Critique Presentations

Next week (31/05) will be our last studio together and each of you will be presenting your scheme to two guest architects, Reg Lark Architect and Peter Couvaras of Couvaras Architects. Here is an example of each of their work;

Arthur + Yvonne Boyd Education Centre by Reg Lark Architect (with Glenn Murcutt)

Mitchell + Fountain by Couvaras Architects

You will be presenting your draft scheme by means of your blog, I suggest you make one post titled "Draft Presentation" which includes at least one image from one of the earlier tasks (ie. sketches, movement animations or textures), an image to describe the overall concept and then a few images of the draft environment either in Sketchup or in Lumion. Each of you will present for about 3-5 minutes followed by some feedback from myself, Reg and Peter. The aim of this feedback is to give you some guidance as you finalise your scheme over the following three weeks.

To assist you in having an idea of what we would expect to see from your draft presentation, here is a few examples, all from my studio group last year when they did their critique presentations;
http://jaredarch1101.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/presentation.html
http://leoguoarch.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/draft.html
http://alsonnn.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/draft-model.html
http://jasonchen97.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/presentation-guide.html
http://taylorjoffe.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/progress.html
http://cwilliamsy.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/lumion-draft-image.html
http://rachelditton-arch1101.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/draft1-images.html

Resource: Spatial requirements

Here's a link to view the Metric Design Handbook: https://goo.gl/D5loeZ

Sketchup: Artisan Tools

The most popular Sketchup plugin that deals with designing complex curves and geometry is called Artisan Tools. Many students have used it in the past to great effect.

https://artisan4sketchup.com/  here is a pdf user guide and a link to some video tutorials

UNSW Kensington Sketchup Model

Hey guys, you can download the UNSW Campus sketchup model here

Article: Luis Barragán

You know what they say about truth being stranger than fiction... this article about one of your clients is well worth the read, it offers some decisive insight into his life and personality. It's titled "The Architect Who Became a Diamond"... (and they're not speaking metaphorically!)

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/08/01/how-luis-barragan-became-a-diamond

EXP2: Concepts

PETER EISENMAN CONCEPTS

-       A poetic destruction

-       Free the architecture from external influence

-       Fractured architecture and revealed structure

-       Weak forms are established from a formal deconstruction of a simple shape

-       Fragmentation of constructed geometry

LUIS BARRAGAN

-       Rooms are not rooms but experiences

-       Quirkiness leads to uniquity

-       Combine works with the use of light

-       Light cuts through the space

-       Some flows are redundant but are not waste

EXP1: Submission Format

EXPERIMENT ONE: DATUM
DUE: Sunday March 25th, by midnight.

Hi Guys,

The following are the minimum requirements that are required to be posted to your blog for assessment. There are two ways you can make clear which of your posts you wish to be assessed, however I will be reviewing your whole blog as evidence of your development of the experiment. The first way is to post a blog with a series of links to each of the posts on your blog that demonstrate each of the below requirements. A second option is to make a final blog post with each of the requirements below included in that post. Here is an example from a previous student that makes a good example of the first option, you can check it out <by clicking here>.

3 PROJECT IMAGES WITH AN ADJECTIVE, VERB AND NOUN DESCRIBING EACH

Do the three words work together to suggest a distinctive and significant approach to engaging with each clients work?

18 SKETCH SECTIONS

Do the 18 sketch sections communicate a distinctive and significant approach the student has taken with respect to the clients work and their relationship to the datum?

36 CUSTOM TEXTURES

Do the 36 custom textures demonstrate enquiry and experimentation with respect to ideas of measurement?

7 IMAGES SHOWING 2 DRAFT SKETCHUP MODELS AND 1 DEVELOPED  MODEL

Does the stair demonstrate a distinctive and significant approach to bringing the completed work into the showroom?

3 ANIMATIONS FROM SKETCHUP 

Do animations demonstrate that the student has thought about the relative size of each element, what their proportions are, their orientation, how texture and color map over their surfaces and how all of the above work together to establish the balance or otherwise of their scheme?

