Taiping - City of Downpour

Pictures courtesy of Daniel, Toby, Van Yenn. . . and more
Welcome to Taiping, a small and quiet town we which have been selected to be part of our Studio 3 site. The continuous rain for the past few days have made lives of us fellow Studio 3 people miserable as work progress was slow and unsatisfying.

Taiping; land of limitless rain

The journey was a rough three hours excluding all stops. As we traveled we kept entertained by performers. . .

. . . yup, performers

On the first day, we were given the choice to partake in a night safari which was around town. Pictures were scarce as flash photography would annoy the animals. . . and we wouldn't want that now would we.

Rare zoo night safari pictures

Probably the most fun we had was inside the hotel lobby itself. . . along the corridors.

Scaring the crap out of friends,

watching videos and pictures,

exercising,

. . . and setting up multiple tolls

The city itself was entertaining as we managed to

stalk the locals,

watch food eating food,

getting to know the chef's pets,

learn about the circle of life,

witness an accident just inches away,

and watch out for unwarned incoming dangers that lurk

A valuable lesson was taught on the trip; one of which is to NEVER mess with girls

Daniel taught us that lesson at the cost of his life. . . thanks man!

The girls. . . mess not with them fellow dudes

Lesson two is more visual. For those who are snacking now i suggest you stop for the meantime. It was unfortunate but it seemed that Daniel had made it his obligation to teach us lesson two as well.

He managed to convince us that hotel food will always remain yucks

We were lucky to be able to celebrate two very lovely lady's birthday as it fell on the day of the trip itself.

Birthday girl Yann Ee

Birthday girl Xe Wei

We had prior to the trip planned a self-initiated fun as well which included guitars and clothes.

What trip could do without a guitar

And the main event of the trip was a fashion show organized by yours truly.

Hosted by Chi Ming

Coming to the end of the trip, we had our final destination; Sasanarakkha Hill. A hill that allocates a meditation temple.

If we had more time I wouldn't mind dipping

Unfortunately, to reach the temple we had to hike a 30° angled hill. It was insane. . .

Some had needed help, some needed rest, while others needed more exercise

It was a long and tiring journey, but the fruits of our efforts paid off. . . i think.

We managed to experience meditation

I must have forgot to mention, but the journey up the hill was filled with weird mechanisms you would never imagine. . . like this.

Just bring along your laptop

With some of the rules of the temple stating we must remove our footwear. . . we were prone to leech attacks

Like this! Or is the rule some ingenious arrangement for some diabolic plan

The architects managed to place some fish eye mirrors much to our convenience.

Now we can have a proper group picture with everyone in it

It was by the end of the trip that our fellow studio mates FINALLY had pity on us DSLR users and decided to snap us in just one shot. Thanks!

Daniel and his weird hobby

It was further into the temple did we stumble upon a space perfect for mass meditation. . .

. . . and group picture

And what have our fellow studio mates have to say about the Sasanarakkha hike

Fun and somewhat bursting with joy

Our only organized mass group picture

Lets organize another trip Ms. V

PS: We did visit Gua Tempurung as well. . . but thats another complicated story to tell

ALL SAINTS & SASANARAKKHA IN EVERLASTING PEACE

I found it quite uncanny (using all my senses, that is, not just the ocular). I felt a Christian could worship God quite splendidly (in spirit and in truth) at Sasanarakkha (bottom set of pictures), and wasn't convinced that a Buddhist could do likewise at All Saints (obvious...top set of pictures).

Perhaps my senses were peculiar, not shared by others..

But that's what I felt.


What about you?











(Pic 3: Messages from the Light of the World filtered through a tracery of imported glass.)

(Pic 4: Lovely baluster detail in brass)


As to whether I could worship as meaningfully at All Saints as I can at Sasanarakkha, I.....er...erm....

...am not so sure.
Gotta try it out and see.



I guess I'm averse to clinging to the form of religion and denying the power of it.



... on the meditation platform...



Panoramic view of Taiping from a perch of metal sheet on timber on metal on (again) timber on metal on concrete on earth, with the aroma of durian from a tracery of leaves.

All Saints and Sasanarakkha: A nice contrast between building on earth and building "in heaven" with all its appropriate architectonics and differing design affiliations. I mean, they're faithful to very different architectural preoccupations.

