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20101208

Read over the break! (+ visit + watch films & documentaries + draw + explore + meet etc.)

But for now, reading recommendations:

architects:
Gordon Cullen, The Concise Townscape (1995)
Peter Eisenman, Diagram DiariesEisenman Inside Out: Selected Writings 1963-1988
A. Peter Fawcett, Architecture Design Notebook (2003)

Buckminster Fuller: An Auto-Biographical Monologue/Scenario, Robert Snyder (1980)

Rem Koolhaas, Delirious New York, A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan (1978)

Gordon Matta-Clark, edited by Corinne Diserens, survey by Thomas Crow - London: Phaidon (2003) 
Frei Otto: complete works : lightweight construction, natural design / Winfried Nerdinger 
Birkhauser, 2005
Bernard Tschumi, Architecture and Disjunctions: Collected Essays 1975-1990The Manhattan Transcripts
Various, Dictionary of Design and Designers (2003)
Robert Venturi, Learning from Las Vegas (with Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour)Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture
Rendow Yee, Architectural Drawing: A visual compendium of types and methods (2007)


theorists and art/architecture historians:
Architectures experimentales, 1950-2000: collection du FRAC Centre / coordination generale, Marie-Ange Brayer -Orleans: Hyx, 2003 
Reyner Banham, Theory and Design in the First Machine Age (1960); Design by Choice (1982); A Critic Writes (1999)
Beatriz Colomina ed., Sexuality and Space (1992) 
Colin Davies, High-tech architecture, (1988) 
Mike Davis, Beyond Blade Runner: Urban Control, The Ecology of Fear (1992), Planet of Slums: Urban Involution and the Informal Working Class (2006), Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster (2000)
Robert Evans, The Projective Cast (2000)
EH Gombrich, The Uses of Images. Studies in the Social Function of Art and Visual Communication (1997)
Nikolaus Pevsner, The Sources of Modern Architecture and Design (1960)
Simon Sadler , Situationist city
Susan Sontag, On Photography (1977)
Various, Art in Theory 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas (2002)
Anthony Vidler, Warped Space (2000)
Paul Virilio, Open Sky (1997)
Tom Wolfe, From our House to Bauhaus (1981)


philosophers:
Gaston Bachelard, Poetics of Space (1958)
Roland Barthes, The Fashion System (1967); Camera Lucida (1981), Empire of signs (1982) 
John Berger, Ways of Seeing (1972)
Henri Bergson, Creative Evolution (1910), Matter and Memory (1911)
Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle (1967)
Manuel de Landa


fiction writers:
Jorge Luis Borges, Fictions (and others)
Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves (2000)
Georges Perec, Species of Spaces (1974)
Junichiro Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows (1993)



scientists:
Katherine Harmon, Personal Maps and Other Maps of the Imagination (2003)
Edward Tufte, Envisaging Information (1990)


film-makers and photographers:
Robert Elwall, Building with light: international history of architectural photography - London: Merrell 
Fancois Truffaut, A Definitive Study of Hitchcock (1986)
Andreas Gursky: photographs from 1984 to the present / edited by Marie Luise Syring - Art Data, 1998 

Instant Light Tarkovsky Polaroids





20101204

de-briefing

Thank you for yesterday's presentation and for your work in general this semester.

I would like to meet with you one last time this next week, to talk about the review, in general and sometimes individually if necessary. I also would like to give you some recommendations for the break.

Could we meet on Wednesday afternoon, say at 2 or 3 pm, or later in the evening?
We do not need to meet in school, we could go to a cafe near-by.

Please let me know what works best for you.

20101202

FINAL REVIEW TOMORROW

Please be in the gallery tomorrow at 8.30 am in order to set up your presentations.
We will start with Ong, followed by Cherry.
The complete order will be given to you later.

As usual, all have to attend all presentations.


Make sure you have everything printed by this evening, and the layout on the wall worked out.
All drawings should be labelled and your overall visual presentation (including how you will show your models) should convey the consistency of your thinking and working processes.

