Design Studio 4

Posted by : Unknown Monday, 7 December 2015

After the immerse of Spatial Poetics in Design Studio 3, a wider scope regarding Environement Poetics were introduced in Design Studio 4. Students were required to explore design by harnessing environmental qualities and conditions for human and environment sustainability through projects with a specific community of users within a given context. Using the precedent studies, students explore the environment poetics of the building enclosure that respond to the basic natural context such as the sun, wind, heat, cold, energy issue and the existing building context .

Considerations should be given to the complexity of the programme, site topography and vegetation, socio-cultural events, and variety of passive strategies for sustainable design. The design work should contribute to and merge harmoniously with environment and the site, and provide the best of experiences for the community of users

Project 1

In the first project, the site chosen was a sloppy area just next to the tennis court in campus. The facilities around include 1 basketball court, 2 futsal court and a tennis court. The task was to design a GATEWAY within an open area applying ideas of environmental sustainability in architectural design. The structure should provide both a shelter and suitable environment for users. There is no restriction on structure design or materials to be used nor shall budget constraints other than the unit be practical, useful and manageable in terms of its operations and upkeep. Project must demonstrate sound construction and good understanding of building economics. Responses to the site and existing context and access requirements are essential criteria and consideration in the design.

Progress:

Presentation:

Final Presentation Board (3A1)

Model

Project 2(A)

This project calls for a design of a simple public building with some complexity that includes the complexity of site topography and vegetation, socio-cultural events, and variety of strategies for sustainable design.

It explores design solutions that harness environmental qualities and conditions for human and environment sustainability through a project with a specific community of users. Students explore design solutions that reduce environmental impact utilizing clustered spatial typology and passive design approach. The design work should contribute to and merge harmoniously with nature and the site, and provide the best of experiences for the users.

This project requires us to propose a facility accommodating several related functions such as exhibition, learning and recreation in a suburban context. We have to develop our own concept for the design based on our research of the area and environment. This working methid is intended to have our design in near full-freedom; however we are required to make an informed response firstly to the surrounding context.

We are assigned to design a Nature Appreciation Center which contain a specific program which will become the main activities of this building and response to the surrounding context.

Before embark with the deisgn, site analysis including Existing Building, Circulation, Vegetation, Climate, Sensory, History & Social Cultural, and Practices were carried out in order to have a further understanding about the site, community as well as the environment. Besides that, students also required to produce a site model in a scale of 1:100.

Final Presentation Board

Site Model (Scale 1:100)

Project(2B)

After gained further knowledge about the correspondence site, students started to work individually with respective tutors to purpose the CD&E Center based on the conceptual idea generate through the understandings of their cultural, activities and rituals.

Throughout the design process of this public building, we were encouraged to look for different design solutions in various methodology to overcome design problems such as circulation, vegetation, socio-cultural influences as well as existing structures. Besides, the project also aimed to reduce environmental impacts towards the site and strike a balance between environments, economic and social, thus forming a sustainable contextual design.