Review of the Brief:

I realized I have forgotten to put a copy of the brief on here as a reference:
Originally I intended to use the four team members I was grouped with in our last design session, however I realized that, as first year Architecture students, we wouldn't necessarily have a widely different skill set to bring, as we are "in the same boat" more or less speaking. Therefore I have revised my clients as follows:

"You and your four colleagues are setting up your first startup business. You need premises that will allow you to bring in and store all of the things you need for your enterprising office/studio. Each of you brings a different skill set to the job. Identify their needs and design an office with appropriate space for them to store all of their stuff. One of your colleagues won the European lottery and is bringing their favourite building! (Identified in the matrix you recieved eariler). Another has a thing for doors and insists there must be a front door, a backdoor and at least one other threshold for them to enjoy. A third demands that you identify where every service you need is and map it so they can walk to it within 10 minutes. And the fourth loves what you have done before and wants them included in the project."


Clients

1. Architecture student (Me)

Requires: A large, well lit room with desks (or drawing boards) on which larger format papers can be placed (A1 size in particular) as well as basic equipment such drawing tools, craft knives, glue, scale rulers and computers for rendering/photo editing and animation (if necessary)

2. Graphic design student - Brenda Roldan

Requires: Like an Architecture student, drawing tools in order to sketch out ideas (the basics such as pens, pencils, rubbers..) however most of the work would be done on a computer, utilizing programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and definitely requiring the use of a lazer colour printer, preferably one that was the capabilities to both scan and photocopy.

3. Photography student - Natalija Boskovic

Requires: A large well lit space which they can use as a "homebase" so to speak, that contains a tripod, camera, charging facilities, a computer which programs such as Photoshop for editing and a dark space in which they can store film.

4. Fine Arts student - Chris Han

Requires: A large collection of craft-like materials, as well as paint, brushes, easels and canvas, a sink in which to wash up, scalpels and a cold, dark place in which to store materials such as modelling clay, gravel paste and plaster. a "stage" like area to place still lifes and a draw to keep originals/rolls of paper/canvas.

5. Fashion Design student - Amy Li

Requires: a place to store materials, a sewing machine (which would need to be located close to an electricity socket) scissors, a large table on which to measure and cut material. A well lit space that would allow natural light in to to able to discern small details in stitching and weaving works. As well as a computer to allow for design sketches to be realized.

"Favourite Building" (Matrix) - Murcia Town Hall by Rafael Moneo

Doors

As well as the front door and the door to the bathroom located on the bottom floor, the other "threshold" space that is intended would be the use of curtains. As we've been told how sliding doors separate people from the need to contact architecture, I thought that whilst this may be true, we still need to interact with windows. Curtains offer protection from light (and to an extent temperature) and require interaction in order to operate. As a threshold they can work like screen in Japanese Architecture, by dividing one large open plan into small areas depending on the use required, which would be ideal in the studio setting I have devised.

Maps and Services

(Still in a rough draft form, will update when it is presentable)

"Loves what you have used before" - Previous Waking and Sustenance Designs.

Although in this case, rather than using our own previous designs, we will be using the Waking and Sustenance designs from two other members in our group, ours are Ming's Waking Design and Nate's Sustenance design.

Ming's design:

Nate's Design:

(A more in-depth analysis of these designs in terms of Structure, Philosophy and Materials can be found a few posts back.)

Sketching more ideas

Planning how the mechanism for the "topographical" floor might look like.

The cut-outs on the facade (as previously shown in the augmented reality drawings) would let diffused and softer light enter into the lower floors, whilst I imagine the top floor of the studio space to have a sun roof, letting in a lot more natural light which would be optimum for working, as evidenced in the attitude of people working in our current studio in the School of Architecture.

Combining both the waking and sustenance spaces into one larger space, the transition being a staircase and a "threshold" moment the curtains that separates the larger area into two.