Prepare your oral presentation thoroughly, you will have 5 minutes to explain your project, from analysis, through researches and development, to final proposition.

Rest tonight.



Good luck! Looking forward to tomorrow!!



20101201

Model making problem

I have some problem about my model
some detail such as glass brick and translucent material can't added in 1:100 model
- Glass brick is to small for 1:100 then I order 1 x 1 cm acrylic to create the facade
- Acrylic can,t be curve to create translucent wall.
Can i create 1:100 complete mass model by using cardboard and create another one section model to show detail of facade and translucent in bigger scale?

final model







on precess...



20101129

while you are working...

Listen to the AA lectures series!!

Especially this one about RENDERINGS:
Rendering Speculations Symposium:
Marjan Colletti, Nigel Coates, Ziah Fogel, Zaha Hadid, Andrew Jones, Lebbeus Woods, coord Ricardo de Ostos & Tobias Klein


Tomorrow we will meet from 2.45 / 3 pm to 6 pm, as we have a faculty meeting at 1pm.

axo in rhino (trick)

Here is a way to obtain an axonometric projection in Rhino.

drawings




ground floor and front elevation here.

I think of section cut and it doesn't benefit anything much because they are pieces
instead of that can I do it like possibility of transforming objects?
I think it can explain more than section cut. or at least i should do as minimum requirement?
And i will do exploded axon tomorrow.

position now
final model > 40% (+straw weaving at 1:1 scale)
plate > 60+%

ps. i can not upload again
i will send them to your email then

i guess it's because of the size A0
it's about 3mb. + at low resolution .jpec

20101127

aj camille i have one question
for the elevation ,top view, and side view
drawings,
do i have to include the drawing of the architecture building?
or just the drawings of the threshold?

last tutorial

Our last tutorial before the final review will be this Tuesday between 1 and 4 pm.
By that time you should have completed your drawings (of course the analysis, researches, concept and process panels as well, + started final model & renderings).

Those drawings have to be of great quality!
Look at the examples i suggested in previous posts.
There are thousands of ways to draw a plan/section/elevation - you can play with photographs, with hand drawings, with 3d models...
Think of the mass you are cutting through (black or grey fill work generally well for the ground, even for the faculty if the details are not relevant to your project).
In a word, work hard on the visual identity/expression of your project!
And have fun!

Design development preview rendered





Progress updated : According to our discussion last times I have fixed the static line to be more organic

20101125

Tutorial

Aj. Camille Are you free after 4 pm ?????

I would like to have a short tutorial with you.

Thank you

Rendering - first part




For this update, I will post my progress in rendering. But it still not complete
This will be the render base on threshold mass.( with no material edit)
Question
How to add context (tree + human scale) in Rhino before render or I must use combination with other 3d program ?? ( Now i use rhino+maxwell studio)

20101124

Rendering










This is an unfolded state with all of the block unfold.

Question!
For the Exhibition part. Should I do the same as lecture room? For my idea I'm thinking that I should leave it open since the wall is at 1.3 meters high, people who walk pass it can see what is inside but the barrier is blocking them to walk straight in. But with the problem of weather effect as you mention last time, I'm not sure.

Second question, Furniture, it's 1/3 of the block which means that each is about 37.5 cm high. In the fold state, should I pack the furniture into the block too? or leave it on the ground and let people interact with it. If I let the people use it then it have to be movable which will mess up the seating place inside the room.

Thank you
Enn

Example of the walls



This wall has large size opening which can be use for furniture.







Exhibition area walls, these walls can be rotate horizontally and vertically.

I made the holes small because I want people to see only a part of the work that exhibited inside,
so this will invited them to go into the space.

I have one more question. Should I close the space between the walls by using glass, because I prefer people to use the entrance on the wall insted ????

