JUNE 2011-MAY 2012
212 IN
twelve things I learnt in twelve months
KARIMAH HASSAN
12 IN
contents
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June-“Don’t do the right thing that’s really wrong” 02 July- all in good time 04 august- Bypassing rationality acting Directly to the senses 06 september- ecologic Consciousness 08 october- Fabrication 10 November- It’s all a game 12 Álvaro siza vieira 14 December-No I in team 16 January- Discovering an authentic sense of Place 18 February- Framing Identities 20 march- learning From Failures 22 april- People watching 24 may-to the Finish line 26 smart architecture 28
although I have learnt so much during this past year, this text encompasses the lessons that I have held on to, and find myself constantly drawing reference upon. “You have to use each project to create your own narrative” Umberto Napolitano
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1.
D
“
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on’t thing
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that’s really wrong Jacob Hotz-Hung
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A
A 2.
ll in good time
“ Architecture emancipates us from the present,
and allows us to experience the slow, healing flow of time. Juhani Pallasmaa
�
During my summer project, I looked at the relationship between architecture and time, from how materials age, to architecture acting as historical markers. The above quote made an impression on me as it presented the notion that architecture has the ability to stop time, and cause people to become embraced within the moment.
Summer project, time sculpture.
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B 3.
“Construction is the means, archit
ypassing rationality
Camden Roundhouse Theatre. Columns interrupt the view, yet add to the architectural
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ecture is the reality� Sergio Pineda
acting directly to the senses experience. Sometimes rules and regulations must make way for the overall character of a space. 07
E
cologic
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It is no longer an architect’s choice to design sustainably. It is a requirement. When working on the housing project, I drew on pre-developed interests of sustainability. During the holidays I read a book entitled ‘Smart Architecture’, it encouraged using the principles behind an ecological system to drive innovative ways of approaching sustainability within a project. Ecological precedent-Tafoni. Tafoni is a honeycomb-weathering pattern found in granular rock in arid or wet climates. It is thought to be a result of salt weathering, due to water bringing dissolved minerals to the rock surface and drying. Crystals are formed which force small particles of the rock to flake off, exposing the harder surface layer. Above images taken from http://tafoni.com/Gallery/Gallery.html
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onsciousness
My group and I modelled the Tafoni perforations by placing filled balloons in a rectangular plaster mould. Once the plaster had set we popped the balloons to expose the negative space. Through this investigation we began to question the feasibility of the cavities. From here, we decided to use the principles that define the perforations to drive the project. Through digital methods, my group and I explored the Tafoni’s ecological system. We began modelling the structure as a whole, creating the negative space and then removing it (as with the plaster models). Once we gained an understanding of the rock formation, we began to create parameters to alter the cavities, finally resulting in vault like forms.
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5.
“Form doesn’t necessarily follow function but survives function� Umberto Napolitano
a b r i cat i o n
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through digital fabrication I had the chance to experiment with modelling, using the ecological precedent as a stigma of creativity. the results were great, however, were discovered too late in the design process to be used as a driver for the project. through this process, I learnt that digital fabrication methods excel when used as an exploration technique, rather than a method of producing presentation models.
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t’s all a game . . . “My work is a game, a very serious game.” M. C. Escher
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much of the design process can be approached as though it is a game. through setting fixed rules/ constraints, all other variables can be changed and played with.
above concept drawing for the housing units, emphasizing the link between cavities in the plaster models and the voids on site. left, top to bottom interlocking arrangement of housing units, housing unit models. 13
“
M Y
My architecture does not have a pre-established language nor does it establish a la participate. In architecture, we have already passed the phase during which we tho pure, beautiful, do
— Álvaro Siza (1978) [Peter Testa, T
Those who advocate a return to styles of the past or favor a modern architecture an the relation between the work and
—Fernando Tavora (1962) [Paulo Varela Gomes, “Quatre B
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M Y
anguage. It is a response to a concrete problem, a situation in transformation in which I ought that the unity of language would resolve everything. A pre-established language, oes not interest me.
”
The Architecture of Alvaro Siza, p. 39]
nd urbanism for Portugal are on a bad path… “style” is not of importance; what counts is life, style is only the consequence of it.
Batailles en Faveur d’une Architecture Portuguaise”, pp. 41–42]
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For myself, the final review in December was a testement to group the exception of the development of the housing units). Although, at coherent decions, the final result is much richer than
N 7. 16
O
I
IN TEAM
work. I spent the whole of the first term project working in a team (with times group work can appear to be a demanding battle to reach can be produced from one mind alone.
