The first challenge is to design an artifact that

represents the most significant aspects and qualities of me.

First and foremost, I brainstormed a list of adjectives that

describe my personality, and then I prioritized them in order

of significance. Within all the adjectives, the word

“persistent” represents the most important quality of me.

Once I set up a goal, I would spend numerous times and

efforts to reach my target. Meanwhile, as crucial as my

persistence, my intense emotions lead me to either love or

hate something. There is no “gray zone” in my world.

In my following iterations, I tried to keep these two qualities

as my major objectives.

Introduction “Architecture is a Sculptural Biography”

Wh

o

am

I

Persistent

Extreme Emotion

on Joy and Hate

Truthful

Friendly

Helpful

Shy

Sensitive

Insights:

•The first thing I did is to find materials

to represents my “Intense emotion”.

Black and white papers effectively

express my mental world in which there

is no “gray zone” within.

•The square s forms the frame shape

which represents my persistence. Like

the frame, I demand myself to stick into

one thing until I reach it.

Issues:

•Less abstraction

•Two of my qualities are not express

equally. One weights over the other.

Need to emphasis more on the quality of

persistent.

During the design process of iteration 2, I faced a

common difficult for which most of the designers have

already experienced. I was running out of creativity, and

I constructed some models which I considered those as

unvalued. In result, I didn’t keep my second iteration. I

admit I am a perfectionist, and I always try to keep

everything looks well. However, I realized every design

process is equally important for me. Each iteration shows

a learning process and development which is valuable for

a learner.

Creativity “Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it” – Salvador Dali

Insight: • In response to iteration 1 ,

I began to put in new elements into iteration 3

• Tried to create a three dimension model that

has multiple aspects.

•At the same time, I avoided to create base for

the model, so it would be dynamic.

Issues: • The simplicity of the form makes it less

entertaining for viewer.

•Using the technique of repetition would increase

the density for itself, and enrich the whole model.

•On the other hand, the connection between each

frame is randomly stick together. For a better

advancement, It requires a precise and logical

method to connect the edges of the frames.

Through narrative, it conveys meanings and tells

stories with others. In result, people would provide

feedbacks and suggestions which might be helpful for

designers to achieve advancement in their design

process.

How does the narrative inform our design process and solutions?

Discoveries:

• In response to iteration 3, this iteration is successful to avoid the simplicity of

the forms by using the technique of intersection of frames.

•Each frame is connect with each other by penetrate through at certain points.

Issues:

• It fails to keep the balance to express both of my qualities. The “persistent”

quality seems to be more outstanding in this iteration.

Insights: • In order to recycle the idea from iteration 4, I kept

the frame part in the new model.

•However, I wanted some breakthrough to enrich my

new work; I changed the shape of my frames.

•In the design process, I gained inspiration from the

picture on the left.

Design Language: •The linear forms create boxes to keep all the circles

insides. It called “Box of persistence”

•Meanwhile, the linear forms become the tangents of the

circles.

•Furthermore, the radii of the circles form implied

equilateral triangles.

Issue: • Need to explore a deeper meaning for circles.

•How do circles represent “intense emotion” between joy

and hate?

•Ho w does persistent and emotional communicate with

each other.

Design language: •In response to iteration 5, I kept

the frames and rotated them to

create three dimensional aspects.

• The new iteration has parallel

and perpendicular linear forms.

• The square frame rotates 90

degrees from the parallel

quadrilateral.

• There is a curvilinear stripe

connects the edges of both frames.

•The size of the model and the

distance of each piece create

density.

Feedback: •Keep the logic and ideas of this

iteration and use it in the new

model

•Need to emphasis on the joy and

hate feeling.

•Try to think about any body

movements or objects that can

effectively express those feelings.

Working on Snap shot, it gave me

a chance to play around for the

proportion and ratio for the designs.

Meanwhile, it created different

perspectives for the iterations by

changing the angles, directions and

shapes. Without doubt, the practice of

Snap shot provided opportunity to raise

creativity.

What are the ways in which proportions explored through drawing can inform and

enhance your design?

Through drawing, designers can use harmonic

proportion, Golden ratio , Fibonacci series, etc to

create various possibilities to design and

organize the forms.

Inspiration:

In response to iteration 5 and 6, I began to

concern about objects and body movements

that can express my extreme feeling between

joy and hate. In result, I found out the dancing

position (see above) gives people a sense of

joyful and relaxation. The ballet dancer rises

up her hands, and it seems like she is trying to

embrace the thing or person she loves. On the

other hand, I found out the shape of whistle

and thorn can represents my hate. It is sharp

and dangerous; just like I hate something or

someone; it can hurt others and me.

Design Language:

• Using a group of triangles to create a sharp feeling.