Last pin-up plate+updated





20101123

Review minimum requirements

The minimum submission requirements for the review next week are:
- personal site information collection + analysis
- researches and development + references
- ground floor plan with context at 1:100 (+ roof plan if relevant to your project)
- elevation with context at 1:100
- longitudinal section with context at 1:100
- transversal section(s) with context at 1:50
- axonometric or isometric projection (exploded if relevant to your project / scale to be defined individually)
- 4 perspective renderings, each size A3 minimum
- study models
- final model at 1:100 (+section or detail models at 1:50 according to the development of your project)


Again, those are minimum requirements, you are encouraged to produce more if those are mastered and if your project can be better explained through a video, an animation etc.

Friday's tutorial will be dedicated to (re)presentation. Bring scaled drawings (even if not completed yet).
We will not discuss design.

Post your work for questions/answers.
Work hard - it's the last straight line before the arrival (french expression...)!


PS: ideas and inspirations for presentation / renderings / technical drawings:
+ from other architecture schools (look at older posts as well)
+ a threshold project awarded by the RIBA President Medals (read the student statement)


Material for floor

For floor line

from research



1. Rubber (tree production), I think this one is intersting but we can't find them in our faculty but we can recycle them such as from tire or do it for new investmentfor future ( we can cut and re-shape them later)

>"Rubber flooring is made from a rubber tree (mainly we can found in southern thailand) a 100% renewable resource. It is easy to install and maintain, is anti-static and provides effective sound insulation and vibration reduction. Rubber flooring is also resistant to fading and cigarette burns."

How to use this material
> I would like to use them for lining only > thickness about 5 c.m. >>> so it can block each unit and easy to pickup each unit since it's elastic.


so, is this ok to do ?
Thanks

20101120

ton's

for Tuesday

As you know, next week will be the last before the final review.
The review will happen over 2 days, Tuesday 30 and Friday 3.
We will review 3 groups together; guest critics will join the panel.

This last week is supposed to be dedicated to the production of the final drawings and models, and of your entire presentation. /not to design...
For next Tuesday, in addition to the work discussed during tutorial, you will plan your final presentation and present me in detail all documents you will present for the jury. Most of them should already be started by then.
You also should write a short text about your proposal, this will help your oral (and visual) presentation.

Remember that all work produced has to be presented (intelligently), we need to understand your process of working: how you made decisions, the options you rejected, the researches and studies made.

And to conclude, your have to start working ASAP on your renderings, and present them to me on Tuesday.
No sketchup rendering - you can export lines from sketchup but you need to re-work those images with Photoshop, Illustrator or by hand. Site and human figures are a must!
Remember that you can mix media, use collages, photographs, different supports, etc.
- examples recommended by Aj Nilay
- again, the President's Medals Student Awards
- render PDF

Good luck to all!

1st project grades

Some of you asked me for your 1st project grades, here they are:
FA- 89
GRACE- 88
N- 77
CHERRY- 90
AMY- 79
ENN- 87
BEST- 75
SHANE- 73
TON- 76
GOLFE- 88
ONG- 76
PUN- 82
EIAB- 70
GENG- 72

20101117

analysis






review's comments

Students having production problems and who are late:
Ong (critical situation), Eiab (entering very dangerous situation), Enn (extremely late), Cherry, Best, Grace and Ton.

Students having presentation problems:
Eiab (yesterday's presentation was NOT ACCEPTABLE), Amy (yesterday's presentation was NOT ACCEPTABLE), Ong, Enn, Ton and Geng.
Re-work on your presentation according to the comments made yesterday and post on the blog before Friday in order to have a constructive tutorial. (no work done - no tutorial)

All students mentioned above have to produce consistent and continuous efforts until the end of the semester.


To all,
_ You have to produce drawings and print them at a large scale for Friday (+ models at scale 1:50) - I repeat myself for the last time, i will not look at computer screens.

_ Make your personal timetable of the week and a half left until the end of production (all production will stop on Monday 29, the final review will start the following Tuesday 30). Timetable starting yesterday, with documents and models you aim to produce and the necessary time you will spend to produce each one of them.
You need to master time, and not be a victim of it, and one efficient way is to clearly be aware of the amount of time left and to plan it before.

_ The site model is now in a catastrophic state. Complete it and add the vegetation and store it in a proper place before Friday. Think that you can use it for your final presentation, it needs to look good!


