2015 S1 Studio Fire Kwei Kee Ong

INN • BETWEEN

SEMESTER 1_2015_ABPL 30037 STUDIO FIRE TUTOR: HELLA WIGGE STUDENT: KWEI KEE ONG 605905

SITE ANALYSIS 1. TRAFFIC

: - SMOOTH, WITH CARS PARKED BY ROADSIDE AND CONTINUOUS TRAFFIC ALONG SPENCER AND BATMAN STREET DURING NON-PEAK HOUR - MINIMAL HUMAN TRAFFIC DURING NON-PEAK HOUR - HEAVY HUMAN AND ROAD TRAFFIC DURING PEAK HOUR ALONG SPENCER STREET - MOTEL ENTRY SHOULD BE PLACED ALONG BATMAN TO AVOID ANY CONGESTION FOR USER

2. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

: - WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO SOUTHERN CROSS - BUS LINE NEARBY - BIKE PATH - PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

3. SURROUNDING BUILDING

: - ARCHITECTURE OFFICE - CAR WORKSHOP - PRINTING SHOP - MOULIN ROUGE CAFE - CLOSED DOWN BAR AT CORNER

4. SITE TERRAIN

: - FLAT - GENTLE SLOPE DOWN ALONG BATMAN STREET

5. ADJACENT BUILDING

:

6. SURROUNDING AMENITIES

: - FLAGSTFF GARDEN - PUBLIC CARPARK (ALONG BATMAN ST) - CREATE AMENITIES/ VIEWS WITHIN INSTEAD OF “BORROWING” IT

7. SUNPATH/ DIRECTION

:

8. AIR/ NOISE POLLUTION

: - SPENCER STREET DURING PEAK HOUR - CONSTRUCTION SITE FROM NEIGHBOURING BUILDING

SPATIAL EXPLORATION

ENTRANCE/ DROP-OFF

RECEPTION/ LOBBY AREA

ATRIUM SPACE

RESTAUTANT

ATMOSPHERIC STUDIES 1. LIGHTING (WARM? NATURAL? ARTIFICIAL? DIM?) 2. MATERIAL (CONCRETE? TIMBER? COPPER? TILE?) 3. INTERACTING SPACE (MAIN THOROUGHFARE - BRING IN NATURAL LIGHTING/ POCKETS OF SUNLIGHT INTO THE SPACE?) (CREATING AMENITIES/ VIEWS - INTERNAL COURTYARD/ GREEN SPACE?) (CANTILEVERED/ OVERLOOKING PUBLIC SPACES?) 4. OUTDOOR SPACEHAS THE POTENTIAL TO TO BE THE MAIN THOROUGHFAR?

5. SOLEMN/ SERIOUS SPACIOUS EXPERIENCE? (INTRODUCING SOLID AND HARD MATERIALTO CREATE SERIOUS SPACE?) (SMALL SLITS/ HUGE LIGHTING TO ENTER THROUGH THE SPACE?) 6. FUNKY/ INTERESTING SPACIOUS EXPERIENCE? (PATTERNED WALL AND A MIXED OF DIFFERENT MATERIAL?) (PLAYIG WITH COLOR?)

CIRCULATION

MAIN SPACES

OFFICES AND STORAGE

OPEN AND GREEN SPACES

INTERIM AND REVIEW DURING INTERIM 1, THE DESIGN REVOLVES AROUND HAVING A GREAT ATRIUM SPACE AND POCKETS OF GREEN/ OUTDOOR SPACE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MOTEL. ALTHOUGH THE INTERIM OVERALL CRIT FEEDBACK WAS GOOD, BUT WITH THE LACK OF PREPARATION AND RESEARCH, THE CONCEPT WAS NOT FULLY BAKED FOR THIS INTERIM. I HAVE ALWAYS DESIGNED THROUGH PLANS AND USING MY IMAGINATION TO CRAFT OUT HOW IT WOULD TURNED OUT IN 3D. HOWEVER, WHEN THE DESIGN WAS CONVERTED INTO 3D FROM A PLAN, SOME ATMOSPHERIC ASPECT AND INTENTION WAS NOT AS CLEAR AND STRONG ENOUGH. A LOT OF THE TIME, WE ALLOW OUR IMAGINATION TO RUN TOO WILD FROM THE REALITY. SO WHEN THE 3D IS DONE, THINGS DOES NOT SEEMS TO TURN OUT TO BE WHAT IT SHOULD. THROUGH THIS INTERIM, I HAVE FAILED TO LOOK AT THINGS AT OTHER PERSPECTIVE AND INCURRED IN TIME FOR MORE WORKS THAT CAN BE REFINDED AND PRODUCED.

