ARCH 7081 Design 11 PORTFOLIO
CHAN KA HEI BRIAN
DESIGN FESTIVAL - AIR INSTRUMENT
SWINGING OBJECTS WITH WIND
INFORMED BY EXTENSIVE RESEARCH IN THE REALMS OF SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE, AN ARCHITECTURAL PLAN TRANSFORMS THE INTANGIBLE MEDIUM OF AIR INTO A TANGIBLE SPATIAL FRAMEWORK.
THE STUDIO'S MAIN FOCUS IS ON EXPLORING THE INTANGIBLE ESSENCE OF AIR THROUGH VARIOUS EXPERIMENTAL METHODS - FROM CAPTURING IT TO REPRESENTING IT AND UTILIZING IT AS A TOOL IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN.
THE PRESENCE OF AIR IS UBIQUITOUS - BOTH INDOORS AND OUTDOORS. IT SURROUNDS US, WE INHALE IT, WE SOAR THROUGH IT, WE RESIDE IN IT, AND WE THRIVE BECAUSE OF IT.
THE EVER-CHANGING NATURE OF AIR MAKES IT A DYNAMIC AND SENSUAL ELEMENT, PROVIDING ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES TO INCORPORATE IT AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS.
DISCOVERING THE POTENTIAL OF AIR IN ARCHITECTURE THROUGH A DIVERSE RANGE OF EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES AND MEDIUMS TO ENHANCE OUR PERCEPTION OF ITS ROLE IN DESIGN. THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF OUR WORK SERVES AS A CONSTANT TEST, DRIVING US TO CONSTANTLY INNOVATE AND IMPROVE. UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS APPROACHES TO SOLVING PRESENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES IN OUR WORLD IS IMPERATIVE, AS THEY HAVE A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON OUR ARCHITECTURAL IDEOLOGY, PLANNING, AND EXECUTION.
THE FOLLOWS EXPLAIN MY APPROACH TO LOOK INTO "AIR".
"THE EVENT OF A THREAD" BY VISUAL ARTIST ANN HAMILTON (LEFT); INSTRUMENT MOVING STATION (RIGHT)
PLAN / 1:3
CITY CENTER / WET MARKET / ROAD JUNCTION
DISTRICT PARK / GARDEN / OPEN SPACE
FOOTAGE COULD BE FOUND: HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/DRIVE/FOLDERS/1CT1AMOUFO8NOL6YQF08XVFYVUUFAUGZL
THE CONCEPT BEHIND THE DEVICE IS TO VISUALLY REPRESENT THE IMPACT OF AIR ENERGY ON OBJECTS IT COMES INTO CONTACT WITH. WHEN EXAMINING A SET OF OBJECTS, A MORE COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING CAN BE ACHIEVED BY OBSERVING THEM AS A COLLECTIVE UNIT OF 25 WEIGHTS RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL OR A FEW UNITS. THIS ALLOWS FOR A CLEARER PERCEPTION OF THE GROUP'S BEHAVIOR, WHICH CAN BE OBSERVED AS A COORDINATED AND SYNCHRONIZED MOTION WITH A DEFINED STRUCTURE AND PATTERN. I FILMED THE SYSTEM FROM A BIRD'S EYE VIEW AND COMBINED THE FOOTAGE INTO LONG EXPOSURES. IN THAT CASE, I CAN EXAMINE THE OVERALL MAGNITUDE OF THE MOTION INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON A SINGLE OCCURRENCE.
GRID DIFFUSER (10CM DEEP) TUBE
WIND TUNNEL CONSISTS OF WIND STRAIGNTENER AND DIFFUSER
DATED 16/09/2023
25 WEIGHTS IN A FRAMEWORK - EXPERIMENT WITH MOVEMENT
AFTER PROGRESSING TO THE NEXT STAGE, WHERE I UTILIZED A MORE ADVANCED DEVICE TO ANALYZE AIR, I IMPLEMENTED TWO SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS TO MY INSTRUMENT.' MY FIRST STEP WAS TO MITIGATE THE INSTABILITY OF THE FRAMEWORK, AS IT WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE SYSTEM'S SWAYING. THIS HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE PENDULUM MOTION OF THE WEIGHTS AND MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT. ADDITIONALLY, I INCLUDE AN EXTRA LAYER OF WIND VANE BELOW THE WEIGHT. THEIR ABILITY TO ACCURATELY INDICATE THE PREVAILING DIRECTION OF THE WIND IS EVIDENT, AND IT MAY NOT INVARIABLY CORRESPOND WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE PENDULUM'S MOTION.
