Refective journal

INTERDISCIPLINARY DESIGN STUDIES

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL CHEUNG HOI LING ESTHER

ARCH YR II

2017-18

CONTENT

SITE ANALYSIS

3-6

COLLAGE

7-10

CREATIVE MODEL

11-14

SKETCHUP MODEL

15-18

RENDERING

19-23

SITE ANALYSIS

PRECEDENT

The analysis focuses on showing the characters of each space and the relation between them . It consists of a combinaiton of sketches and photograghs to introduce different important elements of each space.

The analysis make use of people and vehicles to show the activities and functions of a space. That demonstrates the relationship between the users and the building itself.

The saturation of the photographs are tuned down in order to contrast the element with colours and emphasising their value as they are more eyecatching.

Lines and arrows indicate movement and access of spaces which also link 4 spaces together to form a whole picture.

Annotations are added to distinguish the name of the area and stressed the significant of a specific place that might attact people to visit.

It might be better to put a map as the background or at the corner of the image to indicate the actual location of these spaces in order to know relationship on plan.

U R BA N D ESI G N STU D I O II: Th e R e g i o n a l St ud i o Unknown Digial collage of photographs and hand drawings (Imgkid, n.d.)

3

SITE ANALYSIS

PROCESS

1

Imported the site plan from digimap and brought in sanned image of hand drawings to Photoshop.

2

Collaged the context by using and combining different photographs of the site.

3

Added the prefered routes by drawing in line tool and add more people to animate the diagram and show the access.

4

Imported hand drawing of various elevation of buildings and adjust the darkeness of lines.

5

Further added colours and material patterns on the drawing. Used colours to create light and shadow of the building.

6

Brought the elevation drawing into the analysis and put annotations to the landmarks . Sample of different materials are also inserted on the map.

4

SITE ANALYSIS

PRODUCT

The analysis diagram is to show the connection and character of the site with its surounding. The map of the area is laid as the background to show the location of each spaces.

The key landmarks are all drawings and left in black and white while the surrounding context are in coloured photographs.

This is to emphasis the architecture by contradicing their style and hue.

Although the sneinton market is not in the boundary of the site, it is a noteable spot for social interactions and creative industry in Nottingham and serve as a linkage of the city and the main Sneinton area. Therefore, I included it in the diagram, showing the connection between the site and the Sneinton market.

The yellow lines shows the perfered routes people travel from the sneinton market to the site and by different means, such as walking , cycling and driving. The lines are going diagonally upwards to symbolize the accending slope to the site from city.

The elevation of houses are a combination of houses that can be found in different street within the boundary. Their location are indicated by the yellow spots. They show the main style of the area is Vitorian architecture with 2-3 storeys and slopped roof. The main materials used in construction of the houses are also presented to further show the characters of the site.

5

SITE ANALYSIS 1

PROJECTION

ASSIBILITY PROBLEM: Need explaintions to understand the whole diagram, for instance, the yellow spots are confusing.

SOLUTION: Add a title or a key or short annotations beside the diagram to allow people to read and understand more easily.

2

FOCUS PROBLEM: It is a slightly difficult to read as too many photots in the same tone are stuck together and lose the focus.

SOLUTION: Turn images that are relatively insignificant to monochrome while the important one stay coloured to form a heiarchy of imformation.

3

ACTIVITIES PROBLEM: The figures added are only showing the access of the site but not the activities in it.

SOLUTION: Add people with different kind of gesture to give a sense of the possible functions of a particular space, such as people tend to relax in the green space of the windmill.

WHAT DID GOOD Personally like the graphical representaition of the connection between the Sneinton Market and the main Sneinton area as it shows people need to walk uphill.

4

ELEVATION SKETCH PROBLEM: The elevation does not show the characterstic of houses within the site very successfully without explaning SOLUTION: Add text about the foundings of their charcteristics or zoom in particular part of the sketch about the windows or doors to show the style in details.

Appreciate the drawing of the combined elevation of houses.

