Kim DongHyun (Soha) 0340779 Sem6 AID1 Portfolio

AUG - DEC 2023 SEMESTER PROJECT 1 & 2 PORTFOLIO

SPACE FOR WRITER

BY KIM DONG HYUN 0340779

ARC60708 ADVANCED INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE DESIGN 1

ARC60708 ADVANCED INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE DESIGN 1 SEMESTER 6 ASSIGNMENT SUMMARY

PROJECT 1 “DESCRY”

PROJECT 2 “DESIRE”

The primary objective of Assignment 1 is to facilitate the cultivation of a specific standpoint in relation to a chosen area of interest within the context of the site.

The assignment explores the intricate relationship between a building's interior, the designer's idiosyncrasies, desires, interests, and the inhabitants' fluctuating passion. It investigates whether there is a connection between an idea, a designer's quirks, site peculiarities, and the evolving needs of the inhabitants.

This assignment encourages students to keenly observe a situation, event, circumstance, historical context, or distinctive pieces of evidence on the site. The goal is for them to unravel a particular narrative that captures their attention and draws them in.

With this premise, the assignment delves into fluid, permanent, sculpted, illusory, and liminal concepts, exploring unknown aspects of interior architecture. A playful approach is taken on scale, intimacy, immensity, absurdity, politics, behavior, habits, futurism, speculation, divergences, and peculiarities, reflected in the materiality, scale, and design expression during development.

PROJECT 1 - DESCRY SPACE FOR WRITER BRIEF After completing two years of military service and returning, I received a rather peculiar assignment. It was to understand who I am, what I like, and what I excel at. Until then, my main task had been to comprehend the characteristics of buildings and places and create suitable spaces, so this new assignment left me puzzled. Although I had pondered the question of "why," deciding what I was good at and enjoyed posed no difficulty for me.

Novels and writing were my passions since childhood, so I easily chose these two without hesitation.

Later, I discovered that this assignment was a phase in crafting a narrative for the final year project. The first project of this semester involved combining one's interests with the Zhongshan Community located in KL to create a narrative.

Consequently, I visited the Zhongshan building and explored various aspects of the writers there.

However, despite the presence of several stationery shops, printing presses, libraries, and bookstores, finding a novelist proved to be challenging. The owner of the bookstore, Balai Buku Raya, mentioned that he occasionally wrote novels but considered it a kind of challenge. He explained that running the bookstore was an alternative pursuit for him. Hearing this, I gained a sense of direction.

Within the Zhongshan community, there were various types of artists, but novelists were notably absent. I expressed this in a short story for my narrative drawing, taking a mysteriously intriguing approach.

PROJECT 1 WORK PROGRESSION

FIRST ATTEMPT REFERENCED BY JOHN CAGE “LECTURE ON NOTHING”

SECOND ATTEMPT IMAGE REFERENCED BY “BALA BUKU RAYA”

I began my journey into narrative drawing by utilizing fonts and spacing to craft a story. Inspired by John Cage's "Lecture on Nothing," I aimed to create a kind of rhythm between sentences and words by adjusting the number of words and spaces. In terms of specifics, I started with five spaces between the introductory parts and gradually reduced the spacing while making sentences larger as I progressed, attempting to create a sort of gap to focus the narrative.

For my second attempt, I outlined the contours of the shops in the Zhongshan building and filled the spaces in between with sentences. The visual you see above resembles the actual appearance of Balai Buku Raya. However, as the novel's content didn't intuitively come through, this idea was eventually discarded.

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"Yes, indeed," he replied.

I inquired. She let her bundles fall from her hands.

e to her ame .Ic yself iter m “But I'm a wr

Irritation simmered within me as I scoured for a parking spot.

The streets were quiet, but the parking lot was a chaotic sea of cars.

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re any?" re a the

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sd

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here for writers."

Intrigued, I entered the bookstore, drawn in by the enchanting aroma of books.

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find wh at you seek."

ed a open t, he With tha

k, boo

“Excuse me,”

This work is titled "Space for Writer." Please read through it once to confirm whether there is a space dedicated to writers in the Zhongshan community. The artwork is designed to be enjoyed by following the lines from the top left to the right, much like reading a book. Additionally, the photos within the artwork are actual scenes from the Zhongshan building, arranged to allow viewers to visually experience the place. You may notice an abundance of lines in the composition; these lines represent literary devices within the novel, enriching the narrative. Some lines subtly connect, while others boldly assert themselves. However, literary devices alone do not make the novel rich; how they are presented matters. I expressed grammar and issues through photos and the textures surrounding them.

Despite the overall size of the artwork, you may observe several empty spaces. The left side appears densely packed with text, while the right side seems somewhat empty in comparison. This relates to the narrative of the work. By reading the story from left to right, I intentionally left gaps in the highlights of the novel, encouraging readers to focus more on the sentences themselves. The design aims to provide comfort to the viewer's gaze while allowing the empty spaces to stimulate their imagination.

The larger size of the photos on the right is also related to this concept, symbolically representing the significance of the events. The lines at the bottom, gradually fading and thinning from left to right, represent page numbers. It signifies the request to read from left to right, and as you move to the right, the space becomes emptier. This, too, relates to the story within the artwork.

The artwork is printed on canvas, chosen to evoke a sense similar to the ancient parchment used in olden times, aligning with the Zhongshan community's historical context. Despite being heavy and challenging to handle, canvas was chosen for its durability and the nostalgic essence it carries.