Good luck with  it all and see you all next week to commence with experiment two.

Cheers

Chris

Recap: Animations / Sketchup Sections

This clip shows you some of the editing techniques used in feature films. Kill Bill was directed by Quentin Tarantino who worked for a long time in a video rental store (which became DVD rental stores and now Netflix) and developed an encyclopedic knowledge of popular films. This might explain why he uses so many editing techniques, and consequently why his scenes are useful to film students for demonstrating how each technique might be used.  It's wise to consider the point of view shown in your animated sections because, as you can see below, point of view can radically transform our appreciation of the space.


The making of the animated film The Third and The Seventh. This clip shows the different layers that go into creating a photo-realistic digitally created scene. The take away point here is that you should think about post processing your still images and even videos captured from Sketchup to give them more richness in terms of materials and atmosphere.

Independent Study

Complete by the beginning of next weeks tutorial.

1. Include two simple shapes in your developed Sketchup model and apply an image of your clients work to them. They should be to scale and represent an approximate form and volume. (This is so we can see the relationship between the work and the space that it was constructed in).

2. Choose 3 of the textures you've developed and apply them to the most appropriate parts of the SketchUp model. IMPORTANT: you do not have to cover your entire model, use the textures to highlight certain aspects or spaces. See the video tutorial below on how to create a custom material in SketchUp:

3. Upload 2 new images of your developed SketchUp model to your blog; these should show the designers work in their workshop.
4. Find a short movie (from your own collection or download from YouTube ... www.keepvid.com works quite well) that has something to do with the section, stair,
texture or materiality and your scheme. Embed the video in your blog.

Simple instructions on embedding a video from YouTube in your blog...

Sign up to YouTube. Once you have signed up, upload a video to your account. There's an upload button in the top right corner. Give the video a description and tags
(make sure you include "ARCH1101", "EXP1", "2017" and your "Full Name" as the tags), then upload. Once you have completed uploading, you can play the video and
look for a "Share or Embed" button. If you click that you will see the code that will allow you to embed the video on your blog. Copy this code.

Then go back to Blogger (make sure you are signed in) and start a new post. Click on the Html button (top left, to the right of the compose button). Paste the YouTube
code in there. Write any descriptive text you need in the regular Compose tab. Then publish.

Note: make sure you save the SketchUp model and all of your 2 dimensional images in a safe place as they will be a part of your EXP1 submission.

Recap: Material / Texture

Hey guys,

Here are the videos we watched in Studio with regard to materials and texture. Have a think about the impact using one material can have upon an occupant over another material. What sort of experience do you want to elicit? Is it warmth, comfort, movement, anticipation, etc. etc. How might you conjure these feelings with different use of texture? This is the point of the abstraction of your 36 descriptive words.

Texture in architecture can be a powerful force. Think about what I spoke about the Berlin Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.. the sense of fear, change, anxiety, loss, disorientation, instability. These emotions are in part a result of the form and configuration but also of the textures and materials. The smooth bare concrete blocks from a distance appear the same and repetitive, perhaps like a crowd of people, but on closer inspection, each block is a slightly different size, shape and angle, furthermore, some have developed cracks, chips, blemishes... they are all individual - this is a very powerful notion when you consider what it is a memorial for.

Think about how a different material used at the Berlin Memorial would perhaps not be as successful at communicating the intended message... Like pink blocks?

Recap: Stairs

To give you a bit of insight into the process of a stair being created I thought I might share a post by an American architect, Bob Borson. Bob is not a particularly famous architect but he does nice work and has a fantastic blog called "Life of an Architect" which you may like to follow as it is informative and more often than not, quite funny.

Here is an excerpt from the post "Modern Stairs"

"..the stairs look very simple, at least they look simple to me – and that was the point. Despite all the complicated codes and regulations associated with stairs, despite all the moving parts that went into creating this stairwell, when you look a the finished product, you don’t see any of that."