6

COLLAGE

PRECEDENT

MATERIALS & IDEA The collage was based on one of Kurt Schwitters key idea, “Merz”, that he claimed that “Everything had broken down in any case and new things had to be made out of the fragments.” (MoMA, n.d.) Therefore, he used found objects and scraps collected from street as well as his home town to create his work, for intance, materials that can be found in this piece are fabric, newspaper clipping, wrappings and metals.

COMPOSITION Although this collage give a sense of roughness and randomness, the artist had deliberately think of the composition of his work as he placed a flashcard with cherry illustration in the middle of the collage.

It becomes the focal point of the whole artwork as it opposites with the rest of the image. This demonstrates the artist had carefully thought of what is the object and subject.

(The Museum of Modern Art, n.d.)

He also showed that collage not only is affixing objects together, but can cooperate with painting to add meanings. He used light and dark paints to create depth that form an illusion of some objects protrude from the artwork. It also created geometry as they are painted with straight boarders and firm edges that establish harmony.

CH ER RY P I C T U R E (1 9 2 1 ) Kurt Schwitters Mixed media

COLOURING

7

COLLAGE

1

Gather scraps from the site and in daily life and brought them together for the materials of collage. Prepare paint and brush for colouring.

6

Bring into Photoshop to insert hand drawn existing plan to relate more to the context.

PROCESS

5 Further add other scraps, such as leave and timber strip to add more dynamic and texture to the collage.

2

3

Apply texture gel on the paper and let it dry under warm places.

Print out the context’s landscape pavement materials taken from the site.

Cut and stick them on the paper.

4 Add colours and other founded materials, such as plastic bag, tissue paper, on the collage

8

COLLAGE As I am interested in the diversity of landscape materials from the site, I printed the photographs of the gravels and different grass textures of the context and cut them into different sizes for collaging.

Instead of using Photoshop or digital media, I choose to hand made the collage by sticking various materials together as well as a bit of colouring using acrylic.

PRODUCT Photograph of the gravels in the site Cotton bud Used tape Cork Wet wipe paper

This approach allows me to expose and feel different textures of materials physically instead of imagining how they work virtually. I can experiment how to link diverse textures together in a design.

At first, I was just colouring and sticking them together to experiment their properties without specific reasoning.

However, later I found what I did unconsciously was making the materials associate with each other in terms of their spacial relationship. They are overlapping or sliding pass each other and form lines and orders which I then further developed by adding more materials and textures on top.

The sketched existing plan was also scanned and put in the collage in order to relate it more to the context and show where do the materials and textures came from. The leave is the focal point which placed in the centre and link all the axes together.

The collage act as a means for me to experiment and guide me to think of my own concept for the design proposal. I developed the concept of “sliding pass� in this project and this concept helps making decisions in the design process.

Timber stripes Grey acrylic paint Tissue paper Dried leaves leftover foam Leftover MDF pieces Tracing paper Plastic bag Hand drawn plan

Used baking paper

Photograph of the grass in the site 9

COLLAGE 1

PROJECTION

RELATION TO THE SITE PROBLEM: Difficult to see the relationship between the site and the collage SOLUTION: More elements of the site can be added to the collage, such as the photograph of horses and sketches of the site

2

FOCAL POINT PROBLEM: The focal point (the leave) is not as successful as that from the precedent as it is in a similar colour with the background and surrounding elements .

SOLUTION: Add other supporting element with strong colour around the leave to draw viewers’ attention or change the hue of the leave in photoshop

3

MATERIALS PROBLEM: Some materials are alike and have similar properties SOLUTION: Can find and add more materials whith different characters that can be found in daily life, such as aluminium sheet and used towels

WHAT DID GOOD It shows the geometry relationship effectively as the materials and paint are overlapping and passing through each other.

Had attempted to use different materials that normally not use in a collage 10

CREATIVE MODEL

PRECEDENT

AXES The elements are placed in different axes to show their geometic connections. They are sliding pass each other at the same time creating an intersection.

