LEARNING PORTFOLIO Architecture 101 Spring 2016
Winnie Ou Instructor: Jerry Lum
TABLE OF CONTENTS – What’s Your Sign? – Phase 1: Concept Generation + Collages – Phase 2: Build it! – Iteration 1 – Iteration 2
– A Journey Of Discovery – Make a Wall, Make a Window, Evoke Wonder – – – – –
Iteration 1 Iteration 2 Iteration 3 Quick Reductive Study Models Iteration 4
– A Spatial Journey Leading to a Place of Wonder – Iteration 5 – Story Board Iteration 1
– Enhancing the evoked experiences within A Spatial Journey Leading to a Place of Wonder – Story Board Iteration 2 – Final Design of Walls
– Final Project – Iteration 1
What’s Your sign?
↑ Collage 1
↓ Collage 2
Our first assignment was to create at least three collages that best represent ourselves. Since this was the first course in the Architecture field, this assignment was very difficult for me to start with. I did not even know what collages were. Before I began putting up my three collages, I had to brainstorm first. To start, I wrote down a list a adjectives that I thought best describe me. In collage 1, I purposely put the words in a shape of a ladder to show my ambition to move up the ladder. I also arranged the adjectives from largest to smallest to differentiate my emphasis. After collage 1 was created, I thought I might want to interpret my personal qualities into pictures. Since I value my adventurous personality the most, and my ambitious dream of traveling around the world, I put a hot air balloon on top of a world map. As the hot air balloon is a symbol of adventure and instead of a basket, I used a cupcake to represent my creative, inventive, and foodie quality. Moving onto my third collage, I thought I might want to include what really matters me in my life, so I started putting up photo collages that sum up my activities. After I put the photos together, I took the photo at the lower left corner and saw the display boards as a great way to display my photos collections. Iteration 2 was meant to add a gallery feeling to my photo collage.
↓ Collage 3 – Iteration 1
Collage 3 – Iteration 2 →
Sign Generation Iteration 1 This project was assigned at the beginning on week 2 and the due date was two days after. Since this project was unexpected, and needed to be done in a tight time frame, I have to find whatever I have at home and start working on it right away. Objective: Refer back to my collages and pick significant elements that best describe me and make a 2sided sign. This sign must not exceed a volume of 24”x24”x6”.
Insight and Approach: The overall feeling I was trying to create was a child’s playful and pure mind with adventurous dreams. From the design point of view, I have included different elements and materials to make this project more eye appealing. Such as the warm color of the yarn a string with a high contrast wood stick and cardboard. I tried to hang the different items on the mobile at different level to make it more interesting and to represent different meanings. Reflections and Goals: The overall feeling I was trying to create was a child’s playful and pure mind with adventurous dreams. From the design point of view, I have included different elements and materials to make this project more attractive. Such as the high contrast of color and different layering. I tried to hang the different items on the mobile to make it more interesting and to add complexities to the overall project. However, I have not considered the weight of each item and the mobile was not well balanced.
Material List: Cardboard Card stocks String Yarn
Plastic bottle Mini Photos Paper clips A button Wood stick
Glue Scissor Embroidery hoop
Sign Generation Iteration 2 After presenting my first sign to the class, I was glad that most people were able to understand the meaning behind my design. For my second iteration I was planning to build upon my first design and to make it more complex. Objective: Refer back to my first design and pick significant elements that are meaningful to me and elevate my crafts. This sign must not exceed a volume of 24”x24”x6”.
Material List: Cardboard Card stocks Foam boards Postcards Plastic bottle Mini Photos Stickers Push pins
Wood stick An oyster shell Glue Double sided tape Scissor
Insight and Approach: For this project, I wanted to keep the rotating quality of a mobile, so I decided to make a sign that could be rotated. I have included a suitcase as an element for my first iteration and I thought it was a good idea to keep that for the second iteration. During the presentation, people asked me if the suitcase could be open, so I came up with the idea that showing what could be inside the suitcase. From the design point of view, I have included similar elements from my first design, such as the mini photos that I took. I added new elements to highlight my adventurous quality, such as the train and flight tickets that I keep through the years, as well as the postcards from the places I visited.
Reflections and Goals: For the second iteration of my sign, I have used a lot foam boards to construct my project. Since I have never used foam boards before, it took my a fairly long time trying to cut the pieces and glue them. It was difficult to cut straight edges at first, however, with more practices, I was able to make the project the way I wanted it to look like. For my future projects, I have to make sure I have all the materials I need before I begin working on my project in order to save some time and trips to go get the materials. Even if I am short of materials, I need to think of ways to complete the project with whatever I have in hand without altering the design.