I was generally disappointed yesterday by the amount and quality of your work (students mentioned above).
Time to react!

20101113

Review preparation

This Tuesday we will have a second review with Aj, Taylor.
We will see the 2 groups in one afternoon, and therefore will spend 10 minutes maximum per presentation.


The review will be the last before the final one. As time will be short, you have to be extremely well- prepared and strategic about it: how can you guide us to help you?


The purpose of this review is to assess how your design process is going, to guide you and help you move forward.


You are expected to present some of the documents required for the final review:
- researches, references, interpretation of analysis
- plan (extremely important to show the location of your project and its interaction, articulation with the site) / elevation / section at 1:50
- exploded axonometric projection at 1:50
- model(s) at least at scale 1:100
- most importantly, a description through images, sketches and models of your process of design
- renderings
-eventually detailed model at scale 1:50 (if you are at an advanced state)


Work on and present those drawings only if they help showing one or several aspects of your project.
Ask yourself what a plan can show, that an elevation cannot, which aspect of your project can be revealed in section etc.
Drawings produced purely for the sake of fulfilling the requirements, and which do not show a good level of control (of the information displayed) and mastery, are not welcomed!
Again for examples of great and consistent presentations, have a look at the RIBA Medals website.
It is time now to find a name to your project, and to work on its visual/graphic identity.



The order of presentation will be as follows:

Eiab 13.10 - 13.20
_ work on the use of this wooden covering of the façade for the insiders as well (shade/vegetation?/...)
_ variation of the "stripes"(find the appropriate terms to describe your project) size in width, according to dynamics? activities?...
_ hard work on a neat and precise model! + drawings as discussed during tutorial

Grace 13.30 - 13.40
_ you have to interact with the site - use it to your advantage
_ construct and present your architectural alphabet, your language to tell/install the experience
_ what is the experience (in steps?)? what is its purpose? is it flexible?what are the outcomes? loss of control? open to the unexpected?
_ do not restrain your proposal to physical intervention, think about visual and images, motifs and symbols, sounds...
_ techniques of digging / materials / procedures and requirements
_ the experience proposed is not necessarily linear
_ a lot to do!
_ps you will find a lot of projects here if you are interested in underground architecture (this one is quite interesting!)

Enn 13.50 - 14.00
_ time to work seriously!
_ on the system - is it really appropriate to suit your program?
_ you are proposing two new programs, you have to study them and fulfil whatever they require - be more ambitious! RESOLUTION
_ plans/elevations to show where is your project located, how it transforms from one state to another, from one program to another
_ sections to show how those spaces created work inside
_ research on the most appropriate material (lightweight, easy to assemble...)

Geng 14.10 - 14.20
_ process of design according to the sun routes (per day, per year) in plan, show the evolution of design and decision making in several plans
_ sections to show the possible usages of those cylinder-like places you are creating
_ work hard on models
_ elevation to show how your project integrates/plays with the façade behind and to show the activities
_ researches on materials, structural systems
_ references / you can study the Sendai Mediatheque by Toyo Ito / go on Frei Otto's website also to understand structural systems better and for model inspiration / also get more information on the project you use now as a reference, you have a lot to learn from it / a beautifully intriguing shading project by MOS for the PS1: Afterparty / Vasarely Pavilion by Shigeru Ban Architects


Ong 14.30 - 14.40
_ designing architecture is not about producing a big gesture once in a while (especially if you are not talented enough to afford it), it is a process of understanding, addressing questions or problems, discovering, experimenting, learning while making etc.
_ you have a site and a program to deal with - study them
_ you have a material you wish to work with - understand how to

Amy 14.50 - 15.00
_ i would like to see your work in progress!
_ any question?
_ how are the models going?

