Architecture Design Studio 5 focuses on the theme of place-making for the urban street. It aims to explore and provide appropriate architectural solutions in designing a community library for the city’s inhabitants. Students will begin by conducting preliminary studies in that introduces them to the studies and context of urbanity through the analysis and documentation of the current urban condition of a selected inner-city site. This will be done in concurrence with the research of urban infill and community library precedents, and their architectural responses.
By the end of the module, students will have developed an appropriate scheme for an urban contemporary community library within a dense inner-city street environment that takes into consideration an understanding of applicable current legislations, building technologies and cultural imperatives of the site and its surroundings.
Project 1 : Preliminary Studies
The Preliminary Studies is a preparatory assignment that focuses on investigating basic notions of the city, and learning from examples of community libraries around the world. This assignment aims to firstly introduce students to the basics in urban design and its relation to architecture, and secondly, studying and determining the programmatic function, societal role and spatial layout of a community library and architectural responses for urban infills.
Project 2 : Community Library
Right after the site analysis, students will concentrate on designing a community library within an urban infill site. The design of the building is to consist of appropriate architectural responses that address the aspects of the urban street context and user behavioural patterns as discerned and
analysed in the Preliminary Studies. Apart from developing an appropriate formal and elevational strategy in response to the character ofthe street, the design should take into consideration a holistic application of structural, spatial, functional and environmental requirements to address the user needs for a community library.
analysed in the Preliminary Studies. Apart from developing an appropriate formal and elevational strategy in response to the character ofthe street, the design should take into consideration a holistic application of structural, spatial, functional and environmental requirements to address the user needs for a community library.
The site for this project is located in Sentul and facing to Jalan sultan Azlan Shah which is also known as Jalan Ipoh. We had done a lot of investigation and analysis about the site in the previous project and we found out that plenty of people are living there, walking around the site. It is unbelievable but it is true that a dead ambient is presented with this high population on the site. The site itself does not lack of amount of people, it require more interaction within people living there or passing there. Therefore, a typical library which is just for people to read, study or research is definitely not enough for Jalan Ipoh, it need a library that evolved to a new stage that require more community spaces and activities to pull people together, strengthen their bond. The intention of my design is to give people a chance of having interaction within each other whether they want to come into the library. I came out with a concept of using the negative volume, the void between the split levels floors to pull all the people and information together.
Presentation:
Presentation Day:
Models:
Others:
Project 1 – Pavilion Design Grammar
In this assignment students will be exposed to the shape grammar procedure in understanding the underlying
language that made up an existing pavilion design. The design language will be translated into shape rules that
explain the transformations of shapes or objects that took place in the design. Using the newly established rules,
students are required to produce several design alternatives of a pavilion in the same style as the original design.
Form a group of between 2 to 3 students. Each group is required to find ONE existing contemporary pavilion design
from the internet which is believed to have certain underlying design principles. This could be identified especially if
the design has some repetitive components, gradual enlargement or reduction in scale, gradual rotation, or other
types of transformation. You may simplify the components especially if it is too complicated.
Then, the group should study the underlying design principles by analysing the transformation process within the
shapes of the main components i.e. enlargement, rotation or translation of triangles, squares or hexagons, etc. and
translate them into shape rules. There is no limitation on the number of shape rules that can be created.
Next, the group needs to produce FIVE pavilion designs using the shape rules that have been established. Finally,
choose ONE pavilion design and show the development process of creating it and include 3D renderings of the final
design.
Individual Exercise:
Group:
Project 2 – Pavilion Design Grammar
In this final project, students will be employing multiple rule shape grammar to produce new architectural designs
from their own set of rules. Each student needs to recall and creatively apply all the knowledge that they have
acquired from lectures, exercises and Project 1 to produce a good grammar. The shape grammar will allow students
to create multiple design alternatives of the building and subsequently choose the best design to be further detailed.
Project 1 : Lighting & Acoustic Performance Evaluation and Design
Lighting DESIGN is a primary element in architecture design and interior architecture. Solid volumes, enclosed spaces, colors and texture can only be appreciated fully when they are imaginatively lit. Successful buildings are those in which the lighting of the building itself and the lighting of the activities it contains together make up a unified design concept. This project is design to expose and introduce students to daylighting and lighting requirement in a suggested space.
Acoustic DESIGN is an element which concerned with control of sound in spaces especially enclosed spaces. It is essential to preserve and enhance the desired sound and to eliminate noise and undesired sound. Prestigious buildings are those in which the acoustic of the building itself speak of the quality of the building itself. This project is design to expose and introduce students to acoustic design and acoustical requirements in a suggested space.