I'm still unsure if the material connection I want to model would be the topographical floor or the connection of the threshold curtains, the latter shows different materials however the former is more representative of my idea. Sadly I don't see how I could combine both in a 1:1 model that is restricted to half a metre cubed, when one is on the ground and the other on the ceiling...

A sketch of how I envision the floor plan so far, mostly open plan but with curtains and different levels separating the spaces into private, office like cubicles (as seen on the "second floor") or bedrooms/kitchens on the bottom floor.

Sketching ideas

I decided to sketch out some ideas, to flesh out certain aspects of my design, such as the potential for utilizing one major space into several smaller ones by using curtains as a partition to create thresholds.

Crit progress

So I talked with Dermott about my idea and got some very helpful advice on where to proceed. He suggested that I look at mechanisms such as hinges, as I will be required to show a "material connection" in my 1:1 model. I could also explore the idea of folding, or aspects of the floor that remain static whilst others move, or some are "carved into" the architecture (thus stable) in contrast to those which are more dynamic.

Also, upon further research I stumbled upon the "Jenga House" by Sou Fujimoto Architects, which is similar in effect as to what I was hoping my design to look like:

I will also expand my current design to accommodate three floors per studio, a waking floor, a sustenance floor and a think-tank like studio meeting room where ideas can be gathered through group work in real life and via Skype. Finally I was told that we will need to have made a 1:5 cardboard model of our detail as well as a new "more polished" drawing, showing our design.

Colleagues

I envision my design as an informal Architectural studio. It would accommodate the people in my group, fellow Architecture students, Ming, Nate, Maddie, Nicole and myself. However, in order to maximise the generation of more ideas as well as exploring the idea of transitory and separate spaces, the design studio would be separated into two. This is previously indicated in my augmenting reality drawings. The studio would be linked, not just by physical distance, but by a virtual distance. Regardless of the distance, a large screen will accomodate technology like Skype, allowing for conferences over ideas or alternatively providing space and isolation with the option of not logging on in the first place.

The interior itself would be a sort of modifiable space, with wooden blocks that can reshape the floor to create chairs, desks, one large table, shelves etc. This would provide greater potential for utilizing a space properly. The building itself, the structure and materials, are mostly summed up in the previous augmented reality drawings, however, with development I would perhaps extend the design to three floors, one for waking, sustenance and "gathering" or the so-called think tank where ideas can come together and be communicated to the other group via technological means.

Updated drawing

This is the new (and improved!) augmented reality drawing showing my actual design on the location, as opposed to the previously drawn photo booths. Also, rather than a telephone line connection, this would be imagined as an "internet connection" expanding on the idea of Skype as a way to gather virtually whilst gathering physically in the space of a think-tank like studio.

Merging ideas into concepts/explorations of design

So, I've gotten some mixed messages as to what we are supposed to do specifically for this task. I have done 3 A3 augmented reality drawings, but rather than separate the drawings per design, I chose rather to separate them into the categories of structure, philosophy and materials. This seemed to be the best way to demonstrate the idea (for me at least) whilst also keeping in with what the tutors advised (that the merging of these ideas is shown integrated within the designated site)

Philosophy.

This is my first augmented reality drawing showing "philosophy." I decided to merge Nate and Ming's ideas on philosophy, whilst demonstrating where on the site I would place my design. First, Nate's idea was to be removed from outside influences, whilst Ming's was the manipulation and/or hiding of noise. In this drawing, I sought to show this in an abstract manner, by having two "traditional" phones, in a sort of phone booth (isolated from outside influences) and instead of interacting with the noise outside, interacting with inner noise, that is, the noise coming from the other end of the line. The design is separated into two, as both Nate and Ming expressed their ideas of transitions from one point to another. The physical transition of walking ten minutes from one site to another could in this instance be replaced by phones, or perhaps with more development, arguably more commonly used methods of communication, such as Facebook or Skype.

Structure.

