Saturday, December 31, 2005

Glenn Murcutt

Glenn Murcutt is one of the master architects in Australia. He will held an international class in July 2006, Australia. The cost will be Aus7350, 50% discount of two scholarships will be offered to applicants from " developing countries" with a low GDP capital.
To find out more...
Image beside located from http://www.ozetecture.org/frame_main/tutors01.html

Friday, December 30, 2005

The mind of an Architect

How has computer technology affectedyour design process?
It hasn't done a single thing.

Are there any colours you particularly like to work with?
White, black, shades of black and nature material colours.

Define the qualities of a good Architect?
The work shows that, others must judge.

What gets you in the right moodto design (eg. music, places, etc) ?
Fear, absolute silence, the place doesn't matter.
This quote was given to me after my lecture at Architalx, Portland Museum Of Art , Maine USA
"There is something inherently quiet about the place and the men who designed it. In explaining their philosophy about living and working in one place, Mr. Smith paraphrased a Zen Buddhist text saying he once heard in Japan:"The real master in the art of living makes little distinction between his art and his leisure,'"he said. "He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both"".

To find out more...
To find selected works of Glenn Murcutt, click here.
There are more interviews with architects, to find out more....
The above interview is conducted with Glenn Murcutt located from http://www.abc.net.au/architecture/arch/ar_mur.htm

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Ivar Hagendoorn the Choreographer and Researcher

"Ivar Hagendoorn is an internationally acclaimed choreographer and researcher. His research focuses on neuroaesthetics and applies insights from philosophy, cognitive neuroscience, psychology and sociology to the study of art."
To find out more...
The site includes photos of architectural work from The Netherlands, London to Paris; Berlin, Germany, Lisbon to Basel of the masters' series including OMA,MVRDV,West 8, Steven Holl, Aldo Rossi, Bernard Tshumi, John Hejduk, Daniel Liberskind, Zaha Hadid and so on.... To find out more...
There is a donation column if anyone might find his work inspiring.

Image by Ivar Hagendoorn , located from http://www.ivarhagendoorn.com/photos/architecture/jewish_cultural_center.html

Monday, December 26, 2005

MBA Student OUBS

"This is a personal web site of a lone MBA Student at the Open University Business School. Consider it a personal knowledge management exercise. It allows me to have my material available, searchable, findable, whereever I go - or to you whereever you might be. This also means that what you read here are my personal views and interpretations of the material as it has been presented to me. Corrections are always welcome. Here's to continuous learning!" to find out more...
The above website is linked in my site navigation bar located at
[ Design Management ] There are few interesting links which I find very useful and informative. Merry Christmas~!

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Art periods

Contemporary art

(Note: there is considerable overlap with what is considered "modern", "contemporary" and "postmodern" particularly in the later years of the Modern period.)

Contemporary art (1960s - present) Category: Contemporary art

New realism (1960 - )
Performance art (1960s - ) Category: Performance art
Fluxus (early 1960s - late-1970s) Category: Fluxus
Conceptual art (1960s - ) Category: Conceptual art
Junk art (1960s - )
Psychedelic art (early 1960s - )
Battle Elephants (1964 - )
Process art (mid-1960s - 1970s)
Arte Povera (1967 - )
Photorealism (Late 1960s - early 1970s) Category: Photorealism
Land art (late-1960s - early 1970s) Category: Land art
Post-minimalism (late-1960s - 1970s)
Metarealism (1970s - )
Installation art (1970s - ) Category: Installation art
Neo-expressionism (late 1970s - )
Metaphorical realism
Young British Artists (1988 - )
Rectoversion (1991 - )
Transgressive art - Category: Transgressive art
Synaesthesia events

Postmodern art - Category: Postmodernism

Neoism (1979
Deconstructivism
Massurrealism (1992 - )
Stuckism (1999 - )
Remodernism (1999 - )
Maximalism
It is very important to have a basic picture in mind of art history.
The above listed links is from wikipedia.
To find out more...

