ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO 2 [ARC 1126]
- Lecturer: Cheah Khai Kid
- PROJECT 1 | FAMOUS PEOPLE, FAMILIAR FACES, DIAGRAMMATIC ABSTRACTION
- This is the first project of design studio 2 in semester 2, which is a group work of a total of 5 members. My group members are Hiew Yen Nee, Tan Heng Yee, Carmen Leong, Lieu Hui En and me. This assignment required us to choose a famous architect and study about his work. After that, we have to experience and to explore how spaces are created from the architectural compositions of solids, planes, lines and frames. The architect that we have chosen to further study on is architect Kisho Kurokawa and the building that we chose as a case study is the Maggie's Centre.
Maggie's Centre
Kisho Kurokawa's Sketch
This project has been divided into three small parts. The first part is to do a five minutes video of the introduction of Kisho Kurokawa and his works and design principles. In this video, we have mentioned about the biography of Kisho Kurokawa and also some of his famous projects like Capsule Tower in Japan and Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
This is the video we produced.
For the second part, we have to produce a series of technical drawings of Maggie's Centre designed by Kisho Kurokawa. The drawings includes floor plans, elevations, sections and site plan.
As for the last part, we were asked to do five conceptual models with the scale of 6x6x6cm. These five conceptual models should be precise and informative in order to express the analysis of the ideas and principles hidden in this building. At the beginning, our tutor required us to do 15 conceptual models of it. After we had shown our finished models on our small presentation, we received some of the comments from our tutor and some of our course mates comment that our models are too direct, not scientific and not abstract enough. So, we worked hard on it and finally we came out with our five final conceptual models.
Structure
Repetition and Unit to Whole
Whirlpool Concept
Hierarchy
Natural Lighting
During Final Presentation.
Group Photo after final presentation.
The final result of this assignment is indeed important, but what I think is the most important thing for this assignment is " The Process ". I also realised that team work and communication between teammates are very important. I'm really glad and wanted to give a great thanks to my group mates and I'm really happy and appreciate during the process of completing this assignment.
PROJECT 2 A | BAY WATCH
This project is also a group project of two members, Hiew Yen Nee as my group mate. Before we start to proceed this project, we went to a site visit to Pantai Kerachut in Penang. The purpose that we went for this site visit is to do an analysis of the site and to design and build a watch tower at the limited site as our next project. Besides Pantai Kerachut, we also took a visit to the Botanical Garden. We were asked to take some pictures that inspired us and from the pictures, we had to choose four best pictures that inspired us the most.
These are the four photos that inspired me.
Growth of stems in different directions
texture of the lily pad
Strength of stem to support leaves
Natural staircase
After that, we have to extract the ideas from these four pictures that inspired us and produce a series of conceptual models just like what we've done from the first project.
These are my conceptual models.
In this project, we were required to build a watch tower with a volume of 3x3x3m. This tower has to be designed for a particular character with the purpose of using it. Through the discussions with my team mate and tutor, Mr Caleb, we had eventually decided to design a viewing deck for a photographer as our character. First, we made five working models which shared the same idea which was to provide different views, different angles and a variation of height and posture for the photographer to take a good pictures on the lake from the tower.
These are some pictures of our working models.
Next, we started to proceed our final tower model.
This tower is built on the lake. The whole concept of this design is to provide different viewing positions, angles and height for the photographer to take nice masterpiece photos. In order to capture a good angle and view, this tower provides five prone position tripods for the photographer to take pictures in a prone positions. This tower also provided the photographer a good view in capturing the picture of the sunrise and sunset at the top most of the tower. The material used in this tower is timber as timber is a natural material. So this makes the tower more adapt to the nature environment by its texture and colours. Glass also used as glass allows more penetration of natural sunlight to illuminate the interior of the tower.
Through this project, I had learnt how to explore user specific requirement into a spatial planning and how the site correspond to our building which I think these will help me a lot for my upcoming projects. Other than that, I also learnt the importance of the surrounding of a site which will directly affect a building in term of its climate, soil condition and the user.
Through this project, I had learnt how to explore user specific requirement into a spatial planning and how the site correspond to our building which I think these will help me a lot for my upcoming projects. Other than that, I also learnt the importance of the surrounding of a site which will directly affect a building in term of its climate, soil condition and the user.
PROJECT 2 B |PANTAI KERACHUT RETREAT
This is our final project,we were required to design a retreat house for the user. We have to ensure ourselves that we achieve these criterias - Clarity of design concept/idea and translation into design, appropriateness of form and space to design idea and function, response to anthropometry, scale and proportion, level of craft of architectural presentation & models.
This project is similar to the previous project I've done which is also required us to design and build a retreat house up to a space of 150 square meter for a forest ranger in Pantai Kerachut. First, we are asked to explore two case study and learnt from them by doing some sketches and drawings. From the case studies, I modified out my own spaces by drawing it out some bubble diagrams and plans.
After some of the discussions with my tutor, he suggested me to do a massing model and play around the space of it. By doing that, I learnt that the spaces in a house were not needed to be so compact together. We can make some separation to the spaces by using walls and other elements which will make the building looks more unique and mysterious.
After receiving the comments from my tutor, he told me that I still need a lot of improvement in it. Honestly, I was very blur about this as I couldn't get actually what my tutor wants and I was stuck in my design. My tutor who was sympathetic enough and helped me to modified my design during our discussion which made my design more interesting and unique.
These are some photos of my final design.