Pic 11 and 12 added (oh, dear!) Sept 11, 2008 !!!

Pic 11 shows real timber clapboarding.

Pic 12: alum trays for anti-termite detail.

Note the timber-grained cement sheets (ya?)

This one is somehow notably different from the lightness of the steel structures shown above..

(img taken from: http://www.fireflymission.org.sg/sbs_rc_021.html)

HAPTICITY & TIME (Juhani Pallasmaa)

Studio 3: Read the article. Discuss in your groups of 3, and come ready with answers on Wednesday. Every student has to have an opinion. No exception.

Absolutely important, if you want a leap forward in your design!

(And don't forget about your research on the commemorativity of Taiping.)

We start at 800h sharp.

0800-0815:
0815-0830:
0830-0845:
0845-0900:
0900-0915:
0915-0930:Adisaputra MK
0930-0945
0945-1000:Shi Qi
1000-1015: Samantha
1015-1030:daniel
1030-1045:Lydia Kow
1045-1100: Way Wen
1100-1115:Azleen
1130-1145 : preshant

MON 25 AUG TUTORIALS

0800-0815:
0815-0830:
0830-0845:
0845-0900:
0900-0915:
0915-0930:Adisaputra MK
0930-0945:
0945-1000:
1000-1015:
1015-1030:
1030-1045:
1045-1100:
1100-1115:
1130-1145:

WED 20 AUG TUTORIALS

0800-0820 :
0820-0840 :
0840-0900:Adisaputra MK
0900- 0920: Lydia
0920-0940: Samantha
0940-1000: Teck Hao
1000-1020: Yu Wei
1020-1040: waywen
1040-1100: Hong Joo
1100-1120: Daniel
1120-1140: Shi Q
i1140-1200: Khang Siang
1200-1220: Toby
1220-1240:Azleen
1240-1300 : preshant

WED 20 AUG TUTORIALS

Unit 1: Book your 20 min slots here. I will follow this booking list strictly. Tutorials extended to 1300h. I have to leave at 1300h SHARP.
As we said this morning, Wed's tutorial should be ur last major pow wow before the dash to the finishing line. Come to the tutorial with full outcomes in draft.

(Block copy this, insert your name and repost. Keep it running. First come first served.)

0800-0820 :
0820-0840 :
etc.
1240-1300 :

KIT OF PARTS - STUDIO 3

www.l2portal.com/Maps/Catacombs/

Guys...the brief doesn't say design a "building".

It says design a "SPATIAL COMPOSITION".

So why haven't we yet seen a Spatial Tower, or Spatial Bridge, or Spatial Skylon, or Spatial Satellite, or Spatial Catacomb, or Spatial Flotilla, or Spatial Explosion...?

Why is everyone designing a Single Storey Building pretending to be the Water Cube?

Why, why, why?

Not angry...not disappointed...

Just...

DESIGN LECTURE BY ARUPS

Don't miss this lecture tomorrow.

Kelvin Kan studied in Scotland and should also be able to comment on schools of architecture in Scotland.

STUDIO 3 jan'08 ARCHIVES

This announcement goes out to all students of last sem's Studio 3.

Veron would have reminded/will be reminding you to submit your soft files of your FINAL PROJECT for the archives of Taylor's College and for selection for publication in STEPS.

Please do it within the next week...before you get too busy with the sem.

I have made the additional request for a signature portrait of yourself, montaged/blended creatively onto your best project pic, for my use in lectures. Please email me (asng21@yahoo.com) this montage jpeg and up to 6 more of your best project pics. (Or share file if you catch me online on msn.)

Tx Jon, for showing us what i mean by a signature portrait pic. Looking forward to see your montage.

RINGGIT FOR YOUR SONG

Anyone interested in winning RM6,000?

www.damaorchestra.com

(We all need a life outside Architecture.)

BEIJING OLYMPICS 080808

What an opening it was!!! Just blew my mind!

(Can't let that go without recording it here..haha)

It was a marvellous fete of the imagination, more than anything else, to me! Just goes to show...you gotta think big, dig deep, and soar.

They did the right thing in getting Zhang Yimou to direct.

And they had Li Ning, one of my favourite athletes of all time, do the lighting...soopa!

Non impressions? The Mayor's speech--ghastly inanities, showed up by the other guy's speech---which was perfect and people centred. And Sarah Brightman...erm...really, i do like her, but isn't it old hat after Barcelona? (But for connectivity with the rest of the world...i suppose it was ok.)

