Architectural Design Studio I

Professor: Jerry W. Lum

Architecture is a Sculptural Biography - Bart Prince, Architect

Bad architecture is in the ends as much a failure of psychology as of design. It is an example expressed through materials of the same tendencies which in other domains will lead us to marry the wrong people, chose inappropriate jobs and book unsuccessful holidays: the tendency not to understand who we are and what will satisfy us.

- Alain de Botton, The Architecture of Happiness

In late August I was laid off from I job I had for twelve years. It was a Friday when Human Resources called me and thirty of my co-workers into a conference room to give us the news. I spent the weekend shaping the loss into an opportunity....On Monday I enrolled in architecture and design classes, something I always dreamed of but my full-time job had made impossible. My work embodies survival, endurance and a sense of reestablishing balance.

My design language communicates my desire to maintain a sense of balance. It portrays specific memorable events in my life when balance was undermined by conflicts. Tension in design is critical but it must be in an envelop of balance.

Program

To create a well crafted abstract design

Maintain symmetric patterns

Balance materials between geometrical and curvilinear shapes

Identify a sense of balance

Reestablish balance with a conceptual approach

Objective

The structure does have symmetry however:

There was not coordination between primary and secondary elements

Material (paper) wasn’t able to demonstrate a sense of symmetry

I wanted to construct a model depicting frustration and anger

I wanted a structure that will show cause and effect, tension and balance

Week 2

Iteration 1

Materials from the first iteration were changed in an effort to create sharp conflicted edges.

Curvilinear organics patterns were created to represent equilibrium.

New plastic material didn’t adequately represent the tension of balance and conflict

There is not a clear idea of the program

Base needed to be removed

Week 2

Iteration 2

Iteration 3

I created curvilinear lines -for a structure with rectilinear shapes

The geometrical shapes transformed my previous iterations so I started to record my reflections:

“How to create a design that expresses the attempt to resolve conflict in an architecture model”

The whole design reads heavy

Primary and secondary are not in harmony

A tertiary element is needed

The design structure lack openings to welcome light and space

Week 3

Iteration 3

Iteration 4

This is my favorite iteration

Primary, secondary and tertiary elements relate to each other with harmony

Openings were able to welcome light and space within the design

The structure is very dynamic and there is flow of layers

There is a need to reduce the number of layers to create balance within the design

The design seems to be very fragile and delicate

Week 4

Iteration 4

Iteration 5

Committing to initial patterns, interpreted via photos and drawings

Exploring ways that 2d geometrical and curvilinear shapes can occupy space

Iteration is evolving and transforming

Need to explore more curvilinear shapes to re-establish balance

Looking to create a design that will show more rhythm by adding intervals and repeated elements

Week 5

Iteration 5

Iteration 6

Repeated elements were added to assure rhythm

Design is dynamic and shows order by the presence of two curvilinear shapes

Gestural drawings are essential in the process of design

I am a bit reserved in my use of verbal communication of my design due to the lack of confidence and ability to communicate my ideas

I am looking to add more complex elements into the next iteration

Week 5

Iteration 6

Iteration 7

Levels of complexities were reached to demonstrate re-establishing balance to an abstract design

Initial gestural drawings attempted to show that dynamic process

Design emphasized the sense of balance

Design showed a biomorphic shape

Week 6

Iteration 7

Iteration 8

Motion is present in this design by the curvilinear shapes

I’m Looking to work with a different material

I’d like to be able to demonstrate cause and effect in a 3d design

Week 7

Iteration 8

Iteration 9

Incorporation of frames with different materiality were mastered in the design

Patterns of due elements created contrast

Initial process of wood elements incorporated into the design were difficult to achieve due to the lack of experience

Need to use a different material tool that will be flexible

Week 8

Iteration 9

Iteration 10

The use of steel rods provides structural support for new curvilinear shapes in the design

Incorporating galvanized steel wire added flex to the structure

Frames were expressed in the design

In the next iteration volume (shell) will be added to the frame

Week 09

Iteration 10

Iteration 11

Geometrical openings created a 3D view within the design

Sense of balance was identified

The design contain series of patters that create balance within the design

The combination of curvilinear and rectilinear shapes shows harmony

Week 10

Iteration 11

Learning to reduce generalities into specificities

Developing a written reflection process

Learning new architecture language

Navigating and learning to be a student

Making changes and transforming myself

Learning to communicate conceptual concepts

Creating Matrix process to Analyze each iteration

Professor:

Jerry W. Lum

Arch. Department - CCSF

Bart Prince

Alain Botton

Students 101 portfolios 2011

Information

Julio Soriano

juliosoriano2012@yahoo.com

(415) 240-2401

San Francisco, California

CCSF