Workshop 5 - Drawings

Workshop 5 - Final Model

After we brought back our model to our workshop in week 3, we discovered that in my partner's part, the model strictly followed the givin boundary and windows were also developed in his model, however, in my part of model, the rectangular columns were built shortly and no windows on top. But something miraculous just happened when Haris tried to put our models together: one of my columns cover my partner's one perfectly, and another bit of my column can just fit inside my partner's one without obstructing the windows built by my partner. I thought that if I had built my model a bit higher or made windows from my columns, it just might not fit that well. I was really pleased by the product and I just shout out "Wow!!!!!" while I was having my tutorial.

After that we tried to make the model to stand on 4 sides so that the model would have different shadows on each side giving different architectural spaces.

The final model with different angle of shadowing is shown below:

I was really pleased with the final model we had made.

Workshop 5 - Draft Model

During the first week experience of the site, we concluded three main words to describe it: trapped, chimneys and shadows. In order to convey these, we discussed and drew out a few drawings on it. After that we started to build out our models. The model shown below is my combination of all my designs:

From this side of model you can see the walls are cut with  various sizes of triangles. Some of those are cut through and some just been teared the top layer, leaving only the white part of the board. You can also see on the opposite side the random polygons forms a square border of that side. This cutting is used to have different light shining on the chimneys and hence have different shadows at any angle we put.

The middle part are cut with rectangles in various sizes and some of those are built with rectangular columns to represent the chimneys and some just left as a hole to show different depths of the model.

This is just another way of placing the model giving you another view of the shadows.

In my original design, the empty space is topped with an acetate so that the box is closed but it is transparent on one side. It is like the situation of the site, with sky on top, random geometry on one side, strict structure on the other side and chimneys all around us. But because of lack of time management, I didn't finish the top layer of me model.

However, the model is considered as a "failure" on nearly all of six sides, as five of those sides are just 2-D design, giving no architectural spaces from the workshop requirement.

After the discussion with Haris and Meeray, we gained some ideas of how we should construct our new models: develop the chimney side of our model into greater depth, maybe some of the columns could extend on the other side and windows might be cut on the chimneys to give more views of the model.

We started our design by measuring the golden ratio, we firstly cut out a 20×20 board and drew the golden ratio on top, then by following the patterns, we could draw the corresponding rectangles on top. After we cut the holes on one of the board, we just place the first board on the second to find out the position of each of the rectangles. Then my partner and I take one board each to home for further development.

Workshop 6 - Submission 3

In the submission 3, we need to design a Roman bath houses translating "the issues, constraints and opportunities" from the typical Roman Bath Design.

My idea is to keep the areas which were mentioned in the Roman Bath House and combining with my concept "back to the nature" to create a new design of bath house aims to provide high class of comfort to the customers.

The following are my vignettes:

The bath house is located in an environment surrounds by plants and botanies. From this vignette, you can see a lot of trees and grass near the house. The house design is similar to the Water Cube but the actual design of the house is a rectangular shape with two bits going out like "[", you will see the back of the building in following vignettes. The use of glass wall can let people to enjoy the sunshine as well as the rain emphasising the theme that they're moving back to the nature.

There is an autometic door for access, and you can see the receptionlist standing at the front and smiling, the person standing on the left is responsible for valuables storage. The door located on the right hand side will give access to the changing room as well as the showering. I placed two Roman columns inside just to stress the Roman bath house and the plants are placed at the reception to make you feel closer to the nature.

After entering the door, you will see the above. The lockers and benches on the right are for changing clothes and clothes storage. The mirror section are for hair drying and beautiful design.

Then I turn left and I will see the view on top: the towers are placed on the wooden deck, the toilet and the shower room at the back, the hand washing area and the hair drying area on the right.

Then I turn into the path between hand washing section and hair drying section.

 I turned around the corner and I will see a steam room with glass walls (so that you can see if any people faint inside) and a sauna room with wooden walls.

 Turn around the corner again, then I can see a whole lot of shower rooms locating on both sides of the path.

 I then  go out from the door and I can see a open-air resting place.

 I enter the door which is closer to me and there is an in-door resting room with sofa and a waiter serving food and drink.

 I then turn right and go to the other side.

 I leave from the door and I will see a hot water bath surrounding by grass and trees. I located the bath outside so that people can breath the fresh air from the botany and to emphasise the concept of "back to nature"

The irregular one is for warm water bath and the circular bath is under the glass supportted by four Roman columns.

