Architectural Design Studio 3

Architectural Design Studio 3 (ARC 2118)

Project 1: Journey For The 5 Senses

Project 1was the introduction to creating a poetic space in architecture. Through this project I learnt how to create a space that would help generate certain feelings and emotions in different people if they were to pass through that space. Using certain form of lighting, playing with the shape and form of a structure externally and internally and using certain types of material and texture could create different forms of poetic spaces in architecture.

For this project, I had to work in a team of 5 people. Before designing a poetic walkthrough, we had to look for precedent studies that would help us in designing a linear and concentric poetic space. After much research, we decided to use the Notre Dame de Tournai as a precedent for the linear space and the National Mosque for the precedent for a concentric space.

The design of the space had to be done based on the poem that was given to us. Our poem was 'A thing of beauty is a joy forver'. After we understood the poem, we could start designing the space based on the several key words of the poem and certain meanings we could derive from it. The task was divided among the 5 of us. My part along with one of my group member, Nicole, was to focus on the linear design. We incorporated several points from the poem like uncertainty, nature, journey through life, granduer and despondance to create a poetic linear space. We played with the form of the structure, materiality and lighting to improve the design.

Once completed, we compiled everything as a group. Throughout the project, I realise the importance of working well with other and always contributing ideas to improve our designs. Although we seperated our tasks, we still gave each other ideas.

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Project 2: Genius Loci: Site Analysis & Concept Development

We were tasked to analyse the site for our final project as a group during our trip to Singapore for project 2. The site is named Labradour Park and it is a nature reserve filled with historical content that is opened to the public. As a group we had to do a site survey by measuring and providing the proper dimensions of the site for technical drawings later on. Besides that, we had to determine the orientation, climate, contour, the vehicular patterns, vegitation, neighbouring context, noise, human culture and views of the site.

Once we had collected all the neccesary data for our site, we had to focus on our own personal intepretation of the site and develop a concept for our Visitor Intepretive Center. During my time in Singapore, I walked throughout the entire Labradour Park to get the feel of the place and discover all the historical stuctures and content. I felt that the park had a lot of history but it didn't feel that way. This place used to be a military fort built by the British to defend Singapore from a Japanese invasion. There may have been some historical structures but they were mostly obscured and hardly noticed. I felt that the site was just another regular park.

Therefore, I decided to create a Visitor Intepretive Center (VIC) that would resolve this problem. The concept is to revive a memory of the place to educate people about the historical content of the site and from history we move forward to the future. In short, the concept is to learn and never forget about the past and move forward. To design the building, I sketched out several historical elements that I found inspiring.

I created a concept model of the building. The structure was made to look solid and strong to represent that the place used to be a military fort. The structure is divided into two parts. The bottom part is more enclosed with the use of bricks and concrete similar to those on site to create a feeling of safety. The bottom gallery is closed to create a feeling of moving through the old undergound tunnels in Labradour Park. After that, you move up top to an open space to represent moving to the present time. This space is open to take all the views and the surrounding environment. The last part is the galley on top. It is meant to represent the future with one of the windows meant to frame new buildings of Singapore under construction showing that Singapore is moving forward.

Project 3: Genius Loci: Visitor Intepretative Centre

For the final project, I proceeded with my initial concept and further developed it and started designing a proper a workable building specifically meant for the site. Based on the concept of reviving a memory of a place, learning from it's past and moving to the future, I designed the building to represent the Labradour Park's history. The park used to be a military fortress, therefore, I designed a special fort wall to be integrated with my building to make the entire design fit specifically to that site. The fort wall surrounding the Visitor Intepretive Centre (VIC) was built to create a feeling of safety and security for the people within the walls. For the people looking at the structure from the outside, the wall is meant to look solid and capable of defense against intruders. This is the main purpose of a military fort and the VIC is meant to show that.

The main building is also designed to look soild, strong and simple using only simple forms of geometry. I did research on several military forts, most of which the design is simple with the structures looking solid and strong. Military forts are meant for defense and not designed to look elegant. Therefore, I combined certain forms of contemporary architecture with military structure to make the building look simple but also elegant to attract visitors.

The materials used to make the building are mainly comprised of concrete and bricks just like most of the old military strucutures found on site. As mentioned in my previous project, the building is seperated into two parts. The bottom sections is meant to represent the past while the top gallery and open space is meant to represent the future. The spaces are well developed this time with a reception room, an office, toilets, a souvenir shop, two different galleries and a fire escape incase of emergency.

The bottom space is quite enclosed by the walls to create a feeling of safety. There are certain openings to take in views. Visitors can walk at the back section of the building or the narrow walkway under the replica gun emplacements to get an idea of how large the fort walls are. The bottom gallery is more enclosed with brick walls an little natural lighting to represent the underground tunnels and bunkers of military forts.

The top area has an open space and also another gallery with a more futuristic design with many openings to emit more natural light and take in more views of the site. The top gallery is meant to represent the future. One of the views through the window frames new buildings being built in Singapore representing that Singapore is moving forward to the future. The open space above allows visitors to view certain historical elements like the old gun post and obelisk located there. Replicas of the gun emplacements on site are made and place in the open space at the top to make the VIC look more like a military fort and also for visitors to interact and learn.