It demonstrates that the planes not only function and stand individually, but also join as a component to the whole and this can be achieved minimally, just by connecting 3 axes.

LIGHT & SHADOW In my opinion, the creator is also experimenting the light and shadows of different elements as there are many voids between materials that allows light to pass through and create shadows. For instance, some bamboo sticks were glued together to form a panel while the others were distributed individually with gaps between each others. The shadow of the former approach is solid whereas the latter one is thin.

(The ARCHive, n.d.)

Through making use of the properties of different materials, it creates a diversity in mass. The concrete casting is bulky while the bamboo sticks and metal wires symbolize lightweight. The light materials are placing between the heavies and spread outside the boundary that the concrete block created. Their distribution balance the mass of the whole model that makes it more interesing.

D e si g n I I : “M iam i a r t is t l ive /wo rk co n s t ru c t � ( 2011) Daniel Houghton , USF School of Architecture Mixed media

MASS

11

CREATIVE MODEL

PROCESS

1

Tear off a peice of clay out of the whole slab

2

Added the cardboard as the base and stabbed the metal wire and toothpick through the clay block

3

Inserted the bamboo stick bewteen the gap of toothpicks and stuck the foam board piece vertically on the base while placed the timber block horizontally.

4

Glued the cotton sticks together to form a panel and linked the edge of the clay block and the foam board.

Cut metal wires and plastic slide binder into various length and adhered them in different directions.

5

Further add nails and timber block vertically and toothpick horizontally on different levels of the model.

6

Affix more metal wire and plastic slide binder pieces on the model to intensity the relationship between axes.

12

CREATIVE MODEL

PRODUCT DETAIL OF INTERSECTIONS

CONCEPT The model shows the concept of sliding pass and extending. Although some elements are in the same axis, they have differnt length and do not meet in the end point. This suggest the elements are sliding pass each other and extending the edge of one another.

INTERSECTIONS DETAIL OF THE CLAY

The model is formed by elements crossing the axes with each other and creates connection through intersections.The intersections helps an element to stand as the element support one another at that point.

THE CLAY I kept the rough surface of the clay after tearing out of a larger peice of it instead of smoothen it by hand.

This preserve a raw texture of the clay which I find intriguing. It is placed facing inward of the model that from the its exterior, the clay looks relatively polished and will be suprised to see the raw texture inside.

MATERIALS I tried to use materials with different properties. Not only in terms of their composition such as clay, metal, timber and plastic, but also their mass such as solid blocks, rods and sticks and panels . Their difference creates dynamic for the model and allows me to explore the relationship of their connection.

TOP VIEW

13

CREATIVE MODEL 1

PROJECTION DETAIL OF INTERSECTIONS

FORCE PROBLEM: The timber rod is tilted because the force of the other elements are pushing it SOLUTION: Relocate the rod or remove the members that add force to it Consider the effect when placing an element over or nearby another.

2

BARRIER PROBLEM: Want to explore the light and shadow as the precedent show, but it is blocked by the foam panel in this model

DETAIL OF THE CLAY

SOLUTION: Remove the foam panel and maybe replace that with other materials To aviod this mistake, I should think whether the element I am placing would affect the what I want to explore

3

FOCAL POINT PROBLEM: The black plastic pieces are too eye catching and loose the main focal pint of the model SOLUTION: Use another colour that matches the tone of other materials or reduce the amount of black plastic pieces to make it become the focal point.

WHAT DID GOOD Personally like the roughness of the clay as it makes the model interesting.

It is quite successful in showing the axes expecially from the top view and this help me devlop my design.

TOP VIEW

14

SKETCHUP MODEL

PRECEDENT Ske tc h up m o d e l ( 2015) Matt Donley 3D model

This image show how to produce a digital 3D model by using hand drawings of plans and elevations. This is combining traditional media and technology instead of only using software to create a model.

(MasterSketchup.com, 2015)

For presentation, plans and elevations are putted together as the background to show how the model is emerge from them.