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iscovering an au “space is not a neutral and passive geometry, it is produced and
8.
this above map shows readable instances of graffiti in the town centre of Barry, vale of glamorgan. graffiti is shown in the approximate position version of the author’s name. this mapping exercise allowed myself to gain an understanding of the characters, territories and social orders within space with meaning. to literally occupy, define and d 18
thentic sense of place reproduced and thus presents the site of struggle” Henry Lefebvre
I was here Name/Initials Tag
Sex Attraction/Love/Ego Friends
Politics Football Miscellaneous
Emotions Brands
Expletives/ threats without direction Insults
on the road, which it was found. All misspellings and use of upper and lower case are direct transcriptions of the graffiti. Tag represents a stylised Barry. “One of the clearest demarcations of power, wealth and influence in the urban landscape has always been the ability to invest ones living ecorate ones surroundings.” Tracey Skelton, Gill Valentine 19
raming dentities
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Deliberate framing of a physical context around the building, results in a focus that forces a feeling of relation between the occupier and the buildings. the concept for my second term project revolved around the idea of creating a framework from which to monitor a multiplicity of perspectives and identities. to create a site of exploration in which we locate ourselves within.
“opening up view to the invisible� gordon matta-Clark
models showing the process of replacing the faรงade of the existing building with scaffolding, and a layer of graffiti boards.
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“If there is space to give a voice the voice came out, was shouted, was heard, it hurts, it didn’t hurt, and then stopped. In the silence, I believe the project failed.” Javier Vanegas
taken from an interview filmed by Anónimo González 22
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earning from Precedents
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above photos taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/javiervanegas/2476973853/
“Building the building is easy, creating the culture is the tough part” James ‘walkie’ ray
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“Where there is trash there is life” John Chase
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eople watching
Throughout the year, a key interest of mine has been ‘people watching’ and the attached methods used to analyse human behaviour. I began reading Herman Hertzberger’s book ‘lessons for students in architecture’, and progressed to texts by John Chase and William H. Whyte. Through gaining an understanding of how people behave, we can begin to design spaces that truly cater for its inhabitants. People make a place.
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Barbican Centre, Lakeside Terrace
National Bank of england, london
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When reflecting upon my journey through architecture school, the last project of designing an arts and culture centre has been the most enjoyable. The arts are a passion of mine, thus, I felt more attached to this project than previous schemes. During this last term, I worked harder and perhaps struggled more than with any other scheme. I wanted to do the proposal justice and allow it to reach its full potential. Although at times, I felt my choices were limited due to the existing building, I was forced to create a design that perhaps I would have otherwise disregarded. I gained a lot from this new challenge of interacting with existing elements. Developing a stance on how to approach the existing building from the early design stages is critical, it really helps to build a coherent proposal, with a clear tectonic strategy. Through this year
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my presentational skills have developed considerably, and I have become more efficient in producing work. Although I have learnt a lot, I still have a long way to go. I am a perfectionist, and would rather spend all of my time producing work that I am proud of, than producing all of the required work to a lesser standard. I need to be more organised when heading up to the final presentation week, so I can have all of the work produced on time to the desired standard. Also, I believe that I need to make more time to read DURING term time. Through the holidays I try to read a lot on architecture and related texts. However, during term time, when in fact I am in most need of inspiration, I don’t make time to read whole texts, instead simply blogs, journals etc.
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“in order to create the fertile ground for the civic economy, we must start to re-imagine and re-build in the broadest sense the ‘institutional economics’ of place.” 1
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S
mart architecture... Is not complicated. sometimes a simple and hence ostensibly ‘dumb’ building is smarter than a technology dominated living-and-working machine over which the user has lost control. offers an integral solution to a variety of design challenges: the environmental problem, the optimal use of space and other resources, a functional utilization of materials and technology, and aesthetics. Is optimistic and cheerful and it doesn’t have to be expensive. there is always something pleasing about it and often it’s even witty. smart architecture is architecture with a smile- and a sincere one. Cooperates: it responds to its surroundings. Not only does this apply to the physical environmental: climate, urban landscape, conditions like that. It is also true for the social environment, for the political and historical context. Is technology wise. Using advanced engineering and materials and dressing up a building with energy saving devices is not necessarily smart, while a distrust of technological solutions is pretty stupid. Is sometimes surprisingly obvious. You get the feeling ‘If only I’d thought of that myself.’ simple solutions are anything but dumb. they are beautiful and elegant. 2
this year I have become fascinated with the power of the civic economy. In the aftermath of a global financial crisis the vulnerabilities in the UK’s economic model and social fabric is exposed. through this crisis I believe our generation of architects will be asked to think about new ways to create a more balanced economy, ‘that generates sustainable prosperity and life chances for all’. 1 a number of inspiring projects are re-making local economies with methods of global stability established before the economic shock. this involves a fundamental transformation in how people and organisations (including architects) collaborate.
1. ‘Compendium for the Civic Economy’, oo:/ Production 2. Smart Architecture’, ed van hinte, marc Neelen, Jacques vink, Piet vollard
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12 12 IN
twelve things I learnt in twelve months KARIMAH HASSAN JUNE 2011-MAY 2012