~Road to Final~ (10,000 Feet away)

This thanksgiving week, a Layout of Final Plans, Sections, and Model:

~Road to Final~ (15,000 Yards away)

This week, we have to create some diagrams that are about our libraries. I use the technique from what I have learned this semester -- the drawings without paper and kind of "drawing" some main ideas that will express my library. The first one will be the cut out sections of my library, and this is the main concept of the library as Island. The next one will be the plan by wire, which is showing the idea that it is actually formed by the extension lines from surrounding buildings. The third drawing that I want to show is the feeling of islation and the 3 main programs/parts at the same time. The last one will show the axon of structure columns of the building by wood sticks.

~Road to Final~ (10 Miles away)

As times go by, it quickly jumps to the final project; it is about reworking the library (as island) and it should be process with the things that I already had instead of redrafting and creating somethings completely new or difference (That is what I was attempted to do at the first place which was wrong, may be...I had P.C/R.D before and the Virgo effect, it causes me to care more in the rational way such as the possibility to actually build [structure and engineering] and the architectural standard like egress...>.<) At this point, the most important thing that can bring me to the next step is really looking at the roof and think/desgin from the top in order to create the bottom spaces. However, this part comes out so long. It might be two reasons for that. The first one was my hesitation (which I always got the experiences that worked more and got worse like the previous one, the project started early with fancy idea and nice posting ever but end up with late presentation and crappy models which was very frustrated) and the second reason would be finding the correct material to use (failure from wire, paper, chip board) and correct way to construct. Finally, by knowing and getting the right tool -- plaster clothe/tape, it gives me a hope and help me to really get start. Even the result might come worse that not something what I want, at least I could gain more by working more (hopefully). So, the roof model starts with sliced section pieces and forms by intersection, then it used as a mold to create a plaster model in order to study the roof bottom or the floor ceiling condition.

Always REediting, Please Slide Down!!

This is a remainder that instead of update by creating a new post, I choose to REEDITING the posts. Because I feel like every post should be a complete story that tells the whole process from the beginning to the end; I do not want to chop them into the pieces and make less connections. Also, in this way, it encourages people to read again and they might found something new or get another feelings every time when reading it. Therefore, it does not matter what period of century of the posts was created and what type of the post was (project or reading or statement), please pay attention to those posts since they may be reediting frequently or occasionally. Thanks!!

Architectural Alchemy: Dibujos sin Papel ~ Assignment 5

In this project, I find out it is very straight forward that we are actually modeling a drawing only. Therefore, I pick the main space that is a book stacks area with reading spaces which is at the third floor. I am going to model an axon drawing of the third floor plan in and show different level of the floor plans. I want to suggest an idea that there are different pieces of territories (floor levels) in order to create a feeling of walking /on an island.

For the stereotomic model, I first took a long time to create a mold.

So, the model should look exactly like the mold after pouring (only in the successful case). For more detail, I would like to give the model some textures on the sides that won't affect the drawing quality when it is viewed from the top. Also, I want to do two different pourings on both sides (top and bottom). In this case, I would make a concrete model molding with the top part that project/bugle out and a plaster model molding with the bottom part that is concave inward. The models will become yin and yang opposites. Additionally, the concrete model will have the rigid textures and the plaster will have the fancy curve form textures.

Furthermore, is this idea work? I think pouring is the key. It seemed that I did it too fast, at the same time, I found out the mold was quite big that I did not have enough concrerte, and it ended up that I had to put a lot of water to fulfill the molded space. Also, the concrete seemed harder than I thought after dry, which it stuck so tight with the mold and it was hard to pull out from it. So finally, the result is ....

At this moment, I am frustrated. A question comes up that should I start again or should I forget this crazy thought and just do a basic simple one like a plain plaster model only or should I give up the stereotomic drawing and do only the tectonic drawing for the review ... ... to be continued

So, welcome back to the second part of the "episode," of course, I will never give up to achieve what I want; therefore, I recreating a new mold, which I would call "iMold7." It is stronger with foam board and built by one piece for most parts. Also, it is more durable with tape reinforced.

At the same time, I am not only upgrading the mold, but also updating the material. Because I feel like the concrete cement is not my type and it only deserves for the tough guy like Matt. I would like to use something that is more gentle like me and that would be Mr. Plaster which I would only use it for both sides. I am also prepared this time and hope that it would be enough. Trust me!


