StudioAIR 2013 SEMESTER 1 Kelvin Man 378223 STUDIO16
Introduction KELVIN MAN 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. My interest and impression in architecture was brought from Hong 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. - 2 - StudioAIR 2013
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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Architecture as a Discourse “Architecture is as much a philosophical, social or professional realm as it is a material one, and it is though the consideration of architecture as discourse that one can engage with it as visual cultural� (Williams, 2005)
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hat is architecture? Architecture as art might be the popular answer in architecture writing. Art historian Pevsner mentioned that everything that creates a space with a scale sufficient for a human being to move in is a building and buildings that mean to design with an aesthetic appeal are architecture. Similar to other artist, sculptors and painters, architects need to have aesthetic sense to design which to get visual attention from audience, this make architecture as a work of art. However, even architects and artist have similar characteristic, there are difference between them, which are the limitations to architect including engineering, mechanics, and other distraction factors.
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In ancient time, architect most likely can focus on design of the buildings; using their aesthetic sense to design what they think is beautiful. The major thing that might limit them was how the building can stand stable. In classical period, social and religious factors became the limit to architects; and to the recent period, architecture seems became a product that limits by commercial and social factors. Different from art, architecture has a unique position standing in the real society. Everyone can see it and it is some sort of representing the city or even country that people from other countries may give opinion on. Therefore, the society will add pressure to the architect and affects his personal aesthetic sense to the building design.
Especially to public buildings, which the society or government may have directed sense of what is beautiful. Architect might be forced to follow their mind. Moreover, architecture exists because a client allows it to exist. It can’t stand without money. Therefore, the client becomes the one who determine the function, location, style and themes of the buildings and architects’ work are to use their aesthetic brain to design architecture under their limitation. To the 21st century, I believe architecture can still see as a piece of art. Although current buildings are having more business product sense and limitation, they can still express in an aesthetic appeal under limitation which I am appreci-
ated. “De Blob” is one of my favorite architecture which I would see it as a piece of art. It was designed by Massimo Fuk and located in Netherland. De blob was a part of a larger urban revitalization project set in the historic centre of the city. It was meant to make it as a natural space for the public and it soon became an iconic building. I would see as a piece of art work because I can see the architects had engaged great esthetic sense into sense. This architecture has a smooth and curvy shape combined with triangular form glass panel; with light projection projecting into the building form an aesthetic appeal.
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Precedent KingCross Station redevelopment Work in progress