Final Reflection

Lecture Content

Throughout the semester Yasu has provided us with plenty of resources and ‘food-for-thought’ for application into our design projects. His theme of Architectural Fiction has been an interesting way of approaching design, and I’ve found, quite a fitting approach as throughout the semester it has become apparent that Life is indeed a Play, and the world is the Stage that this takes place on. It is our role as designers to create the best sets, script and stage possible to allow this Play to flourish and reach its full potential and positively effect the greatest audience possible.

Tutorials

After the first 6 weeks of the semester it became apparent that clarity was needed between myself, the Tutor and Yasu’s lecture content in order for us to be on the same page. This was achieved (I believe) through the production of my own interpretation of the criteria points in combination with the outcomes I am capable of achieving in order to satisfy these criteria. I did find that some of these outcomes have evolved and been modified as testing has taken place as I’ve been going along. I found this testing process to be very beneficial in achieving a result that best reflects my project’s intention and my own personal beliefs regarding what I am proposing for Paddington.

The Blog

When I first found out that we had to do another Blog for this subject I was very adverse to the idea. However, once I got it up and running and started ‘blogging’ I found it was an excellent means to convey the very complex ideas I have been dealing with this semester and my ‘scattered or multi-faceted’ design process. Not only does my project exist in the Virtual and Built Environments, but also in the emotional, social, psychological, conscious, subconscious and spiritual realms inherent to the development and growth of Human Beings and Human Nature. It is these profound ideas of holistic human wellbeing and life learning that The Blog has been most beneficial in conveying my research into, progress in understanding and my thoughts about these ideas.

Readings

For the first 6 weeks, I (and many others) were under the impression that we had to read all the readings on Blackboard in order to satisfy that criteria. This was not the case as I later found out after emailing Yasu. Some of the readings during this period were very interesting and especially pertinent to both  project 1 and 2, however I found the most relevant readings to be ones that I undertook myself (mostly in AR Magazine, and from library books of personal interest) as well as the MVRDV reading. It was reassuring to know that I am not alone in my ideas regarding the future of society in Brisbane and in general, and that there are other like-minded people out there who believe in the potential of all Humans to coexist harmoniously with each other and with their environment.

Conclusion

It may seem naive to believe in this potential when the world is so riddled with Greed, Anger and Gluttony (to name a few), however I choose to be neither a Pessimist nor an Optimist but a Realist as, if I and many others (in our class and our institution) can see the this potential in People, then with facilitation, listening, interaction, sharing and encouragement this potential can be reached, and even exceeded for the sustainability and evolution or our society. It is this ultimate goal that my project is aiming to highlight, and reflects my personal belief system that has resulted from the past 5 years of studying this course. I feel this project is a reflection or culmination of everything of importance to me that I have gained from this degree. Issues of sustainability, designing for All, creation of Place, the importance of culture, accessibility, materiality, structural integrity, collaboration, connectivity (the list goes on) have all been addressed in this project in either my Blog, my Panel, the Blog Booklet or my PowerPoint presentation.

Outcomes: Users and Purpose

The above images best capture the underlying aim and essence of my architectural entity and its purpose in enlightening and informing its Users and surrounding Community. These images show the various activities one can participate in at the centre, and the sense of belonging and connection Users can feel both to each other and to Paddington as a whole.

Outcomes: Renders

View of Greenspace (on level 2)

View of Transport Hub (on level 2)

View of Meeting Room (on level 4)

View of Entrance Point off Latrobe Terrace (on level 3)

View from inside Library looking out to atrium space (on level 3)

View from Community Garden looking across centre (on level 4)

View of Latrobe Terrace facade (enter onto level 3)

View of atrium space (on level 3)

View of centre from across Greenspace (on level 2)

View of various Rooms (on level 3) - my favourite image!!

Outcomes: The Importance of being Selective

The beauty of using a CAD program for designing, is the ease of which a variety of 3D views can be produced. A downside to this the necessity to be selective with which ones to choose that best show one's design. An example of this can be seen below (only 4 views were chosen for use in my Blog Book)

Outcomes: Mixed Media

Once I had designed my architectural entity using Revit2012, it was fairly easy to select the most important spaces and areas to show in greater detail and how these spaces are to be used. The basic render function in Revit produced very average quality renders (although quickly) so I decided to give these views or vignettes that little bit extra by hand-rendering over them using Copic Marker techniques (that I had learnt doing a minor in Industrial Design). I would have liked to have given them that bit extra more using Photoshop, however my skills on the program are fairly basic and it would have taken me forever to do something I could do quickly (and something I enjoy doing) by hand.