Cherry 15.10 - 15.20
_ you urgently have to stop producing meaningless work! your layers (of history - memory - and actuality of perception) were interesting, push this forward!
_ it is not about representation but about manipulation(s), about the production of a new meaning
_ the drawings were to be understanding(s) of perception, not architectural technical drawings, no more flat elevation of the façade please!
_ define clearly your proposal for Tuesday

Pun 15.30 - 15.40
_ what is the purpose of the transformation? how does it affect the experience?/changes the usage?/how can the ground state be made interesting - location - sections
_ explain the translation clearly and in details - a classification of the relation between the different degrees of movement of people and the different types of structure/fold is required
_ do renderings of the experience, of the lights, of the dynamism, of the translation (...) inside the structure
_ a lot of study models!
_ exploration/research of possible construction materials and systems
_ please put your work and references on the blog

Ton 15.50 - 16.00
_ choose one program (exhibition?) and build up the mystery, the hints and clues of what is happening inside - this has to be designed!
_ this building up of suspense is a gradual process
_ a maze can be richer than simply made out of walls...
_ work on a section showing how your structures do not block the views and even create interesting/intriguing relations with the façade and the insiders
_ detailed model

Fa 16.10 - 16.20
_ the twin brothers from Starn Studio builds crazy bamboo structures
_ more bamboo references: examples (+scaffolding), generalities and contemporary bamboo architecture (by the way the tower in Moscow was indeed designed by the engineer Shokhov)
_ in parallel to the design of the structure itself, you have to playfully yet seriously design a way of inhabiting this structure as well, according to the different programs you wish it to host + a certain degree of free appropriation of this 3-dimensional territory
_ think about the visual qualities, the layers, the skins
_ reminder: the RAB project by Exyzt

N 16.30 - 16.40
_ do and present your design process as a sculptor would sculpt into a block:
what are the different ways a sculptor can "attack" the matter? how can action relate to a factor and/or a program? what are the qualities of the material chosen (malleable, solid, breaking in parts etc.)?
_ show the process through the different steps
_ be radical with this project, do not modify the ground or any existing features, your project will come entirely from the manipulations of this virtual block
_ research on possible materials

Best 16.50 - 17.00
_ explain in detail the decision-making of what to reflect - criterias
_ then how to reflect - how those reflected elements are transformed and adapted to a new site, another program
_ do not forget that you are outside - this is actually an interesting point in your project
_ creation of new program? list of those activities, sketches and requirements
_ research on structural systems and materials
_ starting now to work on a physical model would help a lot

Golfe 17.10 - 17.20
_ rhino tutorials
_ what are the tension points of your surface? explain how you modify the plane according to the site
_ the work with the recycled materials as to be more than an addition of layers! this is a very important part of your project (understanding each (or several at least) of these materials collected, what can you do with them? references, researches and experimentations are necessary)

Shane 17.30 - 17.40
_ SITE!!! site and program should be the two main guidelines for design decisions - you cannot ignore the site any longer! it will actually help your design a lot
_ we do not expect a final design, but steps towards it:
 make several physical and computer models for different shading strategies
show in plans how you draw the lines of your intervention according to the merge of public and work (private) spaces into the exhibition, and according to the interaction with the site
_ show us different attempts - NOT A FINAL DESIGN
_ what materials will you use? what construction system would be appropriate?
_ go to TCDC to read that book i told you about, ask N who has read it (+ reading list previously posted)


Be ready on time!
Good luck to all!!

20101110

review coming soon...

We will have a review with Aj Laura very soon:
either this Friday
or next Tuesday.
This will be the last before the final one.
You will have to present your proposal and a good stage of development of the project.
I know this is going very fast, nevertheless reviews are meant to help you so make the best use of it - bring as many elements as you can and express your ideas clearly to get as much constructive feedback as possible.
Be prepared!

Rhino tutorial

I will be giving an introductory Rhino tutorial this Thursday at 4pm, room 705.
Those interested should come with their laptops with Rhino installed.

If you have specific requirements according to your project, please let me know in advance.
It will be a good idea to look at the very well-made Help files beforehand.

20101107

Gabriel and Tiago Primo pushing the limit of innovation living;

The bizarre vertical "house"

Title: The bizarre vertical "house"
Author:  Tiago Primo and his brother Gabriel
Date of Completion: 2009
Location:
wall of a building in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil







This project is very interesting in terms of vertical living !