Page 7
A Journey of discovery: in search of lost wonder
For this project, we were supposed to take a journey to discover the local places that were unfamiliar to us. Since I have only moved to the San Francisco area for a few weeks, any places in town met the requirement. I have decided to go to Ocean Beach, Sutro Bath, and Seal Rocks State Beach. I also ended up going to Golden Gate Park as my last stop. This assignment was very interesting to me since I love taking photographs during my leisure time. I took over a hundred pictures for my journey of discovery. I also adjusted different lighting effects to make the photos better represent my feelings at the time stamp. The most challenging part of this assignment was to only pick five photos that could evoke the strongest feelings.
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PATH
“If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.” ― Joseph Campbell
- Risk Sutro Baths, San Francisco
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INTERSECTION “Paths cross all the time in this world of our, sometimes in the strangest places.” ― Stephen King
- Determination Seal Rocks Sate Beach, San Francisco
LIGHT & DARKNESS “There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” ― Leonard Cohen
- Hope Seal Rocks Sate Beach, San Francisco
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- Power
RAGE “hark, now hear the sailors cry, smell the sea, and feel the sky let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic...” ― Van Morrison
Lakeshore, San Francisco
- Peace
HARMONY “Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Lakeshore, San Francisco
Make a Wall, Make a Window, Evoke Wonder Iteration 1 Going into the fourth week of the semester, we started to build more meaningful models from our discoveries. For the first iteration, we can either build actual models of walls or we could use Google SketchUp to express our designs. Though I have some experiences in using SketUp, I have not use it for a long time, so I decided to revisit the software. I have created three simple set of walls shown below. The first set of wall (left) was a simple wall with a arch top. I used brick exterior to create a sense of nostalgic with a contemporary glass window to get a source of sunlight. The second set of walls (below) were created by translucent glass. These walls provide shelter to the audiences without interfering the views around them.
The third set of walls (below) was a semi-enclose area used for resting purposes.
Iteration 2 After my SketUp models, I decided to pick the most essential element – light, to create my next set of models. For the second iteration of walls, we were assigned to make two sets of asymmetry walls that could be put together as parallel walls. It was challenging for me to create something asymmetric, because we were so used to see symmetries in our daily life. My approach for the first set of walls was to create something that would allow the sunlight to penetrate but keep the traditional wall concepts. Bamboo was the first thing that came to my mind due to its high reflective surfaces. It would be nice to have no only the direct sunlight penetrating through the slits, but also have the sunlight reflect onto the ground or the area surrounded. The fence also gave partial privacy to the people that walks behind.
Putting up a wooden fence by weaving the wooden sticks together and painted green to create a bamboo looking fence.
In order to relate two sets of walls, I included an image of a panda on one of the columns for my second set of walls. The audiences would be able to see the image from the window of the bamboo fence. The panda on the other side seem to fit in as a whole picture.
My approach for the second set of walls was to create something that would evoke playfulness by using different colors. I wanted to create a wall with rainbow colors on it. Since one single flat walls seem boring and would not create enough spaces that I wanted to, I decided to put the colors on different columns, yet still able to see it as a flat wall from afar. However, I was not aware of the spacing between the columns when I was putting the columns on the ground. The product was not looking like the way I wanted it to look. On the back of the columns, I used images of bamboo and panda to connect the two sets of walls.
After I finished working on my two sets of walls, I have put them side by side to see if they were able to fit together. Overall they served my purpose. However, since the bamboo fence was twisted at an angle, the upper corner of the fence was touching one of the columns for the second set of walls. Even tough it was not meant to do that, it created an interesting space under the “roof�. These two sets of walls were meant to be placed in parks or playgrounds. The spaces between the columns and walls were great for the kids to play hide-and-seek. The shadow patterns that the walls were making would change through different time of a day.
Iteration 3 For the third iteration of the walls, we were suppose to write a narrative accompany with our design. A series of events were created to simulate the thoughts of the first time viewers of the structure. Through these series of events, we have to answer the questions of what will the first time viewers and think about the walls, and what feelings do they evoke. By putting ourselves in their shoes, we were able to better incorporate our ideas in the designs. From my second iteration of the walls, I wanted to keep the ideas of sunlight penetrating the walls providing slits of rays. My third iteration of walls was inspired by a xylophone. This kid instrument was able to trigger my childhood memories and wonderment. I have also added a sense of tension in the back of this structure to represent the transition between childhood and adulthood.
