Zoebeide | Furniture Design | Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) In Interior Architecture | Hanan Fatina

The City Of

Zo e b e i d e

BY HANAN FATINA 0329543

FURNITURE DESIGN MR REDZWAN HISHAM, MS SUZY SULAIMAN, MS AISHAH MOKTHAR BACHELOR OF ARTS. (HONS) IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE. TAYLORS UNIVERSITY

Synopsis Invisible Cities

explores imaginative and the possibilities descriptions of cities by Marco Polo, was a Venetian merchant, (explorer, and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295.

The story is framed as a conversation between the aging and busy emperor Kublai Khan, who constantly has merchants coming to describe the state of his expanding and vast empire, and Polo. Most of the book consists of brief stories apparently narrated by Polo; short dialogues between the two characters are interspersed every five to ten cities and are used to discuss various ideas presented by the cities and its characteristics.

It is structured around an interlocking pattern of numbered sections, while the length of each section’s title graphically outlines a continuously oscillating sine wave (a curve representing periodic oscillations of constant amplitude) , or perhaps a city skyline.

The interludes between Khan and Polo are no less poetically constructed than the cities, and form a framing device, a story within a story that plays with the natural complexity of language and stories.

Task / Requirement Required to come out with a furniture design with a city guide in an e-book; a guide that provides a precise description and information of the selected city.

The project e-book set must have:

Description Based on the writings of Calvino; how do you envisioned the selected city? How would you describe and visual the selected city architecturally, historically; what is the city main character, how do the people live, how is the climate etc.

Environment A detailed environment research in visuals, both photo reference and concept sketches. This part of the references must clearly show the ‘character’ or the significant understanding of the city. As it will give the look and feel of the project, to convince that the project has a context of a living habitat. i.e.., steampunk, Victorian, fantasy, industrial etc.

Furniture Design A set of developments sketches, visuals, and mock-ups. The progress of this project will depend on how you adapt your understanding of the narratives; subsequently applying the design to a furniture-likeaccordingly. The final output of the furniture is a 1:5 scale model made ONLY from corrugated board (without colour) and some other material need. (with approval)

Cities & Desires no 5 From there, Zobeide, the

after six days and seven nights, you arrive at white city, well exposed to the moon, with

streets wound about themselves as in a skein. They tell this tale of its foundation: men of various nations had an

dream.

identical

They saw a woman running at night through an un-

known city; she was seen from behind, with long hair, and she was

naked.

They

dreamed

of

pursuing

her.

italo calvino

As they twisted and turned, each of them lost her. After the dream, they set out in search of that city; they never found it, but they found one another; they decided to build a city like the one in the dream. In laying out the streets, each followed the course of his pursuit; at the spot where they had lost the fugitive’s trail, they arranged spaces and walls differently from the dream, so she would be unable to escape again.

This was the city of Zobeide, where they settled, waiting for that scene to be repeated one night. None of them,

asleep or

awake, ever saw the woman again. The city’s streets were streets

where they went to work every day, with no link any more to the dreamed chase. Which, for that matter, had long been forgotten.

New men arrived from other lands, having had a dream like theirs, and in the city of Zobeide, they recognized something from the streets of the dream, and they changed the positions of arcades and stairways to resemble more closely the path of the pursued woman and so, at the spot where she had vanished, there would remain

no

The first to these people

avenue

arrive could to Zobeide,

of

escape.

not understand what this ugly city, this

drew trap.

Characters the men that travelled and built the city of Zobeide looked like nomads but of different characters; some were geared up with tools and weapons, some were as simple as a robe with a traveling backpack, but they all had one thing in common:

the dream

of the same naked woman escaping.

THOUGHT PROVOKING IDEAS FOR INITIAL CITY CONCEPT

key words KEY WORDS EXTRACTED FROM CITIES & DESIRES NO 5

Cities “From there,

after six days and seven nights, you arrive at Zobeide, the white city, well exposed to the moon, with streets wound about themselves as in a skein. They tell this tale of its foundation: men of various nations had an

dream.

identical

They saw a woman running at night through an unknown city; she was seen from behind, with long hair, and she was

naked. of

1 2 3

They pursuing

dreamed her.”

The interpretation o f a city covered in white was reimagined as a city covered in

smoke.

with hovering vehicles (advanced technology) to increase the performance of “capture & rescue” their naked woman. their city was built quickly with

no decorational/ornamental design in their build-

ings. All but square and clear cut buildings made for simploe living

Vehicles “As

they twisted and turned,

each of them lost her. After the dream, they set out in search of that city; they never found it, but they found one another; they decided to build a city like the one in the dream. In laying out the streets, each followed the course of his pursuit; at the spot where they had lost the fugitive’s trail, they arranged spaces and walls differently from the dream, so she would be unable to escape again.”

land and wa-

4

they had partly lived in their vehicles as they were determined that they’ll see her again. This

5

The men had built vehicles that hover above

ter.

