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ARCHITECTURE 101 FINAL PORTFOLIO quince chen fall 2015
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TABLE OF CONTENT design
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PRECEDENCE RESEARCH / PROGRAM & SITE ANALYSIS
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SELECTED APPROACH: ITERATION 1, 2, & 3
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ITERATION 4, 5, & 6
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TEAM DESIGN: ITERATION 7. 8. & 9 / SAFETY WORKSHOP
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LOGISTICAL PLANNING / CONSTRUCTION TOOLS & MATERIALS
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TABLE OF CONTENT construction
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INSTALLATION INITIATED: 30% COMPLETE
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CONSTRUCTION: 60% COMPLETE
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CONSTRUCTION: 90% COMPLETE
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INSTATLLATION COMPLETED: 100% / TEAM PRESENTATION & JURORS CRITIQUE
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PRECEDENCE RESEARCH
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PRECEDENCE RESEARCH / PROGRAM & SITE ANALYSIS •
I have a great interest in trying tensioning as my approach. As I was doing my precedence research, there are many ideas that designers not only used ropes or thread to create tension, also wood.
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Program analysis: This is a site specific project. Individual and team shall first identify 3 special feature of selected site. Design and construction shall create notion of journey that evokes spatial experience, evoke of related memories & wonder, transformation wrought by time. Construction required of paths and nodes, then identify the human activities for which the design will accommodate. Lastly, provoke others appreciation of everyday aspects of the place that people tend to ignored or taken for granted and installation shall avoid the obvious.
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I’ve done my site analysis for the “country side”, which is the hillside. My design will be better fit in the “country side” because of the elevation and how it provided a better view for visitors than the “city”. Due to that my design is not originally creating an elevation nor having a elevated platform, building it by the “country side” gives what the design not naturally gave to visitors. The trees by the “country side” is both a helper and a barrier. As a helper when sunlight comes through, it can cast an amazing shadow of the tree on my installation. On the other hand, where the trees as barriers, depending on how the design will evolve in iterations it will be in the way of the construction.
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ITERATION 1, 2, & 3
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ITERATION 1, 2, & 3 •
My first attempt was to try to play with tensioning. Then later realized the fasteners and wood sticks created compression instead of tension.
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When we first started with the project, one of the requirements is that we cannot use glue for jointing, must use some kind of fasteners that can be taken apart. My first iteration all started with this requirement, I have both wood sticks and brads ready, but I am not sure how I am going to use it. Then I started to play around with the sticks, poking holes in them, and connect the wood sticks with brads. When I had more than enough, I connect the head with the tail and it created this spiral hendecagon. Then I connected supports at the end with threads.
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My second iteration, I took the first iteration then tried to enhance it with more threads creating a enclosure space.
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I played something different for the third iteration is that I reversed the polygon shape. Instead of connect them at the head of each stick I connected them at the end to form a closed polygon then tied them together with threads and create tension between each standing polygon. This was inspired by Japanese Jinja and chinowa kuguri.
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ITERATION 4, 5, & 6
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ITERATION 4, 5, & 6
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My fourth & fifth iteration were inspired by the above picture. When I saw the picture it caught my eye because it is somewhat similar to what I wanted to create with my second iteration. I used threads to define space on the outside and the picture use threads to give the inner space thickness.
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Because the ceiling top was very difficult to assemble with fasteners so I went back to glue violating one of the project requirements.
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Coming to the sixth iteration, we started to meet with our group, but we are still working on our own design. My group liked my polygon ceiling idea, where they think it can be place at an angle so it gives direction towards the sky. And this time I divide the space with bamboo sticks leaving gaps in between, which when sunlight shines through, it casts shadow on the floor creating a repetitive pattern.
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ITERATION 7, 8, & 9
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ITERATION 7, 8, & 9 •
Iteration 7, 8, & 9 is our group design models. Where the seventh iteration was an individual model that was done with ideas that our group decided on. We agreed on using five senses as our experience element, with different chambers visitors could experience different sensation. looking from above the division of the chambers were inspired by my hendecagon. And from here we decided to move on with the hendecagon shape. Using bamboo sticks to form a pathway into the chambers were inspired by a memory when I was little. That I imagined many kids like to walk in patterns according to each tile on the street or at home, so every step has to be within a tile.
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Moving on to the eighth iteration, our team decided on using 3 chambers and focused on sound. Then follow by increasing the height of the walls gradually starting from 5 feet, 6.5 feet, then 8 feet.
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Ninth iteration is our final design, with all the defined ideas. We came up with details of what each chamber will carry what sound experience. First chamber: guitar; second chamber; wind chimes; third chamber: wind blowing through pvc pipes.
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CONSTRUCTION SAFETY •
Before using any tools read its manual.
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Make sure the plug goes into the correct outlet.
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Make sure working area is dry, moisture is a great electric connectivity; vapor (gas, paint) can cause explosion.