STARTING AFRESH... it is never too late to start all over again

CONCEPT EXPLORATION (MAIN/ KEY FEATURE, IDEA, DESIGN THINKING)

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT (ROAD CIRCULATION, MATERIALS, BRIDGE DESIGN)

PLAN DEVELOPMENT (BASEMENT STOREY PLAN) INTERIM 1 - CARPARK LAYOUT + ALL 18 LOTS ARE FITTED INTO THE FLOOR PLATE WITH SUFFICIENT CAR TURNING SPACE + NO CAR LIFT IS USED + COST SAVING - CORNER SPACE IS WASTED AND CANNOT BE USED - LOT 18 IS BLOCKING THE WALKWAY TO LIFT AND FIRE STAIR - PLANT ROOM IS TOO SMALL

WEEK 7 - NEW CARPARK LAYOUT + ALL 18 LOTS ARE FITTED INTO THE FLOOR PLATE WITH SUFFICIENT CAR TURNING SPACE + UNNECESSARY SPACE ARE TAKEN OUT, REPLACED BY CARPARK LOT + CIRCULATON SPACES ARE NOW BEHIND THE PARKING LOT WITH BETTER WALKING SPACE + NO CAR LIFT + COST SAVING - USER HAS TO DO A REVERSED WITH A DISTANCE OF 8M WHEN GETTING THE CAR OUT - PLANT ROOM IS SHIFTED TO UPPER FLOOR TO CATER FOR MORE SPACE.

PLAN DEVELOPMENT (GROUND STOREY PLAN) WEEK 7 + PEDESTRIANS CROSSING IS INTRODUCED FOR BACKPACKER/ MOTEL GUEST SAFE ACCESS TO THE MOTEL + CARPARK RAMP IS SHIFTED IN TO PREVENT EXTERNAL PARTY FROM USING MOTEL PARKING + CAFE IS INTRODUCED AT GROUND LEVEL

WEEK 5 - BEFORE INTERIM 1 + BACKPACKERS/ PEDESTRIAN IS LED TOWARDS THE ENTRANCE FROM SPENCER STREET

+ EXTERNAL SERVICE ROUTE AND SERVICE CORRIDOR IS ADDED IN TO ‘HIDE’ THE BACK OF HOUSE (BOH)

+ MOTEL WILL GET THEIR OWN ROUNDABOUT AND REDUCE CONGESTION DURING ANNUAL EVENT OR PEAK HOUR

- ONLY A HANDICAP TOILET IS PROVIDED

- NO ALTERNATE ROUTE FOR SERVICE VEHICULAR

- LOBBY SPACE TOO SMALL

- ONLY OFFICE AND ADMIN SPACE ON GROUND FLOOR, NOT INVITING

WEEK 8 + PEDESTRIANS CROSSING ALLOW BACKPACKER/ MOTEL GUEST SAFE ACCESS TO THE MOTEL + CARPARK RAMP IS SHIFTED IN TO PREVENT EXTERNAL PARTY FROM USING MOTEL PARKING + CAFE HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO CREATE LARGER LOBBY SPACE + EXTERNAL SERVICE ROUTE AND SERVICE CORRIDOR IS ADDED IN TO ‘HIDE’ THE BOH

+ RAMP GRADIENT IS REDUCED TO 8.3 TO ALLOW MORE AREA FOR TOILET - TOO MUCH ROAD SPACE

SKIN EXPLORATION 1

SKIN EXPLORATION 2

DROP OFF PERSPECTIVE

PLAN DEVELOPMENT (1ST STOREY PLAN) WEEK 7 + HALL ARE DESIGNED WITH ANGLED WALL TO CREATE A LESS ‘BOXY’ ROOM + VOIDS ARE CREATED TO ALLOW SUNLIGHT TO GO DOWN TO GROUND FLOOR - LOUNGE WIDTH NEAR THE FIRE STAIR IS TOO NARROW - VOIDS TOO SMALL AND IT OPENS UP ON TOP OF THE RECEPTION, NO PRIVACY FOR ADMIN WORK WEEK 7

