Architecture Design Studio 1 is a module that introduces architectural design. The aim of this module is for students to express individual self expression and body to present and explore design. Throughout this module, students will be able to generate design concepts through the process of exploring different kind of sources and abstracting ideas
Project 1
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| The phase which is the grid design |
In Project 1, we are required to identify and themes or ideas of "self" and do a interpretative piece of it. I did a sculpture that represents me. The sculpture has 3 phases. The first phase is in a grid design. It symbolizes I am an organized person. The second phase shows the part of me where I have bad-tempered. The red triangle symbolizes fire and anger. The third phase shows that I am imaginative and creative. I stuck it randomly which symbolizes imagination can be anything in different ways.
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| The phase that shows I have bad-tempered |
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| The third phase that shows that I am creative |
Throughout this project, I have identified and abstracted "myself". Now, I know more about my characteristics and personalities. Also,through the process of translation and interpretation based on what I have abstracted and redefined, I learned how to construct a representational piece of art that best represents me. Although I encountered some problems of translating my personalities into an artwork at first, I used different kind of approaches to design thinking and production.
Project 2
After gone through the whole identifying "self" in Project 1, we were grouped in a number a three in Project 2. My group mates for this project were Er Hao and Jean. In this project, we were required to expand the interpretation of self and how this is to be expressed spatially by creating a 1:1 installation. My group mates and I brainstormed together and we ended up picking each of our personalities and transform it into a space. Then, we started to explore the notion of scale and proportion. In the end, we came out with a semi-covered octagonal spherical shell.
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| The front view of O3 |
O3 is the name of the installation created as it is defined by 3 quarters of an octagonal plan. 3 main emotions can be perceived within the structures interior space. The sheltered space offers a sense of security and reservation while the spikes that can we observed from the inside evokes a sense of boldness. The space is suitable for musing which is a universal act. Lastly, O3 ceilings feature an occulus, allowing one to look upon the vertex that is formed out of triangles which symbolises the unity of 3 persons in creating O3.
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| The side view of O3 |
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| Me sitting inside O3 which is a metre tall |
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| A3 size presentation panel for this 1:1 installation |
After completing this project, I feel that I have further developed my ability to create a conceptual narrative. I have applied the basic design principles, like geometry, repetition and hierarchy into space and form. I was aware of the importance of human scale and proportion while creating the installation. Besides that, the exploration of human anthropometry and relating it into space was very interesting although was not easy. Thus, I understood how does body inform space and how does space inform the body throughout this project.
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| An exercise we did before Project 3: Designing a space |
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| Mock up model |
Project 3
In Project 3, we are required to design a hideout space by engaging it to the walls of an imagined city on an empty abandoned plot. There are 3 tasks for this project. For task 1, we need to understand the site on the selected films and look for inspiration for the character and hideout that we are gonna create. In task 1, I was teamed with another 5 members, who were Xuan Ning, Er Hao, Victor and Jean. The movie that we picked was Tron: Legacy. We built the site model of it where there were 2 buildings and an alley between it .
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| Our site model--Tron: Legacy |
In the second task, we were required to create a character and a narrative for the movie. The character I created was basically the main character's younger brother who I named him Daniel Flynn. Daniel hates his father a lot since he was little as his father abandoned them and went to the grid. He got jealous of his brother, Sam as Sam is the primary shareholder of the company and he got nothing. One day, he found out about the "The Grid" that his dad created and he started to plan his revenge by helping CLU (a hologram that his dad created) to impose the system to the real world. So, Daniel's characteristics are lack of love, get jealous easily, stingy, secretive and lonely.
In the third task, we need to design a hideout space for the character we created in the alley of our site model based on key themes of conceptual development, scale and proportion (anthropometry) and basic design principles in spatial organizations and relationship. We also need to choose and apply the appropriate materials that can best relate and inform the sensory experience of space. The hideout that i created is basically a cube which is pixelated to symbolize Daniel helping CLU to impose the system to the real world. The exterior of the hideout looks strong and solid but the interior is empty to show that Daniel looks strong from the outside but inner part of him is very lonely and quiet. There are 2 floors in this hideout. The first floor shows Daniel's personalities as a lonely person and the ground floor is for him to plan his revenge. The staircase from the first floor to the ground floor is to represent how depress his life is.
3D Model
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| Presentation Board 1 |
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| Exterior view of my model |
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| Interior of my model |
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| Mock up to Final Model |
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| My model in the site model |
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| Me and my presentation boards |
After completing this project within 7 weeks, I learned how to design a space that can best represent an idea or conceptual narrative. I have also used the design principles and elements, like transformation of form, repetition, rhythm, hierarchy and more in my design. Also, I learned to explore and apply different variation of materials to enhance the sensory experience of my space. And most importantly, I learned how to distinguish the role of scale and proportion in the relationship between designed space and human body.
Below is the Sketch Journal I did for this entire semester. Hope you enjoy it.
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