At the last part, I had to summit my failure again but I did better this time. At least, I got something...although it is broken apart. The reason of failure this time is because I was too greedy that I thought I could get two models in one mold at the same time. It ended up that I did not know how to take both out and I had to break one for saved another one. Anyway, I believe the model still shows a little bit of drawing quality of the plan axon although it is not in the way that I want... Also, I believe I will do better next time. (hope that I can redo it if time available, not for the grade, but explore the real potential of this texture idea).


On the other hand, for the tectonic drawing, I tried to "drawing" out the topographic of the roof of my library design since I felt that might be a good chance to study the form of it in 3D. However, it ended up to look like a model instead of a "drawing," and it was used as a crit. list later. I also tried couple another "drawings" like perspective or section by wood after. For the final decision, I was recommended to make the exact same "drawing" of the floor plan like the stereotomic one. Therefore, I "drew" the axon floor plan again by wire this time. The wire created a plan-like drawing on the top; nevertheless, it had different height/length from the sides.

Architectural Alchemy: Dibujos sin Papel ~ Assignment 5 (Pre. Ver.)

In this assignment, we are doing 2 drawing without paper "draw-dels" again but in the different ways. For the tectonic drawing, I choose to use different sizes/colors of wires to sharp the topographic condition of the roof since I feel that is one of the best way to show people what is going on about the roof and also help me to investigate and figure out the real situation on the roof top. The thick wires will sharp those 6 sections with the roof conditions that already drawn out in previous mapping and the thinner wires (many) will connections those sections and create a land form of the roof.

For the stereotomic one , I decide to show the hierarchy of the floor levels (to suggest the ideas that there are different pieces of lands to form the island) inside the library in section or plan. If it is in section, the whole building will be like chopping in pieces and I am only taking/doing the middle part of it. I would like to use plaster to form the regular section cut (from both sides in the middle, so people can see through from left to right sides) of the whole building sharp. Therefore, the void inside the plaster is actually the space inside the library and the floor levels would be shown clearly inside; however, the thing that I concern is the scale of it. Even it is in 1 to 20 engineering scale, the wall and floor depth are still thin that I am worry if they will break especially the floors have to stretch so long and I haven't decide any structure system like columns to support it. (unless I reinforce the floors by putting the wire inside...it's tough). Or I can use the plaster to sharp only one of the floor plans such as the third floor. The solid part refer to the book stacks in spaces and the void indicated the public space like reading areas.

If it is in plan, I believe wax is a good material to use. There are different floor plans cut out and place in different layers of the wax. Then, variety levels of floors are sat inside the box of wax and I think it can be only seen under the light since the wax is not that transparent. So, I am worry about its scale related to its cost by using wax and the flatness of it since there are only horizontal floor plans, I might put in some vertical elements with foam to make it more dynamic inside the rigid wax box. So, which stereotomic drawing seems to have more possibility?

Mid-Term ReView

For the review, everything had been basically designed and programmed in plans and sections. (There may be scanned plans and sections upload) Again, there are public spaces (lobby, research areas, snack bar, big lecture hall, small reading area) at the front and private spaces (administration, track loading area) at the back. Both spaces are places in the ground and second floor. In the third and forth floor, there are the main programs like the book stacks, working areas, conference rooms, reading areas and labs. (Third floor plan) Also, there are some sections cut from different directions and intersect with each other in order to study the roof condition.
Additionally, a sheet of sections that used as facade study of the building.

To sum up, there were few problems that pointed out in the review. The first one is about the lack of connections and contrast between the sites or the original library and the new library; there may be a question why the building had to place at above the parking area.

Also, there is another question raised: how people know there is an island outside and inside? Exploration is flat and the floor plans or sections inside seems had a same problem too.
(section at the South Front View)

Finally, the solutions come up after. In order to emphasis the isolation with conjunction and the relationship with the site, since the existing buildings were constructed in certain kinds of gird lines (the green lines), by extend those building edges (red and orange lines), the new form of library (main spaces as book stack areas in black and secondary spaces like lobby or administration in yellow) had naturally born.
Also, in plans or sections, I developed from top to bottom and there are lot more different floor levels added (like different theme parks which it can be referred to the style that the map of some other Adventure Islands) and some of the movement are overlapping. Island eventually meets ocean and it refers to the moment that the sections meet the intersection. (There may be scanned plans and sections upload)