Reflection:
I thought my design is good, but because I spent too much time on designing the actual building and drawing drafts, it made my actual drawing a bit rough, so I got the lowest mark amoung the three submission. I'm still really happy with my design though.

Workshop 6 - Submission 2

The second submission required us to storyboarding the architectural spaces of a selected building in UNSW, and the one I selected was John Niland Scientia.

Through our vignettes, we need to illustrate the architectural intent, the space and the materiality etc. As the glass wall structure of the building is really attractive and outstanding through out the buildings, I tried three methods to show the transparency of the building:

The first one is using pencil drawing with lines, the second one the pen drawing with lines and the third one is using pencil drawing but in tones. After this I found the best method to emphasise the clearence and the transparency of the building is using pen drawing with lines, so the drawing is given below:

Sequence:

                    1           2             3

                    4           5             6

                    7           8             9

1.Firstly, I stood on the grass locating at the front of the Scientia and enjoyed this wonderful, special design.
2.Then I climbed up the stairs the walked closer to the Scientia, the Scientia at this location to me is huge and impressive.
3.I walked closer and closer until I saw the two automatic glass door for accessing the building.
4.I then chose the door on the left hand side and entered it.
5.Then I saw the stairs on my left hand side and I climbed up the stairs and enjoyed the view to the outside uni area.
6.I climbed up by approx 2 levels and I saw another glass made automatic door.
7.I turned right and saw the carpet and the supporting beam of the structure.
8.As I walked closer to the beam, I can see so many shadows of the supporting beam, which is amazing. Because of the glass made transparent ceiling, the light can shine in and give this beautiful shadows as shown.
9.I look further up and I can see lines and beams, and through gaps between lines, I can clearly see the cloud and the blue sky.

So the words to describe my journey are "shiny" and "transparent".

Reflection:
I do really appreciate the final product of my drawing, it looks clear and consistant, and the relationship between each vignette is also clearly shown. But as the drawing are full of straight lines to show the clearence of the building, I need to use the ruler to make each line straight, which lower down my efficiency a lot.

Workshop 6 - Submission 1

Workshop 6 required us "from narrating an individual personal experience to studying an existing project and finally exploring and communicating ideas and the 'story' of your own current project".

So the exercise we needed to do in week 1 was "storyboarding a personal experience within specific interior spaces" and the building I chose was the chemical engineering building in UNSW, as I usually have lunch inside. The drawings are shown below:

Sequence:        1        2         3

                       4        5         6

                       7        8         9

1. I entered the door of the building from the carpark, then I walked in
2. The first thing I saw on the left was the mirror, the sink and the cabinet, that is the place where I usually sit and enjoy lunch
3. I ignored the dining room on the left and keep walking, then I can see the surrounding was almost dark with a bright rectangle at the front, that is the door for access
4. I kept walking and looked at a dusky place then I discovered the stairs to access both up and down the building
5. I ignored the stairs again and kept walking until I found another way on my left, which is open onto a laboratory
6. So I continued my way of walking, and finally I went through the door and find a path on my right leading to the other side of the building, also the glass walls showing the lower level of the building.
7. I looked at the 10 o'clock direction and I saw the stairs giving upward access
8. I looked further left and I saw another door which I can leave the building through
9. But I ignored all of those ways of access and leave from the front door, then I looked back and I can see the "Chemical Science" sign locating on the wall.

The vignette showed my experience of moving from a bright place into dusky place, and finally moving out under the Sun.

Reflection on my Drawing:

• Things need to improve:

1. There is lack of connection within each of the vignette, so it is really hard for one to understand the whole experience without explaination
2. The drawings are mainly drew with pencil, so the final product might be a bit murky to look at

• Things need to keep:

1. Find the perspective points before drawing
2. Do the drawing with a ruler to keep the lines straight

Workshop 3- Submission 3

The final submission required us to reflect on the exercises done so far and our experience of the workshop. Then a word would be selected from the following: Freedom, (De)construction, Healing, Transformation, Control, Flow and Chaos. An A2 collage would be done based on this word and an A3-extruded model will be done on it. The material for our model is balsa wood only.

