Final outcome
Although the final outcome wasn't made with materials that I would like it to be made out of, I am still satisfied with it and have thought about the materials that they would be made from.
WEEK 10
2nd of May 2020 (Saturday)
On Saturday, I finally finished making the model for Unit 4. After finishing it, I set up a mini studio to take photographs of it. Although it wasn't professionally taken, I was quite satisfied with it considering the circumstances that I am in. I then edited the pictures on photoshop and was satisfied with the final outcome.
I then used the plan that I wrote up before to work on my evaluation. I ended up with 14000 words which are way over the word limit but managed to cut it down after going through it. I realized that I was describing a lot of unnecessary things that I wrote in my proposal/ already reflected on them under contextual practice. After taking them out I managed to reduce them to 900 words. I will be editing them more so that they will fit the word limit.
WEEK 10
1st of May 2020 (Friday)
Today, I started model making for Unit 4 and was quite confident about finishing it by the end of tomorrow. I used simple materials such as foam board which is really simple to manipulate. However, I had to alter the idea because I didn't have suitable material for it. Initially, I planned to have a garden in the middle of the structure and have stairs surrounding it but I didn't have a transparent material that is cylindrical / any other materials that I can use to create a cylindrically shaped tube. I tried using acetate but it would stay cylindrical so I decided to alter my idea and use rods around the stairs instead.
At first, I started using rectangular balsa wood but I then ran out of it so I used round dowels instead. They are much sturdier compared to balsa but are round and don't really fit the rectangular stairs.
WEEK 10
30th of April 2020 (Thursday)
I had my tutorial today with Georgia to talk about my current progress. I showed her what I have developed so far with my ideas and she advised me to draw out a final visualization as my final outcome. I thought that it was a quick and fast idea as the project is coming to an end but I feel that I can do so much more even though there are only 4 days left. I am planning to finish up a quick model and also to start writing my evaluation.
Because I used up many materials for the remaking of a model for the catalogue, I will have to find different alternatives for it. I will also be drawing up a technical page in my sketchbook to calculate the number of materials that I need in order to ensure that I have enough before I start making. I find myself worrying about the lack of materials these days and thinking about different ways to showcase my idea. I thought about giving Rhino / ArchiCAD a try again but I will need to renew my license for ArchiCAD and will have to wait a few weeks to get it. Rhino, on the other hand, is nice but I am not familiar with it so I find it quite hard to use.
WEEK 7
7th of April 2020 (Tuesday)
On Tuesday, I was brainstorming different ideas for the materials because I quite liked the idea of using coloured fabric but I was concerned that they won't be in good condition after leaving them outside due to the change in weather. I then thought about how I can preserve the fabric so that the colours won't fade and the condition of the whole structure will still be good. In addition to keeping the structure in a good condition, the fabric will also have to be visible due to that, the material that I choose will have to either be translucent or transparent. Upon observing glass, I thought about using resin. I found the idea of using resin quite nice because you get to preserve the condition of the fabric and will also avoid having obstacles to the eyes.
However, there are many issues with the resin including costs and resin are usually used for model makings at most (a large scale structure made from resin wouldn't be ideal). Due to that, I thought about other materials such as glass. Glass would also be good if the fabric can be incorporated into the glass. I will be doing more research on the glass to see if it will be suitable for my design.
WEEK 7
6th of April 2020 (Monday)
-Thinking about incorporating colours using fabric / other materials?
- Primary research at park
Today, I drove around my neighborhood to observe the playgrounds and also thought about how I can incorporate exercise into my design. There were many playgrounds with different style and primarily used materials. Some of them were wood based, some plastic but mostly metal based. The wood ones didn't have any structures for climbing but they had stairs which I found quite interesting. I then thought about how the exercise doesn't necessarily have to be typical ones but they can also be stairs climbing, walking and so on.
