Last Crit's Feedback

Here's the summary of last week's crit:

The model I presented to show a scale of a typical HDB executive maisonette and the 40 iteration layouts.

Presentation Board - 22 April 2014

Here is the board I presented during the last crit session. 

My intention is to have all these contents on the board (see below). The brief and concept seem clear and resolved. I believe I managed to do so with some details that need more specifications and clarity in terms of visual presentation.

In my opinion, the board missed out to highlight most of the project's concept as well as the scheme with the aid of the visuals, as planned. But the time was spent trying to explore something new in my presentation board. I thought this design complements with my scheme and hence, I tried this out despite the time pressure and being new to this presentation style. However, I still could not make it work. Still, I think the attempt deserves a spot in my blog because it took me a few good hours just trying to lay them out the right way, but to no avail. I will still give it a try for the next round.  

Zooming in:

Title - reflects the feature of the proposed furniture.

Background - concept images and word cloud to summarize the chosen concept. 

Brief - with diagrams and illustrations of proposal.

Family Tree - with research around it

Layout Plans - shows four different layouts that explain the process of transformation that the users experience within the day.

Axonometric view - to locate the areas within the house.

Some visuals showing more interior details.

Presentation Board Draft 1

15. Images. Representations. Interpretations.

14. A trip to HDB Hub - draft

13. Iterations

12. Unit Model

-WIP-

11. Space and Form Exploration #2

10. Case Study #2: Video of the interior of Graham Hill's

It's in the details..

9. BUBBLE DIAGRAMS

8. Space and Form Exploration #1

After reading Form Defining Strategies, I'm encouraged to explore spaces and form in relation to my concept using physical models.

Physical models are the springboard to architecture.

The book emphasizes on the importance of making physical models for architectural design. It highlights its potential being the springboard to architecture as physical models are more prone to chance and productive errors. They retain its power to manifest and suggest relations, scales and forms of organisation that digital models often do only with difficulty.

Here are some other interesting points from the book:

Fulcrum

I came across this word in the book which I thought it might help later in the design stage. As the term is associated to pivots, I can relate it to my topic because joints such as hinges are a common part in the design solution for compact living spaces. Here is how the book define fulcrum: 

The fulcrum is a point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots; a fulcrum may play an essential role in an activity or event. Thus, the fulcrum is the point around which a movement takes place, something happens. In architectural terms, one can say that the space of a certain movement is formed around it. If one were to describe it, it consists of a point and a line, and the mere outline of these forms the backbone for the pivotal movement.

With the 'modularity' concept in mind, I tried to play around with triangles using cork materials. These triangles define the units and constraints for the folding technique, hence creating spatial qualities. With the natural form of the cut-out triangles, I've formed horizontal, vertical and slanted elements interestingly creating planes, connectors and boundaries.

‘Make it what it wants to be.’ – Louis Khan

7. HINGES

These are some different types of hinges we can find in the market today.

And this one, I think, is something different. This furniture managed to have a central pivot. Watch how it works in the video below. (Sorry, I can't find any other videos of this). 

6. Case Study #1 - SCALE MODEL of Kitchenette

I made a scale model of the Tamka Apartment's (see Case Studies Page) kitchenette, which is the special feature in the space, to study the mechanism and the system that made the furniture go beyond its original function. Joint by the hinges, it has the power to transform into something that holds more than one function - a kitchen (with cooking and storage space), a dining table or a writing desk.

By doing this model, I realized I need to consider a few things as I design for my personal project:
1. The materials to use that may serve dual purpose (eg. wall and desk)
2. The maintenance of the joints as it will have high frequency of usage.

To sum up, this model shows how the 'cabinet' is transformable as it opens and closes. While doing this, I became more aware on the most important element in transformable furniture - the joints. I did a little research on the different types of hinge which I'm going to show on the next post.

5. INITIAL SKETCHES - Plans | Sections | Perspectives

Below are my initial sketches of the plans within the boundary of a house unit, which is my intended space to work on. I tried a number of times with different experimental techniques like sketching with eyes closed and using one pen each hand to sketch simultaneously). I stopped when I got a good number to choose from, in which I realized that the swifter and simpler I moved my hand with the pen, the more interesting forms I create.