The word I chose for submission 3 is Transformation. Transformation in my understanding is a phase of change, and this process occurs smoothly. As I considered in the submission 2, the buildings in the "Body, Space, City" exercise transforms from the historical brick wall structure into the concrete, steel with glass wall structure, and the design style transformed into another stage. Also considering my experience in this workshop, as I proceed my work each week, I felt my concept of modelling is becoming stronger and stronger and my modelling skill is transforming into another stage. So by combining the word "transformation", the "Body, Space, City" exercise and my experience from this workshop, the collage is shown below:

The collage is mainly focusing on the submission 2 and the word transformation. As you can see, the buildings as well as the age of buildings are moving from the perimeter of the A2 board into the centre, looking like a whirlpool. This method was used to emphasise the fluency of the transformation process, and also focusing on the modern design of buildings. I printed the photo in the middle in colour and the other ones using black and white in order to focus on the recent modern view of Sydney.

The model, on the other hand, is mainly focusing on the week 1 process and my experience in the workshop. As you can see below, two curve cuttings are placed in an angle, then small pieces of balsa wood is placed on top, and the balsa wood sticks come out from the joint to the outside, and extend to the sky.

The curves of the outside structure stress the fluency of the transformation process, the position it is placed is to convey my experience of gaining knowledge of model making, the small pieces of balsa wood relates to the week 1 process as well as the idea that transformation is formed by pieces of processes, and the balsa sticks act as a symbol of nerve in our brain and is extending to the outside of the world. This model reflects  my experience of gaining more and more knowledge of model making and indicates my model making skills will move into another stage. This is not only works for me, but also to other things giving them larger possibilities.

After my speaking with my tutors, they admited that I had such a strong concept but maybe I can move my model into greater depth. They believed me would do better and better in this field after practising.

Workshop 3- Submission 2

This week's theme is "body, space, city" which required a site visit at the city centre. We then need to find an appropriate aspect of the city in relation to our body and explore the experience in relation to the space and time in our text, collage and model.

When I walked from the Hyde Park  to Circular Quay, I found the buildings located each side of Elizabeith Street had two completly different style: the buildings on the left represent a sense of modern with mainly concrete, steel and glass wall structure; the buildings on the right present the historical view of the city, with mainly Gotic and Romania design and brick wall structure. So the aspect I found was "diversity". The Elizabeith Street acts as the division of the design and history located at each side of the street. This concept is shown in my collage:

I also use yellow filter to take photos of the old building in order to emphasise the sense of diversity.

At the beginning of my model design, I was going to use the Gordon Matta Clark's "Splitting" we learnt from the first submission, so I cut the balsa wood and put it on one side to represent the historical view of the city and the white mount board on the other side to show the modern view of the city, with nothing in between. But as my modelling processing, the tutor came to me and suggested that maybe I can just focus on the "division line" as I already showed the same thing on my collage, then I started to put my two parts standing together but still with different material. After that I tried to develop my model by using acetate on both the walls and the top of the mount board. The idea of modern is stressed through the use of transparent material. Then I cut some balsa wood and made them like people standing next to the structure and the steel wire is acted as the connection between the two. The pieces of paper stripe presents the natural environment of the surroundings.

Although I thought the model looks modern and pretty, however, when the tutors checked my model, they put out the paper stripes and the balsa wood sticks, leaving only the two major pieces and the steel wire. Probably they thought I put too little effort into this submission and I only got P- for this task. But for me, I thought I had improved a lot from the first model, which is a pleasing result.

Workshop 3- Submission 1

In the architecture tutorial in week 2, the tutors provided us a course description sheet with the artists and the architects' name on it and four articles that we needed to follow in the first submission. It required us to do the first submission model in relation to the concept provided from the article and one of architects'/artises' works.

The architects' work that I chose was the Dominus Winery designed by Herzog and de Meuron and the article I selected was "fold".

As the article mentioned "fold...are divided to infinity smaller and smaller folds that always retain a certain cohesion" and the "solid pleats of 'natural geography'", then I combined the technique mentioned in the article with the actual architecture to try  to rebuild the structure. The small pieces of white mount board was used to show the small folds and as the actual structure is formed by stones, the small pieces also represent the natural geography of rock.

 

Reflection:

Although the model looks really simple-walls with small pieces sticking on it, but the actual time spend on it was quite long: it took me approximate 4 hours to finish the whole model. I had to admit that this model is such an inefficient and ineffective design, which showed neither relationship to the concept given nor creativity of myself. From the failure, I realised that the model we needed to do in this workshop was not a real life architecure, but a conceptual model to show our ideas.