Digital Design - Module 01 Semester 1, 2018 Soke Yee Leong 900576 Chelle Yang, Studio 1
Week One
Reading: Zeara Polo, A. 2010. Between Ideas and Matters.
According to Zeara-Polo, the diagram does not play a representational role in the design process but provides an organisational and can have a performative quality depending on how it is deployed. Explain how Diagram is different from Signs and Symbols? (100 words Maximum)
In the readings from Zeara-Polo, he stated that Diagrams differ to symbols as symbols refer to their dynamic objects through a formal representation whereas diagrams do not. Diagrams are projective rather than reflecting the real nature of the objects. They do not belong to a logic of representation like symbols, but introduce a logic of sensation aimed at creating new worlds. Diagrams are reductive as they precisely define processes. In the end, he concluded that diagram is a tool to describe relationships and prescribes performances in space, usually specific to a space. He also added diagram can also be used in relating to processes not only occuring in three-dimensional space but in several other dimensions of reality too.
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Week One
Precedent Analysis
Plan View
North Elevation
These three images are screenshots of three different views which were modelled in Rhino. The
West Elevation
structure and the overall layout of the pavilion can be seen in the plan view whereas in the West elevation, the unique inclination of the roof structure is clearly shown. The North elevation consist of mainly the walls and the bench seatings with the roof.
With the given materials, which are the plan, site plan, four elevations and a few images of the pavilion, we were required to model the given pavilion in Rhino. For this pavilion, it was fairly easy to achieve the shapes and structure of the pavilion but the difficulty was with the interlooping roof structure which were also not planar too. Thus, a few of the elevations and plan needed to be analyzed carefully before modelling it in Rhino. Other than that, the details were considered as well, like the elevated wall structures were presented in the final model as well as the thickness of the plywood used to build the structure. Seatings were also well considered while modelling with accurate shapes and the second layer of the seating covers were present too.
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Week Two
Reading: Hertzberger H. 2005. The in-between and The Habitable Space Between Things, from Lessons for Students in Architecture. Herzberger discuss how design should not be extreme in its functionality. Use your precedent study to explain how the pavilion allows for an appropriation of use. (100 words Maximum)
Extreme functionality is when an object’s functions have been restricted to a specific functiion and has too little freedom for a person to perform the function that he pleases. In my precedent, it allows sppropriation of use as it does not restrict the functionality of the pavilion. For example, the benches are made for sitting, but the deisgn and the way they are placed against the wall structure allow people to not only sit but also to lie down on them. Children may treat the benches as a playground where they can jump or run around on. Thus, the precedent does not apply extreme functionality to its design of structure, allowing freedom to utilize the pavilion as one pleases.
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Week Two
Isometric
Isonometric View of 3D Model of Barkow Leibinger’s Serpentine Summer House The image on the left shows the NE isometric view of the model of the chosen precendent, showing the complex structure of the pavilion with three main layers: benches, wall structure and the roof. The key during modelling process was the accuracy of figuring out the curves and loops of the roof and walls, without them intersecting with each other. In the isometric view, the three layers were shown including the hidden dashed lines of the walls underneath the roof as the walls play a significant part as thresholds. In order to recognize the hierarchy of the structure in the isometric view, different line weights were used for different layers of structures. For example, for the roof, 0.75pt was used whereas the walls used 1.00pt as the walls needed to be emphasized greatly. The hidden lines were represented with dashed lines with only 0.1pt in order to reduce the complexity and confusion when reading the image. Lastly, a line weight of 2.00pt was used for the part where the pavilion touches the ground. Circulation and threshold are topics we needed to be focussing on while doing this module. After some analysis of the site, it was concluded that human traffic would normally flow from the street at the East side of the pavilion and from there, visitors would just circle the pavilion and settle on a sitting spot. In that case, I would say that the circulation would be messy as the pavilion is open to public with no specific entrance. In between the three walls is an area with no seatings but just a narrow space which less circulation will be present. As for threshold, I learnt that the walls are the main thresholds which clearly seperates two spaces into private and public areas whereas the roof also are too. With the sunlight shining, the shadows made by the cantilevering roofs are also the thresholds as they created an imaginery “divider” using light and dark areas. I also observed that when there are less circulation, there would be less complexity in the roof structure as well which connects circulation and threshold, portraying it in its design.
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Week Two Diagrams
Roof structure Roof structure
Wall structure
Wall structure Private areas
Human flow / Human Density Shadows Circulation
Circulation Diagram
Threshold Diagram
The circulation diagram is mainly consisting three layers which includes the circulation, human flow and private areas. Due to the pavilion being open and does not have a specific entrance, the circulation of people is free-flowing with no specific paths too. Density of people will be more when it is closer to the seating areas and will tend to stay there for a longer time. Private areas are found
The threshold of the pavilion are made up of the roof, walls and the shadows. The cantilevering roof which causes shadows throughout the day forms a threshold of private and public areas, like the area that is always in shadow will be a more private and intimate area for people to be at. The walls play the main thresholds by seperating the space into two and forming private spaces too.
too between walls or between benches and walls.
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Appendix
Process
First, the plan of the pavilion was placed in Rhino as a picture frame to be traced.
Layers of the structure were created to be more organized and also color coded.
The lines of the structure were traced wiith accuracy.
After tracing the lines, the lines were then extruded to the desirable height of the structure to form solid forms.
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Appendix Process
After the walls are extruded, the roof structure was also extruded and elevated into the actual height.
Then I proceed to making the benches as well with the same techniques.
After massing the structure, the best isometric view to show circulation and layout of the structure was chosen.
The ‘Make2D’ command in Rhino was used to create a two-dimensional image of the structure to be imported to Illustrator.
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Appendix
Process
The image was imported into Illustrator and line weights were then modified to make it clearer to be read.
A circulation diagram was then created by abstracting the layers and incuding some analysis.
A threshold diagram was created as well with the same method and they were all exported to be used in the pin-up template.
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