Single Family High Rise

sweet!!

Lecture series at OSU

There will be a lecture from Winy Maas (MVRDV)
1/30 at Knowlton Hal Auditorium 5:30

Thom Mayne (MORPHOSIS)
2/27 Wexner center at 7:00

assignment for week 4 (WIP)

Update 2/1

Sample pict to show the ramp glass material

Assignment week 4.

The signature element that I want to explore is the ramp that serves as a product display and the store circulation.

Using glass materials for the ramp, enable customer to see different Apple products bellow as they are walking on the glass ramp.preliminary 1st floor plan.

what a view!

This is a true story.

A city councilman in Utah , Mark Easton , had a beautiful view of the east mountains, until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built a new home. The new home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would allow, so Mark Easton , mad a bout his lost view, went to the city to make sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance. The new neighbor had to drop the roof line, at great expense.

Recently, Mark Easton called the city, and informed them that his new neighbor had installed some vents on the side of his home. Mark didn't like the look of these vents and asked the city to investigate. When they went to Mark 's home to see the vent view, this is what they found...

Community and Love in a Post-Place World

In response to Herb essay: " In lieu of local criteria and local understanding, design has become rigorously placeless. We teach our potential designers to use precedents freely from across time and space, teach them to design in materials like foam core and basswood, teach them to design in media like FormZ and AuctoCad."
I really appreciate this statement, and I will use it as a reminder for me as the designer. The purpose of why am I here.

Sometimes we are so caught up using the new and fantastic technology to create beautiful spaces and places, but yet many of us have no answer when someone asks the intent of the design.
Cell phones, and Internets are created for fast, easy accessible communication among people, but many times we do not have time to spend and to communicate with our family, and friend.

Design is form-making in order
Form emerges out of a system of construction
Growth is construction
In order is creative force
In design is the means ... where with what when with how much
The nature of space reflects what it wants to be…

Studio Recap

Comments that were made during intensive studio :


Comments: The ramps see almost uncomfortably long... can there be breaks in the ramp like little balconies or kiosks? It might make the journey a little less tiresome.

Comments: Do curved forms have a meaning as opposed to orthagonal ones? I think specific method could reinforce concept.
Does this frame a view of the square

Studio Recap

The concept for the new Apple store, start with the observation of Apple user and it’s products. How the Apple products are different from others. By owning the Apple products, you are not just buying to use it but you also buy the design that fits your lifestyle. This exclusivity of owning apple product what makes it different from Apple competitor. I also think we can enhance this further by showing people how does the Apple products is being produced. Nowadays people seem more cautious with everything they eat, stuff they use or even toys they bought from store. It is pretty common now for restaurant to show how the food is prepared before served, how the food can be customize to the customer likeness.

It seems the direction that the new apple store can use to attract more customers to visit their stores. What could have been a better place, where you can customize your ipod, ibook, etc to fit with your lifestyle!

To explore this possibility further, I proposed the new stores to have four different pods, where each pods contains different room function, for example:
pod no #1 research (private)
pod #2 testing
pod #3 manufacture (private)
pod #4 packaging

Not all interior pod rooms are accessible to public, but each pods are connected, and create circulation that enable people to navigates the entire stores.

circulation and pods diagram

(COMMENTS: You talk about path- how does the experience change as you progress? Is it linear or is there a very distinct set of spaces?)



Main Facade, which shows a lot of movements and activities to invite pedestrians

Interactive interior to educate new users or potential Apple users.

Ramp circulation enable people to navigates the entire store

Comment: how do you get spirit of manufacturing into your building? Visible building structuring and mechanical equipments?

Research pod, where the customers can observe, but the pod still maintains enough privacy.

Studio Recap

During intensive study at Boston, We have to create conceptual storyboard that outlines the "experiential concept" for the new Apple store., and giving an idea what would be the new program for the new apple store. These two storyboards explain what would be the differences between PC users vs. Mac user. And how does the Apple product will customize to your lifestyle and how the Apple products will change the "world.”



Bellow is the perspective representation of architectural imagery to define spaces that I want to create for the new Apple store. Using images, material and texture, is the preconceived notions how the experience changes from one place to another.

This is the "assembly pod", where people can watch your "customize" Apple product made specifically for you.

As the customer travel along the stores, information is being feed thorugh the space they travel, where they can experience and test the products.

