design process

How to start a design? Such as a cup.
A function- what is it for?
    To hold liquid, something flowy.
How could such matters be held in a container?
    Should it be shallow, should it deep?
How you want to use the cup? What is the best feeling about a cup?
    To hold something warm for that freezing fingers, perhaps on a cold rainy day.
What is the best way to warm the hands?
    Perhaps to have them surrounding the cup.
If so, what is the best shape?
   Following the curve of hands, I would presumed.
Then the form emerged - deep enough to hold a good 250ml, big enough for both palms to wrap the cup, curved to provoke a comfortable feeling when you wrap your palms around it.

But, is this enough?

What about the material? Metal and glass could be to hot to hold, wood and ceramic or rock could be great. Weight wise, perhaps we could eliminate rock, wood types, sustainability, varnish could be further studied, ceramic could be a good choice, as it is easy to mould, with a understatement shine, elegant and felt warm.  
So ceramic it is.

Then how thick? Strength, curve, thermal mass affect the design too...I would go for a design slightly thicker at the bottom, come to a taper at the mouth, beveled and thin rim allow a better flow of liquid and more friendly to the soft lips.
I then considering the effect of the cup under the light, if I would like a polished look then a good smooth surface; or perhaps some texture to enhance the grib and with casted shadow, being out the 3d but it could be more cottage feel. Playing with light and shadow to decide this last detailing should be fun.

Lastly I could sit back and choose the best colour for the cup, perhaps a rainbow series.

To Me, design is the final product of One self-searching process. It is about throwing Oneself with questions, and answer them honestly and professionally.

Kim Herforth Nielson, Denmark

It is sometimes easy to recognize a style used by an architect, it could be taking different forms but the moulding ideas had always show its similarity.  Maybe it is because there is no idea that could be perfected in  one project, we just need to keep testing it, over and over again.

其实有时候看名家出手，就很容易看出那很熟悉的味道， 大多都已经有了一个既定的方程式，也一再用在不同的个案中，或者样貌不同，道理却是相似的。

If you have pay attention to Kim Herforth Nielson's project, especially the academic institution, you might also realized, he had always centred his design around the central staircase, and due to the nature of Denmark cold  climate, the perimeter zone had always being used as classroom, which is more of a series of small pockets, opening the elevations tosunlight during winter, reducing the need for heater.

如果大致上看过几个 Nielson  的作品，尤其是大学类的建筑，就会发现，他对这类建筑的安排都以中心大楼梯为轴心，从这里开始安排流动线。　大楼中心一概划分为主要交通干线，一路安排平台，或者犹如大鼓一样的独立开放空间，供学生聊天交流。　外围则用作课室，　办公厅等用处，而在两个主要功能之间，安排了非正式的活动空间，让学生有地方可以做展览，讨论会等等。　　

另一方面，由于丹麦这几间大学身处之地，属偏冷地区，立面都作了夏天遮阳板的处理，在冬阳低下时，又可以取暖。　而没有日晒的交通轴线，因为是人们不做长时间逗留的地方，这方面的考量就可以略放松一些。　

The central zone would be used for public spaces where students communicate, and holding activities.  While the perimeter zone enjoying sunlight, reducing the need for heating and lighting; the central zone would benefit from the buffer, retaining the heat, and since the activities does not normally required high level of lighting, it is just perfect for the zoning.

和之前藤本的作品相比，就不难发现日本建筑师对哲学上的追求， 和西方建筑师在环境科学上的钻研， 其实都有他们可取之处。 如何平衡倒是很个人的选择了！  

Comparing the philosophical approach of Japanese,  the practical, scientific consideration of Westerner is where we balance the thoughts. 

Ｏｒｅｓｔａｄ　Ｃｏｌｌｅｇｅ，　Ｄｅｎｍａｒｋ

说到这里，不能不提一下，Nielson 这一本通书不能读到底，来到马来西亚炎热的天气，在地区方块间的铺排就必须考虑到如果我们依照Nielson　的铺排，这些长时间应用的空间就会因为过于曝热而必须加倍冷却容量，所以热带国家，我们都会把长廊摆在外围以达到热缓冲，　而把教室等摆在中圈，　而非正式的活动空间通常被放在轴心处。　一来长廊开阔的设计可以让日光通透，节省照明能源；　另一方面也考虑到非正式的活动空间，　使用时间不频繁，对照明和空调的要求不高，而放在最不“理想”的中心。　当然也有把非正式的活动空间作为内院的处理，　达到最理想的空气对流和日光照射的效果。

Here in tropic zone, we would definitely enjoy our five-foot way as the buffer to enjoy the breeze......