+ VOIDS ARE BIGGER, SOME VOIDS ARE REPLACED WITH WATER FEATURES AND PLANTING TO CREATE A SERENE/ PEACEFUL WALK THROUGH THE CENTRE COURTYARD - HALL IS CURRENTLY AT A VERY WEIRD SHAPE - THE VOID NEXT TO THE HALL IS TOO SMALL, NO LIGHT WILL GET THROUGH IT

WEEK 8 + CENTRE COURTYARD WILL BE OPENED UP TO 2 MORE STOREYS ABOVE, IT ALLOW SUNLIGHT TO GETS TO THE PLANT AND SUFFICIENT SUNLIGHT TO BRIGHTEN THE SPACE. CREATING AN OUTDOOR SPACE WITHIN AN INDOOR SPACE, A INTERNAL COURTYARD + SHAPE OF THE BRIDGES ARE SIMPLIFIED WITH A 1.5M WIDTH + MOVABLE WALL PANEL FOR STORAGE ROOM WILL ALLOW GREATER CONFIGURATION OF THE SPACE DEPENDING ON THE EVENT + INTERNAL WALL BETWEEN HALL AND LOUNGE IS ALSO MOVABLE TO CATER FOR BIG EVENTS - WEIRD STORAGE SPACE

CIRCULATION- BRIDGE

GALLERY SPACE CONFIGURATION 1

GALLERY SPACE CONFIGURATION 2

PLAN DEVELOPMENT (2ND STOREY PLAN) WEEK 7 + CARETAKER’S RESIDENCE AND THE OTHER SPACE ARE SEPARATED BECAUSE OF THE MAIN FEATURE - THE BRIDGE (COURTYARD) + COMMON CORRIDOR FOR EASY ACCESS TO ALL SEMINAR ROOMS - NOT ALL ROOM HAVE NATURAL LIGHTING - INTERNAL CORRIDOR TOO NARROW

WEEK 8 + SECRETARIAT OFFICES ENTRANCE SEPARATED TO ENSURE PRIVACY INCASE OF EVENT + THE INTERNAL WALLS BETWEEN 3 SEMINAR ROOMS ARE OPENABLE TO CATER FOR LARGER EVENTS + 3M WIDE INTERNAL CORRIDOR IS CREATED FOR THE SEMINAR ROOMS AS HOLDING AREA AND RECPTION INCASE OF EVENTS + THE PROTRUDING 2.5M KINK IS PUSHED IN TO ACHIEVE 5M CLEAR LANEWAY CLEARANCE

PLAN DEVELOPMENT (3RD STOREY PLAN) WEEK 7 + 3 GLASS BOXES ARE CREATED AT EACH TRANSITIONAL SPACE FOR SPATIAL EXPERIENCE + 3M WIDE OUTDOOR ALFRESCO ALLOW MORE MOVING SPACE FOR DINERS + CATERING DIFFERENT KIND OF OUTDOOR SEATING AT THE OUTDOOR SPACE FOR A LARGER GROUP OF DINERS/ COMPANY DINNER + KITCHEN TO SERVE EITHER FROM THE BAR OR ALONG THE BRIDGE, CREATING A GREAT DINNING EXPERIENCE FOR DINERS

WEEK 8 + SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS DESIGN IN WEEK 7 + THE PROTRUDING 2.5M KINK IS PUSHED IN TO ACHIEVE 5M CLEAR LANEWAY CLEARANCE