To match the sketchy hand drawn drawings, the sketchup model is then switch to another style to give a similar effect with extended edges and wobbly lines. Shadow is also turned on to give a sense of the building height and depth.

In my opnion, they give a sense of originative ideas as the the sketch-like model and drawings seem primitive that suggest further modificaiton and development. This offer the idea of design is an endless process. Also, this make the whole product unique and individual as sketchy effect and firsthanded drawings propose it cannot be duplicated.

15

SKETCHUP MODEL

1

4

PROCESS

Imported the existing plan in AutoCad format and laid the hand drawn propose building plan as .jpeg in Sketchup. Followed the markings and drew the plan of the walls using line tool.

2

Extruded the enclosed surface in apporiate height to form walls and created openings on them.

3

Create thin and arrange them in the same spacing on the other wall surface as claddings. Fit windows and doors in openings and glazings between solid walls.

Created roofs and upper floor decking using the same procedure as the ground level and add furnitures through Sketchup 3D Warehouse , such as the covered garden, tables and raised beds.

5

Experimented different styles and chose the pencil sketching effect . Then, exported the scene as a .png file.

6

Brought the picture into Photoshop and combined the hand drawn plan and the model into a single image.

16

SKETCHUP MODEL

PRODUCT

The sketchup model is created in detail to show the full design of the proposed building. The surrounding building are also presented to show the dynamic and influences to the site. Shadow is switched on to simulate the light condition in reality.

The opacity of the surrounding buildings and context are lowered in order the contrast the proposed building to make it as a focal point of the presentation due to the solidity of white colour and lines.

Hand-drawn plan with paper texture is insert as the background as well as using pencil drawing effects on the model for presentation. These not only are to unify their styles, but also to suggest an idea of initiation and continunity. The style makes people feel it is unfinished and still in process that the design can be carried on continuously. Hand-drawing and sketchy also demonstrate the characteristic of the creator that suggest the design is original and individual.

17

WHAT DID GOOD

SKETCHUP MODEL 1

BACKGROUND

PROJECTION

The model is made in detail and is corperated with the context that successfully show the appearance of the proposed building and how it stands in the context.

The plan explained the rest of the spaces that a single view cannot show.

PROBLEM: The plan in the background is dominant that diverse the attention to the model.

SOLUTION: Reduce the size of the plan and tune down the opacity or brightness of lines.

More about the plan: Might add annotations of the spaces to clarify the functions of them

4

MODEL --- PRESENTATION PROBLEM: The graphic of the model is not comprehensive enough to show the whole design.

SOLUTION: Add images from other angles of the model.

Areaial

2

FOCAL POINT PROBLEM: The model does not serve as the focal point of the presentation successfully SOLUTION: Enlarge the image size of the model and intensify the colour of lines

3

MODEL--- TEXTURE PROBLEM: The model is not detail enough to show the texture of differnet materials, especiallyy the landscape SOLUTION: Add landscape materials in Sketchup to show a more detail of the design

View to cafe and entrance

View to covered garden from animals home

18

RENDERING

PRECEDENT

ILLUSTRAITON EFFECTS This rendering looks like an illustruation more than a real photo as there are seperation between the connection of the buildings that can tell they are not in a single frame orignially and the tone of the image is low in satuation that suggest it is edited. This illustration effect however work successfully in creating a unified style of all elements.

REALITY EFFECTS Nevertheless, the light and materiality give a sense of reality. As this rendering is based on a real location in London, the creator successfully make a sky with mild daylight that match the reality in the UK a normally with little direct sunlight. Also, various materials are applied to demonstrate the relationship between the buildings and the context. The reflection and fluidity of water is well created that looks similar to the actual one.

PEOPLE The rendering also stress the importance of people that influence the character of the site. Abundant amount of figures are inserted to illustrate the complexity of activities happening in the space. It also show the vaiety of users as there are adults, children, elderlies and even babies. All these compose a vibrant and energetic atmostphere.

