Architectural Design III

Project 1

Experiencing Space - Spatial Translation

The first project of this module was a group assignment. We were required to select two precedent studies and extract/study a single modifying element from each one, and then use what we have learnt to propose a design scheme using our own site context and the elements of choice.

Our precedent study choices were the Seashore Library (by Vector Architects) and the Odunpazari Modern Art Museum (by Kengo Kuma and associates). Respectively we studied Light & Shadow and Scale & Proportion in each building to inform ours.

Reflection:

As group leader of a group of three, I had to learn how to set a proper timeline for us a team so that we would be able to finish the project in time, setting mini-deadlines leading up to the assignment's completion. Communicating between groupmates and delegating tasks to people was also something I had to do in order to ensure we could meet the project's expectations.

Like my last Architecture Design module, we were reverse engineering data from completed projects to inform our own scheme. Our choice of precedent studies was very helpful as the modifying elements in them were very obvious to extract, but even then it was a challenge to implement it into an idea of our own. Still, it was helpful to do so as it prepared us for the second, much larger project of the semester.

Precedent Studies & Proposed Scheme

This second, much larger Project 2 was split into two parts. Even Project 2a itself was split into a group component and an individual component.

The group component required us as a group of 12 to 13 people to conduct historical research and site data collection regarding the location of Kampung Machap Baru, a 'new village' in Melaka. We then had to conduct a site analysis of the macro and microsites of the village and present our findings in a series of A3 boards with a chosen theme that captured the essence of the place.

Individually, after our group research was submitted we were to propose our own personal schemes for a chosen microsite, with personal interpretations of the location's materiality and memory of place in the form of sketches.

Two workshops assisted us in extracting site responses and interpreting the location's materiality and genius loci, in the form of a visceral board and landscape plan workshop. Both are included in the individual submission.

Project 2a

Experiencing Place - 'Genius Loci’

Reflection:

Time management was a big problem for this assignment as this group was significantly larger than most of us had usually worked with, so there was a bit of a scramble near the end of our project timeline to clean up everything and compile data that was compelling.

Even so, the type of data collected and the historical research that our groupmates had done for us was more than enough for everyone to individually obtain a sense of Machap Baru's character and history. The project was informative to me personally as it taught me the information that architects collect in order to inform their own design schemes and how the data can either suggest limitations or opportunities to their proposals.

The importance of capturing the essence of place was also made clear in the second half of the project, as we were each now responding to the data collected on our own to carve out our buildings. Stringing together a narrative that represented the village's story and character was also a valuable skill I learned which I will definitely implement into future projects.

Machap Baru Historical Research, Site Data Collection & Analysis

Machap Baru Personal Interpretation & Individual Proposed Concept

Supplementary Workshops

Throughout the duration of Project 2, we attended a series of four workshops to help us gain insight into interpreting a site narrative, devising a landscape plan with site responses, thinking about structure and buildability in our design, and finally proposing passive design strategies to make our design more comfortable.

Reflection:

While small, these workshops served as good training sessions to inform us how to approach designing a building in a given site. I would say they helped to point us in the right direction in our actual design scheme in regards to what to think about and consider when designing, whether it be responding to the surrounding context, thinking about the practicality of a building, and ensuring it can achieve thermal comfort for the end user.

Visceral Board Workshop

Landscape Plan Workshop

Structure as Architecture Workshop

Environment as Architecture Workshop

Project 2b

Experiencing Place - The Memory Repository

The second and final part of our Project 2 would be a design response to create a Memory Repository for our chosen microsite in Machap Baru.

It would act as a physical and visual landmark that captures the essence and character of the surrounding site, as well as be built to accommodate relevant information about Machap Baru's culture, history, and interpretive material. We were to include programs for functional rooms (administrative, gallery spaces, archival spaces, toilets, cafe, etc.) and also incorporate design features such as a feature staircase, entrance statement and sustainable/passive design strategies. Of course, we had to apply our learned skills from the previous projects of understanding a location's character, responding to site context and fleshing out a narrative for our building before inserting programs.

Reflection:

As challenging as Project 2b was, I gained a ton of insight into how to propose a building design as an architect from scratch, all the way from our previous Project 2a. Seeing how all the genius loci interpretations, site data, and site responses came together to suggest a building form and narrative was very eye-opening and made me understand better why architects design buildings the way they do.

The procedure of first suggesting form and narrative, before getting detailed with programs and practicality was also very informative as I learned to approach design as slowly detailing out from initially rough, vague concepts.

Overall, I am happy with the many lessons I gained from this project, even if the work itself was very demanding. Seeing a proposed scheme of my own come out from nothing but hard and soft data is very rewarding and made me see what exactly it is that architects do when given a site to work with.

Memory Repository Boards

Reflection

Architecture Design III is different from the last two design modules I underwent in that it feels more challenging but also feels like the module where I could finally get a good view of how all the different types of analysis and design work coalesces into a single project. In other words, being able to propose a design response for Machap Baru and seeing that whole project go from nothing but data to a fully fleshed-out building made me understand the process of designing a building much better.

Understanding the idea of poetics in architecture helped me to give my buildings more character and more life to them, and hopefully, I will be able to use that skill to suggest structures that respond to their context via modifying elements and make people feel the specific emotions and feelings that the site should convey.

Additional skills I learnt include:

Improving time management
Being a group leader and taking initiative to set deadlines, delegate tasks and communicate efficiently
Present my ideas and viewpoints concisely - I do my presentations by beginning with site response diagrams and workshops first before showing the whole building
Stringing together a narrative for my building - I present my building by beginning from the approach view, taking the viewer along the building's journey (narrative) and then ending at the journey's termination