I was very interested in the aspects of structure I interpreted from both Nate and Ming's work. For instance, the cut out's made by Alpha channels on Nate's design seemed to fit in very well with Moneo's cut out facade on the Murcia Town Hall. I used Ming's basic square shape as a basis, and began experimenting with a facade, as it was considered the key component in my precedent study. I combined Nate's form used in the "nest" structure with his cutout patterns on a facade which has underlying straight, clean lines which are supported by the simplistic shape of Ming's square-like design.

Materials.

Continuing on with my study of structure and form, I once again incorporated Ming's square design, however in this circumstance I chose to use wood as a material, as it is the dominant material used in my precedent study which seems most appropriate for the "warm" feeling I hope to come across from a gathering of like minded Architects. The wooden squares are shown at different layers on the augmented drawing, as I imagined them to be able to modify, that is, change levels in order to alter the "topography" of the floor and thus change the interior structure of the design. In this way, it can be flat (a calm, collected mind as Nate's design showed) or alternatively it can adopt a dynamic shape, in this way showing a mind in a more flux-like state.

Gathering the ideas

Today we discussed with our tutors over how we are going to fuse our ideas on gathering. We got our previous waking and sustenance projects, and ordered them from best to weakest. The big surprise though, was that we were to use the "weakest" for our design, as opposed to the expected best. Our two projects were Ming's for waking up and Nate's for sustenance.

The new task is to come up with three augmented drawings for the crit tomorrow, that show how we have merged the ideas to show gathering. So we discussed what Ming and Nate's designs show, in particular for structure, philosophy and materials.

For Ming's building, it is as follows:
Structure: A square building, one floor plan, rather simple and it was intended to be positioned within an existing building across from the Railway hotel.
Philosophy: The building was intended to shut out all obtrusive noise and light that Ming considered bothersome in the ritual of waking up.
Materials: It is intended to be made out of reinforced concrete and steel.

For Nate's building, it is as follows:
Structure: A strong contrast between simple and the abstract, I focused on the stick-like structures rather than the ephemeral form as my precedent architect, Rafael Moneo kept away from such designs, so this would help with cohesiveness. The cut out patterns on the "nest" like structure are what interested me the most.
Philosophy: A transition from a chaotic mind to a calm mind was Nate's way of showing how his own sustenance is inner peace.
Materials: The chaotic part of the design would be made of steel whilst the ephemeral form would be made of a sort of resin.

I will merge these ideas in structure, philosophy and materials with the previously established ideas I have on my precedent building.

Augmented Reality: First photos/drawings.

These are my first photos that attempt to augment reality. The site is the one I have used for my previous Sustenance design, as I noticed the buildings in plan are almost identical to the layout of the Murcia City square in which my precedent building is located, except for their orientation:

These are the photos taken of my precedent building taken on the designated site. 

Structure (with focus on the facade):

Philosophy (with focus on the idea of order and disorder):

Materials (with focus on a material connection noted on the building's Matrix):

3. Materials

In terms of materials, the main material used in the Murcia City hall is wood. The windows on the facade are cut into a type of sandstone known as "lumaquella", a golden, local, sandstone that is very popular in the Region of Murcia. Another material used in the exterior of the building is brick.

"With its neutral forms and sober materials, Moneo's building reflects the openness of local government and responds to the demands of a modern democracy. "


The balconies consist of concrete slabs, whilst the floors are a combination of wood and stone and the walls are a combination of wood and stucco. The finishing is wood panelling, a sort of plywood shell.

2. Philosophy

Rafael Moneo is a Spanish architect, who was taught Architecture at several notable schools, as well as holding the esteemed title of chairman of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. 

Moneo's buildings are notable for their clean, straight-lines, often running in parallel or in a grid like style, as illustrated in the facade of the Murcia Town Hall. Moneo would draw upon Classical traditions of proportion. He believed that buildings should be made to "endure the test of time" and as such should be created for all generations to admire, instead of being reproduced or destroyed.