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When using circular saw, pay attention to routing of power cord, dangling cord can distract operation.
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Operate with high protection, no hanging jewelries, baggy clothing, and make sure long hairs are tied.
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Make sure the speed rating is correct for the saw use.
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Don’t cut metal bars with a miter saw (aluminum is okay).
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Do not try to cut a small piece that cannot be clamped.
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Make sure the blade is running full speed then lower to cut.
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Make all adjustment before turning on power or plugging plug in.
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LOGISTICAL PLANNING
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LOGISTICAL PLANNING •
Tools: Hannah can provide most of the tools and we can use the miter saw from Arch department.
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Materials: I created a kit of parts in Sketchup, which we can use as a guide to purchase wood pieces. Hannah asked her contractor friend and he can give us free 2x6s that we will be using for our platform. We will need thick ply-wood sheathing for the platform, thin ply-wood pieces as our wall, 2x4s for the frame and the hanging piece above.
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We need to keep the expenses as low as possible. Because at this point building the platform we used all our sponsored money from the department.
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We planned to finish the platform before week 2 ends.
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Work on wall frames from week 2 to 3, then finalize during week 3 to 4. If we have more time we will touch up on the details.
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Installation: 30%
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Installation: 30%
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This week is the first week of construction and according to schedule we need to have 30% complete by the end of the week.
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We started with the platform. The first class this week, we made a trip to Lowe’s.
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Taking our peers advise, we used a jigsaw to cut out the curve shape we want for the ply-woods. Then marked all where we want the 2x6s to be place. During the process, the group realized that we should we installing the platform at our site instead of down at the “city” because is too heavy to lift. So we installed the frame first and screwed the ply-wood piece after.
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All of our teammates got a chance to use the tools!
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Installation: 60%
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Installation: 60% •
We need 60% complete by the end of this week.
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We made our second trip to Lowe’s for thinner ply-woods and 2x4s for the walls.
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While installing the wall frame we realized the tallest wall is too tall, which it hits the branches. We had to adjust the measurements at the moment, but gladly the problem can be solved.
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Later the week, we screwed in the ply-wood pieces, it looks seamless when it was first on there. But the next day when we got to our site, the walls got expanded and leave openings between pieces. That was our mistake of not considerate about screwing two pieces on one of our 2x4 supports, that way 2 pieces of plywood could match up together. To solve the problem we have to put small blocks of wood from behind and match it against the seam of the 2 pieces.
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Installation: 90%
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Installation: 90% •
We are at 90% done this week. After installing the walls, we will be working on our sound element details.
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Hannah bought in her fabrics for the last chamber. We still haven’t decide what experience we want to add in this chamber.
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The chimes were hang in the second chamber, to make sure the branches that hangs the chimes can be strong enough and not break in the middle, we added angle supports on the side. Here is something we regret to do is to make our design at an angle, resulting in the angle supports difficulty to cut so the angle will fit against the wall.
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Lastly, is our guitar chamber. We used the method, that we researched online for making a cigar box guitar to attach guitar strings between two pieces of 2x4s. And the strings can be tune and tighten with a wrench.
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Installation: 100%
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Installation: 100% •
This is the wrap up week, where we need 100% done and be ready for presentation to guest jurors.
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For construction, we finally decided on what experience we want visitors to have; reflection and know the true self. We added mirrors behind the fabrics, which when visitors come in they will immediately see themselves in the mirror. Also we put a bench at our reflection space, where the journey should end. When one sit on the bench and see the great view they can reflect on what they experienced in the journey we created for them and the journey of their own, manage in their own hand.
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The guest juror for our section is George. George suggested we can improve our presentation by adding more photos of our final structure because he had to imagine on his own throughout the presentation. He was happy that we were able to finish what we intended to do from the beginning.
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George asked us, “Is our design site specific?” To be honest, the structure can be move to another location, but it will lost our intention idea of experiencing nature and as well to reflect in nature.
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FINAL REFLECTION •
Overall, it was a great experience throughout the semester. We went from working individually to working as a team. Working from drawings to models. Working from small scale model to real scale construction.
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Even though working in a team with people that you are not familiar with is not as easy, but it creates a different chemistry. After working together more than a month, experienced obstacles together, solve problems together, creating a design that we all cherish together, we are like a family. There might be some conflicts, but everyone is different and I am glad that my team understand that.
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On the first day of this class, I remembered Jerry asked us about our thoughts for this class. And I said I hope I will have a great memory and great experience from this class. Also, getting from architecture 20 class which was more conceptual working comparing to architecture 101 which is more practical, I said I am very looking forward to it. Conclusively, I did, I enjoyed this class a lot. I want to thank all my teammates for being supportive on each of us’s ideas and thoughts, resulting in our success in the final project.
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“Clear thinking at the wrong moment can stifle creativity.” –Karl Lagerfeld