YTL RESIDENCE

Lovely in KL!

"The Agence Jouin Manku design team included Patrick Jouin, Sanjit Manku, Yann Brossier (architect), Richard Perron (designer). Officina del Paesaggio from Lugano, Switzerland was in charge of the landscape design, and L’Observatoire, New York, USA handled the lighting. - Tuija Seipell"

[Received from A. Tan with thanks]

Truss Wall House by Ushida Finlay Partnership, below. Added 29 Mar 2009, 1108pm, in response to Khang Siang's comment. There's another pic somewhere in my blog.

Rubbish?

Does this look familiar to you?
Yes, it is my interim presentation model.

I went to college this morning not just to return a book and also to take back my presentation model so that I can up grade it for my further design. So, the first place that I drop off is studio obviously, the first impression when I when into studio was, WOW so clean (uncle Nava and 3 cleaner was sitting in the studio), at the wow time, I know that there is something wrong about the wow, studio are not suppose to be that clean as our home…after one minute, I started to ask the cleaner, WHERE IS MY MODEL? And I turn around to the dustbin as usual as logic reaction, OH NO…my poor little model, it was folded into half and squeezed inside the green rubbish bin. OMG, not just mine was inside the rubbish bin, some of our zone analysis panels, models, and interim panels as well.

WHAT IS GOING WRONG?
I know the cleaner won’t do that, because I know they won’t touch or throw anything which is on top of the table. So I started to question…the cleaner said her boss ask her to clean up everything. So I went down to talk to the manager of PRD, Mr. Jefferson. The feedback that I get from him was he didn’t tell the cleaner to touch the thing on the table (okay, there is a miss-communication between the employee and employer).

AS I KNOW…through out the conversations between the cleaner and Mr. Jefferson.
1. Studio 7 and 6 (the big studio) is rated as the dirtiest studio ever (student was complain about the studios are dirty by the evaluation feedback)…of cause la 3 batches of students are using the same studio, what you expect o?
2. In the college policies, the object which is on top of the table will not be touch by the cleaner, where else the stuff that are under the table will be throw away.
3. The cleaner are very clear that our studio are use to be that messy because we are doing model, but I think Mr. Jefferson didn’t know that.

THE MESSAGE
Please throw away materials that you are not going to use. You can just leave it on the floor. Please throw away your empty water bottle, can and food container into the rubbish bin. Just a simple and small action will make our uncomfortable studio a little bit more friendly and to avoid more victims.

I already saved whatever I can, Clement and Rebecca your model are saved but is all screwed up, and I know some of you lost your interim panel also because you left your panel on the table. Luckly that i went to college today and reach studio at the right time, if not all our stuff will gone.

TUTORIAL COMMENT

Unit 1 of Dip Studio 3, based on your submissions yesterday there appears to be the following generic building types (and their sub genres) being tackled.

Gallery (trade skill, place, person, architecture, people group, & food)
Culture Centre (dance)
Library
Restaurant
Recreation Centre (music, children, educational, elderly, wheeled)
Sports Centre (wheeled)
Entertainment Centre

Some have, of course, submitted hybrid types.

For a 600 sq.m. of all the above building types you would almost invariably need the following spaces and utilities:

Entrance Lobby
Admin Office and staff facilities
Toilets for visitors (min requirements: Male with 3 basins, 3 urinals, 2 cubicles, & Female with 3 basins, 3 cubicles)
Staff toilets/w.c. and
Storage, Cleaners' facilities, Mech & Elec room(s)

The rest of the space requirements that make up the 600 sq.m. will then depend on your specific program and sub-genre. And it will also depend on how u synergise with the surroundings for shared space, etc.

FOR THE FORTHCOMING TUTORIAL ON TUE, assess your scheme against comments received from yesterday's presentation and this posting. Bring your A1 panels and models. We'll have a 45min group discussion starting at 1315h (DON'T BE LATE) followed by individual tutorials. We'll make the sequence when we meet. No pre-bookings required.

SHADOWS, AZIMUTHS & SUN PATHS

For those of u into precise predictions of shadows from the sun this is a good site to kick off with:

http://www.learn.londonmet.ac.uk/packages/clear/thermal/climate/sun/sunpath_diagrams.html

WARREN BUFFET

Just had to post this so it's here. (Received without links by email.)

