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Final booklets

Thesis Booklet

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Mid-term Review 2

 

I got some ideas on how to manage rain water and water in general, and I'm going to proceed in making the each atrium space unique and atmosphere. I see the Atriums doing multiple things, cleaning/ polishing grey water through plants, a formal and informal meeting place, aid in passive cooling strategies.  

Post first review of spring term update

After the Review session, got super AMPED to designing some of the other parts of my building with the critiques fresh in mind. Like how can the columns add to the rhythm of office and balcony spaces in the atrium. How can landscaping/ trees conspire with the sunshading and the structural system behind that and the exhibit space behind that and the circulation behind. oh so many wholesome layers like a lasagna. Plans still got a few kinks but hope to massage them out before too long.

pin-up thoughts

I need to add rows of columns to reduce the space of the laboratories. also the curtain wall need to be supported as well a the glass roof . the glass roof in particular should be expressed with care.

yah happy now?

yes I am happy.
its too big so heres a link to my website
http://kentwu.profilepdx.com/?p=214

baby and the bathwater

the mantra of this studio's instruction "don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" ... well I had to.1 the water wasn't water it, was nuclear waste, thats what you get when you turn think design process is a faucet. 2 thus the baby wasn't a baby no more... 3 it was a monster with sharp teeth. 4 it bit me... multiple times, each time I'd try to clean it up... monsters don't operate on logic. so yes, I had to throw the "baby" out. I had to find my baby and I did and oh what a joy. Instead of using "design from the tap,"  I went to the source. Pure clean water. The bull run watershed if you will or the Jordon river (coincidentally, I unknowingly went to my first Shabbat last night)... I got lost and my faithful classmates, or Adonai.  showed me the way. Its painfully up hill but just follow the river, follow your flow. This time around I'm going to wash my baby the way I need to. bye bye baby....

Mid-term Review

This is a quick reflection, Don't want to waste too much time.
notes from review:
-go back to the urban site and see how that informs the buildings form
-too many geometries, worse of all many are not well justified
-let the form leave some things to the imagination, let the mind fill in the blanks or guide the eye more.

Own reflections
-Develop a clear urban scale diagrams to help clarify my intentions and thought process so Ican articulate them better ( I did that very poorly for review an the reason is there was no visual cues that I could speak about.) - this Weekend.
Design the urban spaces and define them (start of next week).
Let my design evolve from that urban plan. ( mid next week).

The nucleus, what does that look like?

So I'm trying to investigate what makes the nucleus a place of interaction and how to define a atrium space?

The atrium has to perform as a formal meeting space, "break" informal meeting space and vertical circulation. The idea is to create more informal interaction. I started with a formal geometry of the cylinder for its to contrast with the other lab spaces and give a hierarchy of geometries to the overall. To determine these floors that would, I used coins to indicate a person and their "bubble". My investigation looks at how the paths and adjacent informal meeting spaces can influence collaboration.

Week 5

This is a process blog and I apologize for the schizophrenic nature of what is posted... Its a result of designing in a schizophrenic context... I'm glad and relieved that last week our professor stated that "this is our project, we are just here to kick you in the pants". Thus, relieves me from the pressure of trying to fulfill lackluster assignments to focus and design at my own pace.
I've been having on going conversations with my friend who is study for his doctorate in Material sciences engineering, which have been enlightening in getting into the minds of what investigators are like. we also discussed possible materials that could be inspire a project. I recalled that two russian physicist recently won the Nobel prize for discovering graphene, a one atom thick sheet of carbon atoms. I asked him about the potential of the material in the scientific community there are huge potentials in using the properties of graphene and other carbon structures, like carbon nanotubes, polymers etc. 

graphene

Carbon is the 4th most abundant element in the universe and its properties in its pure state can range from being as hard as a diamond to soft as pencil graphite. an insulator to conductor of electricity, highly transparent to opaque so on and so on. It's versatility lies in its having 4 "free" electrons in its outer shell, which allow it to easily bond to other elements to make many things, for example, plastics, petroleum products, steel.  etc.
In terms of Material study, I'm going to abandon the idea of liquids... not because it'll be messy, costly, potentially dangerous, (all reasons valid) but the truth is its was not a good idea in the first place, I'm going to leave the science to scientist, who know what they are doing and can do it safely. Instead I'm going to expand on this promising graphene material. The reason is because its extremely easy to make... all one needs is tape and graphite, a child could make it ( its perfect for OMSI). Knowing that, the material is not how it can be used or done architecturally (maybe... carbon is pretty much in everything) but how would a design an exhibit that engages children to explore this material. Last week I met with Chad Jacobsen, an exhibit design manager at OMSI. Exhibit/ exhibition design is one of OMSI money makers and ships exhibits and exhibition all over the nation. Take away insights from my visit:
-Mainly funded by grants, process is write grant, receive award, design, mock up, redesign, construct and then put on display, troubleshoot.  (a year - two year process)
-  shipping exhibits and its dimension are key to its business and logistics
- OMSI specializes in interactive displays, Thus durability is key issues, design for wear and tear, with easy replaceable parts.