I tried to set a certain language as I create each sketch. There were linear, diagonal, radial, angular and some varied forms too.

The set 21-24 I've sketched appeal to me more and number 22 seems to be the best among them (I'm thinking it may vary as I experiment on in the later part). I just think that this one managed to create interesting forms that displays natural instead of rigidity. And so it made me think:

Is it possible to explore modularity with the absence of rigidity?

After the plans, I moved on to do more sketches but now in sections. I tried to get it from the chosen five I got from the plans (#4, 5, 20 and 22), and I've come up with these five different themes:
1. Geometric - Play with levels and forms (cubic, additive and subtractive)
2. Linearity - Explore linear elements that can create space in a less obvious way
3. Boundaries - Create space by varying the levels, making boundaries and segmenting spaces.
4. Angles - Play the angled forms in section to create interesting elements on the ceiling.
5. Rigidity - Random placement of planes and creating simple layout that reflects regularity.

Lastly, I sketch some perspective views which shows the ideas I am aiming for my space.

4. COMPARATIVE studies in thumbnail diagrams

Comparative studies of these projects:

1. Tamka Apartment (21 sqm)

2. Red Nest (23 sqm)

3. Studio in Madrid (27 sqm)

4. Graham Hill's (39 sqm)

5. Mp3 House (42 sqm)

3. FEEDBACK from the peers

Today's agenda is to present our project brief to our peers so each of them could give us their own feedback aside from our lecturers. I sorted out the set of feedback I got in four categories:

• Back-burner - comments that I have to put aside for the time being.
• De-solve - suggestions that I have to remove as it is not necessary to include.
• Best Practices - Existing designers, solutions that I can research on.
• Innovative - Problems or possible solutions that I can introduce.

2. 'CONSTRAINTS' et cetera

Here is a mind map I made as a tool to guide me with keywords and key aspects concerning 'constraints.' This helped me to look at things from different perspectives and hitting some concepts that may lead me to target specifically in my project, like the words that branch out from 'architecture' and 'residential.'

1. The START of the final stretch

Studio's final year project brief was presented to us today with the expected outputs and projected schedules.The 14-week project gives us freedom to choose a topic to explore on and I've decided to focus on small living spaces.

Why the topic? Because everyone has a home. Everyone can relate to this topic. And perhaps, in one way or another, the project I'm going to embark on will be helpful, if not to all, to most people.

In some aspect, I have the same idea of home as curator Seckin Aydin:

Home, which has very close contact with the concept of family, is in charge with raising individuals for other institutions for the persistence and reproduction of society. This space where society is reproduced is crucial for determining the societal role of the individual. In this respect home is a “threshold” or “in-between” place for passing from private to public space. The individuals whose social roles are definite and competent for others might have to leave home temporally or permanently to accomplish his/her personal and social responsibilities. 

In Singapore context, housing is a trending topic. Everywhere around Singapore, the little island is under going a major upgrade on housing where there is a rise in the construction of new dwelling places. Below is a leaflet I got while passing by an MRT station.

(attach image)

This change is very evident. Especially for me, because there's a construction just right in front of the block where I stay. The views of majestic sunrise and vast green scenery have bid farewell to me just a year ago, and this saddened me.

(attach before and after photo)

Besides the rise in numbers of housing constructions, there is also a concern on how the newly built houses are getting smaller. It's possible that developers are maximizing their profits, but we can't deny the fact that our little island need to fit in more people than before. Hence, with smaller homes becoming large in numbers, I feel that there is a need to address this current issue, that might prolong in the next generation.

As a designer, I'd feel accomplished when I help people have improved and better living. Design is always about the people. A few months ago, I went to an exhibition called Essential Eames: A Herman Miller Exhibition. Demetrios Eames, Charles and Ray Eames grandson, highlighted to us the importance of having a user-centered design, which is in the top of their company ethos.

"The more people understand that design is a part of everyday living, whether we are all officially designers or not, the richer our lives will be." - Demetrios Eames 

Starting point

 For my personal project, I started with the term 'constraint' to explore on different design approach and strategies. tbc


"Choice is freedom and freedom is what we associate with a creative, liberated individual."