TUTORIALS TUE 24 MAR 09

All UNIT 1 students, pls prepare a DRAFT A1 COPY of your presentation sheet for the forthcoming interim design presentation (see previous post).

Please pin up this DRAFT COPY by 1315h on Tue 24 March 09. We will do a group review and trial presentation.

Should be fun!

INTERIM DESIGN PRESENTATION

Dip Studio 3, this presentation for 15% of your studio marks is on! Thursday 26 March 2009. PIN UP BY 1315h. Dot be late.

All students are allowed to present ONLY ONE A1 SHEET containing well labelled PLANS, SECTIONS & ELEVATIONS to a minimum scale of 1:200. You should include a SITE PLAN to a suitable scale to show how your building relates to its surroundings, and include a 3D MODEL. Written narrative text is NOT allowed.

You may present a physical 3D massing model in place of the 3D computer model. You may present both models if you wish.

Tutorial Slots - Thursday, 19 March

1300-1315: _______________________________
1315-1330: rObin hO
1330-1345: Chia Eilyn
1345-1400: Benny
1400-1430: Chii & Aaron
1430-1445: Yeong Chwen
1445-1500: Jesselyn
1500-1515: Wan Jiuan
1515-1530: Yie Jing
1530-1545: Chai Wei
1545-1600: YeeFui

1600-1615: JunYee
1615-1630: WeiJin
1630-1645: Ellie
1645-1700: _______________________________

THE ORANGE DOTTIES TO WATCH!

The follwing students were voted onto the MOST DOTTED list by their colleagues and tutors yesterday.

Watch out for their development for the forthcoming INTERIM SUBMISSION (graded) next week!

DARREN THAM : The Modified Car Gallery : 3 DOOOTS

ZAKI MAGHFUR : The Skateboard+ Centre : 3 DOOOTS

CHOI QIAN PEI : The...er...Political Dynamite Centre : 3 DOOOTS

CHEW KEAT YEANG : The Ipoh Coffee Centre : 3 DOOOTS

GO CHUN YEE : Michele Yeoh Gallery : 3 DOOOTS

NG WEI JIN : The Pre-U Centre : 4 DOOOOTS

DAPHNE KUA: The Columbarium : 4 DOOOOTS

NG WAI SIE : The Merbok Back Lane Memorial: 4 DOOOOTS

TANG LI QUN : The Starlight Cinema : 4 DOOOOTS

BENNY DIEH : Lat Centre : 5 DOOOOOTS

AARON LAU : The Photographic & Digital Art Centre: 5 DOOOOOTS

ONG SHIEN CHII: Memorial Centre for the Japanese Occupation (and Liberation?) : 6 DOOOOOOTS

CHIA JUN WAI : The Country Club : 7 DOOOOOOOTS

TAM HUEI LIQ : The Roller Skating Place : 8 DOOOOOOOOTS

SKY

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THE INDIVIDUAL

Quotations on: Individual

The work of the individual still remains the spark that moves mankind forward.

~ Igor Sikorsky


Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

(Source: http://www.cafe-philosophy.com/?q=quotes/Individual& Accessed: 838h 15 Mar 2009)

SYBIL KATHIGASU, DAUGHTER OF IPOH

Remembering one woman’s courage
Review by OOI SI MUN
NO DRAM OF MERCY
By Sybil Kathigasu
Publisher: Prometheus Enterprise Sdn Bhd, 185 pages
(ISBN: 983-219-722-8)

I WONDER how many people of my generation (I’m 39), or the next, know of Sybil Kathigasu? I certainly don’t recall learning about her in school or from my peers. Older relatives, in their re-telling of wartime suffering, did not mention her name.
Had I not picked up a reprint of her memoirs entitled No Dram of Mercy, I’d probably remain ignorant of Kathigasu, recipient of the George Medal, “the highest British civilian award for bravery”.

Read more here: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2007/3/25/lifebookshelf/14273826&sec=lifebookshelf

(Shien Chii, I have this book. U don't have to buy it. And Clement, thanks for doing that little research on Sybil. Perhaps you can post it here for the record.)