My absolute favourite for the Opening? Hands down--the little guy from Sichuan who saved 2 eathquake victims. Love him!

(I'll add fav pics as they appear in following days. Tx AT for sending me this first one.)

HOW TO CONDUCT A PROPER SITE INSPECTION

Architect rejects defective work by hurling concrete block away..
(note: loose shirt hides bulging biceps)


Architects' assistant, inspired by Gaudi, measures his own..ahem..posterior to ascertain design requirement..
(note: ..the fancy right foot pose..)

Architect transfers design information onto location..
(note: both, architect and assistant, never paid attention during Ergonomics Lecture in college)

Architect and female assistant enter the pool together..
(note: ..to inspect its suitability for fish.....what were you thinking?)








The suitability of local fish was also checked out..
(note: ...no need to note)


Architect's assistant assesses the quality of local product..
(note: verdict: First Class...yummy and thick. I know, the word is 'produce'...don't have to be pedantic)

Architect and assistant enact the ritual of a mahjong game..
(note: who was it, who said: To do architecture you have to have passion..?)

Wed 6 Aug Tutorial

Unit 1: We'll do it this way tomorrow. Line up your models on the tables next to the window, and stick your write-ups on the table, below the model. We'll all spend 1/2 an hour or so examining each other's work before going into group discussion. This will be followed by individual crits--probably in pairs.

We START @ 8 A.M. SHARP. So line them up by 8.10

All Seniors are welcome to inspect the exhibition. (Juniors, too, i suppose..if they don't get in the way..)

Looking forward to it!

BUILDING IT RIGHT

http://archives.thestar.com.my/last7days/default.asp?date=\2008\7\31&psect=Metro

OMGosh! We made the front page of Star Metro today!

(Pity it wasn't for a building award or something..)

2 Aug 08: Thanks Khang Siang for your interesting comments 4 & 5. Yup there are many who believe, like Schumacher, that Small is Beautiful. While mega is not necessarily bad, Schumacher made us think through our preoccupation with bigness and consumption.

a few quotes extracted from wiki:

Man is small, and, therefore, small is beautiful

"[A modern economist] is used to measuring the 'standard of living' by the amount of annual consumption, assuming all the time that a man who consumes more is 'better off' than a man who consumes less. A Buddhist economist would consider this approach excessively irrational: since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption. . . . The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity. Modern economics, on the other hand, considers consumption to be the sole end and purpose of all economic activity."

BLOG MAINTENANCE

As this blog only allows 100 authors max, i regretfully had to remove some to make room for newcomers. I followed the first in first out principle--no offence meant. HOWEVER, if you have been deleted but wish to be included again because you want to contribute, then just email me and i'll put u back in. CHEERS!

UNIT 1 - PACT OF THE IMPLICIT

WELCOME TO UNIT 1!

This goes out to Khang Siang, Toby (nice name!) Hong Joo, Azleen, Lydia, Shi Qi, Yu Wei, Preshant, Samantha, Chze Yoon, Kian Ann, Daniel, Brian, Adisputra and Teck Hao.

This will probably be a fun run down the road of radical poetics (Lester, stop chuckling). With super duper massive storyboards at the finishing line. That's about 17 or so weeks' away--not near, not far, just waiting for us to get there. As a group: Hence the pact.

Believe me, you'll get more in the sum of all than in each of the parts. Hence the group. The Unit.

And thanks for the unanimous nod for the Pact of the Implicit--we all need that, even I. And as i said, it's not arbitrary or peculiar or subjective. It's got to do with experiencing what's not obvious, subtexts, and all the sensory stuff that make up the poetics of architecture.

Hence the Soft and Hairy House (isometric and pic illustrated.) Which incidentally is all about sex and love and parenthood and... ya, something of that sort.

I thought the few of you who presented your initial ideas yesterday (Wed) morning were pretty cool...concepts were cool, too. Looking forward to reading your prose or poetry. U can post me for quick comments if you wish, otherwise be prepared to read your piece on Monday. (Practise, pls. Like with passion and feeling?)

Pls join up when u receive an email invitation, and tell the 2 missing ones to email me pls.

Happy posting!

Our ...uh, interesting studio assignment.

