Synopsis

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)

SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2015) [5 MARKS] NAME: Sen Yih Yiing ID: 0318890 LECTURER: Mr. Nicholas Ng TUTORIAL TIME: 4pm – 6pm SYNOPSIS NO: READER TITLE: The Death And Life Of Great American Cities AUTHOR: Jane Jacobs

The issue which the author stated was to oppose on principles and aims that have framed modern, orthodox city planning and rebuilding, instead of focusing on architecture itself, social issues such as urban safety and sustainability are the main focus by the author.

The author emphasized on a few aspects in urban planning, started with the uses of sidewalks as safety and contact. Sidewalks can be access by anybody, it is where strangers meet, and safety issue is raised. The author stated three main characteristics of the streets in successful city neighborhoods, including clear status between public or private spaces, occupants along the street as witnesses and make sure that there is constant human fluidity on the street. The cross usage in city neighborhoods which contain the features of the city as a whole, street neighborhoods and districts of large, subcity size is consider as useful neighborhoods. It can be supported by mixed primary uses which as stated, where enterprises and residential are in a tight relationship to keep the neighborhood alive and sustainable.

The author referenced West Eighty-Eighth Street in Manhattan for the need for small blocks for successful city planning. The 800-foot block restricted the pedestrians to adjacent, makes the street to be isolated. In relation with social safety, small blocks ensures that there are immediate turn corners for emergency exits and also shortened walking distance which could enhance pedestrians safety. A good proportion of aged buildings and usage concentration ensure the continuation of enterprises which couldn’t afford the high cost for new construction. Such as in Sentul, human concentration at aged shoplots in Little India is much more denser than in the new building like Riverwalk Village, where rents and product prices are much higher. In turns, it shows the strong cultural and art influence continuation into the community.

In a nutshell, I agree with the aspects stated by the author as they are close to the modern reality and are more practical knowledge that should be injected into current urban city planning.

WORD COUNT: 336 DATE: 10.4.16 ASSSESSED BY: Mr. Nicholas Ng

MARK:

GRADE:

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)

SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2016) [5 MARKS] NAME: Sen Yih Yiing ID: 0318890 LECTURER: Mr. Nicholas Ng TUTORIAL TIME: 4pm – 6pm SYNOPSIS NO: READER TITLE: Semiotics And Architecture AUTHOR: Diana Agrest And Mario Gandelsonas

Semiotic, the theory of the different systems of signs. The main topic introduced by the authors is by using components of semiotics, the signifier and signified to understand the production of meaning in architecture, as semiotic can be useful in opposing the adaptive theory, ideology, as it only utilizes limited and certain knowledge, and is an obstacle to real knowledge by inducing men to accept in their consciousness, role assigned and preserves only the existing social systems and institutions. For example, the disapproval by the Church to the more accurate Copernicus’s theory as a new concept where the men were not centered in the cosmos, but continued to support the earlier existed Ptolemy’s theory of the universe. Saussure defines semiotics as the science of different systems of signs and the study of langue, and value as the relationship between signs within a system, which could act as a tool for the production of a theory on architecture. Saussure also defines arbitrariness as a tool to oppose and criticize the ideological conception of language as representation, with value, they can be used for critique if architecture as system of signs which has theoretical validity is used as a negative conceptual tool. Theoretical blockade is relevant to misdirect of semiotic concept, the involution between an ideological region and an object of study and can also be consider as a special form of ideological obstacle. Relevant situation include conducting theory neither distinguish nor concern with sufficient precision or obvious discourses difference.

Semiotic is important to clarify the distinction between the notion of communication and the notion of signification in particular relevance for architecture. A theory as production of knowledge has to be developed through a constant struggle with ideology, dissembling not only ideological notions but also through methodically eliminating boundaries separating different practices within a culture and through looking towards other culture. As time passes, living organisms had been evolved to adapt to the changing nature and climate, same goes to people’s ideology, they should not be too conservative and be open minded with new incoming knowledge. Architecturally, with the traditional architectural knowledge, and inject with further creativity and modernity that is suitable with current geographical and climate conditions would be ideal for the current community.