MOREOVER, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO CREATE A WIND TUNNEL THAT WOULD SERVE AS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR EACH ITERATION OF THE WEIGHT, GUARANTEEING UNBIASED RESULTS. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN UNWAVERING AND PERSISTENT AIR CURRENT, IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THEY WOULD CREATE A SUBSTANTIAL AND FORCEFUL IMPACT OF WIND. NEVERTHELESS, THE FAN'S CAPABILITIES ARE MUCH LESS EFFECTIVE IN COMPARISON TO THOSE IN A CITY, WITH ONLY A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF AIR CIRCULATION POSSIBLE. ITS ONLY APPLICATION WAS TO INCREASE THE STRENGTH OF THE URBAN WIND, NOT A LOCAL WIND SOURCE.
FOOTAGE COULD BE FOUND: HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/DRIVE/FOLDERS/1CT1AMOUFO8NOL6YQF08XVFYVUUFAUGZL 0:00:01
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FLATTENED DROPLET / STEPS / SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT
DROPLET / STEPS / SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT
ISOMETRIC SWING PATH
ROD / STEPS / SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT
ISOMETRIC SWING PATH
PYRAMID / STEPS / SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT
SUBSEQUENTLY ADVANCING TO THE SUBSEQUENT PHASE, WHEREIN I TRANSITIONED TO THE LATTER HALF OF THE INVESTIGATION, WE INITIALLY APPROACH OUR DISCOVERIES IN THE FORM OF ANIMATION, SERVING AS A CATALYST TO ENVISION THE IMPLEMENTATION ON A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OR ANY OTHER MANIFESTATION. MY VIDEO SHOWCASES VARIOUS MOTIONS RELATED TO A PENDULUM, SUCH AS A HYPNOTIST'S SWINGING BEAD AND A CLOCK PENDULUM.
IN THE INITIAL PHASES OF MY BRAINSTORMING PROCESS, THEY PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE AS THE CATALYST, SPARKING A FLURRY OF CREATIVE IDEAS. I ATTEMPT TO ENVISION A WELL-ORDERED SYSTEM, PROPELLED BY THE RHYTHMIC SWAY OF A PENDULUM, CONSTANTLY MORPHING AND EVOLVING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF UNFOLDING AND FOLDING.' THE INFORMATION FURTHER ELUCIDATED TO ME THAT THERE EXISTS A POTENTIALITY TO SERVE AS A SAFEGUARD FOR EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL OR A LOCATION THAT IS SUBJECT TO GUSTY WINDS AND NECESSITATES THE SHIELDING OF A PARTICULAR ENTITY.
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SHUN SUM YUEN FARM / PLAN / 1:1000
SHUN SUM YUEN FARM / CIRCULATION & PROPOSAL / 1:1000
PESDESTRIAN ENTRY
PRIVATE VEHICULAR LANE
PESDESTRIAN ENTRY
PUBLIC MAIN ACCESS
PRIVATE MAIN ACCESS
PUBLIC MAIN LANE
PUBLIC SUB LANE
PRIVATE LANE
Lily
Gladiolus
Water Lily
Lavendar
Rice Grain
Sunflower
Chrysanthemum
Tulip
YUENLONG SHUNSUM FARM - LEISURE FARM PRODUCING FLOWERS AND RICE
ADJACENT TO THE CENTRAL FARMHOUSE LIES A CROSSROAD THAT CONNECTS THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN AREAS OF THE FARM.
NURSERY STAFF ARE PLANTING SUNFLOWERS TO SHIELD THEM FROM THE INTENSE SUN AND STRONG WINDS.
THE FARM IS CURRENTLY SHOWCASING THE CHRYSANTHEMUM, WHICH IS THE FLOWER OF THE SEASON.
FOLLOWING THE WINDY SEASON IN SEPTEMBER, SELECT PLANTS HAVE BEEN REINTRODUCED TO AREAS WITH MORE SUNLIGHT.
MASSING + SITE MODEL 1:1000 DATED 09/11/2023
MASSING OF THE PROPOSAL
CONTINUOUS JOURNEY OF PENDULAR STRUCTURES
LOCATED IN SAN TIN, YUEN LONG, SHUN SUM YUEN SPANS 35,000 SQUARE FEET AND IS A FLOURISHING FLOWER FARMLAND.' LEUNG YAT-SHUN, THE FARM'S PROPRIETOR, BEGINS THE HARVEST OF VARIOUS SUNFLOWER SPECIES IMPORTED FROM THE NETHERLANDS AND JAPAN. FOLLOWING THAT, HE BROADENS THE VARIETY OF VEGETABLES, FRUITS, AND FLOWERS THAT THRIVE AND BLOSSOM THROUGHOUT VARIOUS SEASONS, RANGING FROM VIBRANT SUNFLOWERS AND ELEGANT WATER LILIES IN THE SUMMER TO THE FESTIVE CHINESE NEW YEAR FLOWERS IN THE WINTER. THE ALLURE OF SHUN SUM YUEN'S FLORAL SCENERY HAS TURNED IT INTO A TOP CHOICE FOR INSTAGRAMMERS SEEKING THE PERFECT SHOT IN HONG KONG.