Different paths are created for regular Apple user and new/potential Apple user

History: Thursday writing at BAC

Most famous architects have always interested to research, argue and discuss about architecture styles. Many programs and manifestoes are created to prove their point of which architecture styles the future generation should inherit when they became architect. But yet, many famous architects are shy away from discussing the failure of their designs.
Abandoned buildings, dilapidated designs, creating new spaces and places for homeless, and others those are unwanted. I do believe there is something we can do for this people thorough our creative minds. Great architects build Library, Theatre, Museum, etc, but few build places for the poor and the unwanted people, who really need it. I do want to be a great architect, not just an architect who can build great buildings, but I want to be an architect that uses my knowledge and skills to help others. Architect like Samuel Mockbee uses his creativity to educate students, and poor people how to use architecture to make a better place for everyone. I want to explore many different materials that I can use, and how I actually can use recycle, industrial, and green products to build a habitat for those who are less fortunate.
This can be happen, as I recall this figure who is a Priest, his name is Yusuf Mangunwijaya with his philosophy, theology, and architecture background, makes me belief that we all have purposes in this world, use the knowledge that we know, teach others what we know, and believe we can make others better.

Tom:
Integrity has been an issue with architects, and how they are perceived by others (public and professional). To change this issue we must find leadership tools that set us apart and elevate and make us appreciate architects as professionals. Our social responsibility must be integral with our professional responsibility and our ability to think and plan our environment in the future.


Kyle:
I like the underline of education, mentorship that you are laying as your build foundation for your future. I think this main theme we as a group can go about explaining others why the tools that we get from BAC and work place experience can actually help as a foundation, that education + work = a better.. more responsive and emotionally conscious practitioner person.

Studio Assignment 2

In order to dissect the perspective, first I identify the objects that occur within the space.By using this method, enable me to understand the system. Because our perception of object's shape, sizes, scale and proportion and visual weight is affected by it's surface properties as well as its visual contexts.

An object's shape can be articulated by contrasting the relationship between the object scales and the surrounding environment.

The visuality of the plan defined by elements of form. As space begins to be captured, enclosed, molded, and organized by the elements of form, architecture comes into being.





On my second investigation, the space defines by the direction of the object patterns, like the way the wood floors vs. the pit floors and the object oriented. The perception of the plan diagram was simplifying the subject in our field of vision in order for our brain to search the perspective logic.





I use the grid here, because it was important too that can help me to create hierarchical set of modules to differentiated by size, proportion, location and also transformations.

The Science of Shopping

Why do we buy? Perhaps the question of “why don’t we buy,” is what Paco Underhill discovers using his scientific method describes in his book. Compelling evidence of his scientific method was explained in un-scientific manners for the readers. While still reading the book, I keep asking myself for more information and not just simple explanation he throws to the reader. Though his writing is entertaining, but many times I believe the sample of his successful works is a bit biased. Lead me to believe his scientific method, almost like “Feng Shui.” Feng shui is the common method that Chinese people use, to achieve harmony, and balance in space arrangement.

Although I have not finished reading the book, but as a designer, I would like to know if the data Mr. Underhill collects can be generated into building design?
Does his scientific method works the same in different countries, cultures, and races?
Many of his method are obvious, could this be also the sign of declining good designer to spot the obvious from his/her design? Aren’t this supposed to be part of designers education? Does successful design can be measured by how much money the stores make? Or simply we just look Underhill as a marketing strategist?

BB7 Assignment

I'm still struggling finding the best way to post this images and diagrams, this is my 3rd attempt to post my work in progress..
So often when I upload pictures does anyone have any suggestion of how big the drawing file should be, and the layout type, etc...

Order is an illusion

The screen shot that I took this time is the workout room. The placement of mirror, and floor grid patterns are used here creating illusion that the room is bigger than the actual size.

By inverting the original screen shot showing me the depth of the image. By outlining the grid, and the verticality of the object identify the illusion of the whole order.

New lines and colors are assigned to enable me to create the unconscious possibility of the new perspective view.

For the last diagram, I conduct a new experiment by superimposed 2 screen shots that shares similar characteristic.

I view the last diagram perspective point, not from a single and precise point of view. Instead looking upon things everywhere and nowhere at the same time, nor linked to places. This notion shares the same idea with the "Theory of Relativity"

wikipedia explain :"General relativity was developed by Einstein in the years 1907 - 1915. General relativity replaces the global Lorentz symmetry of special relativity with a local Lorentz symmetry in the presence of matter. The presence of matter "curves" spacetime, and this curvature affects the path of free particles (and even the path of light). General relativity uses the mathematics of differential geometry and tensors in order to describe gravitation as an effect of the geometry of spacetime. This theory is based on the general principle of relativity, which requires all observers to experience the same laws of physics, not just those moving with uniform speed, hence its name."