I quite like the idea of having stairs and is thinking of incorporating it into my design. I was thinking of having a structure where there are only stairs and the stairs can be used for other purposes such as seats and tables. I can modify the surface areas of some stairs so that they can be used as tables/ seats. A problem with this would be the material as the weather and temperature in London alternates between warm and cold so I will need to do some research on suitable materials that can withstand the change in temperature and they will also need to be kept clean. When visiting the Chelsea Physic Garden for a previous project, I realized that metal chairs aren't really suitable because people won't sit on them when it gets cold and for wood aren't too suitable either because of moss.
In addition to that, I also thought about the incorporation of colours into my design. I quite like the idea of coloured fabric/ nets that can be manipulated easily and are also waterproof so they won't be destroyed by the rain.
WEEK 5
29th of March 2020 (Sunday)
- Experimenting with strings
On Sunday, I decided to experiment with different materials and thought about using strings because I have seen many climbing structures around parks and housing areas in Malaysia that use ropes for climbing structures. Because I didn't have ropes with me, I used strings as a substitution and experiment with different aspects of the strings such as thickness, pattern, gaps and the number of strings. I was very much interested in how the spacing between the strings can form different shadows when experimenting with the lighting and also how visibility changes with the spacing of the strings. I would like to include strings into the design of my structure but because my installation will be placed outdoor, I will have to consider the material and also how they can be preserved.
Because I am still under self-quarantine, I hope that I will be able to conduct some primary research of structures around my housing area once I get out of quarantine (last day of self-quarantine on the 4th of April). Since I experimented with strings, I became quite interested in textiles and how they can be included in my design. I also really like the different texture that you get from the range of materials in textiles because they can be rough or soft depending on its material. The visibility/ opacity also changes accordingly and the colours are also extremely eye-catching. I would like to experiment with textiles if possible and because I have a sewing machine at home, I can also experiment with different patterns, folds and so on. I find this quite exciting but because Malaysia is still under lockdown, I will have to find scraps that I can use from old clothings or use scraps of fabric that my mum have (if there are any).
WEEK 5
28th of March 2020 (Saturday)
On Saturday, I researched the different locations that would be suitable for my model. Because the structure is made to encourage people to work out, I decided to place it in a park. I did some research on the major parks in London and found Greenwich park to be the most suitable. I chose it because it is very empty, unlike the other parks where there are flowers and trees around. Another location that I found to be quite suitable was Clapham common. However, I preferred Greenwich park over it because it is home to the Royal observatory which is an attraction that will bring more visitors and also because of the existing sporting areas that are around the park (Tennis courts).
I chose a picture of the park with people in it as a background for my model. I used photoshop to edit the picture and to include the models. When using photoshop, I found out a lot of new tools that are extremely useful such as the magic eraser tool. It helps erase the background leaving only the object behind. This was very helpful and I managed to isolate the structure from the background because of it. In addition to that, I also learned about the drop shadow technique where shadows of objects or structures are created using the tool. I found this tool really helpful because it makes the model look more realistic. When using it, however, I realized that I couldn't use it on my model because the shadow for my model needs to be elongated and cast at the back of the structure. The tool doesn't allow that and so I thought about other ways including creating lines that resemble the shape of the structure below it and then adjusting the opacity in order to create shadows. I tested the technique out and found it to not be as realistic as I liked it to be and so I decided to leave the image for now and come back later on to test other ways. I didn't focus much on it because it is not the final product and I only wanted to show what the structure will look like in parks.
WEEK 5
27th of March 2020 (Friday)
For the model of my design, I decided to use metal wires because they are malleable, can be manipulated easily and also because I have quite a bit of them. As they are malleable, it was hard to maintain smooth and curved when using plyers and the model ended up with many edges. Although it wasn't the best looking model, it still conveyed my idea of bringing climbing outdoors.
Apart from metal, I also thought about using strings because they wouldn't hurt as much as metal when people grasp them. They are also durable and are used in many playgrounds. I will be experimenting with patterns and designs using strings and will also conduct primary research at the playgrounds near my house. I already thought about different patterns and thickness of strings that can be experimented with and will be showing them using physical experimentations.
