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The Eyes of the (fish) Skin.
With theories of the haptics, bodies and senses borrowed from Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the (fish) Skin is a meditative retreat built at a 1:1 scale, where one can seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives. It provides a comfortable environment for one to carry out meditative activities, such as reading, playing the guitar, or practising yoga. Due to its properties of being susceptible to water, the structure’s skin softens upon contact with water. Over time, the skin will increasingly form holes in it and gradually disintegrate. This results in a change of atmosphere and spatial qualities of the interior space of the structure. The boundaries between the internal space and the external environment are progressively blurred. Owing to the dynamic nature of the structure, the user comes back to a new space each time and responds to it by finding the most suitable spot to carry out their activity. This exploration could result in the user finding unexpectedly pleasant and intriguing spaces.
The Eyes of the (fish) Skin Material Iterations & Explorations
Through the series of iterations, the one the pairing of exploration constantly used was the combination of bio-degradable substance and structural support of bio-degradable material. The main goal was to achieve a material that could be created simply, with specific lighting and degradable properties. In the first row, the tapioca mix was boiled, steamed, fried and air-dried with various water to flour mix. With each method, the 'bioplastic' was created into a form that expressed its structural and lighting qualities at its best.
Upon hitting the perfect ratio of flour to water mix, the ‘bioplastic’ was tested for its structural integrity in the second row. It was stretched, had a wooden structural backing and also took on forms of structurally sound objects which became moulds for the end product. All the iterations were structurally sound, however, they only worked at an intimate scale- and would collapse if it were to multiply or enlarge. The final design came down to using a chicken wire mesh, not just for its tensility but it encouraged a play with the light openings and serendipitous coagulation of the ‘bioplastic’on the form.
The Eyes of the (fish) Skin Cooking the Tapioca Dome & Life After Death
The structure is constructed in a sequence of laying the mesh first, followed by external supports that will prop the form up during the cooking process. Once the tapioca has fully dried, the structure will be able to hold itself up and the supports will be removed.
Front View
As the material is susceptible to the weathering phenomena, rain, this drawing illustrates the stages of the structure when exposed to both sunlight and rain. The translucency of the tapioca bioplastic blocks out direct sunlight whilst allowing diffused light into the structure, giving the user shade. The holes formed unexpectedly in the bioplastic enables the play of shadow within the structure throughout the day. Due to the curvature of the structure, certain enclosed nooks allow a slight reverberation to take place, creating unique acoustic qualities to it.
spatial q
Section View
Section View
qualities through light, how light changes with the form
The Building Process
The Decaying Process
The Eyes of the (fish) Skin The Final Form & Project Video https://youtu.be/q-UNDYwtjMY
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The Shifted House.
Image on the rightare sketches during the design development period of the project.
The Shifted House Intial Process
From intitial massing models, the design took on these slits in the roof to delineate the spaces whilst inviting daylight into the home. As the sketches and massing model did not cover enough floor area, eventually the form transformed into what is seen on the utmost right. The idea and drama of the roof was borrowed from a local housing project in Singapore, the Winged House, where the roof allowed passive strategies to pentrate and creates shade at the same time in the tropical weather of Singapore Pointing towards the pool, the communal areas were to face the more scenic aspects of the plot.
The Shifted House Translating Sketches Into The Final Form
The spatial organisation of the house was designed for it to be a museum on the first floor. Where guests enter through a dark passageway to be greeted with a double volume space which displays the clients artworks and collections. The geometry of the house leads one towards the ends where communal spaces are, basking in natural daylight by the apertures of the roof and the water.
Ascending to the second floor, the user is greeted with a water feature flowing beneath them into the master area. Towards the studio, the slits in the roof and glass panels supporting the roof, introduces natural daylight into the space. Where the client can work on his sculptures and visitors enjoy his manifestations looking up on the double volume living area into the studio space.
The Shifted House The Final Form
The Shifted House The Final Form
The design was to encourage natural light to enter specific points of the building, to illuminate the spaces and the clients sculputres to glimmer in the daylight. The geometry of the house and communal areas point towards the existing large swimming pool, creating a lively mood in these gathering areas.
dust & chisel.
dust & chisel was born during a bus ride to Kuala Lumpur. Scribbling away and browsing Pinterest about furniture design, my cousin and I amalgamated those ideas together to make a clock. The itch in those hands was adamant that we immediately started churning mathematical formulas for the concrete mix when we were back home in Singapore. Several clocks, coasters and planters later we started an official business online. Serendipitously, dust & chisel came full circle when we had an opportunity to sell the products in a craft store in Kuala Lumpur. dust & chisel holds a different meaning now, where its a collection of crafts that keeps my creativity going aside architectural practice. dust & chisel was the zeitgeist of my architectural journey. It made me realise my penchant for details, material properties and the convergence of it all. Eventually becoming the compass of my architectural pedagogy.
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dust & chisel Concrete Home
dust & chisel Concrete Clockwork
dust & chisel Concrete Light
dust & chisel Wooden Boards & A Knife Later
Wanting to delve into other material properties and crafting skills, I decided to take up an apprenticeship at a woodworking & steel workshop for a few months. It was difficult to deal with a solid material where joineries, machinery and the various properties of each wood had to be dealt with in comparison with the fluidity of concrete. However, the satisfaction of joineries coming together after days of sanding and cutting was like no other. Chairs, tables, knives and wooden charcuterie boards were the few objects I experimented with and continue to have fun making at home.
dust & chisel Joinery Work In A Chair & Coffee Table
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