THE ORANGE DOT

Who will make it to the MOST DOTTED list?

Find out on Tuesday 17 March 2009
Dip Studio 3
Level 3, 1300h
Audience are welcome!

@

THE ORANGE DOT

dot be late

PROJECT 2, DIPL STUDIO 3

(Edited 15:40, March 14, 2009: "synergistic, multi...etc." added)
(Edited 15:03, March 13, 2009)

I enjoyed the tutorials yesterday afternoon. But one or two issues came up as particularly disturbing. We need to discuss this. We'll have to take a second look at our brief to do that. The relevant portion is:

Objectives
· To introduce the effects of urban context to architectural design
· To introduce the importance of sociology to architectural design
· To emphasize the importance of plan / section integration into the design process

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the subject, students will be able to:

1. Study and analyze the spatial poetics and programmatic design of a simple building
2. Design architectural spaces which respond to multiple urban issues
3. Generate design through conscious understanding of architectural rhythm, pattern, composition and organization.
4. Analyze the social and cultural context of the site
5. Produce drawings (both 2D and 3D), modeling and verbal presentation to communicate and visualize architectural design and ideas.

Project:

You are to design a synergestic & multiple use building which can rejuvenate its immediate site context, (a building which is) sympathetic to Ipoh's architectural heritage. (This should be a) building that will help in the regeneration of inner-city Ipoh. The building should be architecturally appealing and at the same time accessible to both the local population and visitors from out of state or country. The nature of the design should seek to espouse, as far as possible, the Genius Loci of Ipoh as a unique town in its own right, taking into account its position as the capital city of Perak. Attention should also be focused on the revival of the old town as an attractive place for public interaction. The function of the building should be agreed with your lecturers, but should be carefully chosen to achieve the purpose of urban regeneration.

The total built-up area of the building, which should be at least 2 storeys in height, should be not more than 600 square metres.

DISTURBING THING 1:
This I've highlighted in red. I don't mean that the brief is disturbing. I mean the misinterpretation by some students is disturbing. Some have responded by getting too caught up with the design of social programs to act as solutions to social problems that they detect. Problems such as unemployment of certain sectors of the Ipoh populace, the student lepak problem, etc. Some feel that they must address some social problem to meet the requirements of the brief. The conviction is laudable, but...

The troubling thing is that this urge has given rise to some unusual hybrid building programs that can't be accepted as "synergestic". Hey, guys, chill Man.. Have a rethink. Something's cramping your style.

The ability to analyse (by observation, interviews & other means of research) the social and cultural context of the site doesn't, for me, imply that you have to correspondingly come up with a social and cultural program to tackle the social and cultural ills discovered.

It does mean, however, that the building program you propose for that site will not, or should not, exacerbate or reinforce those ills. That is, to me, all the degree of social sensitivity you need. As architects we need to then quickly get down to the real contribution we can make. And that is to create a composition of place with the architectonic materials that any architect uses, whether they be hard or soft, whether they be concrete and steel or light and space. And I reckon you should have a wonderfully sweat-free time doing that.

And the good news is that the desired "regeneration of inner-city" will happen inevitably when you do that . You would have created a "happening place and thing" in it's own right. Happening places and things always attract people. People always need accommodation and utilities and facilities. Need almost always catalyses regeneration. Bingo!

DISTURBING THING 2:
This one's obviously marked out. You really need to consider designing ONE building that is implicitly spelt out as having the following characteristics..

a) a building for the general, non-exclusive public...meaning the general public can walk through all the spaces in the building

b) a building with most of its accommodation on the ground (plus minus 2 levels)...SO THAT it can engage with the general urban fabric (mainly prewar). [That's why we went to Ipoh la, and studied all those old buildings.]

c) a building that runs the full gamut on the private-to-public scale. Put it another way, there will be private spaces and public spaces in your building, the full range. But I reckon it will lean more heavily on the public space because of reason (a).

DISTURBING THING 3:
Incidently, I think there's Thing 3. But I can't seem to find the text in the brief to justify this. It's a hunch. It will be up to the more perceptive, astute and cheeky ones among you to help me out on this.

I know we're all animal lovers and all... I love animals, too... (I used to have guppies and Java sparrows and owls and terrapins and dogs and cats...until I moved to a condo). But, really, for Project 2 I think we should be designing for Mainly people, don't you think? We have only a precious 600 sq.m. to spare.

And, in any case, if you MUST design for non-humans (machines included) I'd rather you design for ghosts. At least they were humans, and it would make a fantastic scheme... ~shudder, shudder~.

Looking forward to the Orange Dot!

Royal Ontario Musuem - Toronto, Canada

Royal Ontario Museum
Toronto, Canada

The Royal Ontario Museum project set out to renovate ten new galleries in the existing historical building and creating an extension to the museum, now called the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. This new extension provides innovative new architecture and the creation of a grand public attraction with 100,000 sq. ft. of new exhibition space. Situated at one of the most prominent intersections in downtown Toronto, the Museum has become a dynamic center for the city. SDL is working on this project with Vanbots Construction. The Extension opened in June 2007.

The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal derives its name from the building’s five intersecting volumes, which are reminiscent of crystals. The intersection of two of the crystals, each of which is dedicated to new galleries, creates a void, known as the Spirit House. Essentially a large atrium rising from below ground level to the fourth floor, and containing a number of criss-crossing bridges at various levels, the Spirit House is intended to be a place for visitors to reflect upon the exhibitions they have experienced in one of the gallery spaces before moving on to the next. A fourth crystal, known as the Stair of Wonders, is dedicated to vertical circulation but also features exhibition vitrines at the landings. A fifth crystal houses the major new restaurant.

"The program of the Royal Ontario Museum provides a wonderful opportunity for dramatic new architecture and the creation of a great public attraction. The centrality of the site intensifies the profound relationship between history and the new, between tradition and innovation. The historical buildings, complemented by forward-looking and bold architecture, form an ensemble which regenerates the urban significance of the Museum, solves the complex functional issues, and dramatically improves exhibitions, facilities, programming and amenities. The Crystal is an interlocking form which turns this important corner of Toronto into a luminous beacon--a veritable showcase of people, events and objects, transforming the entire museum complex into a world-class destination.

(source: http://www.daniel-libeskind.com/projects/show-all/royal-ontario-museum/ , accessed 1214h, 10 March 09)

LECTURE: SITI & OMA - A CLASSIC LOVE STORY

My design lecture will be on, tomorrow 10 Mar 2009 at 1310h. Keith will try to book Studio 1 on Level 8. Otherwise it will be at our own studio, Level 3. [I should be back on time from the morning visit to KLPAC.]

Opening act will be by Khang Siang. With intros by Joseph Chuah.

(Pic: Daniel Seliong. Used with thnx.)

er...the lecture's about architectural design and Studio 3 preoccupations..

hey i do have a few more questions

leme just recap on the scenario

the proposal by the client is to build on a plot of land 1200sqm is size and its a total of 15 3 storey units with a small swimming pool each.

is one set of drawings enough? since it is a mass produced scheme where all 15 units are the same. of course we will need masterplans of the whole project. but for the individual units, is one set sufficient?

when doing costing, do we count the cost to produce one unit and multiply by 15 OR do we calculate as a whole?

if tendering usually takes 3 - 6 months then is it feasible to have completion by 31/1/2010? assuming the we commence architectural work this month (march 2009)

=) thank you.

ola from aussielia

hey'all

my name is richard. i am a graduate of taylor's SABD and one of ian's ex student. he agreed to let me stay on this blog so i may once in while pop by and let you guys have first hand insight of an architecture student's life in melbourne and the expectations we go thru. and trust me, ITS NOTHING YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE... lol... kidd...

so as time passes by i will likely post my stuff here for ian to crit and all you guys are welcome to post comments

here is a email i sent ian and he requested i post it on the blog. it will benefit u reading this, especially if you are coming to melbourne university. you will likely get the same kind of subject and the same lecturer and likely he will give you a similar kind of assignment.

so here is the letter... ian i added stuff to it so pls do read thru once first? XD

TQ..=D


hey ian

i arrived safely at melbourne. all is well and pretty exciting. about 20 over of us arrived. we started uni this week and already we have assignments to complete by next week. pretty hectic i must say.