PROJECT 2 - DESIRE LIFE IN ORIGAMI

BRIEF Now that I understand what my narrative comprises, it's time for the Design Drawing. I decided to create a space specifically for novelists, drawing on my years of writing experience and the characteristics of the Zhongshan community. The basic foundation is inspired by Sou Fujimoto's NA House—a transparent space with multiple layers, fitting for my design base.

I incorporated spaces mentioned in the narrative for writers into different sections: a quiet workspace, an inspirational space, a place for writers to gather and encourage each other, and one additional space.

That additional space is an empty one. Initially, I intended to create a corridor with nothing but emptiness—a contemplative space. However, I later decided to transform it into a space for meditation in harmony with nature. It's not about wasting space but rather placing nature there. I wanted to provide a place where one can simply observe and meditate, filling the emptiness with the soothing presence of nature.

This space, I believe, is essential not just for writers but for artists in general. I also designed the overall house with abundant natural light and numerous built-in furniture pieces. Instead of using loose furniture, I opted for built-in furniture to enhance a sense of unity and cohesion throughout the space, contributing to the overall impression of a harmonious structure integrated with nature.

PROJECT 2 “LIFE IN ORIGAMI” To explain Curated Drawing, I designed it with an overall inspiration from folding and the shape of origami. I aimed to convey a sense of folding and unfolding scenes from different angles, creating a feeling as if multiple books were gathered together.

The artworks above and below showcase the front and back, using lines to delineate the distinctive features of the space.

Each floor and layer features a dedicated space for novelists. On the second floor, I introduced an open balcony space to add a sense of openness. Various spaces, such as a comfortable reading area and an independent space for writing alone, were designed to be easily perceived at a glance.

You might find it peculiar to see an abundance of plants in this design. To address the question of why so many plants were placed, I would say it's because novelists are akin to plants. In the online community where I am active, there's a saying that writers are like grass. They need a lot of attention and praise to thrive; otherwise, they may wither. Some are like sturdy trees, persistently writing, while others, seeking even a small amount of attention, continue to write. Drawing this parallel between novelists and plants, I incorporated plenty of sunlight and various plants into the space.

PROJECT 2 “LIFE IN ORIGAMI” These are my two main views. The first floor features a long corridor space, as you can see, with the meditation area I described earlier. The most notable feature is that almost everything is covered in glass. As you can probably see, vibrant colors have been added, aiming to capture the viewer's attention. This serves as a focal point, as I mentioned in the previous narrative, enriching the space and captivating attention, whether in a novel or a physical space. In the second perspective, you see the second-floor space. It's a reading space for novelists with natural light, providing a comfortable environment for reading. The yellow stands out as a focal point, representing a "flower," even though there are no colourful flowers.

If you look at the glass windows, you'll notice that I didn't make them entirely transparent. Instead, I created connectors and added some joinery details, opting for subtle details over the complexity of the space itself. This choice is inspired by traditional Korean architectural styles, where attention to small details is prioritized over the overall complexity of the space.

PROJECT 2 “LIFE IN ORIGAMI” In the corridor designated for meditation, there is a large tree that extends up to the second floor. I created a meditation focal point by making it entirely of transparent glass. Additionally, the sides are not made of glass but instead have open columns, similar to other areas, to separate the space and allow for a closer connection to nature, incorporating elements like natural airflow. The first perspective showcases the second-floor space, designed as a library, an essential space for a writer.

Considering the need for a comfortable reading space with natural light, I envisioned this area. The yellow vacant chair, as mentioned earlier, serves as a focal point. Moreover, just as I referred to these focal points as flowers, the person sitting on the chair is also considered a "flower."

feedback comments

The presentation had three reviewers, including someone from Turkey, a lecturer from Busan, and a CEO of a company, all of whom were well-known figures.

Nervous about performing well in front of such esteemed individuals, I gathered my courage and began the presentation. Drawing inspiration from Jennie's advice during the Design Proposition class, I narrated my experiences and feelings in a storytelling format. This approach seemed innovative to the jurors, and I received positive responses. However, it wasn't entirely with positive criticism.

While my work, "Space for Writer," received praise, "Life in Origami" and the perspective views faced some shortcomings. The feedback highlighted that, despite incorporating techniques used in books and novels into my narrative drawing, these were lacking in the perspective views. It was suggested that if I had expressed features like punctuation or spacing found in novels in my 3D space, it would have been more effective. There was a concern that I might have constrained my imagination too much in creating a realistic 3D space, neglecting the fluent aspects obtained from 2D. Additionally, while the intention to portray writers as plants was acknowledged, there were too many plants, causing confusion initially, with one juror mistaking it for a depiction of a gardener. The recommendation was to add various characteristics related to books and acknowledge the diversity among writers, who might value solitude or prefer collaborative writing spaces. Lastly, it was pointed out that I hadn't labeled the perspective views, and it was suggested to provide titles to help viewers understand the nature of each space.

Despite the feedback, there were commendations as well. The narrative drawing, "Space for Writer," was praised for its innovative concept, and the color focal points in the perspective views received positive remarks. The simplicity of the design, maintaining minimalism while paying attention to subtle details, was appreciated. Some jurors even compared the initial impression of the space to seeing Korean pottery, finding the exterior detailed with intricate designs while the interior appeared empty and void, representing Korean traditional design.

With this, my sixth semester has come to an end. Although I'm uncertain about the challenges the next semester may bring, I feel less apprehensive knowing I have supportive lecturers and friends. Thank you for reading.