Shannon Tan NUS Architecture Y1S1 portfolio

portfolio.

Seeing. Thinking. Making.

Shannon Tan WYY Studio NUS Architecture Year 1 Sem 1

foreword.

Seeing. Thinking. Making. These were the three techniques that were drilled into our system in my first semester at NUS Architecture. Through a rigorous process involving doing, un-doing and re-doing, we were introduced to the basics of architectural knowledge and design. The resources provided to us this semester equipped us with the knowledge of basic architectural representation, coupled with the knowledge of the context of the prevalent design principles at the time.

Through these basic fundamentals, we learnt to communicate our designs and intentions effectively through our work.

This portfolio is a collection of 5 selected works from three different topics, coupled with my reflections and analysis of the various projects, and is a cumulative reflection of my learning as a design student.

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content page. topic a.

04 introduction 05 line exercises 06 katsura imperial villa 10 maison cook

schroder house 16 golden mile complex

topic b.

20 preface to parametric design 22 module design and construction 24 bridge 25 pavilion 26 site analysis

topic c.

28 29 30 32 34

preface to computational design infogram code generation continuous model discrete model

reflections.

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final thoughts acknowledgments

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topic a. an introduction.

Architectural representation – that is, plans, sections, elevations, etcetera – make up the basic fundamentals in designing and analysing architecture. Through the drafting of such drawings, we are better able to appreciate the various elements of a building, and by cross-referencing various forms of architectural representation are we able to understand a building as a whole.

Topic A marks the starting point for me as an architecture student. This studio allowed me to explore manual drafting techniques and use technical methods to construct architectural drawings. This topic consists of three main drafting exercises – Katsura Imperial Villa (plan, section, elevation), Maison Cook/ Schroder House (axonometric drawings), Golden Mile Complex (sectional perspective).

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line exercises. simple lines This exercise introduced us to the use of technical pens and hand-drafting.

Through the use of straight lines with varying lineweights, illusions such as varying volumes can be created. Thicker lineweights can also be used to place emphasis on certain areas while drafting plans, sections and elevations.

curved lines and circles Through the exploration of using straight lines, I found that I could create the illusion of curved lines through using differing angles of straight lines overlayed on each other. I also explored how using circles could create illusions of fluid movement.

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topic a. katsura imperial villa.

Katsura Imperial Villa employs a variety of traditional Japanese architectural styles, and the main house of the villa consists of three main sections: The Old Shoin, Middle Shoin and New Palace.

Perhaps the main precedence in the architecture of the Katsura Villa is the landscape and nature surrounding it. The hierarchy and order of the building can be easily differentiated by the sections which receive the best views of the garden and which receive the most sunlight. Furthermore, the villa has a diagonally staggered arrangement of the three main sections in the main house, an example of the Sukiya Style of the Edo Period, a Japanese architectural style used in designs of residential houses in a teahouse style. This style is adapted from the shoin-zukuri style and is characterized by its preference for diagonals.

This pattern allows the house to be parallel to the garden and maximise the viewing ability from the main house to the garden.

Through a plan drawing, we are better able to appreciate the overview of the villa, observing the orthogonal design, as well as the relationship between the architectural elements of Katsura and the garden.

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architectural representation. plan drawing.

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topic a. katsura imperial villa.

elevation An elevation drawing allows us to view the facade of a building, and therefore see its materials, and varying heights. Through the complementation of a plan and section drawing, it can also give us a more complete overview of an entire building.

It allows us to observe new elements in the building that aren’t visible in plan, this particular elevation shows the differing heights in the Old, New and Middle Shoin, as well as the placement of sliding doors that allow more light into the house

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architectural representation. elevation and section.

section A section allows us to see into the interior spaces of the villa, as well as see the structure of the building, for example, the beams of the roof. Through matching each column and referencing to the plan, a scaled representation of a section can be constructed.

This particular section is rendered to represent the amount of sunlight each section of the villa receives, once again highlighting the hierarchal parallel between the class systems in Japan and in Katsura.

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topic a. maison cook.

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In this exercise, we began by constructing a working model of our choosing between two buildings – Maison Cook and Schroder House. Through creating a scaled model of Maison Cook, I was able to better understand the spaces, volume and programme of the house.

Maison Cook, consisting of four storeys, was designed by Le Corbusier, and was designed in accordance to his 5 Points of Architecture.

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topic a. maison cook.

Both Maison Cook and Schroder House were designed in the 1920s in which architecture was being revolutionized by new materials and building techniques. Styles during this period were eclectic and drew inspiration from elements from modern and classical design to form new interesting designs in the Modernist era.

