Progress Report 3 - exhibition
By this time it was clear that there was a lot of pressure to move into the producing and outcome side of things for the exhibition. Therefore there is an evident transition of work diverted towards the physical model, but also a lot of emphasis on the digital and drawn outcomes. Jonathan and I discussed that it was crucial that we placed a lot of emphasis on the drawn and digital outcomes not just the physical 3D model because they were the aspect of our entire project that reflected most about how we worked up to the point of the final outcome. They will be strongly representative of the ‘process,’ in addition the beneficial aspect of giving the audience a better vision of the overall product. While the digital and drawn outcomes with give technical detail the model will create a more immersive outcome which will essentially be a scaled down version of what a real hypothetical design would be. As of this week there has been quite a few alterations to the design as we continue to develop our ideas further challenging them. Already it’s quite difficult to produce visual work because the design has a lot of curves in it, thus shading and rendering technique needs to be of good quality to properly accentuate the desired shape. One larger area of change that we I had to address included my research within context to the exhibition. I have been working on trying to figure out what type of materials we can use that are substantial for creating a 3D physical model of the design. We cannot really use MDF because of expense – the size they were selling was in ginormous portions, and most other materials are not easily malleable to the degree where we can create ‘pebble-shaped’ objects. This was a major problem because we felt that even though we cannot find appropriate materials easily, we should not revert back to the design and jeopardise it to work favourably on materials. The way in which we voided the issue with the problem compromising our design, was by exploring the accessible materials that are pre-shaped (for example recycled materials). We found that some of these recycled materials we have access to replicate a relatively close shape in some instances to what we had in mind. We have also slightly split off our work into refining our prior concepts in a way that integrates all knowledge and design principles of the previous work while making the exterior a less sophisticated hill of a problem to climb. It’s always good to look for alternative methods to achieving a set goal. This is an example of how we changed the exterior form from what was initially an oval shape. Subsequently this shape naturally allows the integration of exterior windows more fluidly than a fully curved surface. Materials that we can use to physically create the design segment as shown include toothpicks, plastic (bottles and bowls). The white plastic bowls can act the frame work, while the use of plastic can be secondary component of this, but also act as windows for transparency. Tooth picks can be used to design fencing/barriers/stairs and also give texture to the overall design. There are likely many other resources that we will implement into the physical model so that it is representative of our work. What this image outlines is how we will present our work visually. I think much like Creative Studio 1’s final assignment it would be ideal to provide a brief so that people know who, what, when and why it was created. This should no doubt inform them clearly about the intentions prior, and throughout the task. This will be followed by our sketches/digital work which will aid in this understanding of the design – particularly the interior (through technical drawings of floor plans etc.). The portfolio of work will be displayed on the wall and is aimed to show peculiar detail, impress aesthetically and enhance the overal understanding of the design. Finally the 3D model should be the supported center piece of attraction that gives a realistic sense of what the hypothetical COLAB space would really be like. Last week’s work will not be in vain and can be carried over, particularly with reference to the interior design ideas. It has also given us a sense of clairvoyance, clarifying what we have achieved and what we now need to move on and do. There is now a huge focus on the 3D models and refining/selecting the better sketches/digital work. Thankfully due to the work done in the week prior, we are able to use a lot of this content to display under the presentation as these will help show the audience, not just the process, but also the depth of the design as we intend. I think what we have been successful up to this point is balancing out aesthetics and functionality. We have not necessarily let one outweigh the other and have therefore made some good progression, however of course we struggled to meet our initial design idea. This as a result has let us explore further into a more technical design in terms of structure and framework. Simultaneously by revisiting last week’s work we have been able to refine, improve and enhance our ideas as well as to make it a more suitable design. Achieved:
Ryan Sue - 14872198
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Progress Report 1
This week we set a focus on finding a strong basis to set our ideas upon and therefore instead of practical work, shifted our direction towards the thought process that we felt should logically be done prior to any sort of physical or visual creation. It was important to analyse the current area of COLAB since we were looking on ways to improve and in particular what aspects of the area were to be changed. Through consideration of how the learning space may ‘influence’ those who are using the facility of COLAB, we brought over the idea from our proposal that it should be a learning environment that encourages students to collaborate and feel more willing to merge with the other classes. It has been noticeable throughout the year that very few times do students cross over to at least inspect what the other classes are doing, thus suggesting that there is the lack of connection that is presumably desired by the teachers of