View of Library/Learning Space (on level 3)

View of Greenspace looking towards Centre (on level 2)

Inside a Reading/Lounge Room (on level 4)

Looking out from a Meeting Room (on level 4)

View of In-Between Space/Market Space (on level 2)

View of Health Facility (on level 1)



Outcomes: PowerPoint Slides

Outcomes: Presentation Panel

Outcomes: Site Plan and Isometric Views

Outcomes: Sections and Elevations

Outcomes: Sections

Outcomes: Plans

The following plans also appear in the compendium of my most relevant Blog Posts.

Amended Criteria and Outcomes

Having completed all the various components of my presentation including:

• presentation panel
• powerpoint presentation, and a
• blog compendium 

I found it necessary to assess these components against the assessment criteria, and produce an amended version so that it would make it easier for the Tutor and those who mark our assessment to see when and where I fulfill certain points, and where to look for certain outcomes as they could either be covered in my Panel, Powerpoint, Blog Book or even in my oral presentation (of which I have included in the components to hand to the Tutor prior to the commencement of my presentation). This amended version can be seen below, and the text in blue highlights areas that have had minor adjustments due to the various issues, challenges and testing I faced and undertook during the compilation of my final outcomes.



Learning Revit as I Go

Start Point: Site Plan (modelled in conjunction with my friend Sian)
As I honestly had no idea where to begin with modelling the site.

Day 1: Adding Floor Plates, columns, shafts and stairs
(didn't know how to put in elevators or how to do ramps)

Day 2 + 3: Adding more shafts and walls
(still couldn't figure out ramps)

Day 4: Using walls and floors to create elevator shafts
(as suggested by peers), and creating skylights
(ramps still a mystery)

Day 6: Adding windows and parking spaces
(ramps still a mystery)

Day 7: Finally figured out ramps!!
Adding more walls, materials and construction lines

Day 8: Adding roofs, making components for seating,
editing floor plates and adding landscaped ramp from level 2 to level 3

Day 9 + 10: Adding columns to roof entry points and railings

Day 11 + 12: Adding trees and entourage

Day 13 - 15: Moving entourage around for use in particular views and renderings

Started in Week 11, I allocated myself 2 weeks to get my Revit model finished in order to start rendering views in Week 13. It was lucky that I did start so early as learning the program as I went took far longer to do certain things than I had anticipated. However, as you can seen from the above images, it was around Day 7 (when I finally figured out how to do ramps, as this was causing me much stress and I freaked out because I thought I wasn't going to be able to do certain design elements that I wanted to) that I finally picked up the pace and really started to get things done.

At first, getting up each morning to jump on the computer and model felt like a chore, but as the days went by and I got better and better I started to really enjoy what I was doing as I could see what I was creating. It was hard to put aside that fact that it would be easier for me to do some elements by hand, however I just had to keep looking at the big picture and the final desired outcome to realise that I wouldn't be able to hand draw the entire entity to a level that would reflect my project intention and my own aspirations for my project.

The next hurdle after designing the model was to start rendering, and as I had to turn-off certain aspects of my graphics card to run the program on my computer in the first place the first 2 renders took 3 hours each to do and had to run my computer over night and hope that when I woke up in the morning that they didn't crash my computer (which they did occasionally). The 3rd render I tried 3 times as it kept crashing my computer, so I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to go into uni to try rendering there. The stress levels started to rise yet again, but I got into uni early one day, used 2 computers and got them done. I don't know why people complain that rendering at uni takes so long...20mins per render is nothing compared to 3 hours minimum only to find its crashed your computer!!

All in all, using Revit has been a very worthwhile experience as I now feel I have the skill to use the program effeciently and can now add this to my resume. I do find it sad though that I had to go to TAFE to get an introductory course for Revit as we aren't taught the program or even ArchiCAD for that matter at our university. Knowing a program/s is one of the main aspects that people will hire you on, and yet it wasn't included in my course curriculum?? Weird!!