This enables them to capture the woman once she is seen.

meant that they’ll be ready and on standby when it’s time.

in their vehicles, contains her resting place that they have built for her. As soon as she’s captured, he would have her forever.

6

city development

Favelas + Sinking Venice ”they changed the positions of arcades and stairways to resemble more closely

the path of the pursued woman and so, at the spot where she had vanished, there would remain no

avenue of escape.”

So I pictured a city above water, similar like Venice. To prevent the naked lady from escaping through manholes or the sewerage system beneath OR to buy time if she swims away.

“None of them, asleep or awake, ever saw the woman again. The city’s

streets were streets where they went to work every day, with no link any more to the dreamed chase. Which, for that matter, had long been forgotten.”

The ways which the men travelled through the city was lifeless, as they waited for her appearance. Buildings were buildings that were not maintained and barely lived in. It is a fast paced built environment. Openings were blocked out so there was only one way through all the neighbouring buildings.

source: pinterest

Characteristics the city has narrow and clear

straight walkways, easy to

walk from one building to another. openings remain see through but

blocked

with nailed boards that close off those entryways. the addition of zinc sheets plastered on the walls ensure that these walls are not able to climb on to. But these materials are also scavenged along their hunts out as they upgrade their basic abodes for protection as well.

link bridges one neighbour the event of her caught on this be able to catch

are added from to another. In appearance and bridge, they’ll her in a corner.

men in this city have a basic lifestyle, only to have a colourful life when they meet her, again.

The city is dull, sunken with traps and closed off entryways.

Final city model.

Zoebeide they

ment

have

entertain-

centres as well such as bars, restaurants and such that cater to their lifestyle. although these hubs are not sufficient to fulfill their needs as much as it can to feed their

desires

for this naked woman

elevation for one building

(L) 13cm

(H) 20cm

Zoebeide they hunt for her

night.

day til

Though they all came together with the same motif, no one would reveal her even if they did see her. these houses were not meant to be lived in long, or at least they thought.

Barely maintained,

but polluted with white smoke from all the dust from their vehicles and smoking.

plan for one building

12.5cm (W)

12.5cm (L)

furniture development

dieselpunk “They saw a woman running at night through an unknown city; she was seen from behind, with long hair, and she was

naked. They dreamed of pursuing her.”

As they are perservering to catch the naked woman, they had advanced their vehicles which hovers above land and water in hopes that the next time they’ll find her, it will be successful.

In their vehicles they had set a “capture + rest” furniture with the vision that this lady would participate in their future adventures. It would have straps to hold her down during the chase, but it would provide comfort, to assure her that they mean no harm.

ZOE-3000 RATIONALE The mobile concept was using the shadow rendering method. Starting with just a grey form and then later sketched with a felt tip.

Using elements of Diesel punk using jet

en-

gines and pilot seats as a form study.

I imagined the mouth of the vehicle would open

to capture the woman. Placed in it is the resting

place

that would strap her down before fleeing.

ALTERNATE JOINERY AND DESIGN CONCEPT STUDY Initial idea was to use gears and a swing method to “recline” and “pull back” the back rest sketches of back rest alternative to combine with the base in a curve structure. did not workout with gear alternative due to its “heavy” appearance.

sketch of alternate Zoe-2000 decided not to refine as the curvy nature did not resonate with the city.

Joinery & Movement

ALTERNATE JOINERY AND DESIGN CONCEPT STUDY

JOINERY STUDY for model After studying a simple mechanism such as a car seat (which resembled a pilot seat), a brass

paper fastener was a simple pin that could enable two corrugated cardboards to move.

mock up model

JOINERY & MECHANISM STUDY FOR FURNITURE

ZOE-3000 operates using a simple automotive seat recliner mechanism which

consists of a stabilizer plate lever, radial spring and linear spring to recline such as the diagram below.

diagram by EdenCAD

mock up model reclined ( before & after)

Joinery & Movement Studies

Mock Up Models

mock up #1 ZOE-3000 had more curved corners to represent near flora like features.

The appearance still looked heavy and unstable and further refined.

The additional resting pads were added in for the comfort of the woman if in use.

Mock Up Models

mock up #2 ZOE-3000 mock up #2 had less padding for a light-weight appearance.

Was still unstable with the mock up due to the small width of the base legswith oversized head rest.

Mock Up Models

ZOE-3000

ZOE-3000 1:5 scale model

aluminium truss-like base and back rest

DIMENSIONS

reclining motion

reclining motion