WEEK 5
25th of March 2020 (Wednesday)
On Wednesday, I sketched out some quick designs using these three prompts.
1. Reasons for a mental illness
2. Lighting
3. Material used
For each of them, I came up with designs that would provide a solution to the causes of mental illnesses. I ended up with 3 designs and found the second design to be the most interesting because it involves user interaction. For the second design, I targetted people who are not working out enough and thought about how I can include exercises in my design. My design was fairly simple - many nets that you can use as a climbing platform. I then expanded on that idea and thought about the different materials that can be used instead of nets. I decided to work with metals because they are sturdy and they would be able to withstand the climate. In addition to that, they are not easily destructible.
In addition to the second design, I also really liked the first design which is a design made to solve social awkwardness and attempts to help people resolve the fear of interacting with others. The design is compromised of many glass panels where the area is set out like a maze where visitors aren't obliged to talk/interact with one another but they are expected to be in a crowd where glass panels are separating them. The lighting is supposedly dark so that it will create a calming atmosphere where the visitors won't see other visitors clearly. This was designed to help ease them up so that they won't be afraid of being in a crowd. I quite enjoyed this idea but I found the second idea where users have to interact with the structure more interesting and thought that there will be more potential for it. Due to that, I decided to work on the second idea instead of the first one.
WEEK 5
23rd of March 2020 (Monday)
On Monday, I looked and ask my peers about different software that I can use to show my design. A lot of them recommended Rhino and so I decided to give it a try. I watched youtube tutorials on how I should use it and learnt the basics of it. After playing around with the software, I realised that it wasn't suitable for me because my designs are structures and although there are tutorials that teach you how Rhino can be used in Architecture, I decided to not use it because there weren't many tutorials that would help me develop a deep enough understanding about it to render my designs.
I then remembered the software that I used during my internship at an Architectural firm. I've seen tutorials for it and found it quite easy to manipulate. Although the structures that I designed were typically rectangular and cube, I decided to watch more youtube tutorials to learn about the software and how I can use it for more complicated shapes.
WEEK 3
10th of March 2020 (Tuesday)
On Tuesday, I had my progress tutorial and talked about my progress on the project so far. I showed her the primary and secondary research that I have conducted and also talked to her about how I am struggling to move to ideas generation. Currently, I have made some models but aren't too happy with it and don't know how I can develop more ideas. I was advised to start with prompts such as
- Reason for mental illness
- Lighting (Will the design have bright lighting / dim / combination?)
- What material will be used?
I quite like this idea and will be starting to design using them.
I think its quite hard to move to design at this point because the theme is extremely wide and I don't really know which direction I am heading for. I have many ideas but they don't really relate to multisensory architecture and I find myself struggling to keep myself on track. I find that I always come up with ideas that are not drawn out and they distract me from achieving the aims of my project. I feel that the idea of using prompts is extremely useful because they will help me stay within the aim/ theme of my project.
WEEK 1
27th of February 2020 (Thursday)
Today, I experimented with designs using a clear tube because tubes are seen a lot in hospitals and this was done in relation to my idea about COVID 19. The main aim of my design is to raise awareness about the problems that are brought together with this illness and how it is extremely unfair for many people (especially oriental looking people). I will be experimenting with more designs and doing more background research on COVID 19.
WEEK 1
26th of February 2020 (Wednesday)
Mindmap of 10 words that relate to the theme "Being human"
Choosing 5 that relates most to our projects
Categorizing pictures
A rough estimation of what our outcomes will be like
On Wednesday, we worked in groups to categorize our research images into groups. A lot of the images that I brought are closer to natural materials on the spectrum because I will be working with the human body and my design will be made to provoke the senses of our body.
I thought about relating my design to COVID-19 because it is an issue that has been causing many problems ranging from death to xenophobia. As a Chinese, I myself have experienced racism from locals because of my oriental looks. Even though I am not from China, people cover their nose and mouth when they see me and so I thought about relating this issue to my design.
