscape department and construction surveyor department. Those three department are also spilt into small groups to handle several projects at the same time to share the work loads. Overall speaking, it is a middle scaled architect firm and they work systematically. A firm which mostly rely on the public building projects is rare to see not only in Taiwan and also Malaysia Throughout the internship, I am pleased to have the opportunities to take part in various kind of projects at different stages. These are the following projects that I have participated in: 1. Kaohsiung America School Sports Complex, Complete. Kaohsiung America School is located at Zuoying district in Kaohsiung city, owned by a private education cooperation and the school comprises kindergarten, elementary school and high school. In this project, MAYU architects+ has designed the whole new campus including teaching building, administrative building (phase 1) and gymnasium (phase 2). The constructed area is around 4961 square meter. According to the client, principal of KAS, his intention is to create a transparent learning environment and multifunctional facilities to conform to diverse demands of a student from kindergarten to high school. While we reached in Taiwan, the project is coming to the end. We were glad to get the chance to participate in the final punch list check. The punch list check was the examination done by architect, construction surveyor, contactors and manufacturers together to go through every part of building ensure its product quality. The punch list check session was aim for the phase 2 of the whole project, which is the gymnasium. We went through the roof part in examining the cooling tower, all exterior cladding and openings frame then went to the basement to examine the M&E room for swimming pool. Due to different age group of user in the school, the designer and manufacturer has worked out a swimming pool that is adjustable in its depth according to needs. But the consideration is much to see and discuss throughout the construction process. They mentioned the networking of the pipe and electronic is still messy in arrangement. After the punch list check, all parties sat down together to discuss on the parts which does not achieve satisfied products quality. The client of this project, Dr.Farell has told me that the trust between client and designer has made the project goes smoothly and come out with a satisfying product. This is attributed to the trust and also communication for all parties to solve problems. To sum up, I have seen how an architect realizing clients’ ideals and his or their efforts in those design details. Besides, I have understood the communication of architect and client to fulfil their needs, and it is important to have good communication to the contractors to avoid misunderstandings. 2. Tanzi Sports Centre, Design stage. Tanzi sports centre is located in Taichung city and it is hosted by government. It is a 5 storey sports centre facilitate which various kind of equipment such as swimming pool, badminton courts and basketball court. Besides, there are children playroom and leisure rooms aim to the community form from all age group. The project is under the stage of designing and planning in the details. Since July of 2016, our company has introduced Revit associating in the modelling and documentation. They wish to plot the Autodesk Revit drawings as production drawings instead of
doing the architectural and construction drawings in Auto ad. In that case, they are able to see the issues and do those amendment while producing drawings. I am assisting them in the toilet details drawings. I applied my Revit skills which learnt in the previous semester in my elective subject. I have done the 3D modelling for the finishes of toilet and insert all the toilet fixtures. Their intention was to collect the data such as the area of tiles so I drew another layer of wall on the structure wall instead of using divide tools in Revit. They have different height for the space and there is requirement for the tiles application (reach 10cm above ceiling level) so that would be better do the wall separately in the model. Due to the different design of tiles pattern, I have tried to do coding in pat. file to customize the tile pattern they would like to see. Besides that, I have learnt there is certain arrangement for tiles to show in drawings. For example, the starting point to apply tiles need to be marked on construction drawings or the principles of layering tiles need to be drawn out for easier communication with the on-site workers. This is aim to achieve the minimum waste of cutting off mosaic tiles and also for the consideration of aesthetics. While doing those details and call out for the preparation of the architectural drawings set, I have also understood their regulation in the toilet design especially the disabilities toilet. The whole design group are sharing a 3D model. This is my first experience to take part in BIM system. Personally talking, it is really convenient for a team to share the work loads and has eased those unnecessary time on tally all details. However, Revit is still quite new to the team. Thus the production of drawings still cannot achieve the desired drawings quality they did in Auto cad. 3. Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts Renovation – Exhibition Hall 104,105, Competition. This is a small scaled project among the projects they handle. Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts is located in Gushan District, and built in 1994. Kaohsiung Culture Department is now planning to renovate two of the exhibition rooms at level 1. The two exhibition rooms are in double height. Our architect’s idea is to create different gradient of grey boxes, connecting two spaces by adding extra circulation outside the boxes. In this competition, I was assisting them in the precedent studies of overseas art museum including Tate Modern Arts, Punta Della Dogana and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, researching the materiality and ceiling details. This is one of the part in their proposal report. I have also been assigned to draw the level 2 floor plan and collect the Photoshop materials for the use of rendering in the presentation drawings. Besides, I have helped out in the physical model making for the use in the submission together with other interns and colleagues. I participated in the whole duration of preparation of their proposal. Throughout the project, I have learnt the importance of teamwork in order to carry out the production in limited time. The meetings within the group are in high efficiency, bring out the issues, discuss and come out with appropriate solutions. This is the desired teamwork that I think is necessary for every design team. 4. National Zhong Hsing University Boy's Hostel, Construction. National Zhong Hsing University is located in Taichung City. This is a project comprises three blocks of 10 storeys buildings. In the beginning, I have been given a task to document all the official letters in the duration of this project since 2015. From this task, I have learnt that an architect not only in charge of the building itself and also needs to handle those permit application and all those governmental documents. This big scale of project has taken 3 years to design, bidding and undergo construction. They have encountered several issues in the planning of landscape which were not fulfilled the local regulation and hence they need to amend their design twice to third times. All the meetings announcement, design correction and operation letter from
the contractor are in black and white to avoid the unnecessary misunderstanding in future. For the later part, I have been assigned to do the physical model which needs to hand in to the university later on. There were three other interns from universities in Taiwan so we were doing this large model together. In the progress of model making, I observed how they utilized the maximum area for building footprint but not offend the building laws. As the client has high demand in accommodation space, the site is comparably small. Due to the minimum preservation green area according to the regulation by town planning department, they have made the building block itself become huge but work on the minimum removal on the existing vegetation. From this project, I have learnt to be adapt to changing circumstances. Sometimes, designers are not allowed to do what they intend to do hence we need to seek for alternatives to compromise with reality. 5. Lugang River Restoration and Landscape Design, Competition. Lugang is a small town located in Zhang Hua district. The government are recently decided to revitalize the Lugang River which has been neglected and the condition of it is now dirty and smelly. It used to be the main transport access from the harbour into the town area. The coverage of this project is 1.5km along the river. This project goes under landscape department and I have been given a task in designing the bridges along the river. I abstracted the flourish scenario of Lugang in the past, modelling on the movement of boats and ships and also the history chapters of people moving into the town. Because I am not familiar with the area, this is the challenge for me to understand their genius loci in a short time and come out with concepts. To consider it as a landscape design project, I have learnt to take care in larger picture of the context. To sum up, it is a really good opportunities to touch on landscaping and it certainly has enriched my knowledge and experience in designing different scale of projects. Besides the projects mentioned above, I was also assigned some tasks such as documenting files, touching up minor mistakes in drawings of other projects and preparation of spring exhibition. Those tasks has also developed my understandings in architecture and definitely has strengthen my soft skills. I also found something interesting in the conversation with colleague from Italy and United State. In the western countries, they job scopes are more specifically compared to architecture industry in Asia. They have design architect, project architect and landscape architect in one project. Unlike in Asia we normally see that an architect needs to handle several aspects at the same time. Hence, I think it is one of the factors that leading Asian architects are not able to focus on their specialities and easily neglect some parts in a big scale project. In a nutshell, I have been experiencing different kind of projects and definitely have gained the knowledge and skills while accomplishing different tasks assigned. Throughout the internship experience, I have understand an architect‘s responsibilities and his role in a construction project. Only when the whole team come together, then the works shall can be done. The communication with all parties and the skill in negotiating are certainly needed to maintain product quality. Architects should keep himself learning and sensitive in the market demands. I believe this internship experience are useful in my future practice in the industry.
Appendix Project 2 Tanzi Sports Centre 2.1 Toilet details drawings
2.2 Call out details. Undertanding finishes and the requirements
2.3 Doing legend for the drawings and understanding their regulation for disabilities toilet.
2.4 Plotting template for drawings (total in 7 sheets)
2.5 Understanding Taiwan building regulation in toilet.
Project Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts Renovation – Exhibition Hall 104,105 3.1 Floor Plan Cad Drawings
3.2 Checking tally with level 1 floor plan.
3.3 Case studies of overseas art museum
Project 4 National Zhong Hsing University Boy's Hostel 4.1 Making physical model with interns from other universities in Taiwan.
4.2 National Zhong Hsing University Boys’ Hostel
Project 5 Lugang River Restoration and Landscape Design 5.1 Conceptual sketches
Other tasks: Preparation in tender drawings.
Other tasks: Stamping document. ( Financial report copy)