Giving an illusion to people for which they might

get hurt if they touch the vertices of triangles.

•All the triangles are right triangles with 30, 60, 90

degrees.

•The curvilinear stripes imitate the body movement

of dancing. It gives people hope and joy.

Issues:

•I forgot to put my quality of persistent into this

iteration.

•Not three dimensional. It only looks interesting in

the front view.

•In response to iteration 7, I

put my persistent quality

back into the new model.

•This model composes by

three parts: the bottom

(frames), the middle

(chipboards), and the

side(curvilinear stripes)

•Once again, I use frames to

represent my persistence.

•Those three parts are

equally important. There is

no specific part stand out

from the others.

Insights

Transforming my previous

model into frames is a new

challenge for me. At first, I was

confusing because I worried the

technique of framing would lessen

the intension and focus on the

chipboard part. However, the

result turned out to be better than

my expectation. All three parts of

the model are balanced well with

each others. They all carry a

certain traits and style to express

my qualities.

.

In iteration 10, we were asking to use

sectioning approach to construct our

models. During the design process, I was

struggling on how to apply sectioning in my

new model. My previous iterations were all

about forms and planes. They do not have

defined volumes and shell forms. In order to

breakthrough from the confusion, I tried to

experiment the sectioning approach using

papers. Papers are good tool to work on

sectioning because of their flexibility.

Design Language: •In iteration 11,I increased

and decreased the size of

triangles to satisfy the

sectioning approach.

•Creating the illusion of

dynamic by having a group

of triangles rotate in different

angles.

•Some triangles are

horizontal and others are

vertical.

Issues: •Have to define the purpose

of the feather-like forms on

the top .

•Need to create a bigger

space in the center.

Insights: •In response to iteration 11, I tried to enlarge

the size and scale to create greater space for the

model.

• Using the technique of slotting to connect

individual pieces of triangles

• Using the papers to create patterns in order to

replace the feather –like forms.

Issues: •Need to figure out how to sectioning the paper

part in a better way.

This was my last iteration, and we were

asking to create spaces for the model. I

created spaces between the triangles and the

curvilinear shapes. Air can go through the

model from left to right, right to left, or

bottom to the top. Spaces within the model

can be various.

In the modern worldview, space considers

to be everywhere. Through the expansion in

all directions, designers can create greater and

more flexible spaces in their models.

Can space be so flexible that anything can happen there? How do you achieve this?

Conclusion Reflection of the learning process

In conclude, there are many positive outcomes come along

with the learning process. First, I have a new definition for the

word “Creativity”. In fact, creativity comes from our daily

interactions with ideas and achievement of other people. In every

class period, I have chance to talk about my work with others.

Through discussion, I often inspire by others’ work. To generate a

better iteration from the initial inspiration, I would first figure out

the strengths of others’ work and would try to apply those qualities

in my model. The second thing I have learned is that quantities

lead to quality. By continuously making new iteration, I have

developed a set of logical thinking on how to group different

elements together; how to organize them concerning with the

hierarchy. Through the making process and experience, I am

gradually developing my language of design.

0 1 2 3 0 4

ARCH 101: MIDTERM & FINAL GRADE ASSESSMENT of STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

(for both student and instructor use)

X = instructor; 0 = student

Student Name: On Kei Kwok

Semester: Fall 2012

Midterm/Final Grade:

Design Process Development (4: Mind and Hand are in charge of Ideas; Modes of Individual Process leads to Evolution of Refined Work vs. 0

: No effort to think and do on one’s own, no individual design process is employed)

0 1 2 3 0 4

Architectural Concept Development (4: Consistently defined, explored, questioned and effectively developed with rare lapses

into weak intentions vs. 0: vague or unreasoned with no definition, exploration, questioning, and development, intentions are weak or non-existent)

0 1 2 0 3 4

Body of Work: Quantity Leads to Quality (4: Quantity of Work demonstrates a commitment to thoughtful effort accompanied by well-crafted

work with rare lapses in to weak production vs. 0: Fails to show effort; work illustrates a lack of craft with a sustained absence of and/or

weakness in production)

0 1 2 0 3 4

Creative Content: Avoiding the Obvious and Familiar (4: Consistently well reasoned with high levels of intellectual and expressive excellence;

embodies scholarly creative content vs. 0: Infrequently reasoned with little thought or expression; creative content is lacking)

COMMENTS:

Midterm:

Instructor:

Student: On Kei Kwok

Final:

0 1 2 3 0 4

Successful Representation Skills (4: Writing, Drawing, Diagramming, Constructing, and Verbally Presenting are employed effectively to identify,

analyze, explore, decide, and communicate vs. 0: tools of design are rarely used fully and in timely ways within an iterative design process)