Brisbane Magistrates Court - Philip Cox & Micheal Rayner Architects

Another typical architectural statement from Cox Rayner Architects. There is a typical way/style of creating an architectural language. A system consisting "dots, lines & planes". I think it is an improvement towards international style of bauhaus, resulting more interesting collaboration form of "dots, lines & planes" then mere glass boxes & steelwork details. Everyone can be trained to do such building. It is only how one individual's establishment of the composition. I think it consist much eye training and understanding of composition in architectural work. Another way of using this methodology in different country is just by implementing different culture's language/symbol into it the system.
Image beside located from http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=891

Friday, December 23, 2005

System of Art Language

There is a system in every artwork.
What I like of the image beside is the facade contains a sense of depth. I would like to use the simple, straightforward roofline of the market to unify everything underneath. The layer before entering into the market shall be another interesting feature second to the massing/form of the whole market building. The louvers shall be the shading device, another layer of advertising canvas or other half translucent material shall be added in front of the louvers to shade off more lights. The advertising material shall sometimes be solid panel treated as vertical shading device, creating a contrast with the horizontal louvers. In a Disney showcase, you can find the main actors/characters, might as well you can find some other little characters that make the movie looks more interesting. It is the same with architectural work; sometimes 'parts' are needed to the architectural building rather than just showing box/building form. The intension is to make the work alive. It is a system. Another thing is separation of elements to emphases the element itself.

image from http://www.jcy.net/jcy_flash4.htm by Jones Coulter Young from Australia.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Piranesi

Piranesi is great rendering software with watercolor effect. I am wondering why market today is so obsessed with computer photo-realistic renderings. I would prefer water color personally than photo-realistic renderings. Of course, I love good photo-realistic renderings. However, watercolor is more artistic looking and I would think it would be great if same effect can be produced in watercolor effect. Only that the market is needed to be educated. It is the first thing I learned in rendering ~ watercolor. Now it can even be computer generated watercolor effect, makes life easier everyday. This is one of the architectural firm that is using piranesi as presentation software, collaborating with sketchup or 3dmax, as assumed. Youcan get some video tutorial from the piranesi website.
Image is from http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Image Library of Arcspace

"You have the right to use the photographs (images) on any type of medium, for any sort of utilisation, such as for example the illustration of press articles, packaging, advertising, online use, as well as the right to carry out any form of reproduction, printed or digital, needed in what you intend to do with the photographs, provided only that ©arcspace.com appears visibly. All rights pertaining to the photographs are owned by arcspace."
You can find Zaha Hadid Architects, Morphosis, Daniel Libeskind, Rem Koolhaas OMA, Tadao Ando, Santiago Calatrava, Frank O. Gehry, UN Studio, Yoshio Taniguchi and Associates, Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen, Foreign Office Architects, Richard Meier & Partners, Rafael Viñoly Architects and MVRDV in the image library.Click here for the link.
Image from http://www.arcspace.com/html/image_library.html


Task Given Today

An interesting task was given today.
However, it is always what I did, even the first day of learning how to design.
I still remember the library where I started flipping the magazines and books. Seems like just happened yesterday.
Today, I was asked me to do the same thing. The task is looking for useful conceptual images which are useful to our market project. To further explore the possibilities of improving to the facade. The interesting subject is, don't fix your mind in louvers. Maybe it would be a whole piece of sun screen, maybe some texture, maybe some element from the structure. I was shown images of steel works from lysaht, which is a good idea. Getting the practical one in.
I shall be asking for material samples next month, not only for this project, maybe the next one might be using it as well.
I bought a book and I saw my classmate's work published. It is a great encouragement.
If he can do it, so do I.
We were from the same school, same environment.
I shall publish mine here sooner or later.

Moshe Safdie, Holocaust History Museum

Read something interesting. Guest what building is it before further readings.
"Situated on a hillside overlooking Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem Valley, the new Holocaust History Museum is the culmination of a 10-year redevelopment project of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority."
To find out more...

images by Timothy Hursley from http://www.arcspace.com/architects/Safdie/holocaust/yad_vashem.html

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Louvres in Architecture

"Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, the hall is the work of French architect Christian de Portzamparc. Swathed in a curtain of vertical louvres, from the outset, this was a structure designed to perform and impress. " by Wallpaper Design.
I am doing a market design in Philippine which consist an area of 26,000sqm/280,000sqft built up area. It is roughly around 70 4000sqft bungalows. I introduced louvres into the market for shielding off the sun and rain for businesses to be available even in bad weather.
I am looking for architectural works that is relevant. The Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the work of the master architects which uses louvres as exterior facade treatment. My boss stated we do not need louvres to cover up the building for decoration purposes. My statement~ we need to create a layer of grey area before entering the building, louvres can act as a layer of protection as well as the layer I intend to create. I think louvres is great.

