Portfolio+2015

YEN PANG CHOU APPLICATION PORTFOLIO 2015 DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

TABLE OF CONTENT 1

Hand Sketch Series

3

Bus Sketch Series

5

Charcoal Series

11

Shadow Study

13

Mobile Structure – Collapsible Origami

17

Mobile Structure – Spiral Model

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Brief Bio

Hand Sketch Series, 2015 Graphite on sketching paper, 5.5 in Ă— 8.5 in.

The hand is a flexible part of our body, comprised of multiple joints and curves. In an attempt to understand its complexity, a drawing exercise was quickly conducted over the course of a few days. In this process, various techniques were explored; among them included changing the perspectives, utilizing reflections, and drawing the hand that is holding the pencil.

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Bus Sketch Series, 2014-15 Ink on sketching paper, 5.5 in × 8.5 in.

Typically, the artist is comfortably situated throughout a sketching exercise. However, what if the environment we sketch from is one that is neither stable nor comfortable? Given the conditions, how does that contribute to the end products?

In order to explore this question, an hour was spent every day on the bus for sketching. As the season changed, so did the people’s behavior, clothing, and body language. It is through these observations – coupled with the changing lighting conditions, shaky seating, and unpredictable duration of someone’s stay – that helped to characterize this set of artwork.

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Charcoal Series, 2014-15 Charcoal on a variety of papers

In this series, the versatility of charcoal was explored in two ways: drawing method and reductive method. The drawing method basically involves using the charcoal like a pencil. Conversely, the reductive method involved rubbing sanded charcoal powder onto the paper and then using charcoal and erasers as the “drawing tools�.

While the first method is good for executing rapid sketches, the second helped to create works that are much more naturalistic in appearance. While this lends the latter method an advantage in drawing still life, its limitation is explored in the last drawing, which involves applying realistic appearances to a fantasy landscape.

Still Life (exercise), 2014, Charcoal on Newsprint (drawing method), 24 in Ă— 18 in.

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Kitchen Objects, 2014, Charcoal on Newsprint (drawing method), 24 in Ă— 18 in.

Still Life, 2014, Charcoal on Mayfair paper (reductive method), 26 in Ă— 20 in

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Accident, 2015, Charcoal on Mayfair paper (reductive method), 26 in Ă— 20 in

Bedside, 2014, Charcoal on Mayfair paper (reductive method), 26 in Ă— 20 in

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Taipei Collage, 2014, Charcoal on Mayfair paper (reductive method), 26 in Ă— 20 in

Original drawing

For this drawing, charcoal was used to update a previous collage.

However, the new collage is significantly different than originally anticipated. In the pre-updated collage, the city is depicted as a bright and vibrant place. Conversely, the city depicted in the newer version is much darker and alienating, where the realism from the reductive method contributed to its new atmosphere.

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Shadow Study, 2014 Wood and white foam board

This study attempts to explore how different shading devices can result in different shadow patterns. In this process, four wood shutters models were made, each with a different shutter arrangement, and taken outside on an early afternoon to have their shadows examined under the sun.

In the process, seeing how the contrast – of bright lines and dark shadows – changed over time became the most significant observation.

Out of all the models, the yellow model casted the most interesting pattern, as it closely resembles a shaded cylinder.

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Below: Observation of the shadow’s pattern throughout the afternoon. The left picture was take around 1pm, while the one to its right was taken around 3pm.

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Mobile Structure – Collapsible Origami, 2014

In this two-part study, the concept of mobility and its applicability to inert objects is explored. Furthermore, the study also examines how by defining a concept in different ways can influence the design process and therefore result.

For this first section, an object’s mobility is defined by how easy it is for it to be stored and transported. In order to achieve this, the principle of isometry was applied to origami to produce collapsible forms. The capacity for an object to easily change between 2D and 3D is what helps to satisfy the criteria.

The principle of isometry basically involves taking a single module and applying one of the four “movements” to it: translation, reflection, rotation, and glide-reflection. By replicating a module using different isometries, it leads to the production of a much larger geometric shape.

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Rotation

Module

Result

Right: Collapsible Origami 1 Isometry of Rotation applied to a simple module (see above). Printing paper, 8.5 in Ă— 8.5 in. The peak of each fold can be pressed down, causing the entire shape to invert.

This leads to a completely unexpected form.

Opposite Page: Collapsible Origami 2 Isometry of Translation applied to V-shaped module. Printing paper, 8.5 in Ă— 8.5 in

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Right: Collapsible Origami 3 Isometry of glide-reflection applied to an X-shaped module (see opposite page)).

Printing paper, 15 in Ă— 15 in. The resulting model is highly flexible and can remain stable in various forms.

Opposite Page: Although large when spread out, this form can be collapsed to a much smaller size making it relatively easy to store.

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Glide Reflection

Module

Result

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Mobile Structure – Spiral Models, 2014

In this second part of this study, mobility is defined the extent to which an object can be physically moved. Through this definition, the process began by looking at the basic shapes of circles, cylinders, and spheres. In Mathematics, a circle is basically a polygon with infinite sides. By deconstructing this notion, one would discover a way to recreate the same shapes with a different approach.

To begin with, multiple craft sticks were overlaid in a way that made in a unique, loop-like frame. In turn, this helps multiple frames to “interlock” when placed on top of each other. By making and gluing together multiple frames, a larger, cylindrical spiral is created. While the frame can be any polygon, it turns out the resulting form will always resemble the inherent shape of a cylinder. As a result, this allows any model to become physically movable when placed on their sides.

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Process

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Details

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Brief Bio

I see architecture as a practice where one is engaged in a process of constant learning. Whether it is by doing, reading or exploring, the amount of materials out there is infinite. From the technical to the artistic, the wide variety of topics in architecture encourages me to enrich my knowledge constantly. Having established an extensive background in the sciences, the arts, and community design, I look forward to applying them all in the near future.

Self Portrait, 2013. Pencil on sketching paper, 8.5 in Ă— 11 in.

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YEN PANG CHOU APPLICATION PORTFOLIO 2015 DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE