TUTORIAL RESHUFFLE

For All: The tutorials on Thursday 20 March will be brought forward to Wed 19 on account of Thurs being a public holiday. It will be a class pin up of section drawings for a general crit. Refer to Veron & Keith for the pin up time. Tue 18 tutorials will carry on as usual and will be individual tutorials to assist you with whatever stage you're at.

For Unit 5: Tutorials on Tue 25 March will be brought forward to Mon 24 March as I will be away at a seminar on Tue.

Unit 5, pls start booking your 20min slots for Tue 18. As for bookings for Mon 24 we'll see what happens on Wed 19 first.

"SMALL CHANGES MADE"!!!Khoo kongsi site measurement...

well...Finally we get back to our home...We are here proudly present the actual measurement of Khoo kongsi...the wall is almost 4Metre....any info....get from us at Tuesday la...

LIVE from Penang Day 1 Post 1

Weather Report: Cloudy and gloomy
Rain fall: Drizzles
Temperature: 27 - 30
Political climate: Demonstrations expected
Site conditions: Yet to know


Sites of the day:
1. Bridge site
2. Triangle site
3. Khoo kongsi site
4. Stage site
5. Wall site


Due to the overwhelming DEMAND for information on the Khoo kongsi site, those who require the information shall pay for our entrance fees. Thank You.

Also available:
- Aerial shots of your site from the 60th floor of KOMTAR only at RM 9.99 per photo.
- Photographs of the sites @ RM 0.99 each
- Additional information @ RM 0.50 each
- Panoramic views from the site at ONLY RM 5

Promotion package:
- A folder containing 50 photos at ONLY RM 35


We will try our best to get as much information as possible.
Stay tuned for the next report. =)

ssup?...MC-53 in the house...finally... haha

i am quite impressed at how this blog works as a feedback and crit machine... seriously... i guess wawasan open uni can now have their architecture class adi...thru blogs..lol...

neway... i raised a question to Ian in his email ... and he replied.... and he was in the opinion that such a feedback could be of use to everybody cause it may have crossed our minds one way or another...i agree and so here it is...

it is a question about ethics....

the first article would be my question... the next would be Mr. Ian's answer...Happy reading and may the force of enlightenment come upon you..

THE QUESTION ::

hi ian....

i have problems with my facebook.. but i am a part of ur blog already...

i tend to be better with spoken words so i think i will just see you on tuesday.

however i have one question...



i know that every idea that we churn out today is most likely already been thought of by somebody else. so the most original idea (some say) is the pyramids actually. haha. anyhow this is my predicament:

on the day of the first interim crit for our current project, marc and myself actually sat down to hear euric speak about his ideas. he proposed to use one of the existing shophouse as his foyer into his building. with the rational of reviving the dead first floors of the shophouses today, by extending our eye levels to the first floor of the shophouses. apparently, marc is doing the same thing. would it be okay if i were to do the same thing also? i have my reasons and rational behind them which i look forward to presenting them to you on tuesday.

but i dont know. would it be unethical? to use an idea that i acquired from my friend's sharing of his ideas. i mean, it would not bother me if i thought of it before i hear euric speak.. but now i am using that idea after i hear him speak... then again, it is not very original anyway since marc is also using it already...

i know it is okay to do it, technically. cause it is not really his original idea. but is it ethical?

please advise...tq


now THE ANSWER ::

My dear dear Boy...you think too much...

But I know where you're coming from. Perhaps your (our) faith has activated in you a super moral sensitivity...not a bad thing when it comes to relationships. That's how God almost always speaks to us.

But when it comes to the world of ideas, it's different.

You're quite right in saying that there's absolutely almost nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes?) Somebody somewhere must have thought of this idea before...we often think. And we're probably right. And of course it's understandable to be troubled if we want it so much for ourselves but we're not the kind to steal.

But civilization has to progress. And sometimes---no, not sometimes----civilization ALWAYS progresses on the back of precedents. Hence the need for research. What is research if not the study of what's gone on before, what others have researched? Welcome to Academia! Knowledge is meant to be shared for the advancement of mankind. That's why we publish. But here's the crunch: We must ALWAYS ALWAYS acknowledge our sources. In research, acknowledgment is synonymous with expressing gratitude.

Now, I know overhearing Euric in Studio 3 is not quite the same as reading a research paper in Harvard. But the principle is the same. In the free flowing knowledge world of our architectural studio, design ideas are meant to be shared. That's why we always want you guys to work in the studio (hehe). And there's no need to pin a medal on Euric at the next presentation...haha. A casual remark on how helpful his idea was in the development of your scheme is good enough. And in that respect...you owe Marc, too. So, say it...friends not taken for granted, right?

I hope this solves your predicament, albeit in a roundabout old fashion sorta way.

You write well...and if u don't mind me saying...better than you speak..haha. (Marginally.)

A conversation like this would benefit the others greatly...esp. those less conversant with the English language, those not as fortunate as you are. Why not bring it upon yourself to post in the blog for their benefit? The ripest are kindest to the raw, someone once said (and it was quoted by C.S.Lewis in his wonderful autobiagraphy, Surprised By Joy.) And just like you gained from overhearing Euric, some---though silent---may find release through reading you.

Ar.Ian A S Ng
Architect
Interior Designer
Educator


that is all..thank you

what the stage site and some magical oil lamps can do..

site : the stage.
trade : oil lamps.


mr ian, heres my what iv done so far...

this is the south east elev

the three boxes you see on the left are of glass is like so to not cover up to much of the shopehouses, letting people going through it freely and entering the shophouses behind.

because the shophouses there are actually kedai runcits and trades like that, they helps to keep the place alive and serves as a communal space as well...benches will be placed inside the boxes on ground level as street furniture. at night the oil lamps inside the glass box that is actually part of the gallery will be lit.

the north east elev

im still not satisfy with this elev not as much as the one above. cuz i think 1. the scale is too large 2. its lacking some site context, will appreciate any commends from any one at all on how i can improve it.

anyway, the tall tall thing u see serves as a focal point for the building from afar and because the stage site is highly concerntrated with religious buildings, but its not very obvious i plan to have this vc serve as a landmark of landmarks around that area, and to inform visitors that there are actually so many relig bldg around. how i integret is by forming a bridge four to five story high, enuf to see above the skyline of the shophouses those relig bldg. so from the bridge visitor can relate oil lamps to each of the 8 religious buildings and be briefed about them as well.

ground floor plan

entrance into the building takes the visitor to a back alley kinda pathway (echoing the alley way that i intent to take away that leads from the carpark to the front of the shophouses) and then only into the double volume foyer.

first floor plan.

the gallery space, and quite a few large voids looking down to the ground flr. this part of the gallery will house the process of making the product and history of the product itself.

the bridge will lead into the tall tall tower and be able to see the shop selling oil lamps on the ground floor. i havent really think about the materials for this particular part (the tower). but i was thinking to have the inside dark with a few openings streaming thrh with daylight, so no matter night or day, people inside can have good view of how the lamp will be like b4 they buy it....and it gives me a chance to play with shadow and light as well..hehe

second floor plan.

plan of the bridge

any commends will be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance....as i always said : hehe..

CHANGING SITES & TRADES

Ok guys, I'm telling you ahead of time. Haven't discussed with Veron and Keith yet. But as the design process is one long learning process in understanding SITES & CONTEXTS in relation to PROGRAMMES (i.e. trades) I feel it's ok to change any of them as long as the outcomes each step of the way show an increasing understanding of them and, more importantly, an INCREASE IN THE QUALITY OF OUTCOMES. And as long as you know within yourself that you can manage to produce all the final outcomes required. Practically there will be a cut off point beyond which you will be well advised NOT to change. My opinion is that that point is about NOW.

So do some serious reflection now and discuss your decision persuasively (with drawings) at the next crit.

I have already told Hwa Lik he can change his site as he has good reasons.

ANYTHING needed in Penang?

Tmr i will be going bek to penang...who ever need my help to take photo or smtg needed can act. sms or call me (016-4554080) or johnathan..lester..benson and jinno!!!

Khoo's Site

After an arduous struggling war with I, K & V today, I believe that all of us have encountered countless problems which are driving us crazy. For the Khoo’s site, Ian has arisen a new issue to me and also some of you which is the - 5 bucks thingy( entrance fees of the Khoo’s Kongsi). In my opinion, I would try to insist on what I am doing. Here are the points, since the area (private area) of Khoo Kongsi is an un-conspicuous area where ppl wouldn’t appreciate and only small amount of ppl (ppl who is Khoo, ppl who likes ancient temple architecture) visit khoo kongsi, so my idea is to make that place from a private area to a public area in order to carry forward and enhance the essences of Khoo and the fascinating architectures of khoo rather than the 5 buxs (another suggestion: DONATION boxes can be placed inside the temple lolz..). Letting ppl coming in to that place, can make that place become lively and brightsome, make use of the Cannon Square & stages, open to public! everbody give comments pls

Khoo's Site

click photo for large image

to who doing khoo's site .. here is the dimension of the site .. i measure it base on the scale and propotion of the surrounding and buildings from photos .. so it might not be 100% accurate but can be a guidance for u all.. any errors u found pls make a comment, will correct it immediately.. and anyone who wants the autocad file let me know..

Let it work...

After a fierce thunderstorm comes something for the dead...and the living.

This is the design I've come up with to tackle coffin trading.

Reasons for such design:
-to address the social issue (night life nearby)
-distinction between Heaven/Earth/Hell
-commercialize coffin trading






Consisting of 3 levels, it shows the believed separation of Heaven/Earth/Hell.
The first floor is the Heaven--Highest level, entrance through Exit 2.
The ground level--communal spaces & Exit 1
The lower ground level is Hell--a descended level from the ground.





There is 2 entrances/exits.

Entrance/Exit 1 gives way to the death. Circular paths with 2 exits explains how a soul gets purified and proceed to have a 2nd life or linger around on earth due to certain circumstances.

Entrance/Exit 2 shows a normal passageway as we're not able to see death itself. It also provide access to eternal life which may be granted to a good soul upon passing on.

lsh!!!

My concept is a open concept of flowing...using spline to represent the each public or private space...each spline has their own characteristic...











the space inside the visitor centre is act categorized into 2 splines mode..1 represent public, another is private space...the 2 splines will have an interconnection which connect them together as 1. There will be some overlapping layer i defined it as my communal space-"bring private to public". There are 3 overlapping space which has been highlighted become one of the key elements of my building. In the middle of the 3 overlapping space...u can c a small triangle that actually is a place which i let rattan to grow up from the ground level..so when visitor walk through the ramp to come into my building ...they can touch and smell the rattan...


In the building context and responses to the site...i am trying to bring life again to the town..as surround the site...there are many abandoned building and komtar started to getting disappearing from our eyesight...The next generation seems to move out from the place and and things there getting worse and worse because of the ad-hoc planning of the town... what i would like to do is create an iconic building that actually signifies the reborn of the town and oso the rattan trade which there are lots of rattan shop houses that now are almost closed.



My rattan visitor centre will become the master among the the shophouses and become the iconic building of rattan trade...Because it was expose outside on the main road..so, i would like to try some sculptor building. Furthermore, the pedestrian bridge before was such an alien that build ad-hoc on the site...i would replace it with a bridge building which not only affect the original circulation..and making the bridge as the element of my building which got some play of lights and materiality...

The view from komtar!!


The new pedestrian bridge!!

Well, tats all i think...i think it might be still weak n need lots of improvement...

Those who looking for sculptor as architecture!especially triangle n my site!!

i have found out an interesting architect who known as Santiago Calatrava...His design is elegant, and he actually claiming that the practice of architecture combines all the arts into 1...Calatrava as SCULPTOR!!!One typical example is Milwaukee Art Museum...Hope u guys who want to create sculptor architecture will find it useful!!

(Ian: Yes, indeed; and why shouldn't your architecture flutter?)

BUILDING IN CONTEXT PT.4 - KEBLE COLLEGE, OXFORD

Keble College, Oxford by Ahrends Burton & Koralek



Building new FOR old.



Understanding that in this context the architecture is as much in the spaces contained (the quadrangles) as it is in the container (the buildings).





And in so understanding, to subsume individual architectural expression to "completing the puzzle". (Sorry, I'm putting this very badly, it's just too late now.) The new building is the snakey one--Hayward & De Breyne.


Understanding the need to match the scale of the existing but not its form of construction.



Mid Pic shows The Chapel by William Butterfield and the quadrangle it helps to form.






Last Pic shows the new building in steel and glass facing the newly formed quads, with a completely brick skin facing the roads on the other side.

A late modern building at its best.

BUILDING IN CONTEXT PT.3 - ST.JOHN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

Left: The existing building (context)

Right: The new building

St. John's College, Cambridge by Edward Cullinan & Ptr.

Building new LIKE old.

Understanding the architectonic essence of the old and mimicing by inventiveness, not by copying.

Post Modernist preoccupation with historical references.

Requires skill and sensitivity to avoid clumsy outcomes.

BUILDING IN CONTEXT PT.2 - CARRE D'ART

Carre D'art, Nimes by Foster & Partners
Building new NEAR old, closeup.

This IS an architecture of colums, beams, walls and roofs.

Reflects the preoccupations of the existing ancient fabric, but in the technological language of the present time.

To be respectful but not obsequious, to be equally bold in scale without resorting to pastiche.

To engage in conversation with the old in the timeless language that is called classical architecture, and to do so politely.

To acknowledge the importance of the life of the civic space, hence the deep "porch/verandah" and provisions for cafe furniture.

BUILDING IN CONTEXT PT.1 - FALKESTRASSE

Ok, guys, this series of posts are actually from my notes in preparation for a lecture on BUIILDING IN CONTEXT which I had hoped to deliver next week. But, as you might need to set your minds in motion towards a clear concept for the coming Wed/Thurs presentation and grading, I've decided to post them here in note form. Hopefully you'll get something out of it. They will quite obviously (hello Sheng Hao!) be fully fleshed out for the lecture.

Falkestasse Office Extension by CoopHimmelblau

The super-new ON old.

NOT a language of columns, beams, walls, roofs, but of collision and explosion.

To shock.

Like singing jazz in a period opera house.

No mimicing of preceding architectural preoccupations.

RESPONSES TO KHOO KONGSI SITE

After the tutorial with Ian that day, he told me some things that we can response to and how to do it efficiently.

1. There are two main entrances that we can fully make use of. We can build something along the paths or do anything you can think of to attract people to come in. The entrances are shown in the picture attached below. We should not limit ourselves in the site area. Our site should include the whole area around including the Khoo Kongsi’s area. Try to make use of them.

2. As picture attached below, the right wall of Khoo Kongsi is very interesting. Ian suggested that we can make use of it by making it as a background.
See the google earth plan below. The part highlighted in blue colour below serve as the platform, and then there are people play traditional musical instruments there, or maybe even Chinese Opera or anything you can think of. And then there are people watching the show from the yellow area. You can build something there for shading such as umbrella or some structures there. That area also can function as communal area where they can have drinks or eat there.
From that spectator area, besides watching the small play, it is also a good spot to view the performance at the Khoo Kongsi’s stage.(yellow arrow)

3. Interact with neighbour buildings. By building our building at the site, we should interact with the neighbours, make use of the small paths. We can propose to the neighbours to sell nyonya kuihs or anything behind their houses to make the paths a live space. By making it a live space, we can say that to prevent some bad activities such as rape cases, robbery cases, etc.

4. The last thing is, do not worry too much about the built up floor area. If your building need 700sqm to achieve what you want to do, then SO BE IT.

Crit Schedule Tues 11 March

0740 vidhya
0800 govin
0820 MeeKei
0840 carey
0900 sieutheng
0920 Ei Ei
0940 Euric
1000 kelvin
1020 Issac
1040 hui lih
1100 Frederick
1120 jessmine
1140 Hwa Lik
1200 SuniL

SELLING COFFINS

Coffin Collectibles?
Pic 1: This miniature coffin is similar in construction to the real, full-size version.

Pic 2: With just a light push, you can pop open the lid of the coffin.

MALAYSIA: For most Chinese, coffins are taboo items that need to be given a wide birth to avoid misfortune. Elderly Chinese who encounter a funeral procession on the road would often say a phrase like: “大吉利是!棺材棺材,升官發財! (Da jie li shi! Guan cai guan cai, sheng guan fa cai!)” to turn their luck around. The phrase is basically a petition asking the coffin to grant them success and good fortune instead of ill luck.
However, times change and people are now more open minded about such things. Some people now use coffins for good luck charms, while others just like to collect them and items related to them.
There’s even a snack shaped like a coffin. (YUCK! YUCK! YUCK!) It’s made from a hollowed-out rectangular slab of toast, filled with a thickening ingredient and covered with a lid that’s also made from toast.
In recent times, some people (such as businessmen, workers and gamblers) have also started collecting “mini coffins” as good luck charms. They hope that these coffins would either make their business boom, get them promoted, or bring them wealth.
Gao Wencong, who owns a business in Klang, said in an interview with Sin Chew Daily that the mini coffins that he buys are structurally no different from traditional wooden coffins. The words “升官發財” (sheng guan fa cai), which are meant to bring good fortune, are written on the lids.
He said that some people believe if a priest were to bless these coffins, the coffins would become very effective good luck charms. However, opinions differ on whether this is actually true.
He pointed out that he had imported the coffins from Liuzhou, Guangxi through an importer in Penang because he had received orders for them from his customers.
“The largest coffins are eight inches in length while the smallest measure only three inches. I only imported a small amount of these coffins and have presently sold about eight of them. I would only import more if someone were to place an order.”
He said that the price for the coffins ranged from less than a hundred to several hundred ringgit, depending on the size of the coffin. (http://www.kooky.com.my/node/1365)

After drying outdoor for a full year, the logs are sawed, hollowed out and polished, mostly by hand, into long planks that are nearly flat on one side and semi-circular on the other. The planks are then carefully fitted together without the use of nails to form a coffin...... (http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/11/09/news/coffin.php?page=1)

Crit Schedule Tues 11 March

0800
0820 MeeKei
0840 carey
0900 sieutheng
0920 Ei Ei
0940 Euric
1000 kelvin
1020 Issac
1040 hui lih
1100 Frederick
1120 jessmine
1140 Hwa Lik
1200 SuniL