PLAN DEVELOPMENT (TYPICAL STOREY PLAN) WEEK 8 + FOLDABLE TIMBER LOURVES ARE CLADDED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE RESIDENTIAL BLOCK, BUT ONLY OPENABLE ALONG CORRIDOR AND WITHIN THE BEDROOM + COSY COMPACT BEDROOM SUITES: BED AND WORKING SPACE ARE FRAMED UP WITH A SEPARATION BETWEEN THEM, WARDROBE IS HIDDEN BEHIND THE BED FRAME + COMPACT SUITE HAVE AT LEAST 1M OF WALKING SPACE WITHIN THE ROOM + LINEN STORAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE AT ALL FLOORS TO SERVE EACH LEVEL + AHU WILL SERVE ALL FLOORS THROUGH THE RESIDENTIAL BLOCK - CLADDING AT THE SERVICES CORE CANNOT BE OPEN, CAUSING WASTAGE IN COST AND MATERIAL - DISCUSSION AREA COULD HAVE A MORE COMFORTABLE SEATINGS

REFLECTION

(THINKING ABOUT MY THINKING PROCESS/ SELF CRITIQUE ON MY THOUGHTS & DESIGN PROCESS) IDEA When the brief was first introduced, it occurred to me that there were quite a number of diversities going on in the project. There are different types of users with specific but varying range of activities as well as the operation of a motel. It will be easy to lose the focus point while trying to satisfy so many needs.

INTENTION As this is a HQ for the three DSIGs and a motel that is operational all year round, my intention for both of the programmes are to separate them as much as possible to avoid any disruptions to both parties. I imagined the collision during big, annual events to be very undesirable. Therefore, my foremost intention is to have a clear cut circulation for the project. In order to execute a clear circulation, there must be a definite cut off point in between the two, therefore I have created two different massings that represent specific programs.

The courtyard idea that I pursued also came with bridges which leads to specific programs and are for specific users.

EXECUTION Initially, I was really stubborn and all I wanted was to perfect my ground floor and make my car parking work.

I make it a point to challenge myself and not give in to the usage of car lift rather using a ramp to access the basement. However, that took me a lot of time compared to just succumbing to the convenience of technology. After a painstaking effort and finally making the basement and ground floor work, the concept of creating an outdoor space within an indoor space, the courtyard, can finally take flight.

The next tedious work is to come up with the shape and angle for the bridge to turn. The bridge was resolved through countless lines being hand drawn and I finally settled on the one that looks good to me.

This continued for another 2 floors, with all the bridges angled at 50 degrees and only in 3 directions at each floor because I do not want to complicate and squeeze too many programs into a floor. After all it is a HQ, it should look presentable. The main spaces are designed to be contained within a big box from the external view of the building and a restaurant with outdoor space to be at the roof of the box. The headache came in when the suites block needs to be designed. The courtyard required a large amount of natural lighting and the suites needed sufficient or a more generous space. However, the courtyard took up almost 1/5 of the whole site and it is placed at the center of the whole building. Thus, compacted design came to my mind. But, I do not want to just do a common compact bedroom. I want to create a different atmosphere.

So, I looked into Japanese compact design and space saving solutions as well as considering the material for bedroom which may affect the feel and size of it. It was then resolved with a big timber frame/enclosure which contains the bed and the discussion area. I am very pleased that all the cabinetry are nicely tucked behind and under the bed, giving the suite a clean, neat look.

Next, as the overall form of the building is separated into 2 main blocks, 2 different kinds of material/ façade is then introduced. The main spaces block uses a more “heavy, serious” looking material to mimic the professional mood of the space while timber is used in the residential block to create a softer, gentler mood.

With the end of the semester comes a drag of weariness and procrastination. While I am very near the finishing line, I begin to have some concerns if the project is really ending and if I have done enough for it. Is there anything that I have missed? Surprise Spaces are often called for in the lecture – have I satisfied that notion? Or rather is it really necessary? Different people think about design differently, from students to students and crit panel to others as well. I hope that all the effort that I have put in reflect the nature of my design; my intention and execution reflects my sensitivity towards the DSIG and the motel.

OUTCOME At the end of the day, I always reflect – What is design? Design is when you allow your imagination to run wild towards the perfect image of your work, it is something too subjective for anyone to call any design a perfect work. What is designer? Designers are people who browse through internet and crit about others work when not all the time they see that their work is not good enough. So is INN BETWEEN a perfect work?

Certainly not, the form is not appealing to the designer or even herself. She did thought that maybe the idea is quite perfect but idea is always in the mind, as long as things are not fully executed, you don’t have a say in it. Though the form was not to what I intended but it brings the concept and the ideas out strongly and the planning is well done (at least to me).