AIR HO KWAN KELVIN MAN 2013 Semester 1 T 16 : Michael & Zak
Kelvin Man
INTRODUCTION Ho Kwan Kelvin Man
Welcome to my Journal! This is Kelvin. I am a 3rd year student studying Bachelor of environment, major in architecture. I was born in Hong Kong, an extreme crowned city where I completed my high school studies. In Feb 2010, I flied over to the Southern hemisphere 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. My interest and impression in architecture was brought from Hong - 2 - StudioAIR 2013
Kong, a crowded city combined by 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 design more good work in the future.
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 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. StudioAIR 2013 -3-
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”
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 William, R. (2005) Architecture and Visual Culture archigram, dir., archigram, bbc Productions, 1966
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 Menges and Reichert “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 can be physically programmed to adapt to different humidity level. I am very appreciated with this architectural system and it is the “mother of the arts” 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 nonrenewable 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.
http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5083 Sterk, T.E. (2003) Building Upon Negroponte: A Hybridized Model Of Control Suitable For Responsive Architecture
Hills Place Amanda Levette Architects Hills Place, filled up with large aluminum skin is another architecture that I am appreciated. It is not just the aesthetic skin and technology behind that inspired me, but the similar situation that I am facing that makes me feel I need it. Similar to many student accommodations in Melbourne, Hills Place located at the city heart of London is surrounded by buildings with similar height. They are not only blocking the view of the building, but most importantly, the sun light. Inspired by the art work of Lucio Fontana, Amanda Levette designed the Hills place with large window facing towards the sky to increase the probability of sunlight receiving. And to increase the level of sunlight, the skin of this architecture had been placed with slashed aluminum strips which help to reflect sunlight into the building. This architecture has truly
contributed to the needs of human and changed the pattern of living from which electric light is needed in daytime to sunshine. Hills Place have not only contributed the functional benefit to the stakeholders, but also having an aesthetic appeal which I would describe it “the Mother of the Arts�. The fine facet of the aluminum strips has created a smoothing and comfortable shape to the audience. This aluminum strips reflects the sky, light and streets, created a beautiful and highly visible scene to the public. I think this slashing aluminum strip would be a solution to the Gateway project since it can increase the visibility to the architecture which I will further explore in this course.
http://www.dezeen.com/2009/09/10/10-hills-place-by-amanda-levete-architects/