"It is his drive to design and explain the building, not as part of a local tradition, but as the work of a cultured architect able to transcend national borders that has allowed him to have an all-encompassing career that combines practice and teaching. Moneo is generally considered to be the most independent thinker and the most intellectual of the architects of his generation. Through the influence of the Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset Moneo's ability to "reabsorb his circumstances" was a source of necessity and freedom to connect practice with intellect: he could become both architect and educator furthering the cultural development of Spain"

 Moneo was also interested in the idea of order amongst disorder. "The plaza facade is where Moneo's design sets forth its ideology. This single elevation, roughly a golden section in profile, encapsulates the entire building's attitudes toward its surroundings and toward history and modernity, order and disorder." By manipulating this idea of order and disorder, Moneo ensures that the Murcia Town Hall is able to assert it's own identity in a square that is dominated by other, older pieces of Architecture, such as the Cathedral.

1. Structure

The Murcia town hall has a rather simplistic structure, as the architect, Rafael Moneo, intended the facade as the most important element.


"Rafael Moneo focused all his efforts to compose it and that this one could compose in a dialogue with its environment."


The columns and the general layout of the facade has based it's order on a musical score, and I quote: "It's organised as a musical score, numerically, accepting the system of horizontal levels of the floor slabs. The façade resist symmetries and offers as its key element the balcony of the gallery. The Town Hall has not an entrance on the square. It respects the pre-eminence of those buildings which have occupied it for so long. 

The facade was also made in mind, that it should not take attention away from nearby notable features of the Plaza Cardenal Berruga, such as the cathedral of the Episcopal Palace. Moneo is noted for his dislike for "ephemeral" forms, hence the box-like facade structure. A glass balcony on the facade breaks the apparent symmetry of the design.

"Gathering"

v. gath·ered, gath·er·ing, gath·ers

v.tr.

1. To cause to come together; convene: The teacher gathered the students around the exhibit.

2.

a. To accumulate (something) gradually; amass: The top of the bookshelf gathered dust.

b. To harvest or pick: gather flowers; gather wild foods.

3. To gain by a process of gradual increase: gather speed.

4. To collect into one place; assemble.

5. To pick up and enfold: gathered the kittens into her arms.

6. Printing To arrange (signatures) in sequence for bookbinding.

7.

a. To draw into small folds or puckers, as by pulling a thread through cloth.

b. To contract and wrinkle (the brow).

8. To draw about or bring (one thing) closer to something else: gathered the shawl about my shoulders.

9. To conclude; infer: I gather that a decision has not been reached.

10. To summon up; muster: gathered up his courage.

11. To attract or be a center of attraction for: The parade gathered a large crowd.

v.intr.

1. To come together in a group; assemble: A crowd gathered in the lobby.

2. To accumulate: Dark clouds are gathering.

3. To grow or increase by degrees.

4. To come to a head, as a boil; fester.

5. To forage for wild foodstuffs.

n.

1.

a. The act or an instance of gathering.

b. A quantity gathered.

2. A small fold or pucker made by gathering cloth.

Augmenting Reality

"Augmented Reality is a type of virtual reality that aims to duplicate the world's environment in a computer. An augmented reality system generates a composite view for the user that is the combination of the real scene viewed by the user and a virtual scene generated by the computer that augments the scene with additional information. The virtual scene generated by the computer is designed to enhance the user's sensory perception of the virtual world they are seeing or interacting with."


This weeks workshop is centered on augmenting reality. We were first instructed that our drawings will be done in the style of Ben Heine, a painter and illustrator, living in Brussells and specializing in a form of drawing (or picture-taking) that questions the world he sees. In particular, we are to focus on his "Pencil vs Camera" drawings.

(More information about Ben Heine can be found on http://www.benheine.com/)

We are to produce three drawings by Wednesday, which demonstrate three elements (structure, philosophy and materials) in our precedent building. These drawings are to augment reality, be in the style of Ben Heine and will help inform our design of a space, intending for yourself and 4 other people that will incorporate not only this precedent building, but also previous projects on the themes of "waking up" and "sustenance."