COLAB. In our design it was necessary to understand the sort of audience we are dealing with and understand the context in which we are recreating an area. Certain ideas of design which arose included a modernism within architecture. The idea of uniqueness heavily resonates from work throughout the COLAB department and is woven throughout the work that we do, strongly encouraged, however it is also important to be careful with the extent to which we express this uniqueness. Thus we have decided that it is essential to work within boundaries and not entirely change everything, also preferably meet the needs of functionality over aesthetics. We ‘could’ create a really unique and interesting COLAB environment, but it may also likely cause more problems for example distraction within the learning environment. If we were to implement lots of vibrant colours it may pull a lot of attention, however if we use softer tones as such we may be able to produce a functional area that is modernistic yet remains as environment that supports positive learning. Ultimately we are striving for more collaboration for students and will attempt to do so through the design. Therefore a lot of attention needs to be allocated in particular to materials and construction - “How can we make this environment more collaborative.” To be blatantly honest the current area of COLAB is already a reasonably nice environment to work in all respects, however there is nothing that is necessarily very inviting to cross over to the other side and work with the other classes. This therefore could be an issue of other factors, but I feel as though in essence COLAB is very dependent on the willingness of students to collaborate. I think perhaps if we were more within vision of each other (class A à class B) it wouldn’t be as awkward. I myself, only know 4 people from the other class and that is because they are my brother’s friends. Our idea of partial resolution to this issue is creating inevitable connection between the students of different classes within a special environment could potentially change this sort of issue, at this stage we are still generating concepts as we are still defining whether we should completely combine the classes and entirely live up to the name of ‘COLAB,’ or should we increase the transparency, also moving the classes closer together. Additional to consideration of the idea of making COLAB a more collaborative environment, we also want to apply some level of creative flair to the environment, careful not to rule out the functional side of the design. I guess you could say through we will incorporate a sense of ergonomics into the design, overall comfort- (mentally, encouraging and physically in terms of accessibility). By applying ideas of architectural modernism ‘form’ should follow ‘function,’ thus “collaboration” should be placed as a central, key aspect of influencing the visual outcome of what is produced. This further links onto the ideas of simplicity within the design and subsequently branching off into structural/functional + aesthetic judgement There is a lot of pre-search and consideration required as this has proved to be a relatively difficult task to balance out. Based off discussions with classmates there in fact is almost nothing besides the aspect of collaboration which can be considered to in some way enhance the current area. Therefore, while we look forward to the side of freely engaging with the task to develop this special design, there is pressure to void regression in comparison to the current status of the COLAB environment. I think what we may be seeking deep down is ‘unity’ through design. Our next step is to start the visualisation through digital means process where we will initiate with our design. Structural design will be followed my texturizing as appropriate. References of research: Unknown. (2003). Simplicity and clarity of forms and elimination of "unnecessary detail." Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Modern_architecture Charlotte.J. (1995). The issue is the relationship between objects, or parts, of a whole. Retrieved from http://char.txa.cornell.edu/language/principl/principl.htm Ines.H. (2013).Some of these products have been around for ages but were previously used in different contexts or environments; today's production techniques have helped simple materials achieve sophisticated designs. Retrieved from http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/13107036/list/10-unusual-interior-materials-for-high-end-custom-appeal -Note: Further information and research was also obtained through classmates, essentially treated as stakeholders that withhold important opinions and feedback. Ryan Sue - 14872198 Progress Report Progress Report 2
Since last week was primarily focused towards the ‘thought process’ and ideas we set this week as the ‘visual and conceptual’ week. This worked out well as our research aided in the process of visualisation of our practical work. I focused on the exterior form with a basic floor plan to help understand the main construction of the building and how it is divided into different sections with relation to hypothetical space for COLAB. After the research on organic architecture it was important to find a source of influence for design. I felt that it could be a pretty fascinating idea look sources from nature and use the knowledge of what I can obtain from that to develop something manmade. An example of this was sea shells which I used as an object of inspiration which brought to attention:
When considering the functionality side of the design, a lot of what I could explain in further detail was through labelling and texturizing as appropriate. I did some research with reference to materials both exterior and interior, taking into consideration the functionality of these materials – asking myself questions in the process: “Is this material durable, reliable?” “How does this benefit the learning environment” “Does it work with flow of the design – supports organic and modernistic architecture, contemporary.” Although I did consider these aspects of the design, from a reflective point of view I did not consider the expense of materials due to the fact it is only a hypothetical spatial design and in future if I was ever to take this to a more advance a definite, fully realistic perspective I would consider expenses as one of the big, overlying points of concern. Axo Light: Shatter Collection – A great contemporary style of lighting, wall mounted and suitable for the sort of design which I intend to have plenty of curvature in the design. This means that the lighting can also be well spread due to the scale of the lights relative to the size of the building, as a pose to one huge light. Triple glazed windows – I thought this would be a wise great component to give the space for reasons of great resistance since to wind and such since COLAB is relatively high up and is more susceptible to colder temperatures and wind, thus it is essential for purposes of insulation and noise kept to a minimum. “The three layers of glass do a better job of stopping heat from leaving the building, with fully insulated window frames further contributing.” A suitable learning environment for most should be able to provide a space where students can study at ease without distractions of what is happening outside. MooreCo: Sharewall – This is actually a whiteboard but one that can be attached to curved surfaces including curved walls and columns. I think this would be a really cool idea to help influence the idea of collaborating and encouraging everyone to bring together their ideas in a fun and enjoyable environment. Stone flooring – being one of the most durable materials for flooring makes it appeal already, but I also think with relevance to a colour scheme it would work well with white walls and ceiling. It is also not overly reflective making it a good choice as some polished surfaces can become a little annoying with the bright light. “It is a timeless and classic design choice which can add a beautiful and natural aesthetic to a space.” Relative to where we were at last week, we are reasonably glad that we have gotten into the practical side of things, the lead up to our 3D model. Taking into consideration our ‘plan of attack’ (essentially our time line) it is likely there will be small alteration along the way. Realistically we expect to further develop our concepts and reach a mutual agreement that satisfies our list of necessities that we made at the start. According to our timeline plan, we will be making the 3D model as soon as we are finished, and therefore we have gathered some of the necessary materials including MDF, chicken wire and plastics. However at the moment we will not be moving onto this stage quite yet as we would like to refine the current status – concepts, designs, drawings first before we move on as we are also planning to display some of this work alongside the model. *Idea of Sharewall and Axo Lights. Retrieved from http://thisbigcity.net/five-sustainable-building-materials-that-could-transform-construction/ *Peach.J. (2010, November 12). “The three layers of glass do a better job of stopping heat from leaving the building, with fully insulated window frames further contributing.” Retrieved from http://www.onlinedesignteacher.com/interior_design/materials_and_finishes.html#.VhzaHnqqqko *Cahill.P. (n.d.). “It is a timeless and classic design choice which can add a beautiful and natural aesthetic to a space.” Retrieved from http://www.contractdesign.com/products.shtml Ryan Sue - 14872198 Reflective Statement:
From the start I was very discouraged by the lack of planning ahead and indecisiveness to commit to an idea, therefore as I got my first grade back I knew it was time to step up my game. I think my choice of topic was quite an interesting and original concept which was what I was going for, however also quite ambitious in hindsight - and unfortunately at this point in time, upon completion, I feel there is a disparity of emotions towards the outcome. I think that on my behalf, I put the effort in particularly in the beginning conceptual stages of the design which effectively led to a nice smooth transition through progress report 1 and 2, working with steady consistency and a good direction for the project. The teachers feedback was seemingly of crucial importance so I took the information abroad in order to better my grade further especially to make up for the poor proposal grade. Unfortunately by the time the third progression report time period hit I must have somewhat not expressed the ideas thoroughly enough, although I need clarification as to why my grade dropped to under half the total percentage of the report prior. Nevertheless the work during that stage became more frantic as looking for resources to build our model was not the most straight-forward of tasks. We had quite an abundance of resources listed, however a lot of what we wanted was not available - not suggested as appropriate or too expensive. But just because of this problem with the 3D model I refused to give up on that aspect and forcibly improvised as appropriate. The best method that I saw based on the very little accessible resources was a mold of some sort. I decided to use toilet paper, wet toilet paper to mold into a form. The reason for this is that for a start, it acted as a white canvas and it could hold its form reasonably well. I had to be careful however, not to over handle it as it was wet toilet paper that could be ripped easily during its I think there was the lack of good communication as I became immersed in my side of the work and definitely felt that my team member needed more guidance as to what he was doing. Towards the end of the project I put in a lot of effort to produce what I could, and threw away everything that I felt was of substandard quality, left with the best of what I produced in the seemingly desperate time frame. I enjoyed this task, though am able to acknowledge the errors that caused instability within the process (particularly around the middle of the project) and next time would plan more efficiently including a B plan as it would be something to fall back onto if the A plan was not achievable by the given deadlines or changed too much to adapt to. Accumulated Research and How it was Applied: Modernism