Design works by Vivian Uang
Volvo Mobility Lab
Project brief: What is the core value of the Volvo brand and how does it c o m m u n i c a t e with its customer? Volvo is ____ .
2
When
I think about cars, one of the most significant memories was from my childhood; being the youngest child among five girls, I always had to squeeze in the front seat with my mom when we go on family trips. I would be sitting really close toward the front and my face would be right up by the air conditioning vent. I like the distinctive smell from the air conditioning, although it’s not exactly a perfume scent for most people. Now that I think about it, it’s probably the association between family outing and the air conditioning smell that made it a positive impression in my mind.
Subconsciously, buying a car is more than fulfilling the need for a reliable transportation vehicle, it is about buying a promising driving experience. The design proposed here is a Volvo pavilion where potential car owner first drive into this unusually shaped structure, but at the belvedere awaits a extraordinary sight- it could be the end of a cliff looking down to the waterfall, or a view towards the serenity of mountain. This pleasant, yet surprising driving experience is a projection of the Volvo life style.
4
The Scent of Creativity master’s thesis project
Opponent: Maria Uggla, Volvo Car Corporation Examiner: Kristina Sahlqvist Tutor: Gunnar Krantz Summary: Studied how olfaction effecting human experience by conducting a series of experimental extraction. Proposing utilize the sense of smell as part of event/place/product identity.
6
This
is a project regarding something we all do about 30,000 times a day, and that is smelling. We are breathing all the time, but strangely enough the sense of smell is often neglected when it comes to design and architecture, even if it’s mentioned in a design matter, it is often viewed as a negative quality when an object or space has a ‘smell’. Smell is the most primitive sense and if not one of the most important sense to most animals. Mothers can recognize their babies by smell, and newborns also recognize their mothers in the same way before the development of other senses. It is also the most mysterious sense among all, but people are often unaware of what our nose tells us. Although our nose does not work as precise as other animals’, it is still possible to utilize our sense of smell for gathering information of our surrounding and registering memorable events. On the other hand, the scent of a place can be intentionally organized for the purpose of enhancing the existing establishment.
Our olfactory system is very closely related to our memory and subconsciously it effects our everyday experience. This project delves into the often neglected dimension of the reality and propose the possibility of utilizing olfaction as a way of enhancing the memories connecting events and spaces. It started as a personal observation on how does creativity ‘smells like’ in HDK while daring to define a fragrance representing the vibrant ambiance of the establishment. The result is a collection of the scent of creativity.
8
Around the Baltic Sea
the Swedish paper workshop
workshop LOCATION: Iggesund, Sweden DURATION: 4/17 - 4/26-2008 exhibition LOCATION: Hudiksvall, Sweden DURATION: 4/26 - 5/24-2008
10
When
we first arrived at the paper mill, we were given a tour to see how the paperboard is made from wood to pulp and then paper. It was fascinating to me that everyone from the factory would tore-up their product to show the q u a l i t y of their paperboard. The strength of the paperboard is in it’s longer fiber, and the smooth surface is made from the quality of the shorter fiber. By tearing the paper, we can see all these fibers intertwined into many layers within the thickness of paperboard. I took a close look at this unique character of paper and realized no other material can be tore and then formed all these beautiful silhouette and curl. Each shape is a different wonder in its own. I wanted to show the uniqueness of paper by presenting the dynamic properties of paperboard. These two paper-sculptures were made by deconstructing the structure of paperboard, revealing the layers of fiber in forms of two pairs of wings.
12
Gรถteborg International Film Festival LOCATION: Gรถteborg, Sweden Task: Two stages needed for festival events. DURATION: 1/25 - 2/4-2008 TENT AREA: 425 m2 DESIGN TEAM: Alice & Vivian
e tag in s a m
small stage
14
bar
Williams College Garage & Water Plant
LOCATION: Williamstown, Massachusetts PROGRAM: 236 space, 3-level precast concrete parking structure. DATE OF COMPLETION: 2/2001
16
Boa Wall
A construction concept inspired by le Petite Prince..
18
I imprint
remember first time reading the book Le Petit Prince, an illustration in the first chapter amazed me and made an in my mind till these days. It was a drawing of a boa constrictor having swallowed an elephant ; from the outside the image resembles the profile of an ordinary hat, but in a child’s imagin a t i on it is the fascinating idea of things that eyes cannot see.
The idea of inside vs. outside and an exterior membrane changing its form according to the content is the starting point of this design project. I designed a construction method for rigid material, which became a flexible surface from both side when put together. This Boa Wall appears to be a typical flat surface, but when applied with force, the surface changes its form and adjusts to the shape of the force. The changing form gives both visual and haptic surprise, because each individual unit still maintain its hardness, but the construction system enables the flexibility of the overall surface.
20
10 ELIA BIENNIAL CONFERENCE GOTHENBURG th
SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND CRAFTS OPEN HOUSE LOCATION: School of Design and Crafts, HDK. Task: Organize the half-day open house event, including poster, signage, decoration, buffet, bar, and music. DATE: 10/30/2008 PLANNING TEAM: Agnes, Bastian, Dan, Maria, Rami, & Vivian.
22
organised by//
the experimental event production group
be curious thursday october 30 from 18:00 to 24:00 at HDK
ELIA BIENNIAL CONFERENCE GOTHENBURG 29 October - 1 November 2008
For more information please visit www.vivianuang.com or contact vivianuang@gmail.com
Š Vivian Uang