THE INTERVENTION IS ALTHOUGH NOT SITE-DRIVEN, AS A RESPOND TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF IT, I PROPOSED TO REACT TO THE VARIETION OF FARMS IN THE AREA WITH DIFFERENT MAGNITUDE. FOR INSTANCE, ONE CAN OBSERVE DIFFERENCES IN HEIGHT AND POROSITY. DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, THIS STUDY WILL SOLELY FOCUS ON LOCATION 04 AS A TESTING SITE.
DESIGN
FLEXIBLE SWINGING STRRUCTURE WHICH PROVIDE FREEDOM IN MOVEMENT
TESTING MODEL 01: TIMBER SPACE FRAME WITH FISHING WEIGHT, ACYLLIC BASE, TESTING ON CROSSING FORMS AND MOTION DATED 11/11/2023
TESTING MODEL 01: SEPARABLE BASE TO PLAY WITH CROSSING EXTENT
DATED 11/11/2023
MY ORIGINAL CONCEPT FOR EXPERIMENTING WITH THE PENDULUM STRUCTURE IS DEMONSTRATED THROUGH A 200*200*150 MM MODEL MADE UP OF A CLEAR ACRYLIC BASE, 10 WEIGHTS WEIGHING 125G EACH, AND 10 TIMBER FRAMES WEIGHING 20G EACH. THE IDEA IS TO OBSERVE THE CROSSING OF THE FRAMES TO SEE:
1. WHETHER IT COULD PERFORM SWING;
2. HOW LONG COULD A SWING SUSTAIN;
3. HOW DOES IT LOOKS FOR THE FRAMES TO CROSS EACH OTHER?
THE OUTCOME IS QUITE SUBSTANTIAL. DESPITE ITS SHORT DURATION, THE SWING CAN STILL BE EXECUTED. THE SHEER WEIGHT WOULD QUICKLY DISSIPATE THE ENERGY, LEAVING LITTLE MOMENTUM TO CONTINUE PROPELLING THE STRUCTURES. THE VARYING SHAPES OF THE STRUCTURES ARE FASCINATING.
PROPORTIONAL WEIGHT AND GEOMETRY PRODUCE A GENTAL AND SUSTAINABLE SWING
TESTING MODEL 02: 3D PRINTED FRAMWORK AND FISHING WEIGHTS, ACRLLIC BASE DATED 20/11/2023
TAKING CUES FROM THE FIRST ATTEMPT, I INCREASED THE SIZE OF THE MODEL TO ACHIEVE A MORE FAVORABLE RATIO OF FRAMEWORK TO WEIGHT. ADDITIONALLY, I HAVE PROLONGED THE LEVER TO THE WEIGHT IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE DURATION OF THE RESIDUAL ENERGY FROM THE SWINGING MOTION. DURING THIS PHASE, I ADJUSTED THE SWING'S STRUCTURE FROM A WIDE AND ELONGATED DESIGN TO A THIN AND PERMEABLE ONE IN ORDER TO EXTEND ITS DURATION. THIS ALTERATION ALLOWED THE SWING ARM'S CENTER OF GRAVITY TO LOWER, RESULTING IN A GREATER PENDULUM EFFECT. ( THIS DECISION WAS FLAWED, BUT I WILL DISCUSS IT FURTHER IN THE LATER SECTION OF THE PROGRESS LOG.)
ULTIMATELY, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A WEIGHT LEVER RATIO OF 20-25:1 WAS NECESSARY FOR THE FRAMEWORK LEVER IN THE SYSTEM. THE WEIGHT USED IN THE EXPERIMENT WAS MEASURED AT 150G, WITH ITS DISTANCE FROM THE PIVOT BEING TWICE THAT OF THE FRAMEWORK, EQUIVALENT TO 20G.
THE FINAL DESIGN INCORPORATES THIS DATA.
