Design Studio 5 | archiportfolio

Project 1: Urban Site Analysis

Introduction

The Preliminary Studies is a preparatory assignment that focuses on investigating basic notions of the city, and learning from examples of community library around the world. The aim is to focus on urban study in order to find opportunities to promote a community library in the given context. This assignment firstly introduce students to the basics in urban design and its relation to architecture, and secondly, studying and determining the programmatic function, societal role and spatial layout of a community library and architectural responses for urban infills. The Preliminary Studies comprises of two components: urban study through site documentation and analysis, and Precedent Studies of Urban Infills and Community Library. The urban study will equip students with a firm understanding of the site they will be working with this semester, while the Precedent Studies will provide an insight into architectural responses for designing an urban infill community library. The outcome of the Preliminary Studies will include the production of site documentation materials (drawings and models in both digital and physical copy for further use), a comprehensive analysis of the site, and a detailed case study of a relevant urban infill and community library.

Key Requirements

The findings from the urban study should be of:

a) What are the patterns on legibility in the existing urban fabric?

b) What are the characteristics that could offer legibility in the proposed community library?

c) What are the urban issues pertaining to the context?

d) Key ideas and themes to be discussed in relation to the analysis include: Legibility, Wayfinding (5 Lynchian Principles), Typology and Morphology, Figure/Ground Mapping, Patterns of Movement and Use, Human Behaviour, Street Culture

Project 2: Urban Infill Community Library

Introduction

From now on, students will concentrate on designing a community library within an urban infill site. The design of the building is to consist of appropriate architectural responses that address the aspects of the urban street context and user behavioural patterns as discerned and analysed in the Preliminary Studies. Apart from developing a narrative on architectural strategy in response to the relevant questions pertaining to community and its context, the design should take into consideration a holistic application of structural, spatial, functional and environmental requirements to address the user needs for a community library. The design development of this project will include an introduction to the legislative restrictions that impact an architectural scheme, the integration of lighting and acoustic design, as well as the design exploration and detailing of the façade and building envelopes that is coherent with the architectural language of the overall design project.

Key Requirements

The objectives of this assignment are as follows:

To take into consideration key aspects of urban design and context in relation to architecture
To develop an awareness and basic compliance to Design Codes and Statutory Requirements
To emphasize the importance of elevational context and composition in developing architectural design
To implement and explore the conceptual, schematic and design development phases in an architectural design project

By completing this project i am able to achieve multiple designated learning outcomes that would further benefit me in my studies and pursue or architecture. Here are the few learning outcomes that I've obtain through finishing this project.

Ability to implement poetic qualities into the design of an community library
Ability to derive poetic spaces from incidents and surrounding urban elements
Ability to plan entrance, service areas and routes according to building design and transportation access.
Ability to comply to the design requirement of an public building and public spaces.
Ability to produce proper understandable diagrammatic explaination board and presentation board
Ability to comply to certain building requirements etc number or rooms, corridor length, door width and such
Have gain knowledge regarding urban design and urban theories that would comply with said design.