Arch 101Final Learning PortfolioInstructor : Jerry Lum

Introduction to the Final Project

The mission of the this final project is to render a site that a group of 3-5 has chosen. The topic of it is “Rendering Nature: making the invisible perceivable”.

To make the invisible perceivable is to transfer something that people usually take for granted into something people would appreciate and cherish.

In the project, we were given the court yard that stands in the back of BatmaleHall at City College of San Francisco to choose a specific site and put installation in order to make the site come to life.

My group, including Chima, Ginna and Kenneth, had experienced a wonderful journey together by designing and constructing as a team.

The first of three sites we first wanted

• The site is exciting because it’s a sloping area

• The site is surround by trees which gives a sense of forest

• Not too windy or sunny

Model for the first site- Description:

- The design intends to create two main spaces. One side is designed to be more geometrical while the other side is designed to be more organic.

- The opening is supposed to face toward the sloping surface of the hill.

- Reason why we gave the site up:

- The geography of the hill will give us a whole lot of difficulties considering the lack of constructional experience we have

Second of the three sites we first wanted

• This is the most windy site among the three

• Very opened and receive a lot of sun light

• People far from the site are able the see the place

Model for the second siteDescription:

- It intends to go around a tree on the site

- Similar to the last model, it is divided into a geometrical space and a organic space

- The hole is for inviters to look through, it frames the view of the last site.

Reason why we gave up the site:

- Lack of preparation for competing for the site and the finding of the third site.

Third of the three sites (the chosen one)

• The least windy space of the court yard

• An opened space encountering the arch department and the balcony

• Heavily filled with dirt and old woods

Model for the final siteDescription:

- Enclosing the corner of the site

- Walls providing a sense of the forest while looking from the outside

- Tower representing the heart of a forest

A new version of the final model

A change in the tower. To make a more tree-like shape.

Construction of the PanelsThe first thing we decide to do was the panels.

We sat down together and brainstormed ideas of how we can achieve to make the panels. Then we came out an idea of creating slots into a piece of base support so that the frames will be able to get slotted in and further creates the panels.

Process of making the panelsRight after making the decision of how we were going to make the panels, we went to lowe’s to start making purchase of the materials.

We bought:

- 2in x 6in x 8ft wooden board

- for the base support

- 1in x 1½ in x 8ft wooden board

- for slotting into the base supports

Process of making the panels(cont’)Creating slots is a very good idea. The way we created it was pretty tiring due to the limiting tools we had, but the slots turned out neat and we were happy that we didn’t give up on that.

Making the panels (cont’)After getting the panels ready, we all couldn’t wait to try putting on the 1in x 1½ in x 8ft into them.

It turned out to be what we expected.

Findings on making the pre-panels

Although we hadn’t put the fabrics onto the pre-panel, at the moment we finished making those pre-panels and put them in position, we all became very excited. We were all very happy to see what our effort transferred into.

The constructing process became especially exciting when the basic shape of the of our design slowly started to show. It drove us to work even harder to complete the mission.

The process of making the tower

The tower is another important element of the design. It represents the great old tree that stands in the deep inside of a forest.

We picked up some used 2in x 2in wooden sticks from the previous semesters. For the branches, we bought some more 1in x 1½ in sticks.

The process of making the towers was fun. We together did a lot of experiment to find the best way to make the tower stand.

Experimenting the baseWe all agreed that the structure of the model is actually reasonable for the tower to stand.

So we decided to create it according to the model.

The picture on the right was when I found out a way to adjust the angle of the perpendicular braces.

The main body of the towerFortunately, we had enough recycling 2in x 2in in the court yard. So we could reduce our spending on the tower and purchase more fabrics later.

The picture in the middle show a very special brace we used. It gives quite strong connection, but it is much more expensive than screws so we gave that up to screw.

Finishing the towerIt’s time to put this up!

It’s another big step for the prcess.

The GazeboThis is an idea of Chima.

The Gazebo is like the destination of our design.

We didn’t start off including the Gazebo. After a discussion, we all agreed that it would be a cool idea like what Chima said, “having a nature-like shelter in the corner”.

Inspiration of the GazeboA very special Starbucks café in Fukuoka, Japan.

Architect: Kengo Kuma

Frame of the GazeboWe wanted the Gazebo to be extremely strong. After a little advise from Fidel, we decided use 2in x 6in x 8ft wooden boards to strengthen its ability to stand.

The pattern that sticks on the exterior

The skeleton of the GazeboThe last one the three main parts was finally finished. It turned out the space it creates was very comfortable.

The path of the whole design is done.

Next: putting on the fabrics

Gradually putting the cloth on

The most exciting part. Without patience, we could never reach this level of crafting. Especially thanks to Ginna, who putting so much effort into making the perfect crafting.

View point from the Gazebo

The Gazebo with the cloth on

Final Product

Reflection on the Final ProjectThe final critique session was when my reflection actually started.

Before the final presentation, I thought our group’s work will impress the jurors because we’ve been putting so much effort and the product went out pretty looking pretty good. However, I was wrong. But still, it was a valuable lesson for me.

The jurors pointed out that our group went into a wrong direction during the process. They told us we failed to create a design which can truly render the nature. Although it seems that we were rendering the corner of our site, our design was actually unable to achieve such goal. Instead, we made our Gazebo to replace the corner. Also, we were told that our design was not completely “one design” because it actually was a combination of three design: the walls, the Gazebo and the tower.

The first problem was that we misunderstood the meaning of rendering nature. Even though we had been reminded before and during the constructing process by our instructor, we still didn’t notice the issue of our design.

The second problem will be the failure of creating a complete design that contains everyone’s ideas.

Reflection (cont’)Now the final presentation is in the past, but what I have learned out of it is the most important.

During the critique session, I was quite disappointed about how the feedback went unexpectedly. However, I wasn’t upset about that because I found that what the jurors told us was true. As a result, it drove me to think about how I could get improved in order to perform better in the future.

Firstly, the critique session made me rethink about what “rendering nature” means.

In our case, if we want to render the corner, we should look for a design that turns the dirty and unfriendly corner alive that people will start to appreciate the subtle beauty of the corner. However, our design actually asked people to ignore the corner, and appreciate the Gazebo we made instead. It’s not that the Gazebo itself was bad, but it didn’t meet the expectation of the project.

Secondly, I found that designing as a group is quite challenging when it comes to remixing ideas into one whole idea. Comparing to other groups, our design was obviously having more than one themes. At some point, our design was like a park, which had different areas in different themes. It actually looked pretty good in a way because of the large space it occupied, plus the clean crafting we made. However, when it comes to the language of architecture, the design couldn’t complete the mission.

Therefore, in the future, I will remind myself of this valuable lesson to keep myself or my teammates away from making the similar mistakes.

SummaryThis project is the best I’ve ever had. The experience I gained from the process is not just anything can give me.

During the process, I have learned:

1. To be a team player

- Working as a group increases the possibility of everything, especially when everyone is willing to put effort into the work.

- However, we need to be brave and point out problems we notice personally, otherwise, the team may go very far, but in a wrong direction.

2. Always be aware of what we are trying to achieve

- Sometime we have to take a step back and look at what we are doing to see if we are going toward the goal or going away from it.

3. Consider if a design is buildable

- The practicability of a design very important. A good design should include good practicability because it’s a must for a design to come true.

This project opened my eyes by giving me a chance to build my design in real life. Having a chance to actually feel my own design in person is an awesome experience, especially in such an early stage of my architectural education!