Can I have your opinions on our studio project for Studio 4?




I've expressed my thoughts in my own blog, albeit a bit harshly, but I guess I may be pessimistic or over reacting? What do you guys think of our final assignment for this studio?

BILL'S 11 MOVERS

Whilst a lot of this wisdom comes too late for some of us, this is invaluable for kids and the younger generation.

This should be posted in all schools and work places


Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time..

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

If you agree, pass it on.
If you can read this - Thank a teacher!

(received from kc with tx.)

HATCHING

There's a message in there somewhere for architects. Problem is...what?
(pic courtesy of bhy)

BLUE INTERLUDE

hey...this flash video came to be by email...

...quite amazing, for those who like suspension..

http://www.greatdanepro.com/Blue%20Bueaty/index.htm

nice music, too

New form of architecture

I saw this van on the road in Penang during my trip there recently and I stumbled upon a new form of architecture which you guys might be interested in.

Click on the picture for a clearer view.

G10 COMMERCIAL FITOUT @ FINAL VALUATION

Actually, finally, done, and waiting for the tenants to move in and personalise the spaces ...

END OF THE BEGINNING...

Datum 2008: Met up with Wei Chii--one of the original Studio 2006 students! my first batch when i started tutoring in July 2006. One of the last ones to fly off! Haha..

Wei Chii , as you head for a new beginning in a new world, at Strathclyde, Bon Voyage! And have loads of fun in Scotland and all of Europe!

Here's an original poem for my First Batch, wherever you all are...

There is a time when you'll sigh

There is a time when you wish you could fly

There is a time when you will die.

But there is one thing that stays the same,

Your heart remembers your friends name by name.

There is a time when hearts will tie.

There are many worlds,

But they share the same sky.
(c) 2008 Mark Huang, 12 yrs.
Used with permission

EGYPT CALLING!

OK, Guys....last call....Deposit of RM2k with copy of your passport to be handed in to Shereen by Monday 14 July. Remainder payment to be up by 19 Sept. The rest is mystery....

...i mean the mystery of Egypt waiting for our discovery....

1922: A team led by archaeologist Howard Carter enters the antechamber of King Tutankhamen's tomb. Despite some evidence of ancient plundering, it is by far the best preserved of the Egyptian royal tombs.
Though they wouldn't enter the burial chamber itself until the following day, the entrance to the 3,300-year-old necropolis, with its royal seals intact, told Carter he had found what he'd been looking for since 1907.
Carter was fortunate to discover the tomb when he did, because he was just about out of chances. His benefactor, Lord Carnarvon, was short of money and losing patience and about to pull the plug on the project. Carter talked him into bankrolling a final season, promising to pay the costs himself if the dig came up empty.
The final dig began in earnest on Nov. 1. Three days later, workers tearing down a hut exposed the top of a staircase. Within three weeks the entire staircase had been excavated and Carter and Carnarvon found themselves standing in front of a plaster wall. Carter broke through the wall at about 4 p.m. on the 26th. King Tut had been found.
Carnarvon died shortly after the tomb was opened, giving rise to the so-called "Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" (italics by ian ng)
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/11/dayintech_1126

DATUM 2008

A brief reflection...

1) The overriding design preoccupation seemed to be an inclination towards a blurring of the distinction between the traditional components of the architectonic. Okok....dun have to talk like one of them, i know. I mean, a way of thinking of the building enclosure as one unified element. Fusing floor wall roof into a single seamless thing...

2) A clear divorce from the Modern Movement (with its functionalist basis), and a preferrence for Romantic Genius--the imaginative, the personal, the emotionally-spiritually uplifting, the experimental...

3) The respect for materiality remains...

4) Cross overs to other disciplines are embraced---welcome Mathematics! welcome advertising!

5) The balance between the indispensable use of computer aided design by some... and the love of hand sketching by others, makes me chuckle (what a wonderful profession we're in!)

6) Keeping your ear to the ground tends to win out in the end....er, i mean being sensitive to what people generally like and want is usually the best way to go (think roller coaster, think video, think computer games, think vanity, think egalitarian, think accessibility..)

(I thoroughly enjoyed it.) Now let me hear your comments...

HOUSE 702, KUALA LUMPUR

Under Design Development
(Inasreka Team: Ian Ng, HY Yong, HJ Yong, Mohd Abid)