COA L D ROP S YARD, LOND ON Forbes Massie Studio Computer visualizaiton (Forbes Massie Studio, n.d.)

19

RENDERING

PROCESS

1

Applied materials on Sketchup model by using V-ray asset editor.

2

Used the fur effect in v-ray to create grass in apporiate length and density.

3

Adjusted settings of “Displacement” under the material properties to create a more realistic gravel pavement texture.

4

Rendered the model after applying all materials as a medium quality image to ensure they match the design.

5

Added the sky background through changing the setting under “Environment’ overides”, and render to see how it works.

6

Changing the light setting from “Sunlight” to “V-ray Dome Light” to give a more realistic light condition with daylight instead of strong direct sunlight. Rendered the image in high quality for further editing.

20

7

Brought in Photoshop and adjusted the brightness and contrast of the image.

10 Inserted the sky background to add more clouds in the sky.

8

Added people and crops in order to show the activities in the building and adjusted the saturation and contrast to match the tone

11 Adjust the tone and colour of the sky through chaging the opacity, brightness and contrast.

9

Added photo of the site as the context of the building.

12 Further added trees and changed the existing building from white rendered block to real photo to show more about the context.

21

RENDERING

PRODUCT

PEOPLE The community garden is design to located in front of the proposed building so as to serve as a welcoming and dynamic entrance route to the building. Learning from the precedent, having people are quite important to demonstrate that character. Therefore, they are added to how the journey they enter the building as well as the activities happening in it.

CONTEXT In terms of the context, the existing site and proposed landscape act as supporting role to the building and demonstrate how the building repond to the site. In this image, the existing building and the manure opposite the site are put together to give a generally sense of the surrondings. Landscape textures such as grass, gravel and concrete are also rendered to show the different ground pavement seperating and connecting spaces.

As there are not much tress and tall buildings behind, the sky becomes relatively important as I tried couples appoarches to create this sky effects with more clouds and some sunlight projecting to the building.

22

RENDERING 1

TRANSPARENCY PROBLEM: The glazings are not trasparent enough to show the proposed materials of the design SOLUTION: Make sure the material property is giving the ideal effects Be careful and mindful when editing backgrounds behind the glazings

PROJECTIONS 2

LIGHT

1

SATURAITON

PROBLEM: The contrast of shadow and light is not strong enough to clearly distinguish the effect of sunlight to the building and the community garden.

PROBLEM: The overall image is rather faint and in low colour satuation, which might not successfully show the joyfulness of the acivities happening in the site.

SOLUTION: Add more light effects and texture using photoshop and darken the shadow to increase the contrast.

SOLUTION: Bear in mind that what atmosphere the space is given.

Use a brighter colour tone and adjust images to a higher saturation

However, the light condition can be said as acceptable as the site is located in the UK, there is barly strong direct sunlight. This soft light condition might represent more to the reality.

WHAT DID GOOD Sucessfully show various activities happening in the site by adding people with different gestures and blend in the context with the propose building graphically.

23

BIBLIOGRAPHY Imgkid. (n.d.). Site Analysis Architecture Presentation Board. [online] Available at: http://imgkid.com/site-analysis-architecture-presentation-board.shtml [Accessed 6 Dec. 2017].

The Museum of Modern Art. (n.d.). Kurt Schwitters.The Cherry Picture. [online] Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/33356 [Accessed 20 Nov 2017].

The ARCHive. (n.d.). Daniel Houghton. [online] Available at: http://usfsacd.tumblr.com/post/18771005688/daniel-houghton-usf-school-of-architecture-class [Accessed 9 Dec. 2017].

Forbes Massie Studio. (n.d.). Gallery. [online] Available at: https://www.forbesmassie.com/gallery [Accessed 2 Dec. 2017].

MasterSketchup.com. (2015). SketchUp modeling from plans and elevations. [online] Available at: https://mastersketchup.com/sketchup-modeling-from-plans-and-elevations/ [Accessed 27 Nov. 2017].

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