KRISTOPHER TEOH
ARCHITECTURE LIFE
Architectural Design Studio 2 (ARC 1126)
Project 1: Diagrammatic Abstraction
Project 1 was innitiated to help students discover more famous architects that they have never seen before and also to help understand their works. From this project, my team and I were given an architect named Enrique Miralles to research. We were tasked to make a short documentory on him. From this project, we learned a lot of his works such as the Igualada cemetery, the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh, the Unazuki Meditation Pavilion and many more. Most of his works were done with his second wife, Benedetta Tagliabue. Both of them founded EMBT and they completed many projects together. The main project we decided to focus on was the La Clota House project. We found out that all of Enrique Miralles's drawings were very detailed with furnitures and trees. From there we replicated his drawings to better understand them.
Through the drawings, we gained a better understanding on basic architectural compositions of solids, planes lines and frames. After studying and analyisng the La Clota house, we were able to abstract the elements of the house. We divided the work among the five members of the groups. I was tasked with producing a model based on the materiality and the balance and symmetry of the house. Other parts like the circulation, natural lighting, massing and spatial organition of the house were divided among the others. After several mock up models, we finally came up with the final models along with a proper box to store and display the models. From this project i also discovered the importance of teamwork and improved my model making methods.
Project 2A: Bay Watch (Pantai Kerachut)
All of the students were given the task of designing a watch tower for either a ranger or a coast guard along Pantai Kerachut. Before starting the project, the lecturers brought us to a botanical garden in Penang to find some inspiration from the natural environment. After that, we went to the beach to study and analyse the area to obtain information to design the watch tower. Once we returned from our site visit, we were instructed to choose photos that we have taken from the visit to the botanical garden that inspired us. From there, we had to come up with forms of abstract drawings derived from the photos.
In groups of two, we were to combined the ideas we got from our inspiration from nature to design the watch tower. My group mate and I worked around with the plants we were inspired by. I was inspried by a particular flower that curved it's petals to form some sort of spiral shape and a tree with very messy branches. My team mate was most inspired by the rhythm and repetition of a fern. We came up with a few mock up models and drawings of our coast guard watch tower. Merging our ideas was a diffucult task. Our initial idea for the watch tower was too common and did not seem have the organic look that we desired.
Finally, we came up with a design that was organic and suited the elements we derived from our inspiration from the natural environment. Designed with the look of a double helix staircase, the watchtower looks organic. The spiral staircase look was taken from my inspiration of the curved petals of a flower. Rhythm and repetition taken from the fern leaf can be seen in our design as well. The watch tower is open and designed to be part of the evironment and for users to explore every part of it. We also came up with several technical drawings for the presentation as well.
From this project, I have learnt how to create a structure with that can coexist with the natural environment. The watch tower fully utilizes all the spaces by allowing the coast guard to access every part of it while doing his job. I have also improved my model making skills and learnt the importance of teamwork.
Project 2B: Pantai Kerachut Retreat House
The task given to all students for the final project was that every student had to design a retreat house for a coast gurad or a ranger along Pantai Kerachut. The design of the retreat house could be related to the design of the watch tower from the first part of the project. All of the analysis and study of the site from the previous project was used for this project as well.
I came up with several sketches and mock ups to explore the form of the house that would best suit the environment. I was mostly inspired by the sea and the forest around the area.
I designed my retreat house with some relation to my watch tower. My retreat house was design specially for the coast guards of Pantai Kerachut as a place for them to relax when they are not working. The house was designed to be a part of the natural environment surrounding it to avoid causing the house to stand out and disrupt the look of the natural environment. From the top view, the house looks like an insect. As the coast guards are constantly part of the natural environment, this house embraces nature with openings at every point. Folding doors allow for natural air ventilation, embracing the breeze throughout the house. The interior of the house was inspired by the ocean. Contrasting walls help create movement within the space so that it does not look static as the ocean is constantly flowing. People inside the house cannot view one end of the house from the other. This forces them to move about and explore the house creating movement within the space. the various openings allow people to enter from any point creating an unpredictable flow within the house. Skylights allow for natural lighting throughout the house creating shadow and movement.
From this project I have learnt how to create a structure that blends in with the environment. I am still learning the best ways to play with the shape and form of an object and to better understand why i would choose a particular shape and form. I have also learnt how to create a space that would best suit it's user and the surrounding context.