FOOTAGE COULD BE FOUND: HTTPS://DRIVE.GOOGLE.COM/DRIVE/FOLDERS/1CT1AMOUFO8NOL6YQF08XVFYVUUFAUGZL 0:00:01
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LONG EXPOSURE SHOWING THE POSSIBILITY OF SPACE UNDER THE ROOF 0:00:24
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0:00:20
SCALE OF HUMAN / EXTENT & SPEED OF MOVEMENT
THIS PROTECTIVE WALKWAY IS DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND STRONG WINDS, ALLOWING FOR A SWING MOVEMENT OF 15-20 DEGREES. THE DEVICE'S DEVELOPMENT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO EARLY EXPERIMENTATION AND WAS FURTHER INSPIRED BY THE AGE-OLD PRACTICE OF PLANTING TREES TO SERVE AS A WINDBREAK FOR CROP FIELDS. WHEN THE WIND MOVES THROUGH THE TREES, IT GRADUALLY CALMS AND RISES INTO THE EXPANSIVE OPEN AIR. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT IT COULD PROTECT A RANGE OF 10-15 TIMES SPAN OF THE TALLEST BREAK OBJECT. (E.G. A TREE WITH A HEIGHT OF 10 METERS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO OFFER PROTECTION WITHIN A RADIUS OF 100-150 METERS.)
A FLEXIBLE WINDBREAK THAT ACCOMMODATES MOVEMENT AND GRADUAL RESTORATION CAN PROVIDE THE FARM VISITOR WITH A VARYING VOLUME OF LEISURE. ON THE FLIP SIDE, THE FIELDS MIGHT RECEIVE A GENTLE GUST OF WIND TO AID WEAKER PLANTS IN THE MIDST OF A STRONG WIND SEASON.
THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS, I CONDUCTED ADDITIONAL RESEARCH TO ENSURE THAT THE SYSTEM'S FEASIBILITY WOULD NOT BE TOO LOW. A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES WERE EXAMINED, INCLUDING THE STEILNESET MEMORIAL BY PETER ZUMTHOR, WHICH INVOLVED COMBINING TIMBER FRAMEWORK AND TENSILE MEMBRANE AND UTILIZED HOOKS, ANCHORS, AND FIXED JOINTS.
CONCEPT / DESIGN
Tucked away in San Tin, Yuen Long, lies a 7,000 square-foot flower farm called Shun Sum Yuen. Expect to see yellow, gold, orange, and even red sunflowers, all originating from Japan and the Netherlands. They bloom from June to August every year, and seeing them standing tall underneath the blue skies can be a real sight for sore eyes. Shun Sum Yuen is open for the public in the summer, there’s a small fee to pay that goes towards maintaining the flower farm.
During typhoon season, tall-standing sunflowers were destroyed, mostly due to the uncovered urbanscape, and high intensity of wind. My proposal is to build a collanade working as wind break, capable to dissipate wind in a more fluid and flexible way unlike the tranditional wind shelter.
Shun Sum Yuen Farm (信芯園農莊)
REFLECTIONS AND ROOM FOR DISCUSSIONS
THE ULTIMATE VERSION OF THE DESIGN, WHICH INCLUDES A CONTINUOUS MEMBRANE, IS FLAWED BECAUSE THE INITIAL IDEA WAS FOR EACH STRUCTURE TO OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY, WITH FLUID AND COHESIVE MOVEMENTS. THE REASON FOR INTRODUCING THE FABRIC IS ITS ABILITY TO CATCH WIND AND EXECUTE A SWING. NEVERTHELESS, THE FLEXIBILITY HAS BEEN DIMINISHED DUE TO THE INTERCONNECTIVITY, PARTLY BECAUSE THE TOLERANCE IN THE MODEL IS INSUFFICIENT. AS A RESULT, CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS CAN BE MADE IN THIS MANNER:
1. SEPARATE EACH TENSILE MEMBRANE;
2. INCORPORATE THE IDEA OF LEAF SHAPE AS A WIND CATCHER;
BELOW ILLUSTRATE (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT):
1.ITERATION OF FRAMEWORK BACK TO THE EXTENDED FORM POSSIBLE WITH INDIVDUAL MEMBRANE; 2. LEAF SHAPE MEMBRANE CANOPY BY APEX ENGINEERING PROJECTS; 3. LEAF SHAPE MEMBRANE CANOPY BY SHAH AWNINGS; 4. MEMBRANE CONNECTED ONLY TO ITSELF HIGHTLIGHTED IN GREY
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TIMBER FRAMEWORK, LEAD POWDER, MDF BASE, ELASTIC MEMBRANE
1:25
TIMBER FRAMEWORK SURROUND THE FORMATION OF THE MEMBRANE, APPLYING TENSION TO IT
DUE TO THE TENSILE FORCE OF THE MEMBRANE, SOME FRAMEWORKS WERE ALREADY AT IMBALANCED POSITION 1:25 CROSSING OF FRAMEWORKS