Maison Cook focused on volumetric design which ensured spatial and formal flexibility. This in turn led to interesting interior spaces in the building, which includes a double height room and curved walls.

Through an axonometric projection, we are not only able to observe such spaces within the house, but it also allows us to visualise certain details such as interior proportion and circulation.

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architectural representation. axonometric drawing.

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topic a. schroder house.

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architectural representation. axonometric drawing.

Schroder House was designed in the 1920s in accordance to the De Stijl movement, a popular artistic movement at that time.

In comparison to Maison Cook, Schroder House makes use of large windows and the design of the faรงade, which allows the interior and exterior to complement each other, thus introducing more space into the building. The main design and form of the building is presented in the faรงade as well, in which the various layers reflect the structural integrity of the house.

Through exploding the various layers of the facade in an axonometric projection, not only are we able to observe the interior in greater detail, each element of the faรงade, from the windows to the varying thickness of the layered walls becomes apparent as well.

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topic a. golden mile complex. exteriority

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architectural photography.

Golden Mile Complex, a megastructure often described as a city within a city, is one of the architectural structures that define postwar Singapore. The Metabolist movement, first conceptualised by the Japanese, gave birth to the design of the Golden Mile Complex, which resulted in the brutalist structure and multi-purpose building being one of the first of its kind.

Through a site visit, I was able to appreciate the Brutalist exterior structure of the building, as well as how some elements of the interior reflected the exterior. Through capturing its elements in photographs, I understood the beauty in its sequence.

interiority

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topic a. golden mile complex.

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architectural representation. sectional perspective.

Golden Mile Complex perfectly exemplifies the contrast between exteriority and interiority, due to the bustling human activity inside, as well as the busy roads and the buildings surrounding it. A sectional perspective is required to firstly, analyse the different areas in the complex (commercial, offices, and residential), be able to observe the structure both inside the building and on the facade, as well as examine the differences between the interiority and exteriority of the building.

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topic b. preface to parametric design.

The concept of parametricism involves the use of modules, namely module, unit, field and variations of module through transformation. Through digital design in a digital environment, we learnt the necessity of a constant toggling of design to its physical reality; where overall strategy and form must be balanced and informed by actual performance, gravity and structural detail, in a constant iterative process.

In Topic B, we were given the task to design two structures – a bridge and a dome.

They must be structurally sound, and be able to withstand either a 1 kilogram point load, or a 2 kilogram span load. We were given two materials to choose from, paper or wood, of which we choose paper. The following pages document our process and end result.

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process modules.

Firstly, we began with experimenting with modules. Through this experimentation, we began to discover the challenges we had to overcome in propagating our module – some modules were too rigid in terms of propagation, some were structurally unable to hold load, and some were too heavy and would thus decrease efficiency. Our final module – a three-pronged module – allowed for tension and compression. The construction and design is documented in the following pages.

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topic b. final module construction

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module variation

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module construction.

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topic b. bridge.

The legs of the bridge were also spread apart to increase the surface area that the compression was acting on.

1kg point load Rate of Efficiency: 3.65

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Our bridge design consisted of linking three tubes together on each side, and it included a surface at the top connected them to the legs at the side, to act as a tieback, and increase tension in the deck.

When placing the 1 kilogram weight on the deck, we had to ensure the bridge was compressed by ensuring the legs pressed against the tables. We then spread apart the surface to increase the surface area of contact of the load with the bridge. When we placed the load on the bridge, the deck bent inwards, and the legs were in compression as they bent against each other.

model making. pavilion.

2.4kg spread load Rate of Efficiency: 6.27 The pavilion design consistsof constructing three tubular legs that widened into a convex roof. The legs of the pavilion were extremely strong, and able to resist the downward force of a load placed directly on top of them.

Since the model has quite a bit of span, a distributed load was preferred in order to play to its strengths.

When we placed the spread load on the pavilion model, the load was acting directly on the three legs, and thus, the legs were acting in compression.

As for the span roof, it is in tension as it holds the legs in place, and it dents inwards.

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topic b.

sun and wind As the sun moves along its path from morning to night, the modular nature of our bridge and pavilion creates both interesting shadows and provides shade to all patrons.

Furthermore, the entrances to both our pavilion and bridge is situated to allow maximum wind to enter both structures, creating a cooling passage.

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site analysis.

Comprising three departments, Architecture, Building, Real Estate, and one division, Industrial Design, the School of Design and Environment is a space used by students and lecturers.