BB7 Assignment 1

This screen shot from "BB7" taken from the house "communal facility." To explore the image, first I identify by outlining objects that appears in the screen shot. Using thicker lines to introduce closer objects, thinner lines to identify farther objects, and dashed lines to show the original vanishing point, while the vertical lines to show the central point.

Based on the given information, I see different lines re-create different depth and focus, while it is still true to the central point. By superimposed the color, it is starting to play with different scales, and different spaces are created, as the ambiguity of spaces start disrupt what was original spaces.
The gray to outlining gives the figure ground effect, and the yellow to create new path.
The verticality was defined by using blue color, with red color to introduce an opening.

The final right hand diagram to achieve lines of movement, bits of different creations, figures indicating densities, all juxtapose, and operative rather than legislative or determinant of hierarchies.

For this screen shot, I was interested with the density of the space, and how the objects Concurrent with the space.

The behaviour of each object was sharing similar properties just like Venn diagram.

Here's the explanation of Venn diagram from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venn_diagram)

"Venn diagrams are illustrations used in the branch of mathematics known as set theory. They show the mathematical or logical relationship between different groups of things (sets). A Venn diagram shows all the possible logical relations between the sets."

To illustrate each object properties, I start to continue to trace each object beyond the original frame.

Color was used to define different objects to view similarities and differences.

Different color was created as the result of different properties share the same variables.

Susan Bickford essay "Constructing Inequality"

After the first time I finished reading Susan Bickford essay, I was like "wow." So much information’s, arguments, and opinions were expressed in her writing, that after reading her essay I was having mixed reaction before sharing my thought on commenting her essay. Bickford writing voices her concern of how the after the first time I finished reading Susan Bickford essay, I was like "wow." So much information, argument, and opinion was expressed in her writing, that after reading her essay I was having mixed reaction what to comments on. Her writing was eloquently voices her concern how much built environment strongly influence and alter political theory, Bickford later explain ideology
“Contemporary” society builds their living environment, can creating segregation and hostile influence for the development of democratic politic.

Bickford also shares other philosopher theory point of view and ideology about how to build living environment, including her own argument to rebut those theory. At the end, Bickford propose her own perspective view how to improve the situation describe above. It was concise and well written essay to read, I certainly enjoy Bickford writing that challenge the reader, especially us as designers to be socially aware, and responsible for the future building development. Because how we think when we design, can shape the future politics.

The second time I read Bickford essay, I was surprise how little she mention what does the government do to improve the segregation that is happening in living build community. Upon further reflection from Bickford essay, I do realize at the end, it is still up to the individual choices to choose where to live, and how to live their life. In facts, there are many programs that the government offers for those who are less fortunate, and lived bellow poverty level, but yet most of those people choose to where live, spent their life, and be comfortable with their choices. Also, it is also possible that many just simply didn’t know how to improve their life. Why? Because lack of information’s and educations that are available for today’s society. I would be interested to hear or read Bickford point of view how education may actually be able to change the relationship build environment and politics.

My"Real-ity" show opinion

Have you seen big brother show before? I have not.
I have never watched the reality show called "big brother" until it was part of BAC assignment. Upon my exploration to "big brother 7- ALL STAR" movie clip, I actually watch some of the episode and get my brain thinking about this whole "reality show" concept. My first impression when I watch the show was.. WOW, this BB7 (big brother 7) show looks like the SIMS game that I saw, (http://thesims2.ea.com/) but of course this show is using real human characters showing interactions, and emotions. (By the way, even BB7 character using nickname so you can easily remember your favorite toy figure!) Ehm,, I mean favorite character.

With many "Reality Show” on TV, makes me wonder what was the reason behind the reality shows. Isn't it one of the reason people watches TV show, was because they want to escape from their reality life?

But again, when TV show called a reality show, is it really a reality show? Meaning: unscripted? Spontaneous? I don't think so. Each of the characters that I saw on TV have to go through rigorous selection from TV crew, and out of thousands applicants only few are selected.
Why the show is not real?
Let us be honest, who wants to watch people go to work, eat, and sleep?

So, pretty much What FOX, CBS, NBC called reality show is actually very UNreality show. I bet not one of us waking up each morning with cameras all over our face, sleeping with strangers, and running around naked all day (half day is maybe, but not full day though).

The advancement of the Internet and telephone has been use by the big TV networks, to put an illusion that the show is real. The technology enables the viewer to interact live with the TV show host, and create 24/7 accesses for the viewer follow the show. I guess this is why they call reality show. Although, in my mind, the only thing that is "real" in reality show is; the show is not real.