A.K and HdB

Labels: Design, Love and Friendship, Miscellaneous

A.K and HDB

Very proud of someone and his hdb =)

Labels: Design, Love and Friendship, Miscellaneous

Education of an architect

Labels: Art, Design

What is architecture

Yesterday a friend at dinner asked, what is architecture? Predictable, no unruffled and fitting account was given. >.<

Architecture is design, it is a creative field. And it is about designing or creating spaces, in response to an existing set of conditions on hand. It is pitiful that not all architecture courses in universities educate students to create space, instead the schools teach to build buildings. In this manner, yes, surely the building still functions, whatever its purpose is, or the programmes are, like a house serves people to stay and live, with its living room, bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, etc; or school with classrooms and auditoriums, meeting rooms, libraries, etc. with the systems all working well: water, electricity, drainage, ventilation, etc; and with steady construction, safe and secure. Architecture is not merely that. I am appreciative that NUS is somewhat fairly adequate in addressing the vital issues of architecture, which are more than satisfying the purely functional requirements of a building programme.

One that is compatible, considerate to and also resourceful of the climatic: sun, wind, temperature, precipitation; and geographical: soils, topography, vegetation, water; context of the site and environment for protection and comfort and for the manifestation of beauty of nature and surroundings. Accordingly this needs uses of appropriate technology, construction system, and materials for structure and enclosure. It is sensitive as it examines qualities of light, the materials, colors, texture, views, sounds, smell, both apparent and obscure. The senses are celebrated. It has good comprehension of the order, hierarchy, organization between spaces, solids and voids, interiors and exteriors, of scales and proportions, shapes, that is geometry and its meanings; for all elements, from the configurations and dimensions of a path, a room or a plaza, to openings and edges, and also the detailing. All parts must make visible their coherent relationships to each other and structure as a whole. It does not only carry transient perceptual visions and feelings, but of a more enduring conceptual order. Knowledge which then is used to reveal and endorse in varying degrees the socio-culture, economy, politics, historical traditions and precedents, philosophy or way of life, beliefs, the nature of users, their personalities, aspirations, all aspects of needs and requirements. A piece of architecture is an experience through movements in time and physical space. Forms and spaces to promote endeavors, elicit responses; emotionally, as well as communicate meanings, make people see, feel, and think, and then remember or be reminded.

Labels: Art, Design

A need

Design is action to change in some way. Decisions cannot be avoided or even delayed without likelihood of unfortunate consequences. A designer has no liberties to concentrate exclusively on issues which seem most attractive, and so the central skill is the ability to rapidly become fascinated by problems previously unheard of. It is to get on and make the best out of a bad job - often a matter of compromise on the basis of inadequate information and yet, no excuse for mistakes or failures on those grounds.

Labels: Design

Prescriptive

Designers do not deal with questions of what is, how, and why, but rather with what might be, could be, and should be. Seen to create the future, the process deserves not just ethical, but also moral scrunity.

Labels: Design

Inevitably subjective

Complete objectivity demands dispassionate detachment. Designers being human beings find it hard to remain either dispassionate or detached about their work. Indeed designers are often aggressively defensive and possessive about their solutions.

Labels: Design

Solving and finding problems

Problems and solutions emerge together rather than one following logically upon the other. The process is thus less linear but rather more argumentative. Designers create problems as they find solutions.

Labels: Design

Imperfection

Design invariably involves compromise. Just how trade-offs and compromises are made remains a matter of skilled judgement. There are thus no optimal solutions and the best test of most design is still to wait, to subject it to the test of time. Design solutions can never be perfect, and they are often more criticised than created. Designers must accept that they will almost invariably appear wrong in some ways to some people.

Labels: Design

End of design

Part of the definition of a design problem is the level of detail which requires attention. How then do we find the end of a design problem? Is it not possible to go on involved in more and more detail? Indeed this is so, there is no natural end to the process. There is no way getting beyond doubt when a problem has been solved. Designers simply stop designing either when they run out of time or when, in their judgement, it is not worth pursuing the matter further.

One of the skills is in knowing when to stop.

Labels: Design

Design is an act of faith

Design is the performing of a very complicated act of faith. Designers discover much more about the problem as they critically evaluate their own solutions. It seems that the next minute they would discover a solution. Yet it is clear to both of them that the end was still far, far off, and that the hardest and most complicated part is only just the beginning.

The journey of faith needs to begin. Do what faith would do.

Labels: Design