Have a read of the full blog post here: http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/modern-stairs-the-timeline/

When you are creating your stairs think about what makes your stair significant and distinctive either at the macro level (zoomed out. ie. the shape or path of the whole stair), the micro level (zoomed in. ie. how the stair treads fit together), or both.

Remember you are creating a pair of stairs for two developed sections, and should have two sketched sections/details for each stair. So a total of at least 8 sections/details (representing 4 stairs).

Recap: Sketchup

Hi Guys,

In addition to the tutorials that you should be doing via Sketchup's website (www.sketchup.com/learn) here's some other video's for a bit of guidance;

Another good resource is the Sketchucation website. They have a mass of tutorials categorized by difficulty;
Beginner: http://sketchucation.com/resources/tutorials/beginner
Intermediate: http://sketchucation.com/resources/tutorials/intermediate
Advanced: http://sketchucation.com/resources/tutorials/advanced

Recap: Sections

As you all know, week one's task was to create 18 sketch sections "exploring the relationship between two of the projects you chose and the ground line as a datum". I know some of you were a little overwhelmed by the abstract nature of this task, but fear not... that is mostly the point! Architects view the world differently to everybody else, I promise that by the end of first year you will be seeing the world through new eyes, and once you have these new eyes, you will never look at anything the same again! However, seeing the world differently doesn't happen magically - tasks that focus on thinking abstractly will help you to see the world [and architecture] in the way that is different to how everyone else see's it.

A couple of pointers to keep in mind for your sections;

SECTION:No matter how beautiful your drawings are, if you are not focusing on the idea of exploring a section, you're heading down the wrong path, keep on track and keep it to sections [for now at least]. Think about how a section allows you to better understand the relationship of spaces that might not be understood without a section. Have a think about the Pantheon in Rome... for all it's beauty, this is a space that cannot be truly understood without a section.

Remember to treat your hatching as a means to express the difference between solid and void. Perhaps you will use denser hatching to show very solid and loose hatching to show not very solid, or you may use a consistent hatch - whatever the choice, take pride in your hatching and undertake it with care. Space lines evenly. If your lines are supposed to be in the same direction, make sure that they are.

DATUM (above ground or below?):An area where many were heading off track was by drawing "objects" - an object does not have a relationship with a datum (if datum is a difficult concept for you, think of the surface of the ground as being a datum, however a datum is not restricted to being the ground line). Each of your sketch sections should have a distinct below ground space and a distinct above ground space. How your sketch interacts with the datum is up to you... are you entirely above, or entirely below, or are you exploring the relationship both above and below at the same time?

An easy way to judge if you've heading off track:- look at your drawings, could you easily switch the sketch at the bottom with the sketch at the top with little consequence? A below ground space should only belong at the bottom of the page, if not, you're probably still drawing objects!

ABSTRACT YOUR IDEAS:Remember, we're not looking for you to draw a literal interpretation of each of your chosen words. You should try to tap into the essence of the word or the idea of the word. I don't need to be able to identify what your word was just by looking at the sketch, but once I know the word, it should suit the sketch drawn. Sharp lines for an aggressive adjective and soft, gentle curves for a gentle adjective are easy ones, but try to explore the grey are between these extremes.

If you find this part difficult, try breaking your word down - what does this word actually mean? What are its synonyms? What feelings or emotions does this word evoke? What sort of lines would I draw if I was feeling that emotion?

Here are some built examples and their sections incorporating their underground spaces;

Emilio Ambasz - Casa de Retiro Espiritual

Tonkin Zulaikha Greer - Paddington Reservoir Gardens, Sydney

Tadao Ando - Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima

Cheers
Chris

Welcome

Hey Guys

To those of you in my studio group this is where I will post info relevant to your projects as well as somewhere we can communicate with one another. Feel free to comment on any post and I'll do my best to respond as quickly as I can.

I will also create a link to each students blog here so you can follow and establish a dialogue with your fellow students. Please post a comment on this post to tell me your blog address and use the awesome inc. default template when making your blog.

Please ensure that each week you post the previous weeks work as I will be reviewing before each studio.

Thanks
Chris