well i have a few questions...

we are doing a subject called architectural practice. and we were told to write a fee negotiation letter. as we all know, the fee negotiation letter is very crucial in the process cos it will somehow determine the course of the project. cos if we under budget, then, no money no project. or rather we as architects suffer. so we were given this scenario and im wondering if you could give ur input perhaps or your perspectives on this matter as a practicing architect.

one of the main problems that most of us are having is with the determination of the fees. in melbourne they no longer follow the RAIA percentage "rate" graph anymore coz it was made illegal. so now they have to either charge in bulk OR charge by the hour. the thing is we have zero working experience.. how would we know how much to charge per hour? and wats more is how are we to know how much a director, lets say, would charge per hour and how much would a draftsman cost per hour. and what about consultatants? how would they charge? this is something that perplexes us and we dont know how to start. how would we know if we are charging the right amount?

secondly, the client is interested in DESIGNING and BUILDING and 15 3 STOREY units EACH with A SMALL SWIMMING POOL. and they have a budget of AUSD 7,200,000 including all fees. how are we to know if this is asking too much or just nice?

some of us actually went to the RAIA office and got a guide for practicng architects to he them in determining the right fee. unfortunately the proposed method only simply suggest and informs us on how to calculate the total expenditure in year (including profit percentage, overheads etc). so yea.. assuming in a year we have to make "this much" profit but then that doesnt really solve the problem coz not all projects last a month. even if assuming we have only one job for the whole year, we cant possibly only have one job that will last us the whole year rite?

so, how much is the reasonable price and is the client proposing too little a fee?

thirdly, the scenario also states that the client has a COUSIN who is a LOCAL BUILDER and HE told them that it can be easily built? is such a person a threat or a potential problem to the contract? will ties between the client and this cousin post potential problems to us as architects?

fourthly, what would be considered a design contingency?

any coments? haha.. but really, what bothers most of us is really the fees part cos we are just clueless how much to charge..

regards

TUTORIALS THURS 5 MAR 09

Unit 1, I gather that most of you have zeroed in on a favourite site and have worked out a 600 sm schedule of accommodation (without killing yourselves fastiduously.)

From the last tutorial I think almost all of you already have potentially interesting programs that go to address the whole idea of a "synergestically multi-use place for a regenerative stab at Ipoh". ...~sigh~ Why can't we have simpler briefs..?

We'll do a unit presentation thingey with sketches and/or 1:500 models tomorrow. All get ready by 1300h, pin up in OUR unit base. We'll kick off with a review of what's up, then proceed to individual presentations and discussion. I'll then see anyone individually if that's desired.

I do believe we've taken off! By Tue next week we'll be ready to face the world.

See you!

1300-1330: Shien Chii & Aaron Lau
1330-1400: Benny and Yeong Chwen
1400-1430: Chaiwei and YieJing
1430-1500: Eilyn and Ellie
1500-1530: Jesselyn and Wan Jiuan =)
1530-1600: Zaki & Yee Fui
1600-1630:Weijin & JunYee
1630-1700:

UNIT 1 TUTORIALS TUE 3 MAR 09

(Thanks Ben, for starting the ball rolling.)

1300-1330: Shien Chii & Aaron Lau
1330-1400: Benny and Yeong Chwen
1400-1430: Chaiwei and YieJing
1430-1500: Eilyn and Ellie
1500-1530: Jesselyn and Wan Jiuan =)
1530-1600:
1600-1630:
1630-1700:

Those who have not been invited to the blog yet, pls send a chat message WITH YOUR EMAIL requesting to be invited. It's obligatory for students in Unit 1.

In future, just block copy the schedule, and repost after inserting your own bookings. Cheers!

TUTORIAL TUESDAY 3 MARCH

Unit 1 please book your half hour slots here. Come in pairs.

(fill up your names)
1300-1330: _______________________________
1330-1400: Benny and Yeong Chwen
1400-1430: _______________________________
1430-1500: _______________________________
1500-1530: _______________________________
1530-1600: _______________________________
1600-1630: _______________________________
1630-1700: _______________________________