Image above is from http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:XSWfhnKaEucJ:www.wallpaper.com/design/858+louvres+architecture&hl=en

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Architecture for Business & Cash

Some jobs are meant to earn. We call it bread and butter jobs.
Some jobs are for fun. Some are experimental.
However, whatever jobs it is, I wish I can enjoy it without any interfearance of human emotion, like when I am being shouted for my mistakes which I don't meant to make.
I don't like to be shout at. Nobody does.
I don't like to be humiliated. Nobody does.
I don't like people who doesn't have the ability yet still propose disgusting colors and assuming it looks great.
I don't like people who pretend to be working hard and yet no work gets done at the end and I have to take care of everything myself.
I don't mind working all day long, all night long if my pay and experience grows eventually.
I wish I can free myself from working for living, which I actually started from a very humble salary, I really didn't work for money initially.
It is not really for architecture anymore when live starting to gain burden and you have to worry about bread, butter, entertainment fees, petrol and living expanses.
School time is great for architecture.
Reality is different where you have to fight not only for datelines but company politics and toleration for bosses' emotion.
It is a pity and disgusting to have to listen to client who doesn't know architecture and yet have to satisfy his ego and taste.
I am still learning for creating better living spaces, but I believe I can plan things better than people without any professional trainings.
I hate to let other people do 3ds for me. Everything must be told exactly to get the exact result, might as well, I do it myself. It save more time to tell. Next time, I'll just ask them to model it. I shall choose the angle, the material and the lighting.
Organization of time is basic essence of life.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

My Sketches 002


The image beside is sketch layout design of roof top podium for a 17 level residential apartment-
Leaves of the lilies.


Tuesday, December 06, 2005

My sketches 001

The image beside is initial concept sketch of 4 blocks of 17 level residential design. However it compromised to the site limitation of area. Which meant, sketch were not drawn to scale. Another golden rule to be added.
Concept sketches which doesn't consist of scale might not work. Beware~!

Architectural Golden Rules

It is always difficult to get technical issues resolve.
I can come up with good form (good is define as building form that incorporate with existing environment), but going into technical issues, the design compromise.
Do not compromise your design~! Resolve it~! 3meter of cantilevered metal deck roofing shouldn’t be a problem. 5 meter? Yeah, but with 1/6 ratio of beam size with concrete. This is what I meant by technical issues. Experience comes into the practice here.
As conclusion for years of architectural design experience, I conclude the following rules, the golden rules of architectural design:-

1. Always use simple form
2.To break the strong, simple form, design should be incorporated with interesting features,

for example scattered skylights.
3.Design shouldn’t be compromising with technical issues.
4.Ask experience people with technical knowledge to resolve the technical issues.
5.Don’t show your ego. Ask for opinions. Analysis and make decisions by yourself. Show your

analysis to win the case.
6.Beware of concept sketches without scale. It might not work yet worth a try with the idea if

you got the time. If not keep it for the next project.

Monday, December 05, 2005

Effort

How much effort have you spent on your architectural work/ideas/thoughts?
Architecture is a servicing career. You have to work smart instead of working hard.
It is not the matter of how hard you work to be successful. It is how sharp you are.
It is not the matter of how much effort you put into your work. It is how much you know.
It is not the matter of how much time you spent that wins. It is accuracy that matters.
I had my work ‘rectified’ again. New ideas. New concept. Better solutions.
I like it even it is not origiaated by me. I learned something. Simple form works better.
Always use simple form.
Use maximum 3 to 4 elements for architectural statement.
The structure, the volume, the detailing is to be emphasized.
We do/propose enough to let others continue what they want.
We create the major environment/ language of the building.
When dealing with staircases, we think about how people reacts with it to determine the form or shape of it.
How do people get upstairs?
Simple.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