WEEK 1
25th of February 2020 (Tuesday)
On Tuesday, I had my tutorial with Tom and we talked about the different ways that I can approach this project. We talked about how I need to choose a specific set of audience in order for me to start designing. I decided to work with vulnerable people such as homeless people and letting them experience a certain set of an environment through the sensory space that I will be designing. I also came up with other potential users such as elders and people who are drunk. I will be exploring more users and deciding on a theme that can be translated through sensory architecture.
WEEK 1
24th of February 2020 (Monday)
During today's workshop, I was given many suggestions about the type of questions that I can interview people and how I can gather my primary research. I found it extremely useful because it opened up different ways for me to come up with questions. I will be making objects that people can touch, smell and see for my research.
In addition to that, my peers also gave me really good suggestions for exhibitions and shops to visit. I will be doing the visits over the weekend including a visit to an exhibition called Dialogue in the dark. This exhibition will help me understand the life of a blind person more and hopefully, it will give me some inspiration.
WEEK 9
23rd of April 2020 (Thursday)
On Thursday, I wrote a plan for my evaluation by answering the prompts in bullet points. I wrote down the main ideas that I would like to write about. I also thought about writing my evaluation instead of having a video because I like things to be structured and so writing it down would help me organize my thought process.
In addition to that, I want to ensure that my messages get sent across and it might not be most effective using videos/recordings because the person listening to it might not understand what I am saying or might not hear it clearly.
WEEK 9
21st of April 2020 (Tuesday)
On Tuesday, I started writing the text for the online catalogue.
"For this project, I designed a walkthrough flower arch for Chelsea Physic Garden on the theme of sustainability. The aim of this project was to raise awareness for the importance of scents and existing perfumery that is kept far from main attractions by utilizing spaces along pathways. Bamboo would be used for the structure due to its sustainable characteristics along with clear acrylic. Fragrant flowers such as lavenders would be grown hydroponically in the acrylic boxes to stimulate the olfactory sense when visitors stroll past it."
I struggled a bit with writing the text because I didn't know what to call the structure. I thought about calling it a perfumery but wasn't sure if that is the appropriate word to name it. I am currently on 86 words which is a little bit over the words limit but isn't sure what I can do to cut it down. I will be sending this draft to my tutors and asking for feedback to see if there is any information that can be taken out/ any unnecessary sentences that can be reworded.
WEEK 9
20th of April 2020 (Monday)
On Monday, I wrote up a plan for the text submission. I answered the prompts that were given to us and wrote down information that I would like to pass on. I find 75 words very limited but hope that I will be able to keep it down to 75.
WEEK 6
30th of March 2020 (Monday)
On Monday, I researched the different kinds of fabric that would be suitable for my design. I found tulle and dress nets quite interesting because of the spacing of the holes and how that affects what you can and can't see. In a way, it can be translucent/opaque which then changes your view and the things that you are able to see. In addition to that, they have really nice textures which are good for the tactile aspect of my project. They can be soft or harsh depending on the material and so they are great in terms of providing a range of touch.
Because you can get them in different colours, they can also be overlapped to create different gradients/mixtures of colours. The opacity of the fabric also suits the idea of layering and getting different visibility out of it. I will be checking to see if there are any tulle/dress nets /old clothing that is made from these materials.
WEEK 4
18th of March 2020 (Wednesday)
As the situation with COVID-19 worsens in London, students become afraid to interact with the people around them and hence choose to isolate themselves at home. I have chosen to stay at home on Monday after seeing a rapid increase in the number of cases in areas around me. The choice to stay in meant that I couldn’t receive verbal and physical feedback from my tutors which was very upsetting but due to the situation that we are currently in, it is inevitable.
With social distancing and self isolation, I find that the hardest thing is to source out materials. Because I didn’t predict for it to worsen this quickly, I didn’t prepare materials beforehand. I will also be going back to Malaysia (currently under lockdown) which means that I will need to be quarantined for 14 days at home and this makes it harder for me to source out materials. However, I still have some materials including foam board, very limited balsa wood and wires from previous projects. I also have figurines that can be used to demonstrate scale. I was planning on reducing the size of the models in hopes that there will be enough materials to show my design. For my previous project, I used a 1:25 scale and I was thinking of using a 1:50 scale or smaller instead.