Excerpt from my narrative On my way jogging to the park in a sunny day, I saw a colorful structure in the middle of a playground nearby. I was wondering what that xylophone shape structure was for so I slowly approached it from afar. The eight rainbow windows facing in front of me really reminded me my first time playing with a toy instrument when I was a little girl. I would use the wooden hammers to hit they keys and I would appreciate the pure and bell-like sound that it makes. As I got close enough, I started to realize the panels were actually different color translucent windows enclosed by the white frames and topped by a roof. Between the frames, the light was able to get through the slits and made beautiful rays on the ground. So I walked around the structure and see eight cantilever beams sticking out from the walls. I carefully and gently stand on one of the dangling planks. I started to jump between the planks back and forth just like the kids around me. As I jumped off the last and highest beam, I said goodbye to the passageway. It dug out my child side and reminded me of the importance of having a child’s heart and purpose whenever I was confused. However, the fact of growing up was inevitable. Danger and risks were always involved in adulthood, I have to learn to overcome my fear and step up for my life. As people would say, after every storm comes a rainbow.
Quick reductive study models Quick reductive study models shown in the next page were created to study the different forms of one or more important aspects of my last iteration of walls. I have selected the windows and planks from the xylophone shaped structure as the study model. By answering the following questions and studying the reductive models, I was able to generate new ideas for my next sets of walls.
Critical Questions framing your model exploration: 1. How to incorporate my thoughts into the model? 2. How to clearly express my idea without using obvious design elements? 3. How to guide the audiences to think? Goals and objectives: including event related qualities and experiences to be imbed and evoke. Event 1 – translucent windows were used to evoke wonder Event 2 – Cantilever planks evoke a sense of danger Event 3 – The overall shape brings out childhood memories Event 4 – The transition from childhood to adulthood Conclusions that will guide your composite model for the next iteration. 1. Create more spaces to emphasize the different events and evoke experiences
Iteration 4 After the study of my rough models, I decided to make my next iteration more dynamic. However, I did not want to simply add roofs to my structure, so I have to think of a way to incorporate roof into my design. Referring back to one of my rough models, I could see the weight of the paper was able to make a roof due to gravity. For my fourth iteration of the walls, I double the size of frames and only used one support to connect the frames. The result turned out the way I was expecting it to be. The draping panels turned to a roof. In this model, I added planks for people to walk on. In order to continue my thoughts of taking risks, I only included one column to support the planks. The various height and width also added a sense of danger to the path. The sun shadow pattern various due to the time of day.
A Spatial Journey Leading to a Place of Wonder
Top View
Right View
Front View
Going into week seven, we were starting to investigate the various relationships between different parts of our designs through studying the kit of parts. From drafting out the different pieces of our designs, we were able to see the geometric relationships between the parts and able to incorporate the shapes in more meaningful manners. In addition to kit of parts, we were also drawing the different views of our structure in order to see the linear relationships between spaces. Other than continuing our designs for the walls, we were also developing story boards based on our narratives. By developing story boards, we put ourselves in the audiences’ point of view when they first saw the structures. We could also express the feelings that we wanted the audiences to evoke when they approach the structures.
Iteration 5 For the fifth iteration of my design, I went back to use simple materials and built another rough model. After getting feedbacks from class, I learned that I have to improve my way of putting the entry way and roofing to my design. This rough model showed simple relationships between the roof and the body of my structure. The roof is almost like the side panels, except the small slits in between the panels. There were only two simple parts to this design. The roof piece and the side piece. The left and right side panels were sharing the same shape but slipped on the axis. I wanted to use repetitive parts for my design. I made the roof at two different heights to make the design more interesting.
Story board 1
What a sunny day! I should go up the roof and breath some fresh air.
I walk up the stairs and reach the roof level. I am glad that there is a park next to my apartment building.
What was that colorful structure in the park? I have never seen it before. I better go check it out.
The park is just around the corner. Let me jog to the park and get some exercises done.
The waterfall and the walls are blocking the view of the colorful structure. I need to walk around them.
There it is. It looks like a xylophone to me. What is it use for? It will be cool if I can play with it.
Let me take a closer look. The windows are transparent with tinted colors. I am able to see through the panels.
As I walk around the structure, I am noticing the roof of this structure looks like the monkey bars in the playgrounds.
The two ends of this sets of walls have ladders. So the roof is in fact monkey bars. It is safe to play with?
Forget about it the risk. I am going to try it. So I step on the ladder and realize the danger. It is higher than I thought.