OMSI "Design Zone" Exhibition

I hope to design an exhibit space that focuses on children "discovering" graphene and its potential. At that scale I would imagine that satisfies the "micro" study. I hope to work with Chad more as the design flushes its self out.
Below are images of my new concept the revolves around "carbon". In the center, I imagine a place like called "the nucleus" which is a place that scientists have to pass through to reach their office or labs. In that nucleus will be "collaboration rooms" and the main vertical circulation. The combination of these places increase the level of interaction between researchers. However, each researcher is given their own office and space to do "deep thinking." There are three wings of offices or metaphorical "bonds" to laboratories. The scientist are "the electrons" that move between the nucleus through the bonds and to the laboratories. At each junctions there are meeting spaces for people who want to collaborate within there own departments and at each void are inner courtyards that provide light wells into the offices and connection to the nature.
I think this is a more architectural and experiential solution than my previous "rectangles and courtyard scheme" (below) which assumes that the void of a courtyard will be a place of interaction... a poor assumption. Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to tag along with a Calpoly architecture studio to listen in at lectures regarding the OMSI site and laboratory designs with ZGF here in Portland which was extremely educational experience. The presentation although helpful it locked me in to the "business of designing a laboratory" which is very much based on efficiency and practicality of a laboratory. 

The nucleus scheme programs the interactions space with architectural form is a lot more dynamic place and not a static outdoor room. Although the when investigating this scheme at a larger scale I may find the geometries odd and difficult to work with, and kinks will hopefully smooth itself out. I think the overall scheme has more potential than the previous. My next step I think is working out a rational structural grid for the nucleus and bonds, also work on giving "the nucleus's" form and provide the much needed hierarchy .

First Review reflections

In this scheme I began looking at how the site can respond to the larger city context and connect to the planned OHSU campus across the river and identify this district as a place of learning. My response was to open up to the OHSU campus with an opening and viewing platform. Some other programatic issues that I wanted to resolve were moving the parking structure to the east Opera House property and doing a land swap the future opera house so that it is adjacent to the river. The reviewer response to these plans was that I need to pay close attention to the plazas designs and its edges. Also there are too many plazas and for the campus to be successful it has to have a heart. In this scheme the plazas art like vast corridors. Which I agree. I think my next challenge is to build upon this scheme to increase the density of development that still allows for light and reinforces the edges of ONE main plaza, and have pedestrian corridors web out from it.

Material Studies

In terms of the Micro scale I'd like to investigate more with the rice paper and color. I'd like to see these things in a series of panels that could really animate a space with color and textured light. I'm imagining these screens would be ideal for meeting rooms or casual meeting spaces along corridors. Because my current method is so low-tech, I'm sure I can find precedents if I looked. Also I think there is an opportunity to make it engaging to the users. For example, they could control the diffusion of the panel with the salt crystals.

Urban Spaces

Urban Spaces by Jacobo Krauel, has a lot of glamor pictures of new urban spaces and designs through out the world. The case studies show a range from Plazas to art installations. It seems like the trend is that new urban spaces are taking a stance to engage the public and raise the public's conscientious of its existence. For example, Torico Square

Urban Space by Rob Krier, I a more architectural theory of historic spaces. It explores aspects that are not just perceived in plan but sectional as well. There are a lot of diagrams that explain variations of urban spaces.

Both of these books will be on my desk until  Jan 30th. and back in the Library after that. Borrow them at any time just put them back of course.

Week 1 (or should i say 12)

The one hour charrette was productive. I wish it was longer. I cam up with an idea and further constraints, However, it was was difficult to generate ideas apart from the Charrette, until this weekend. So I'd like to push it further and explore other urban scale possibilities before I narrow a specific location on the OMSI site. Once I've done that then I'll test which one is contributing to the the core values of creating a learning/ destination community, its ability to adapt to the future realities, and its connection to the Willamette and natural processes.

I also dig the schedule setup.