University of Melbourne Architecture Design Studio: Air 2013 Semester One T 16 : Michael & Zak
AIR
Kelvin Man
Introduction KELVIN MAN modern skyscrapers. I remember when I was young, I looked at these skyscrapers as many rectangular blocks and I was hoping to build the tallest block when I grow up. As I studied more about architecture in the university, I discovered more about buildings, not just its purpose but the idea and construction method behind it. I appreciate the aesthetic sense of architects that they can design buildings into a piece of art work. I hope I will be a good architect and My interest and impression in design more good work in the future. architecture was brought from Hong Kong, a crowded city combined by I am a 3rd year student studying Bachelor of environment, major in architecture. I was born in Hong Kong and I completed my high school study there. In Feb 2010, I came to Melbourne to continue my study journey. Knowledge from high school has helped me to survive in tertiary study and I believe knowledge and experience that I get from Melbourne will benefit my future architecture journey.
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EXPERIENCE My experience with digital design theory and tools was mainly began in 1st year Virtual Environment which I learnt to use Rhino to create a lantern that can express the natural process and be able to wear on a body. My design was base on the process of transmission of sound wave which is transmitted through compression and reflection of air particles. As sound wave was produced, they will be diffracted and reflected when hitting the objects. I captured the reflection moment and to tried to express it in bending and twisting form. I found it hard to create my design in Rhino at the beginning as I was not familiar with the command and I messed up the 3Dpanel usually. As I had more try and error, I was getting more familiar with this this design tool.
In the 2nd year, I have taken Studio Earth and visual communication. In these two subjects, I tried to engage several digital design tools to my design. I learnt to use Autocad to draw plans and sections; Sketchup to create 3D model and illustrator to edit the perspective drawing. In this year, I need to learn how to use Grasshopper in Rhino to create 3D models. Although I have basic skills in using Rhino, Grasshopper is completely new to me. I understand that Grasshopper can help to increase the flexibility for using Rhino and I hope I can overcome the challenges and create greater model.
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EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
PART A C A S E F O R I N N O VAT I O N
Architecture as a Discourse Discourse architecture as “The Mother of the Arts” and explore the possibilities of responsive architecture adapting to fast changing environment and meet human needs
A
rchitecture is inescapable to human life. They shelter human activity and they define our life, movement and discipline, hence, architecture is of huge social importance and they are responsible to the public (Williams, 2005). As to think of what is architecture, Architecture as art might be the popular answer in architecture writing. Similar to other artist, sculptors and painters, architects would engage their personal aesthetic sense to design and express themselves in order to get visual attention and resonance from audience. However, a good architecture is not merely about personal expression and having esthetic appeal; it is about communicating and responding to the public. In this course of Studio Air, I aim to explore and create architecture as a “mother”. I believe a good mother would listen, communicate and respond to children’s need, giving the best to them; and I think this is what architecture should be, engage in communication with the public and response to their need. Therefore, I would
describe the architecture as the “Mother of the Arts”. To further analysis, architecture is more than just a material or commercial product; it is about creating space with aesthetic appeal and meeting the stakeholders’ needs. Stakeholders of architecture include not just the building user, but also the public, visitors, government, client and the environment – the Earth. Architecture design should consider all these “children” needs and make a balance between them and expression of personal interest. In addition, human taste and environment are changing from time to time, it is important to keep communicating and rethinking architecture as a discourse in order to create responsive architecture to adapt the fast changing environment. “Buildings with no capacity to change can only become slums or ancient monuments” (archigram, dir., archigram, bbc Productions, 1966).
HYGROSCOPE: METEOROSENSITIVE MORPHOLOGY Centre Pompidou
“Responsive architecture is commonly defined as a type of architecture that has the ability to alter its form in response to changing conditions” (Sterk 2003). This hygroscope project as being a responsive architecture that can adapt to the climate change is what I am appreciated. The aim of this project is to respond to the climate change and create an architectural system that can make people feel comfortable under the moisture climate. The design team had explore the behavior of wood under climate change condition and realized that wood has the ability to absorb moisture when dry and yield moisture to the atmosphere when wet. This concept has been inserted into the Wooden Hygroscope system which makes it able to ventilate the moisture saturated air without any sensory equipment and electricity supply. There are 4000 elements in this system and each of them having different size and shapes which help to adapt to different humidity level. I am very appreciated with this architectural system and it is the “mother of art” that I described. This architectural system has been focusing on human needs from its aim, to respond to human needs in the uncomfortable moisture condition. With its continuous responsive feature, it helps people adapting to the climate change over time. This system had also take care the environment by reducing need of non-renewable energy, treating the architecture itself as the dehumidifier. In addition, the composition of thousands of unique elements has created a great hierarchy to the structure which gives a aesthetic appeal to the audience.