How to think

My art professor taught me how to think.
There are only 2 ways which is from general into the details, and from the details developing into the general.
The first thing is to determine the scale of the whole picture.
The width and height of the general must be correct, double check even triple check until it is correct. Then the next would be breaking down the general into phases, then into details. Learn to analyze the surface, the separation of faces, the light and the shadowed.
The second way of sketching was taught after one year of eye training on basic scaling of fundamental shapes. It is after you master the skill of scaling with your eyes then to be able to sketch from details or small objects developing into the general big picture. It is amazing that human eye is sometimes very accurate.
It is same even in generating architectural work/ building. It is vital and fundamental for an architect to have the ability to draw.
Sometimes we draft too much with computer that we are loosing track of where we are from. This passage is a reminder. I was trained for 2 years in pencil sketching, 1 year in basic poster color and water coloring. I can draw. I am so used to computer now. Even generating perspectives, we learn 3ds/sketchup/form-Z and so on. I must master and recapture my skill in sketching. I must be able to produce sketches like what my boss are able to. It is fundamental, basic, and vital. So does any architects or students must be able to and should be empowered~!

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Rationalism


I had my work 'rectified' yesterday. Everything is simple rationality, back to the fundamental thing, fundamental thoughts. If there is something wrong, there is something irrational. What is the most important matter that should come first? Matured architects always design with reasons. People make decision through analysis to current information gathered. Decisions might be wrong but it must be rational.
Sometimes, it wouldn't work with art....however, architecture needs the sense of rationality.However irrational the form or building looks like, you can still find a system in it, a logic in it, a rationality of disorder.
"Rationalism, also known as the rationalist movement, is a philosophical doctrine that asserts that the truth can best be discovered by reason and factual analysis, rather than faith, dogma or religious teaching. Rationalism has some similarities in ideology and intent to humanism and atheism, in that it aims to provide a framework for social and philosophical discourse outside of religious or supernatural beliefs; however, ..." To find out more...

An article found in City of Sound relating New Rationalism.

Image from http://architecture.about.com/library/bl-mies.htm click to find out more about Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe

Friday, December 02, 2005

Market, Barcelona, Spain


My boss showed me a market today. Santa Caterina market in central Barcelona by Architect EMBT.
"Seven years in the making, the renovated Santa Caterina market in central Barcelona is a glorious thing. Here is a retail food market, utterly unlike a morgue-like British supermarket, glistening with fresh fish and seafood, bloody with skinned rabbits and poultry, gleaming with fruit and vegetables, set under a suitably theatrical roof. Appropriate, not just because the newly re-opened market is a the kind of vivid public space dreamed of by soulful city planners and big-spirited architects, but also because this is the city of Gaudi, the saintly patron of a much-admired urban culture that thrives on surrealism in architecture." to find out more...
Archidose had a topic of this market as well. to find out more...

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Brutalism

The image besides is boston city hall in Government Center, Boston, Massachusetts, a work of brutalism, another architectural style of my favourite, which was popular in 1950s to 1970s. The bank negara of Malaysia is as well one of the great architectural work of brutalism.
"Brutalism is an architectural style that spawned from the Modernist architectural movement and which flourished from the 1950s to the 1970s. The early style was largely inspired by the work of Swiss architect, Le Corbusier (in particular his Unité d'Habitation building) and of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The term originates from the French béton brut, or "raw concrete"." To find out more...
Some list of terms in architecture found in archiseek, defination of brutalism can be found there.
Another list of terms found in http://www.artemisillustration.com/assets/text/NEWEST%20TERMS%20as%20of%201.htm defining brutalism as follow :-
"This style began in England in 1954 coined to characterize the style of Le Corbusier and others who were inspired by such buildings. Brutalism nearly always used concrete exposed at it roughest and handled with overemphais on big chunky member which collide ruthlessly. The old Oregon Historical Society Building on the park blocks in Portland, Oregon is an example of Brutalist architecture."
Image located from wikipedia originally from National Park Service .