Murcia Town Hall

The Murcia Town Hall by Rafael Moneo is my "precedent building" - that is, the building that I originally received upon being given the first matrix task. All the matrixes we were given were taken from the book, Material Precedents by Gail Peter Borden.

(http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=d2VePP5L3_wC&printsec=frontcover&dq=material+precedent&hl=en&ei=4t1RTtaiE4rkmAXTgfXoBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false)

My copy of the matrix for the Murcia Town Hall, slightly crinkled due to folding. Below are photographs of the Murcia Town Hall.

"The Murcia Town Hall raises in the Cardinal Belluga Square, a baroque square where the protagonist are the façade of the Cathedral designed by Jaime Bort and Cardinal Belluga Palace, the work of the architect Canestro. Moneo designs the building of the Town Hall content in its role as a spectator, without seeking the status of protagonist held by the two historical buildings. However we do not imagine a commonplace spectator. 

Civil power is embodied in this building on the place where the Church shows its power. The façade/retable of the Town Hall facing the square could never, nor would ever, want to compete with the classical order. It's organised as a musical score, numerically, accepting the system of horizontal levels of the floor slabs. The façade resist symmetries and offers as its key element the balcony of the gallery. The Town Hall has not an entrance on the square. It respects the pre-eminence of those buildings which have occupied it for so long"

Our task is to identify elements in terms of structure, philosophy and materials about our precedent building, and utilizing these on our designated site, "augment reality."

Crit 3: Hea Jun Park

Blog address: http://qkrgpwns2.blogspot.com/

Hea Jun's (Robert's) idea for sustenance was music sustaining him, in particular the piano. He choose the same fountain/pool as previously mentioned due to the naturally quiet nature of the site, and the presence of water (thus the presence of sounds vibrations evident in water ripples.) His model showed the interaction of people with water and was structurally based on piano keys, the three layers evident in the black key, a normal white key and a white key pressed down. This was a very effective idea, and his model was very well excecuted, neatly done and expressing his idea in a way that was not blatantly metaphorical but architectural instead. 

Crit 2: Emily Wu

Blog address: http://emily-orange.blogspot.com/

Emily's idea for sustenance was centered on water, specifically drinking water. Her design was placed in a fountain/pool located outside Vector Arena on the site, it is structure based on a well, more of an installation than a piece of architecture. It allows the drinker to get fresh water from the well that is moved along a horizontal tray. It utilizes existing rocks on site in order to appear to lightly hover over the water. She choose wood and plaster as materials. The idea is interesting and the form she has created is both unusual yet fitting for the circumstance, as well as her consideration for access to the water and where it will be placed on the site. The only thing I would critique would perhaps be the choice of wood as a material, as once it absorbs water it tends to warp it's shape, proving to be an inappropriate material for a well, for instance. 

Crit 1: Han Kyu Lee

Blog address: http://dlgksrb006.blogspot.com/

Han Kyu's idea was about books as a source of sustenance. His site was a restaurant on Anzac Ave called Hulu Cat, where he planned to place his bookshelf design. It is made to accommodate one book on display and up to 5/6 stored on the side, depending on the size of the books. It was his idea that it would provide "a book a day." While the model was well made, I couldn't see too much development of his original idea of a bookshelf, nor any significant explorations of site. The idea is sound however could have benefited from more exploration/experimentation to bring it out of the norm.

Matrix and Co-ordinates on Second Life

Here is a photo of my completed Matrix, detailing construction/materials etc concerning my design:

Also, for anyone interested in seeing where my building is and exploring it on Second Life, the co-ordinates are as follows:

X: 114.166
Y: 224.018
Z: 30.638

Unforeseen difficulties

As luck would have it, someone has created a prim and placed it right in the middle of my building. I can't delete or modify it, and I've sent them several messages about it with no reply. What a nuisance.