Report:
Boards:
Project 2 : Lighting & Acoustics (Design Studio Integration)
This project aims to integrate students' understanding of the principles of lighting and acoustics in the context their final design project of studio 5. It encompasses advanced daylighting systems and the integration of electrical lighting, strategies for noise management and room acoustics.
Project1 – Industrialised Building System
This is a group assignment which predominantly relates to the topics of Industrialised Building System (IBS) as well as the materials’ embodied energy. Before embarking on this project students will be exposed with different types and methods of the IBS system and the calculation of embodied energy of different building materials in the classroom. First, the group has to design a 3-storey apartment block using mainly IBS components. Then, the group has to construct a physical model of the building to imitate the actual IBS construction process and to record all the process in a video.
Project 2 – Construction Solutions
This assignment is aligned with the Studio Design Project (semester 4 and 5) and aims to facilitate students in the technical studies and development of their design. It deals with the analysis and establishment of the structural and the envelope systems of the student’s design to ensure that the design has logical and workable construction systems. It also encourages students to think about construction as integral part of the design and not just an afterthought. Most of the times amateur designers tend to design their spaces without thinking about the construction aspects and later on have to change and redesign their schemes due to the designs were unbuildable. This assignment was design with the intention to tackle this issue and to increase the technical competency of students.Task 1: Alternative Design Schemes
1. Conduct some precedent studies of recent, complex
or unique construction systems that could be applied
in the design. They should include the following:
A) The roof system (reinforced concrete flat roof,
green roof and the common roof trusses are
prohibited)
B) TWO (2) facade systems (the common glass
curtain wall systems are prohibited)
C) The structural system including the floor
system (the common reinforced concrete postand-beam
system is prohibited)
2. Next, conduct a thorough study on all the systems to
answer the following questions:
i) What is the type of construction system used?
ii) What is/are the material(s) used in the system?
iii) How is the system constructed? (i.e. detailing)
iv) What is/are the advantage(s) of the system?
v) What is/are the disadvantage(s) of the system?
vi) Why did you choose the system considering the
advantages and disadvantages of it?
Your answers to the questions should be in the form of writing and sketches and accompanied by images from
the precedent studies.
3. Then, using the similar systems as the ones in the case studies, produce TWO (2) alternatives of façade
design schemes for the current studio design project. Each design scheme should include only the front and
the rear façades (in scale 1:100) together with the neighbouring buildings. The drawings can be created based
on the students’ current progress in the studio.
Task 2: Sectional Perspectives
Task 2 on the other hand is intended to facilitate students to develop practical construction solutions and detailing for
their own design through the production of sectional perspective drawings of spaces. Students are required to
produce detail sectional perspective drawing of TWO interesting spaces in their design;
which consists of a room on the ground floor and a room on the top floor.
These 2 tasks are included in an A3 bound report as shown below:
Synopsis
Subsequent to each thematic lecture, students are required to submit a synopsis in the form of reaction paper. Its aim is for the students to read a selected reading in relation to the theme that has been discussed in class for the week and submit a reaction paper of the text. There will be a total of 4 synopses.
A reaction or response paper requires the writer to analyze a text, then develop commentary related to it. It requires thoughtful reading, research and writing. It should identify the key points highlighted in the text and then focus on your personal perspective on issues raised through the text. In addition to your personal perspective, you should identify experiences or insights that have shaped your perspective.
Synopsis 1
Synopsis 2
Synopsis 3
Synopsis 4
Project (A) : The Image of the City
Students are required to present an in-depth and analytical research study on the designated topic. Students are to explore the image of a city based on Kevin Lynch’s most famous work, The Image of the City (1960). The project consisted of 2 parts; the first is to identify Lynch’s 5 elements; path, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks within a selected city and the second part is to produce an essay with a cognitive map of the city.
Introduction
Path
Edge
District
Node
Landmark
Project (B) : An Illustrated Essay with A Cognitive Mapping
Cognitive Mapping
Analytic Paper
Progress:
First visitation:
From what lecturers brief us
before in class, I knew that PPKKCKS is a center taking care for children with
mental and physical disabilities such as Autism,
Down Syndrome, Mental Retardation. Before reaching, I imagine the children
may not willing to communicate with us or scared or disliked our coming since
they were living among themselves for a long time. On the other hand, I also
expected that this trip may be not that easy to accomplish our decision which
was holding on a creative drawing session as I was not familiar mental and
physical situation.
Finally, I with my worries
reached PPKKCKS and the first impression of the kids is different from what I
expected. They are actually more active than I thought .Some of them extremely
friendly and seemed like they have awaited visitors to bring them some joyful
and different experience to their immutable daily life. I can remember clearly
that a girl which I previously misunderstand her as a boy, always smiling ran
to us and keep asking for hug when we first arrived. I was shocked at first but
soon pleased that our arrival did not irritate them but they are happy to have
us visiting. They made me feel so comfortable and my worries before vanished. I
noticed that these children were actually much disciplined but being likely to
respond to anyone that try to communicate with them.
