Design Studio 2

Studio 2 placed our focus and practice on the user and context in architectural designs. The projects allowed us to experience and relate our designs to the site, deriving abstract ideas from designs and vice versa, and also to infuse conceptual ideas with basic construction to produce interesting designs.

Project 1: Famous people, familiar faces, diagrammatic abstraction

This project was done in a group of 5, where we were to conduct research about a chosen famous Architect and a case study based on one of his famous works. The first part was to create a video documentary of our findings where a brief introduction was made about the chosen architect, Sverre Fehn. We also did a case study of one of his famous work, Villa Busk.

site plan	axonometric drawing	floor plan
section	elevation	section
conceptual model	conceptual model	Presentation

Project 2: Site analysis

Project 2 consists of Project 2A and 2B. For this project, we were given a site where we did an on site analysis and experienced the context of the site. The site was at Penang's Pantai Kerachut site A, which is the beach. We were separated into groups to investigate and collect data from the site.

Project 2a: Baywatch

In this project, we were given the task to design a coastal guard watchtower in a group of 2. The results of the site analysis in Pantai Kerachut were incorporated into the design process of the tower. Natural elements were used as inspiration to derive our concept from. Abstract sketches of idea extraction and conceptual model help to further define the story of the design. The final outcome is based on the rhythm and proportions of nature, where there is order and chaos in every element. The beats of the golden mean were incorporate to define the appropriate scale and size of the pieces that come together.

Project 2b: Pantai Kerachut retreat house

For our final project, we were required to design a retreat house for a coastal guard or forest ranger individually. The concepts were once again derived from the same images, it is then translated into sketches and conceptual models which were slowly enhanced up till the finalized design. The design concept of this retreat house is to display the rhythm of nature. The structure retains the rhythm and repetition of the watchtower but a twist was given to it with the inclusion of playful geometry and inorganic shapes. The retreat house also has an open plan so that nature constantly flows through the building, in a way, blending and binding the house to nature.

Lost in the embrace of nature, an island of peace.
		If something still can be deemed as lively, it'll be the skipping light weaving through gaps.
Hard, soft light and shadow	Mother and child, in their timeless embrace.