The site of the pavilion is at SDE3’s main entrance, and is meant to be viewed as a welcome pavilion, where students can stop to rest or socialise. The building is also connected to the bus stop next to Clementi Road by a sheltered walkway, and so students may also wait for their bus at the pavilion after classes. Because of this, it would be ideal for the road and bus stop to be clearly visible from inside of the pavilion.

The bridge is meant to be a linkway between the studio and workshops in SDE4 and classrooms in SDE3 and would be used by students and lecturers transiting between the two adjacent buildings. It is also situated right above the pick-up and drop-off point of SDE 4.

circulation As the pavilion is the welcome point for all visitors, its close proximity to the bus-stop guides the movements of students and visitors alike to SDE3 and 4. Whereas for the bridge, it allows a convenient connection between SDE4 and SDE3 for students to easily travel between classes, and also provides a short-cut to the bus stop from SDE4.

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topic c. preface to computational design.

Computational design brings a set of process driven and strategic design thinking that originates from the thinking faculty of an architect. It can be understood through analogue architectural representations of drawing and modelmaking as architectural design fundamentally remains a process of seeing, thinking and making that the computer does not relieve architects of.

In Topic C, we were introduced to the basics of computational design in which we took a set of complex data and information, identified parameters of that information and reworked it into a visual code. This is accomplished through creating a new language, either from a family of lines, or a set of geometrical figures.

By translating this generated code, we can then create a physical representation of information on a model.

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topic c. original infogram. Â Â?

For this exercise, a spatialised surfing report was utilised to generate a code. The parameters, which included height, direction, and distance between each surfing wave, as well as the direction and intensity of the wind in a certain area, were translated into a code of lines, each line differing through line weight and type. These parameters also differed across time. Following this code, a new set of physical translations could be generated to create a continuous and discrete model.

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topic c. code generation.

By reworking the information into a family of lines, we can create a code containing varying information.

The dotted lines represent wind direction, and wind intensity at different areas is represented by varying lineweights.

As for the waves, continuous lines with differing lineweights were used to represent primary and secondary waves and their different heights. As for the direction of the primary wave, dotted lines with dashes close to each other were used.

The final code consists of these parameters worked into the visual code at three different timings.

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full code.

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topic c. continuous model – plan & section. physical legend.

To translate the visual code into a physical representation, a physical legend corresponding each action on the vinyl material to a certain parameter was required.

For this particular model, waves were represented through pinching the material to a certain height, while wind was represented through cutting slits.

plan and section.

From creating a plan and section, one can see the overlaps and folds in the model more clearly from the top, and due to the fluid nature of the vinyl, each fold actually affects the rest of the material, creating interesting sections of different heights not just in the folds, but in the entire form .

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model making.

For the continuous model, we explored the use of vinyl as a material. With its fluidity and flexibility, a certain action performed on the material, such as pinching, could be translated into a parameter. Furthermore, compound actions could potentially be used to overlap information in the same area

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topic c. discrete model – axonometric. physical legend.

For the discrete model, separate units containing different information were represented in the pages of a book, and thus the approach in translating the code was vastly different from the vinyl material.

For this model, the primary waves and secondary waves were folded accordingly using the height of each page. For wind, the flat pages represent the direction of each wind, and more layers represent higher intensity.

axonometric.

An axonometric drawing is used to represent the 3-dimensional nature of the book, and to show the thickness of each section. From the drawing, we are able to observe the varying volumes and heights of each separate page, and understand its separate components.

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model making.

In contrast to the continuous model, a unit-based discrete model carries information in each separate unit, which proved to be a challenge due to the fluid nature of the elements in the infographic. For the discrete model, book-folding art was used to translate the code, in which various folds carried varying information.

Representing certain elements, such as wind on land and wind on sea, also became possible due to the rigid nature of the pages.

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final thoughts.

This first semester, despite being extremely challenging, has equipped me not only with the basic skills in architectural representation, but also the rigour and thinking processes required for designing. Looking back at the projects for this semester, in hindsight I wish I had taken larger risks and placed more intent in my drafting and designing. Despite that, I am nevertheless proud of my progress and improvements, and will take the lessons learnt into my future education and beyond that.

With that, this marks the end of a beginning, and hopefully the start of even more interesting projects, architectural discourse, and a journey of learning.

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acknowledgments.

This portfolio would not be possible without the help of my studio-mates, Bob, Deborah, Pearl, Summer, Wenxuan, Sheuwen, Arko, Darren, Daryl, and Eujuin, and the constant guidance of my tutor, Wu Yen Yen. Special mention to my groupmates, Bob, Deborah and Pearl, who worked tirelessly with me on our Topic B project. I am extremely grateful for all the fun times, and am looking forward to seeing how each of our architectural journey unfolds.

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