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8144028.stm

20101106

time to produce!

 As you should know, 3 weeks are left for the design of your proposal.
I am therefore asking each one of you to establish a schedule, per week, with the aims you intend to reach.


Everybody has to post his/her work in progress on the blog this week-end. Especially if you did not come for tutorial yesterday.


On Tuesday, i will not look at sketches on a notepad, but at prints and models, at a large scale.
Therefore you should try to get all comments you need from me this week-end, provided you produce some serious work!


If you want to develop your projects with the computer, get Rhino immediately! (or Maya, 3Ds max) (no more sketchup models please... if you know Autocad, rhino will be quite intuitive for you, and i am here to help if you have problems/questions - we can even organize a tutorial if you want)


Also, everyone has to keep encyclopaedia researches going. Choose projects which are in relation with or can help you develop your proposal.


Here is the introductory PDF about rendering i showed a few weeks ago.




FA
For an introduction to Yona Friedman's work, have a look here on the website Megastructure Reloaded.
Maybe have a look at the one square meter house by Didier Faustino, more of a provocation than a solution... but still interesting.
In parallel to your design work, start writing, from what you read and research + the ideas you develop yourself.


AMY
encyclopaedia suggestions: 
-the work of Erwin Hauer
-Giuseppe Penone
-Gordon Matta-Clark (very important!)
In parallel to the design decisions you have to make now (plans, elevations, programs, etc.), start researching the techniques you could use for making the final models of those hollow pieces of space:
moulds? plastic - resin - glass - metal - ceramic
fibreglass?


BEST
Study the Moedbius /House for encyclopaedia, and learn from their design process.
Your really have to make decisions (about what to reflect / how and what constitutes this work process) now, in order to go forward!
You should start by working on a model/plan at the scale of the one you presented for the review, along with the photographs. 


SHANE
-Yokohama Terminal by Foreign Office Architects for encyclopaedia
-Read the theory i sent you about parametric design (go with N to TCDC and read Ali Rahim)
Start making models and drawings to establish your design parameters.
Your idea of turning walls can be understood as the creation of a new façade, a new boundary between inside and outside: much more interesting! How does this boundary evolve during the day/ week/ month / year? is it reacting to the changing sun light? depending on the activity on the strip? etc.
Don't forget that one of your ambitions was to create an interaction between insiders and outsiders, this does not get solved by taking the insiders outside! 


CHERRY
-Lebbeus Woods and Cj Lim (virtual venice) as suggestions for encyclopaedia researches
-references for (mix)media manipulation:
Johan Hybschmann Book of space - also Noriko Ambe 
photographer: Richerd Galpin (read to understand what he is actually doing)
You have to create your own productive logic - through drawings (and possible mix of media).
Write what you understand, what you find interesting in relation to your own approach from what you are hopefully reading.
Merleau Ponty and Bergson are 2 philosophers who developed interesting theories of perception.
More about that soon.


ENN
-encyclopaedia on LOT-EK projects? Erwin Hauer? Architectural Association pavilions? 
+ Look at the work of Cecil Balmond (get the book Informal), especially the Victoria and Albert Museum's tiles?
Finish your site analysis and 
I see 2 main points in the intention behind your project: the programmatic need and a personal interest in a particular system. I believe the combination of those two aspects will be productive of something else.


GOLFE
-encyclopaedia suggestions 
in relation to surface manipulation: City of Culture of Galicia by Peter Eisenman
in relation to paper building Shigeru Ban paper tubes structures
You should get a good understanding of what surface modelling means, of the actors (and terms) involved.
Go through the readings i recommended earlier.
And start as soon as possible working on scale 1:1.


PUN
For creating spaces with light, look at the work of Anthony McCall and another great (sound) artist, Edwin van der Heide.
You need to fill "space" to reveal light. What can that be? Is there something on site you could use? Could the fabric roof ply a part in that? working in layers?
Think about how you transform the plan from inside to outside - according to what which operation of transformation is decided? 
Think about the OFF state of your project as well.