For this visitation, we
tried to understand their thinking in order to create some activities which are
suitable for them in the next few weeks.
me with the kid asking for hug
Second visitation:
After
few discussion within the members of the activities group, we decided to have a
drawing session for the main activity of our second visitation. Unfortunately, not
every children are having a chance to attend this activity due to their ability
to act after we made a confirmation with the principal of PPKKCKS. We brought a
sufficient amount of drawing blocks, watercolor brushes and some dry leaves as well. After we arrive,
we let all the children alternatively sit together so even the children that couldn’t
draw could somehow participate in our activities.
The
children tend to draw what they like, mostly the object around them. One of the
children, Ng, kept discussing with me while she was drawing. Every colour she
used represented something and she wanted me to take many photos of her with
her drawings. I could feel the sense of accomplishment from her smile. How
satisfying and fulfilling she was. There is another child drew all out eyes to
her drawing. The cartoon characters she drew were almost the same with what the
TV was playing.
We appreciated about how
much they enjoying the activity we plan for them and we decided to improve it for
the next time.
watercolor brought
start drawing
kids drawing
kids drawing
me and one of the kid, Ng
Ng and her drawing
we drew these together
talented kid
drawing that similar to the actual cartoon characters
drawings done by kids
Third visitation:
To
arouse the creativity of the children, we use brought some sponges, chalks, buttons and masking tapes as our “drawing equipment”. For this time, they were more
familiar with the color and have a sense of creating a drawing by the stuff we
provided. We had slightly changed the plan from the last time. Larger papers
were used for the drawings so that three to four needed to share one paper.
Instead of quarreling or fighting to get oneself a chance to draw on the
paper, the nicely worked together, discussed among themselves in order to
complete the artwork. After the drawing session, some of the children were even
volunteering to help us cleaning the equipment. The kids were friendly than I
thought and they always satisfied us at the end of thee day.
kids were sharing one paper
contributing together
drawing done by the kids
Art Exhibition:
Few weeks after visiting to PPKKCKS,
we were arranged to help up in art exhibition in Taylor’s Lakeside University.
Before that, our group have gathered to design posters and articles for the art
exhibition. We discussed together on how to make our posters digitally and the
way to display the kids’ artworks in order to make the exhibition more
attractive. During making of posters, I have experienced how to draw people
eyes by the graphic and the inspiring words. On 30 May, all the group members
were preparing for the exhibition few hours ago before it started. I helped setting
up by pasting the name tags of drawings on the panels and cooperating with the
fund raising group in order to promote this exhibition. Soon there were
visitors, I explained to them about how these drawings were created and the
initiatives of us doing this.
I have learnt to communicate with others and answering their questions.
From the conversation with
the visitors, I found out that a lot of them had heard of PPKKCKS. They care
about these children and some of them even asked me if I could sell them the
drawings or they could donate. We invited the children to the exhibition to
enjoy their own gallery. We let the children to draw on spot as this the activity
they familiar with. More people were attracted by them and started to have a
look on their drawings.
After that, we enjoyed a
lovely meal together which was treated by our lecturers, Ms.Suja and Ms.Salvi.
Before the kids went back to PPKKCKS, we gave them a photobook that made of
their drawings as souvenir and took a group photo. After the exhibition ended,
all of us went back satisfied.
preparation
display
display
display
fund raised for the kids
photobook was handed over to the principlal of PPKKCKS
group photos of group members
group photo
Photobook:
Videos:
Reflection:
As a student, I realized
that there were a lot of people that we should care from the society. Community
Service Initiative is a very good platform for us by not just encouraging us to
know about them in basic need but also inspire us to take action, create
connection within them and us. I also touched by people who supported our art
exhibition in Taylor’s Lakeside University. I felt that the society is still
full of caring person that are willing to care, love and contribute to make the
world better. Besides, I realized that Malaysian are more art conscious than I
thought. There were a lot of visitors who are students and lecturers visited to
the art exhibition and enjoy themselves in there.
Throughout the whole event,
I learnt not to criticize people before understanding their situation. I learnt
that everyone have their gift and their losses, nobody is perfect. So we should
think about others’ feeling before making perception. I appreciated that I was
given the chance to meet with those disabilities people that change my
perception of imperfect.
I had such a great time
interacting with them, that I could see myself later in life becoming very
passionate and directing my career toward working with disabled children.
We have so much to learn from them, and it was nothing but a rewarding
experience getting to know and learn about each and every child there.
Taylor's Graduate Capabilities accessed throughout the whole project:
