Can architecture transcend the conventional boundaries between life and death? Can the oftenoverlooked concerns of mortality, customs, and rituals reinforce the definition of architecture as something that exists beyond mere physical structures. And can architecture harmoniously integrate the living and the deceased? These profound questions underwrite this proposition.
Located at Arthur’s Lake Island in Tasmania, The Passage extends for three kilometres over a series of isolated islands uninhabited by humans, accessible only by boat. The journey, reminiscent of those chartered by the mythic ferryman Charon, symbolises the transition from life to the afterlife. It prepares the visitor or an existential odyssey.
The proposition is founded on five elemental components. Each element accommodates a specific funerary process.
Metal (金) offers space for praying; Water (水) transforms into a sanctuary for mourning and healing;
Earth (土) supports viewing and funeral rites; Fire (火) becomes a crematorium; and Wood (木) grants spaces for storage of remains.
The elements are linked by spatial continuity and human procession, the transitions from one element to the next seamless to emphasise the interconnectedness of life and death, and the impermanence of human emotions.
5 Rituals of Death
Connect Rituals
Incorporate Materials / Elements
Seamlessly Intergrate into Next Element
Journey to Architecture for the Death
Ferryman Charon
Exterior: Entrance
The entrance to the narrow corridor guides living toward a wider space at the end.
The coldness of the metal allows the living to experience the chill of a deceased body.
Interior: Main praying area / viewing area.
Exterior: Entrance
The rooms surround by a tall waterfall wall the falling water create white noise lets the living to heal and mourn in the space.
Memory Room Room with series broken column with the reflecting water light into the spaces to house memory.
Interior:
Exterior: Entrance
Entering through an arched tunnel into this underground structure evokes a sense of being buried.
Interior: Viewing Room. Crypt-like interior room using grid of soft celling light to light up the space underground.
Exterior: Entrance
The tall chimney signifies as boat bow to prepare to send the loves one away.
Interior: Corridor
Fire will light up along the long corridor, allowing the living journey to experience the heat of the rituals.
Exterior: Entrance
The whole structure build only with wood using Shou Sugi Ban on Japanese wood joinery (Chidori) to create a black cloud like effect.
Interior: Columbarium
The Ern can be place in a box slotted in and lock in place in the Japanese joinery structure.
The Passage is a narrative unfolding within its architectural elements. Amidst the lake’s water and island’s vegetated land, the structures offer an abstracted, unearthly experience. The series of structures offer solace to the living and honour the departed.
Beyond its physical manifestation, The Passage is a spiritual conduit bridging the realms of the living and the dead. It is a sanctuary where the departed are revered, and the living remember and find closure. This built form gives a sense of calmness to the living and reminds society that death is not an end but a continuation. The proposition fosters a deep sense of connection, inviting reflection on one’s place in the world, the legacy of those before us, and the boundless mysteries that lie ahead.
The Passage is a transformative journey that goes beyond physical architecture, evoking profound emotions and spirituality. The architecture honours the past while guiding visitors on a transcendental exploration of the continuum of life and the enigmatic realm beyond. It serves as a timeless reminder that architecture can traverse the boundaries of time, culture, and mortality, creating sacred spaces that transcend the limitations of existence.
THE VESSELS
EXTENSION OF AUSTRALIAN MARITIME COLLEGE (AMC) SWANSON BUILDING
5TH YEAR STUDIO 2024
Drawn to the rich history of the Tamar River and its maritime heritage, my vision for the AMC campus embraces this connection, utilizing boat forms to evoke a sense of human scale. Imagine standing before a three-story boat bow, symbolizing the deep ties to the river and its role in the past. The idea is of two vessels, one sailing from the Tamar River toward the Swanson building, while the other sets course to the other campus, symbolizing the connection between the two campuses.
HISTORICAL REFERENCE
The Tamar River, also known as Kunermurlukeker, played a crucial role in the early days as an important waterway, hosting shipping terminals and serving as a bustling trading port. Launceston even boasted a dry dock, highlighting the river’s significance in maritime activities and trade.
The two AMC campus is intricately connected with the Tamar River, forming a deep and significant relationship.
The vision is of one vessel sailing from the Tamar River towards the Swanson building, while another heads towards the other campus. Utilizing boat forms in architecture creates a sense of human scale, akin to standing in front of a three-story boat bow.
AMC CAMPUS CONNECTION VESSEL FORM AND IDEA
one vessel the Swanson towards another front grass
DIAGRAM
Two Vessel
The concept entails envisioning one vessel sailing from the Tamar River towards the Swanson building, while another heads towards another campus, while also preserving the pride front grass
SUNLIGHT + NODE VIEW FROM ENTRY
Rotating the building to maximize sunlight penetration into the old building and optimize the view from the entry point.
Stacking + Cantilever
The concept entails envisioning one vessel sailing from the Tamar River towards the Swanson building, while another heads towards another campus, while also preserving the pride front grass area and the trees.
Rotating penetration view from
SUNLIGHT + NODE VIEW FROM ENTRY
Sunlight + Node from Entry
Rotating the building to maximize sunlight penetration into the old building and optimize the view from the entry point.
STACKING + CANTILEVER
Circulation
CIRCULATION + SITE
Utilizing sunlight obstructing Cantilevering effect at feeling for
maximize sunlight optimize the design to sustainable
CIRCULATION + SITE
the flow of entrance.
Utilizing a stacking effect on the side to increase sunlight exposure in the tide space without obstructing sunlight to the Swanson building. Cantilevering the front to create a vessel bow effect at the entrance, which evokes a distinct
KDA719_AT2_Speculation_Process Folio
STUCTURE
Structure
Using mass timber structure and design to determine the length, size, color, and sustainable materials for the structure.
Sail fin facade alters the building’s shapes as one moves in elevation, creating a dynamic pattern. Sustainable materials chosen for external use are non-striking to blend in with the precinct’s character. ENTRY STACKING + CANTILEVER
Analyzing the site to accommodate the flow of circulation and create a welcoming entrance.
Utilizing a stacking effect on the side to increase sunlight exposure in the tide space without obstructing sunlight to the Swanson building. Cantilevering the front to create a vessel bow effect at the entrance, which evokes a distinct feeling for the user.
Folio
Using mass determine materials
Sail fin facade moves in Sustainable are non-striking character.
SUMMARY
Sail fin facade + Roof + Material
SAIL INSPIRE FIN FACADE + ROOF + MATERIAL
Sail fin facade alters the building’s shapes as one moves in elevation, creating a dynamic pattern. Sustainable materials chosen for external use are non-striking to blend in with the precinct’s character.
The course of history has resulted in a hierarchical division between the local community. Despite the conventional idea that rivers unify and connect people, in this particular case, the river serves as a divisive force, accentuating the dissonances among the community. Its very flow has become a boundary line, exacerbating the separation between the community and the river.
The river is a lifeline, connecting communities and cultures, flowing with the essence of life. The Queen River, on the other hand, is the opposite. The history bringing the hierarchy into the town and still in place.
The prudences provide the persistence needed to create a ripple effect and raise awareness for the river’s recovery.
JUXTAPOSITION HIERARCHY OF QUEENSTOWN
THE HERITAGE FUTURE CENTER
The Heritage Future Center creates a threshold framing Queenstown and serves as a device to herald the entrance. The long ramp tunnel provides a mining-like tunnel experience where light and shadow project information to the user through copper, allowing users to learn about Queenstown.
MODEL
COLLAGE RENDER
LEARNING CENTER
The sunken glass platform provides an educational story/tour to help users understand the importance of the river, raise awareness, and inspire future generations to clean up the river for a better future.
MODEL
MULTI-PURPOSE GALLERY
Serve as a space for locals to sell or showcase their work, as well as a meeting place for local community and public.
MODEL
OPEN SOURCE SOHO
THE PASSIVE SOHO
3RD YEAR STUDIO 2015 ( 2015 BEST DESIGN AWARD, STARKEN AAC AWARD )
The site is an open car park at Jalan Sultan, located within the older part of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. In this era of modernization, the site is full of contradictions. Behind it, atop a hill, a 108-story modern office building (Merdeka 118) is under construction. The bustling scene of Chinatown contrasts with the quietness of the church behind the site. It is a tourist area with many offices. Therefore, it is a site in transition between old and new, modern and traditional, busy and quiet. The site has adequate facilities, including a nearby LRT station, good food, hotels, and proximity to primary and secondary schools.
To create an open-plan modular system with passive design principles, we aim to develop a sustainable neighborhood with enviable views of the entire Petaling Street. The modular SOHO units allow for future expansion, enabling the neighborhood to grow over time. Each unit features its own green balcony, and the vertical façade incorporates vertical planting, creating a mysterious experience and a natural air filter against the city’s pollution.
CONCEPT
Inspired by Tetris, the design can be arranged in any configuration within a maximum of six cubes with four cubes, resulting in a total of 36 possible arrangements.
As a modular system, spaces left open can become balconies, allowing air and sunlight to penetrate deeper into the interior.
