Journal Entry 5 - (Semester 1) Site

Oh I actually skipped the Site analysis stage, well it's also included in the design folio, I guess I'll just post a few photos of the site, and some photos of my yet to be completed site model...

Site Location: Area bounded by Bourke Street, Youg Street and McEvoy Street, Waterloo

Two existing heritage listed building on site

1:1000 Site Model Photos - grey box board (Soon to be completed I promise...had the whole semester but still couldn't get it done, so stay tuned for new photos of the completed one!)

Journal Entry 4 - (Semester 1) Design Folio

If I remember correctly, we headed straight towards conceptual development stage after the precedent studies...or not? Anyway, instead of breaking down the entire conceptual design development into several entries, I thought I might just upload my final design folio, which pretty much sums up what I have been doing the whole semester. The folio also includes my literature review which was done way back in week 2.

I doubt anyone would want to sit here and read through my 20-something pages of pure words, but if you wish to, do feel free to do so. hehe...otherwise it would probably be a good idea to just skip to the last section to have a look at my final conceptual design, and also images of my lovely renderings.

Open publication - Free publishing - More portfolio

Journal Entry 3 - (Semester 1) Precedent Studies

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art by SANAA (Kanazawa, Japan):

• Circulation is an important factor to consider in any museum design.
• The Kanazawa Museum has a quite free circulation, when compared to the Porsche Museum. Each person who visits the museum can create their own journey.
• My interest in the expansion/flexibility idea: meaning the building can allow for future expansion, development and growth, this building demonstrates the possiblity.
• The four courtyards, each having their own characterstics, play an important role within the complex, creating a play between light and darkness, solid and void, openness and closure. This relates back to my concept of having light as a universal architectural element in enabling the timeless character of a building to emerge.
• The placement of volumes and courtyards were designed so that when one exits from one gallery, and before entering the next, they must go past a courtyard to refresh the mind. (A Japanese tradition).
• Circular boundary was used to create no corners, creating a constant continuity along the boundary, leaving it unbiased against one certain direction.
• Demonstrates similar characterstics with Le Corbusier’s Venice Hospital - the mat building typology.
• Question of whether there is a difference between displaying artwork and cars? (Diffused light vs Natural light)

The Model was made out of white card, grey box board and perspex.
It was designed and modelled in a way so that it explores and demonstrates my ideas from my literature review - The Timeless Building.

Removal of the roof

Exposing surrounding grid system

After the removal of the glass circular boundary, the builing can now be "expandable" and "flexible". Building blocks can now be added to the building complex without disrupting its original organization / circulation / building form etc.  It thus can be observed that the glass boundary confines the building which restricts expansion...The idea of flexbility and expansion are the main characteristics of the Mat Building Type which I think successfully demonstrates my interpretation of a 'Timeless Building".

Porsche Museum by DELUGAN MEISSL (Stuttgart, Germany):

• The Porsche Museum has quite a controlled circulation path, hence creates a controlled journey through the building.
• My interest in the expansion/flexibility idea: meaning the building can allow for future expansion, development and growth, this building demonstrates the unlikeliness of such growth.
• Doubts on the irregular (random) form of the building. I believe there wasn’t a strong enough reason behind such a form design.
• Comparison between a car museum and an art museum with a similar circulation path - Porsche Museum VS Guggenheim Museum.

The Model was made out of white card, grey box board and perspex.
I chose this particular precedent because its quite the opposite of the Kanazawa Museum in terms of circulation and building form.

How is it a Porsche Museum without a Porsche!

Note: Special thanks to my friend / photographer, Benjamin Sung, who took all those gorgeous photos of my, of course, gorgeous models.

Journal Entry 2 - (Semester 1, Week1) Expression of Interest

This year we had 10 design studios to choose from: Train Station, Winery, Art Gallery, High Rises, Court House, and the others are independent research studios, where students can choose to design something that they have long dreamt of designing, which I found is a great opportunity to make this dream come true...

I picked Paola's (she is our project leader) studio, because I think I have a strong direction and a strong passion for what I have wanted to do for years. I want to design a automobile museum/showroom/factory. Once I knew that there was an independent studio I was very excited about it. I lovee cars and I really want to grasp this opportunity which enables me to design something that isn't merely a typical curtain wall-ed car showroom, but a building that showcases cars, educates people about them (the manufacturing, the history etc) - a common thing that the majority of people are known to, but probably have not much knowledge of.

Attached below is my A1 panel for the first week.

Open publication - Free publishing - More architecture

Journal Entry 1 - Testing

Hello all, welcome to my blog... =D

First day back to uni, after an amazing month-long holiday! I am so excited to dive back into my project again, I wish I can keep this spirit up until the semester finishes.Today we came up with a name for our independent research studio (IRP) - 9 Sights or 8, depending on whether or not Hafiz/Titu shows up next week..

This is becoming more like a personal journal and I think it is not supposed to be one...but this entry is mainly a testing one...

I should've started blogging starting from last semester but it's too late to regret now, so next time I will be posting some of my work from last semester.