In addition to model making, I will be rendering to show technical aspects of my idea and to also provide a more detailed understanding to my design. I decided to look into different softwares that would be easier to learn and will be watching tutorial videos from youtube to aid this process. I have decided to look into other methods to showcase my design including a video and technical drawings. I will be using InDesign and illustrator to make a digital portfolio as replacement for physical A2 sheets.
Without the collective environment that classes provide, I feel that working by yourself makes it more time consuming and limited in terms of attaining ideas. I really liked working in a collaborative environment because I get feedback from my peers which makes it easier to problem solve and generate better ways to combat my problems. Walking around to relax the mind and gain ideas is also really helpful in a class environment because everyone have different ideas and they always provide a different view for your idea.
However, I feel that less contact with your classmates forces you to come up with solutions yourself. This is helpful in terms of growing as an individual but it is also very time consuming. I very much prefer a studio environment where you can ask for opinions from your peers and it also helps set me in a ‘working mode’ which boosts my productivity.
With our current situation, I feel that planning is extremely important as you don’t feel the urge (unlike being in a class) since you are working by yourself. This can lead to losing track of time which is extremely dangerous considering the time that we have left with our project. I will be making an action plan everyday to fit my schedule and to also keep track of my progress (to avoid missing deadline for assessment)
WEEK 2
8th of March 2020 (Sunday)
On Sunday, I visited dialogue in the dark to experience life without sight. We were in a group of 7 and the whole experience was led by a blind man who lost his sight at the age of 13. It was a really scary experience because you had to rely more on other senses especially hearing and touching. During the experience, I had a headache because I was trying really hard to see but because of the dark, I couldn't.
Overall, the experience was extremely eye-opening because it made me realize how fortunate I am and at the same time made me appreciate other senses more. After the experience, I was more keen on designing with scent and touch because they really helped me and I realized how important they actually are after the experience. Knowing that I could smell and touch reassured me and made me feel a lot calmer.
I went alone to dialogue in the dark and I found that there was a difference between going alone and going with someone else. I think going alone made the experience scarier because you don't know anyone there and at the same time you're losing one of your senses. Others were much more confident and didn't struggle as much I feel because they had a companion with them. This made me think a lot about how it would be to actually lose your sight and having to go around a big city like London alone.
WEEK 2
3rd of March 2020 (Wednesday)
Today, my group also conducted a workshop where we had to visualize what each other's outcome would be and draw them out. I was given many drawings that are art-based as most of them are having spaces with installations. I realized that it is because my topic was too complicated which made me reconsider it.
After doing more research on coronavirus, I decided to work on the mental health side of it. I realized that issues with mental health also arise from racism and because this would be more relatable to sensory architecture, I decided to work on the mental health aspect of COVID-19.
WEEK 2
4th of March 2020 (Tuesday)
Today, I made a structure in response to racism that arised from the outbreak of COVID-19. The entrapment of individuals is supposed to make them feel vulnerable and scared like the victims from xenophobic actions. I decided to work with racism because I experienced it myself on the tube.
Ideally it would be 3.5 meters and the light source would be from outside. Because only small gaps are left, the inside of the structure will be dark with very little light and this would limit the visitor's ability to see. I decided to limit their ability to see so that it will make them feel vulnerable as sight is one of our main senses.
WEEK 2
2nd of March 2020 (Monday)
On Monday, we made plans about workshops and when we should carry them out. My group planned several workshops including primary research around the school as a group and bringing materials in to make products out of them. I really liked the idea of going around the school as a group but I found that not too practical because some of us are doing very different things and going around school to conduct primary research for 9 members (an hour each) wouldn't be too good. However, at the same time, I also thought that the idea was quite nice because we will all get to observe people's reactions to the primary research that we will be conducting.