Junya Isihigami : The Philosopher

Junya Ishigami, 一位年轻的哲学式设计家，我不称呼他为建筑师，或许可以说因为他不像，或许也因为我个人很喜欢的两个专案，都无关建筑。

Junya Ishigami, I would like to call him a young philosopher, perhaps mainly because the two projects of my favourite have nothing to do with architecture, but mainly a teaser to thoughts.  

一） Table 很大很薄的桌子（10米 X  2.5米 X 3厘米 的桌子）

1.  Table as the first project, mainly a very long and thin table (10m x 2.4m x 3mm)

不要问我这个案怎么会开始，我想不过一个哲学家，因为工作和知识上的能力，决定把一个想法变成一个成品， 不为了美丽，甚至不为了实用的功能。

If you asked me, how would he started this project, I would suspect that due to his knowledge in structure, he would like to present a very philosophical idea in a tangible way, which in certain aspect, similar to how we think in architecture - an intangible idea to a tangible "object".

虽然他的翻译没有说什么，到底隔了一堵墙的来说哲学，不免不到肉，不过我想这个故事可以这么讲：-

The translator had not said much, but I would presume the story started like this:-

在日本文化里，我们说着人生的不平衡，需要不断的努力来达到平衡，好像每一天早晨，那拿着沙钯的和尚，小心的把沙整理成一幅风景。

In the Japanese culture, we were talking about the imbalance in life, where we would need to make such effort just to maintain the harmony.  It shows in the Japanese garden, where the monk carefully scrap the sand floor into landscape that represent the heaven.

而当人们为了他听起来可笑的想法莞尔时，他想的是如何让这一个不平衡的点子平衡起来， 就好像一个人生。 于是他开始了负面的追踪 - 小心翼翼的他开始计算每一个重量，从一个碟，到一个杯，好像我们人生里的每一个责任，每一个负面的情绪；而后他不厌其烦的移动每一个物品，让负重量可以均呈的散布，好像我们如何调配生命里的重与轻；他开始他的人生的作品，用一片薄薄的铝片（3厘米厚），他把它做成一个圈，在想象中的重量还没有来到前，这一张铝片好像一个孩子，全身弹跳着力量，想要把人生画成一个不停跳动的线条。 而生命到底不是那么一回事，于是杯杯碟碟，好像人生中的衣食住行，情欲割舍，一件件来到你的面前，一点点地把那拱起的生命力慢慢的给收复了，而当一切终于归了位，我们看到一个平衡的线，浮在空中，轻盈得像撑不住的把我们的一生平平的稳住，像一条不会再动的线。  只是当你细心的把时间流转了，原来那一个脉搏还在波浪般的起伏，等一个没有预料到的人生的惊喜或不测，来翻覆这一切，来回归一个动感的力度的呈现。

We could be laughing at his idea of doing the unnecessary, but he was thinking of balancing the unbalance.  He started his research with subtraction methods, calculating everything he would like to put on the table, from a bowl to a plate, to even a small cup with its saucer, as if each and everyone of that representing our responsibility in life.  He patiently moving every single object to create the balance distribution, as if how we balance our  family-work- love-duty.  he created a plane, with all the "weight" removed, curling like a baby, naive and energetic, almost springing to life at the very first moment it was born, till all these objects of desire coming to presence, the counter-weight helps to bring this curl piece into flatliner....only when you slow-motioned it, you noticed the slight movement on the plane, following perhaps the pulse of the mother earth, waiting for a moment where this could all be toppled with just a simple removal of a single object.  

二）Cuboid Balloon 「四角い風船」

这四角的风船，在几层楼的空间里飘，一吨重的量在这里消失如一根羽毛，　而因为它的反光特性，它的质几乎也消失在这个空间里。

This cuboid balloon, or you may say "ship of wind", is floating in a very large volume, the actual weight of a tonne, diminishing like a feather, and its materiality disappeared in its reflectivity. 

他的创造不在这个风船，而在面与面间的空间的变化。　这一个物体的浮动不定，改变了人与空间的对比，对话，时而空旷，时而低迷，而光在一霎那间，通过不平的反光面，反射在粗糙的石灰面上，像一片云飘过山头。　而空在这里体现了一个圆满的关系。

His creation is not about the balloon, but the space between the planes.  As it float without a predestined direction, it changes the dialogue between human and space.  Light captured and reflected from the balloon surface, symbolizing a cloud that had just passed the mountain.  The void gains its substance with an infill.

改变的或者不是我们，而是一个看不到的变数，在人生的空间里漂浮，在一样的程式里幻成不同的结果， 而我们在不停的适应和求存中，或许要看清楚那一个光影，来肯定一个幻觉，肯定一个可以自主地力点， 而到了那一天，我们就可以看破这一个‘有’。

We might not have changed in anyway, but as the factors in life changes in its natural course, we adapt and live around it,  The positive and negative force of life, sometimes is nothing but a perception.

有同事说Junya Ishigami　太空，而我或许因为儒家和佛学的思想，看到一个‘空’的哲学。

Some might argue of its seemed intangible thoughts, but with the ideology of Buddhism and Confucius, I appreciate the interpretation.

（来到这里， 你或许就会明白为什么我不称他为建筑师， 因为如果你必须用建筑来衡量他的轻重，那么你就没有看到他的用心。）  　　

Maybe you would now understand the reason why I would rather address him as a philosopher.  

＊　照片来自：－１。　www.east-asia-architecture.org

I was in Korea thinking of Malaysia

I was in Korea in the month of August, where the land was soaked in moisture, and the early sign of autumn is in the air.
This is the first time where I had follow an architectural trip without a full research of what to expect from this destination.
I was rather caught in surprise when I realized that this beautiful land of drama had went through such cruel culture genocide during the 35 years of Japanese occupation. Systematically, Japanese had set up school to "re-educate" the Korean, destroying manscripts, as to wipe off all physical records of history, skills or cultural practice that had once enriched this land. Architecture of magnificence had been demolished to humiliate the royalties, to claim the land of their own.
Whatever that had been spared during those dark ages, could not escape the war between North-South Korean, and being ripped off from the surface of Korea.
We were in the palaces, we were at the fort, we were trying to absorb the glory of the past, but I just cannot help but thinking that I am standing on an open wound in the history, and being mocked by the replica that had not being able to be truthfully duplicate due to the lack of records.
The loneliness I felt at that moment kept haunting me, and reminded me of my own country of Malaysia. Looking at the government's ignorance attitute to the heritage, we are going to go even lower than what had happened in Korea. They were left with no choice when all these being cleared from their ground, and they had been trying so hard to bring them back as close as possible as they could, but we on the other hand had if not selectively but economically driven to create this "cultural genocide" to our own land. Shall we called this a "cultural suicide" instead?

High LIne Project

10: Artistic Interpretation of Masterpiece

Robie House by Frank Lloyd Wright
by Mohamadreza


The Robie House on the University of Chicago campus design by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright that is Located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This is Wright’s earlier projects which was designed and built for client Frederick C. Robie and his family that is considered one of the most important buildings in the history of American architecture. Designed in Wright's Oak Park studio in 1908 and completed in 1910, that is one of the finest examples of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style homes. The building inspired an architectural revolution. Its sweeping horizontal lines, stretches of art glass windows that is conciddered as tree of life and open floor plan make it a quintessential Prairie style house. Although it was designed one hundred years ago, the building remains a masterpiece of modern architecture.


The parameter model followed the principles of "Repetition to unique".

09: Artistic Interpretation of Masterpiece

VIILLA GARCHES (VILLA STEIN) by Le Corbusier
by MISAGHEH

Villa Garches was built in 1927 at garches, france by Le Corbusier.

Le Corbusier design philosophy of proportion and conception of volume is the core to his architecture work.