Melissa's E-Portfolio
"...and this is how I design..."
Architecture Design Studio 3 - ARC60106
Project 1: Memorials themed ‘Journey of the Five Senses’
The theme behind Semester 3 was Poetics of Space and understanding different spatial typologies in relation to design. The introductory project for this semester required us to propose two schemes for a Memorial under the theme: Journey of the five senses. Furthermore these designs were to follow a series of precedent studies that had to be carried out in order to have a better understanding of the poetics of space behind some world famous buildings/memorials/monuments.
The two events provided by our lecturers for the narratives behind the memorials were the 2015 Kota Kinabalu earthquake in Sabah, Malaysia and the discovery of the mass graves of the Rohingya refugees at Malaysia Thailand border also in 2015.
Daniel, Farah, Emily, Alisha and I teamed up for this project to create two narratives for the memorials that were to be designed based on the two tragic events. The spatial typologies given to us were Linear and Concentric – meaning one memorial had have spaces arranged in a Linear manner and the other, its spaces in a Concentric manner.
We chose The Reichstag in Belin, Germany and The Nelson Mandela Memorial in South Africa as our precedent studies.
We decided to design the Kota Kinabalu Memorial in a linear manner. Since the site locations for these memorials were not specified we were given the freedom to create our own. We thought it best to have our KK Memorial right up on the mountain along the hiking trail itself where it would serve as a place for rest and gathering of the community of hikers/tourists travelling up the mountain. It would also be a reminder of the 18 lives lost due to the earthquake and make one aware of the unpredictability and forcefulness of nature.
The Rohingya Memorial was designed as a concentric spatial typology and reflected on the tragedy caused due to human ignorance and the injustice caused to this community. The memorial was designed within a rocky hill existing in a public park. It would have two entrances one from above the rock and the other below to symbolize this tragedy as witnessed in two different perspectives – one from the point of view of the Rohingyan community and the other, the outside nations.
Reflecting back…
This project gave us a better understanding of the different spatial typologies and how they inform spatial use and experience. The precedent studies once again helped us in understanding how poetic spaces are created and we were able to create journey through these memorials that engaged the five senses. However, an area where we needed to improve on was our presentation boards and technical drawings. More detailing was required for the drawings to enable them to depict our concepts more clearly. Therefore we realized that more time needed to be spent on creating better presentation panels in order to convey our design concepts and spatial arrangements.
Project 2: Genius Loci: Site Analysis and Concept Development
Project 2a: Site Conditions and Analysis
This project took us on a site visit to the beautiful Sungai Lembing in Pahang, Malaysia where we experienced the present town life and all it had to offer in terms of a rich past. Remaining in the same group from Project 1, we were to conduct an analysis of the macro site-the town itself. We were to show how the physical context, society, culture and memory of the town echoed its Genius Loci in short, The Spirit of the Place. All this was to be compiled in a 5-10 minute digital presentation.
Project 2b: Personal Interpretation and Concept Development as a response
In project 2b, we had to individually produce our personal interpretation of the macro site in the form of sketches done during our stay in Sungai Lembing. Furthermore, we had to conduct historical research and find out a series of significant stages in the course of the town’s past that provided a description of the life and memory of the place. Having identified significant characteristics of the place, we were to form inspiration and present a design concept for a Visitor’s Interpretive Centre to be located in Sungai Lembing.
The concept derived from historical tracings..
Sungai Lembing, a town that was once rich with all the income from its world famous tin mining industry, is now a place full of nostalgic memory. The falling of the tin prices in the 90’s forced the town to shut down its tin mining activities causing a major decline in its productivity. As you visit Sungai Lembing now, you experience the sense of loss felt by the locals and you are forced to look into its past in order to understand its present state. Therefore both the past and present bring out a sense of Duality. Though the town has declined over the years, it still has a sense of beauty about it in the form its natural elements and community who still speak proudly of their past-these being the aspects that tie the past and present together so this duality becomes one of balance and not opposition.
Reflecting back…
This project was quite interesting as it not only involved an analysis of the physical context of the site, but also the social, cultural and historical aspects too. Understanding the site context was vital as it mapped out a set of parameters to reach an architectural solution. We were able to have a better understanding of the town through the compiling of the video for our group submission. On a personal note, I also understand the importance of on-site sketching as it allows one to record the data honestly and interpret the fresh thoughts/feelings that are evoked immediately in that moment. I also learned to be more alert in terms of being aware of the sense of the place-it’s significant characteristics, textures, sounds, people and events that make it memorable.
Project 3: Genius Loci: Visitor Interpretive Centre
A continuation from Project 2b, Project 3 called for an architectural response to design a Visitor Interpretive Centre that needed a strong relationship to its site context, spatial experience and proper programmatic requirements.
With 10 spaces in a total area of 450sqm, the VIC would serve 2 purposes:
1. To provide a physical point of reference with visual significance that keeps alive the culture/history/memory/essence of the site.
2. To provide accommodation to house and display relevant interpretive material for public access and information.
The building also needed be made of materials with heavy thermal mass and show an appreciation of buildability.
My concept of Duality was shown through 3 main spaces:
1. The Gallery made of rammed earth providing visitors with information of the town’s rich past.
2. Place of reflection and community gathering- A space amidst a reflective pool for the community to gather/rest surrounded by natural elements like wood and limestone signifying natural elements that have witnessed the change of time.
3. The Hall of Memory made of glass – lightweight in comparison to the rammed earth, signifying a sense of loss. Here, visitors would be able to write their feelings and experiences of the town on glass panels.
Reflecting back…
This project was by far the toughest this semester as it involved careful planning and showing attention to the site context and character of the place. This was also the first time we used software to create or models and presentation boards which personally proved to be quite time consuming for me as I had just learned to use software like 3ds max. Designing and providing a good programmatic scheme was quite a challenge as a lot of time and effort went into refining the programme for the VIC. Through this project I learned the importance of having a good plan to section relationship and how important a sectional drawing needed to be in order to understand the spatial quality in a design and is an area I have to improve more on as I further my studies. Another area of improvement I find important is the layout of my presentation panels. I learned that it is so important to have a panel that is easy to interpret so that one can understand your project once they view your panel without you having to be present to explain it to them. Overall, I learned a lot from what was an unforgettable experience and look forward to improving on my weaknesses.