was an initial part of my research that contributed to my deeper thinking further within the middle stages of the project. The particular influential ideas that I took note of were: -"The notion that "Form follows function" - "Simplicity and clarity of forms and elimination of "unnecessary detail" - "Visual expression of structure (as opposed to the hiding of structural elements)" There was one main factor of modernism I did change however - "Particularly in International Style modernism, a visual emphasis on horizontal and vertical lines." I decided to not apply this aspect of modernism and take on more of a organic architectural approach due to the fact that I have often worked with modernism architecture in the past and therefore it would not be challenging nor necessarily reflect originality. Seeking challenge and difference is what allows for people to grow, and while sticking to where I was comfortable may have been an enticing path, I felt that I should broaden my horizons and essentially deliberately struggle. The teachers often stated to not be afraid of failure and towards the end of my work was when it kicked in that I was truly afraid of failure but pulled it together fortunately. As the ideas surrounding modernism supported the middle to later stages of progression for the project, organic architecture was most beneficial for the start of the project. This was crucial during the conceptual stages where I had to produce different ideas and build upon them - "be inspired by nature and be sustainable, healthy, conserving, and diverse" - through the context of what I was designing I felt that this principle was appropriate to apply especially the ideas of 'diverse' and 'sustainable,' key to the functionality of the outcome. I also read that the design should "follow the flows and be flexible and adaptable," my personal understanding leading me to believe that the design should work smoothly into the environment while being deliberate and purposeful, in essence being able to "satisfy social, physical, and spiritual needs." Lastly I took into consideration the idea while trying to produce an array of concepts "celebrate the spirit of youth, play and surprise," thus I freely explored form and took inspiration from nature such as mushrooms (seeing how they sprout out and shelter the body), vines (Intertwining, divergent, rigid/fluid, grows to absorb sunlight more efficiently) and seashells (curvature, natural flow, hollow, gradual size change). As I progressed through the project, it came to a point where it was quintessential to initiate in the process in the side of practical things. Though typically at school I would work with pencil and pen, digital means were also at times something that would enhance the presentation of work, as machinery can often accomplish outcomes that the human touch lacks in or would take an excessive amount of time to achieve similar results. I had occasionally used google sketch-up but nothing more sophisticated and therefore I felt limited in terms of what I could do. I wanted to expand my work beyond and therefore attempted to learn how to apply curves - one of the long lasting and central problems to this project - to my work. While I have worked with some curvature, having an object that is almost entirely curved makes it incredibly difficult to draw and get proportions right as a pose to a linear, horizontal and vertical lined structure. Although these resources helped to some extent in terms of understanding the tools around google sketchup and whatnot I found myself still wasting an excessive amount of time, therefore working with my strengths and passing this onto my group mate Jonathan who had more experience in this area.
After securing my ideas with the design, there was a shift in research towards materials. Thankfully due to the nature of design choice, there were not that many different materials involved. 'Sustainability' and 'reliability' sprung to mind especially after research on organic architecture, suggesting that I should choose materials that will last well and also be suitable for COLAB. While I look at modernized wooden flooring I found that it was not the most durable material, though color scheme wise it really worked in well which was a shame. Stone flooring was very resistant to harsh environmental factors, whether it be in the workshop with the tools etc. and also a material that had little tendency to reflect. Largely because of durability it was the choice of material that would not get stained so easily and affected by the work that goes on within COLAB. Triple glazed windows with steel lining were also desirable material choices. This was because triple glazed windows were extremely effective in keeping sound out, in addition to insulation suitable for the conditions of New Zealand (not particularly the warmest place to live). This triple glazed glass would be used in composition along with galvanized steel lining for the majority of the exterior for the buildings. Lastly research went towards any extra ways in which I could enhance the learning environment and influence students to collaborate a more a frequent basis. One of the really conventional and smart ideas i found was the MooreCo; Sharewall - http://thisbigcity.net/five-sustainable-building-materials-that-could-transform-construction/- the idea behind this is a whiteboard like material that is applicable to any surface curved or not. I think this would influence students to draw on them and share ideas and perhaps build more of a bond between different classes, encouraging them to join and share their ideas with one another. I also looked at suitable lighting and felt that 'Axo Lighting' was styled quite nicely as they were relatively big panes of lights spread out over a surface rather than lots of little lights. That in mind, the building does naturally obtain a lot of lighting through transparency and the share amount of glass within the construction. I think it was really beneficial looking into house/building appliances as this led to a collection of smart and innovative ways to enhance the purpose of the construction.
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