OMG. My arms are hurting. Maybe I should just walk under it next time.
Even though it is a lot of effort to go from one end to the other, but isn’t life just the same?
Reflection: I tried using Google SketchUp to build my latest design and developed a story board based on my narratives. I went back to linear relationships between my walls which I should have not done. In my next generation of model, I would go back to more dynamic designs.
Enhancing the evoked experiences within A Spatial Journey Leading to a Place of Wonder
Story board 2
What a sunny day! I should go up the roof and breath some fresh air.
I walk up the stairs and reach the roof level. I am glad that there is a park next to my apartment building.
It is so great to have a park next to my apartment building. Oh, what was that new structure in the park? I have never seen it before. I better go check it out.
It is a quiet day. The park is just around the corner. Let me jog to the park and get some exercises done.
The waterfall and the walls are blocking the view of the colorful structure. I need to walk around them.
There it is. It seems to have two stories. There is a girl chilling on the bench on the second floor. Is it a monkey bar? I have not climbed one for a long time.
Let me walk around and see what is on the other side. These glass panels look very dangerous. I hope they won’t break.
I want to check out the second floor first.
So tired jogging over here and climb all the stairs. I better sit down and take some rest. And I can see my apartment building through the windows.
Enough rest. Before I go down to the ground floor, let me say hi to her first. Hi! Enjoy the sunny day.
Am I too old to play with a monkey bar? What if I fall? Never mind, I will try it. It is not that high anyways.
Oh my god. My arms are hurting. Maybe I should just walk under it next time‌Or just do more exercise.
Finally! Even though it is a lot of effort to go from one end to the other, but isn’t life just the same?
I feel like a kid all over again. Maybe I should come down and play more.
I better go back.
Reflection: For this iteration of my structure, I drew a more complex and dynamic design which includes roofs and elevation. I have successfully added more spaces to my structure. It has two levels. For the first level, I added a monkey bar to continue my idea of taking risk. For the second level, it was more calming and relaxing feeling. The dynamic roof contradicted the rectilinear designs of the windows and the surrounding walls. I imported the walls and the apartment building from 3D Warehouse. By putting my structure into a meaningful context, I learned that my design could be improve if I could find more meaningful relationships between my design and things around it.
Final DESIGN
Reflection: The final design of my walls were quite different from where I started from. The xylophone shape walls were gone. However, I was able to incorporate the rectilinear windows into my final design. Between my final design and the previous iteration, I have added two sets of walls in between the apartment building and the park. Those two sets of walls created a frame for my main structure. People could see the structure through the rectangle openings. Each of those walls shared the same geometry with the component next to them. The repetition of shapes created unity and the various of size created hierarchical order.
Final project Going into the second half of this semester, we were going to be divided into groups and build a true scale model as a group. Before we do that, we have to start gathering our ideas. The first subassignment of our final project was to create a rough model using either folding, forming, sectioning, tessellation, or tensioning technique. We could also use architectural metaphor or rendering nature provocations to work with our model too. For my first iteration of this model, I chose sectioning technique, which means a series of profiles whose edges follow the lines of surface geometry are assembled as serialize and parallel sections to produce both surface and structure.
James Brittain
Courtesy 5468796 Architecture
By going through the examples Professor Lum provided, I found the Old Market Square Stage designed by 5468796 Architecture fascinating and inspiring. The exterior walls of this structure were composed by 20,000 identical extruded aluminum cubes. The small cubes on these walls resonate the overall shape of this cubic stage. The mesh walls created a mysterious feel from both inside and outside. Wonderment was evoke when I first see this structure. In additional to the Old Market Square Stage, I was also inspired by a craft that I made (from Pinterest) before. The second picture on the left was the image of this craft. The similarity between the two projects were the cubic shape. For my first iteration of the model, I would like to integrate some of the ideas from these two projects.
Iteration 1 Insight and Approach: The overall idea that I have for this project was to escape from linear surfaces that I was familiar with by working with my other models. I was trying to carry my idea of evoking wonderment from the slits from my wall projects. To start, I would like to use mesh to do that. I used popsicle sticks to create stairs for this model. The audience would be able to sit on the stairs or go into the structure from the opening in the front. The three surfaces of the pyramid were curved to create more dynamic design. There are four spaces that I created using the three surfaces plus one more under the top piece.
Reflection: The overall look for my model did not look exactly the way I wanted it to look. One of the surface was not curved properly. I would need to elevate my craft further for the next models. The shadow pattern of this model was working correctly which I was very happy about it.