WORD COUNT: 373 DATE: 25.4.16 ASSSESSED BY: Mr. Nicholas Ng

MARK:

GRADE:

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)

SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2016) [5 MARKS] NAME: Sen Yih Yiing ID: 0318890 LECTURER: Mr. Nicholas Ng TUTORIAL TIME: 4pm – 6pm SYNOPSIS NO: 3 READER TITLE: The Geometry Of Feeling AUTHOR: Juhani Pallasma

Phenomenology analyses, a mere theory approach to which endearing to the consciousness as such excluding any secular theories and categories, had become the common method of assessing architecture, as stated in Edmund Husserl’s concept, the “pure looking at” or “viewing its essence” of the phenomenon. The author, Julia Pallasma supports this theory because the architecture nowadays has loses its intentional background and become fully determined by its own rules and value system, where the consideration of reality user experience is neglected, such as in Bauhaus ideology or from my opinion, the geometric, experimental Constructivism ideology, where they both emphasized solely to arts of the visual sense, which show the evidences that elementarism and reductionism are dominants to the advance modern science.

Phenomenological analyses of architecture rose from the images and personal feelings of the local people, a sense of childhood memories where dreams and daydreams are the most authentic and spontaneous contents of our minds. Furthermore, phenomenology of architecture can also be expressed through poetry such as in Gaston Bachelard’s “La Poetique I’Espace” and “La Poetique de la Reverie”, or in Russian literature, photographs by Walker Evan, which all express architecture in a way of “pure looking at”, where architecture disciplines do not interfere the experience.

I support the statement where architecture should not just focus on the presented forms, the practicality and other user conditions should also be considered. Architecture is a medium to enhance people’s living condition or to express a city’s status, but the user experience is the crucial condition in design planning as architecture is a direct expression of existence, such as the sense of loneliness or experiences of silence and light as stated in Lois Kahn’s texts. For example the Church Of Light by Tadao Ando which allows occupants to stay and truly feel the quiet and poetic environment that was desired to be delivered from the design of the architecture itself, or even in Sekeping Serendah In Malaysia, where the integration of architecture and natural environment that could be strongly experience by the occupants. Architectural experience is a sense of being in a unique space or something sacred, it is the home of spirits, the dwelling place for metaphysical beings.

WORD COUNT: 366 DATE: 30.5.16 ASSSESSED BY: Mr. Nicholas Ng

MARK:

GRADE:

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)

SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2016) [5 MARKS] NAME: Sen Yih Yiing ID: 0318890 LECTURER: Mr. Nicholas Ng TUTORIAL TIME: 4pm – 6pm SYNOPSIS NO: 4 READER TITLE: Towards A Critical Regionalism AUTHOR: Kenneth Frampton

Arriere-garde is a French term to describe an out of date group in any field, especially in one of the arts. The term is first introduced by the author, Kenneth Frampton, as the assumption of arrieregarde in architecture as the crucial practice to make architecture today to be sustainable, and to reduce the associated critical scopes from conservative Populism or sentimental Regionalism. The practice of arriere-garde is to remove itself from both the incorporation of advance technology, rebound into nostalgic historicism or the extensive decorations, in hope to foster the a resistant, an obvious identity culture while having a prudent recourse to universal technique.

The term Critical Regionalism is introduced by Alex Tzonis and Liliane Lefaivre in “The Grid and the Pathway” (1981), it is a reformed modernism where it maintains the individual and local architectonic features against international style and abstract ones, and it is a path where any future humanistic architecture must gone through. Furthermore, Californian architect, Hamilton Harwell Harris suggested that critical regionalism cannot be considered based on a single form of a specific region alone as it can occurs in multiple places and had not yet emerged into other places.

The geographer, Jean Gottman stated that urban forms can no longer be defined as urban design has been regress into theoretical subject as the minimal relation of processal realities of modern development, where urban planning today has evolved into a crisis state. However, there are still some worthy examples of regionalism architecture which integrates local identity and features with modern designs, the “local tectonic form” as emphasized by Frampton, such as the Saynotsalo Town Hall by Alvar Aalto in Finland. The design integrates elements of classicism, monumental and modernity (Fiederer, 2016), in consideration with the topography, climate and culture in Finland, which suits the regionalism theory emphasized by Frampton. While with a local example in Malaysia, the Menara Tabung Haji, which interprets the strong Malaysian and Islamic culture and identity through the design of the building, shown the regionalism in Malaysia. It can be seen that the importance of designing a sustainable building while maintaining the local identity of a place not just through maintaining traditional design, but with a little integration with modern technology and design ideas, and consideration with the surrounding context, topography and climate are all as crucial.

WORD COUNT: 385 DATE: 13.6.16 ASSSESSED BY: Mr. Nicholas Ng

MARK:

GRADE: