Learning Portfolio

Chi Hang (Will) Cheung

Arch 101

Spring 2015

City College of San Francisco

Introduction

This is a learning portfolio showing the progress I have made so far in the first half of

the 2015 Spring semester.

In this first half of the semester, I was introduced to the design process. The process is

about looking for the best solutions to certain problems or issues.

Therefore, according to this concept, my instructor, Jerry Lum, has assigned series of

design issues for me to solve throughout this half of the semester.

This designing journey had been very meaningful and fun that it has broadened my

horizon about design.

1st Iteration: Malevich Reinterpreted into Tectonic Form

Objective

Study and choose a particular

part from the composition, by

Kazimir Malevich, to use as a floor

plan to make a 3D model.

The model has to be within

8.5”wide x 11”high x 6”deep.

- Chosen part (top right)

- An image of the

composition(bottom right)

- Top view of model (lef)

Reflection on the 1st Iteration

The first Iteration was assigned on the

first day of meeting, which is very

unexpected, and is due two days

later. In such a hurry, I decided to use

whatever I had in my house to build

the first model. I used a shoe box,

transparent tapes and a scissor to

finish the assignment.

The shoe box was not very easy to

handle, especially with the weak

scissor I had at the time. As a result,

even though the model doesn’t look

very fancy, it took me about 5 hours

to finish, which is too long.

Goal for next iteration:

- Find material I find more comfortable to handle

- Get needed tools to improve crafting

- Front view(left)

- Side view(right)

2nd Iteration:

Malevich Reinterpreted into Tectonic Form

Objective

Create a 2nd iteration based

on the Malevich composition

according to the same

limitations and requirements.

Get deeper into the design by

recalling what is taught during

the first critique session in

class.

- Top view of the 2nd

iteration(left)- Initial chosen part

from the Malevich composition(upper right)

- Additional part that I decided to add(lower right)

Reflection on the 2nd IterationFor the second generation, I was more prepared. I spent some time during the

weekend going to the supply store to get some cardboard, cutter, glue and

some measuring tools. Therefore, the progress of building the model was pretty

smooth.

I added lots of different elements I found interesting into my 2nd iteration.

Comparing to the 1st iteration, this iteration has a

different core body, which is the C-shape object,

and the added cuboid that connects the square

column that’s hanging on top.

There are a couple of things that I found

interesting in my model:

1) The rotating relationship between the main body and the square column.

why? It adds dynamic to the whole design.

2) The view that is framed by the core body looking from the back.

why? It gives transparency to the design.

3) The way the objects connect to the core body bymerging in it. (the square column and the lower

cuboid)

why? It creates a strong relation between them.

Goal for next iteration:- According to the interesting elements, expand the design

- Side view(top)- Back view(lower right)- Front view(left)

3rd Iteration:Representation, Drawn Representation, Design Elements & Principles

Objective

Develop the model

from the last iteration

without considering the

Malevich composition.

Expand elements from

the last iteration.

- An overview (left)- A top view (right)

Reflection on the 3rd IterationThis is one of my favorite iteration because the form is very exciting that I feel like it

was a giant step forward from my last iteration.

According to the last iteration, I mainly focused on the rotation and the transparency

on this iteration and created a little extension. 1)added similar objects and adjusted form of previous objects.

It accented the transparency throughout the whole design.2)added a second square column parallel to the original one.

As the size and the complexity had increased, the rotation would be too

subtle if I was to keep only one square column. As a result, I added a second one hanging in across the model.

One weakness of this iteration is the

crafting. Although it seems consistent, I actually used crafting tape to cover the crafting mistakes.

Goal for next gen.:- Better crafting.

- Top view(top)- Sides(bottom)

4th Iteration:

Language, Narrative, Scale, Site, Layered emphasis

Objective

Develop a narrative for

the model including 3

spatial experiences.

Insert more architectural

vocabulary into the

narrative.

Consider elements like

Scale, Transparency etc.

- Front view(left)

- Top view(right)

Reflection on the 4th IterationFor the 4th model, I made a major change of the material. The black material is foam board.

The material was unexpectedly difficult to control for me, especially when it comes to gluing them. As a result it took me a long time to figure out a way to finish the work.

Another change I made was the opened spaces. It was influenced by my classmates. From their design, I realized I didn’t fully use my past models’ inner space well. I made them all closed when there was a huge potential inside. Therefore, I decided to cut some surfaces open to explore the interior of my design.

However, I found that the openings I made were more like decoration, instead of something meaningful.

Goal for next gen.:- Create a narrative that helps to

explore the design.- Try to avoid meaningless

decorations.

- Front view (left)

- Back view (top right)

- Side view (lower right)

5th Iteration:

Language, Narrative, Scale, Site, Layered emphasis

Objective

Develop the narrative.

Emphasize the spatial

experiences.

- Side view(left)

- Top view(right)

Reflection on the 5th IterationNarrative:

You will see two openings at the front end of the building that evoke two different feelings. The right opening gives a sense ofmystery because of the lack of lighting and the chaotic interior. When you try hard and take a look at the interior, you will see a light source at the very end the of room. If you’re afraid of darkness, you would never choose to get in there. The other opening one the left is not really an entrance, but you can still take a look at the interior from it. When you take a glance, you will be excited to find an entrance to get in because the sense of safety it gives you.

You will see an entrance the left side of the interior. It’s easy to figure a way to get there. You just have to go around the building. Before the last few steps until you reach the entrance, you will find something even more attractive. It’s the picture of the whole building. You couldn’t see it a moment before because you were so attracted to the two openings. The layers of the building is giving a sense of surprise because of the collapsing-like column landing across the entire picture and the dynamics of the parts behind the column.

- The two openings(left)

- The view of before the

entrance(right)

Objective

Complete the narrative

Describe the qualities

of experiences

What experiences will be evoke in certain

areas and spaces?

6th Iteration:

Form, Scale, Proportions, Beauty

Reflection on the 6th IterationGetting inspired by one of my classmate’s work, I decided to make my next

model with a theme of sharp ends. This is one of my favorite iteration.

I like how the rotation happens on the base and the 2nd floor. It creates a sense of

being embraced. In advance, it becomes an area like a playground right in front

of the entrance where welcome people to stay with companies.

The other side of the design is very exciting, too. The way the second third floor

pop out is very special. The two floors have their own shape, but they are still

going around the similar theme which is the sharp ends.

The lid that covers half of the third

floor is a very interesting element,

too. It makes the third floor a

destination of the whole design. It

attracts people to go check out

and be under the lid.

- Some drawn images of the

design as a human’s point of

view.(left)

- Back side of the design showing

the attractiveness of the 2nd and

3rd floors(top right)

- The embracing feeling of the

base(lower right)

Objective

Focus on evoking diverse sets of experiences through a journey.

Develop new narrative that walk through the design.

7th Iteration:

Experiential, Space, Sequential Experiences

- Side view(left)

- Back view(middle)

- Front view(front view)

- Top front(top right)

Reflection on the 7th IterationThis iteration is very different from all the previous iterations. I gave up the core body that I had been keeping throughout thedesign process because I tried to narrow the pathway and focused on the climatic places.

1st climatic place:

This spot gives the whole image of the design.

The image invites you to stay for a while to

predict what would happen in the journey.

This spot also produce a delighting

atmosphere because of the sun light that’s

hitting on the wall and ground in the indoor,

which can be seen before you step in. The

mixing of the sun light and shadows is the most

exciting part of the climatic place.

2nd climatic place:

This is a pathway going up to the highest floor.

During climbing up the stairs, the image that

lands on the left side, is the key of the climatic

area. The openings on the wall framed the

sunlight like the last climatic place. The

openings also invites you to take your time to

climb the stairs so that you will have a chance

to get to appreciate and enjoy the different

pictures that every opening produces.

3rd climatic place:

This area is the highest point of the design. It’s also the final

destination of the design. This spot mainly provides the view of

the most energetic part of the design. The image is supposed

to evoke a feeling of a dramatic fiction movie scene. The

other end of the 3rd floor.

8th Iteration:

Nature, Precedence, Responses to Natural Forces

Objective

Express the design as a frame(bone).

Expand and deepen your perceptual sensitivities;

And power of observation.

Reflection on the 8th IterationBuilding sculptural models is very different from the building the previous ones I have made so far because I can’t rely on the card board any more. There were some new consideration came along with the process such as the firmness, appearance and structure. It was quite a challenge to make a sculpture that is very close to the previous iteration. In this iteration, I had to change the structure of the second floor. I tried to frame a surface that surrounds the core body. Then I added a slope surface to surround the outside of the second floor.

I first didn’t put much

strengthening construction into

the model. However, gradually,

the design started to get fragile.

Then, I realized the importance of

strengthening construction.

The strengthening construction

can be used to not only support

the bodies and walls, but also create

surfaces.

9th Iteration:

Nature, Precedence, Responses to Natural Forces

Objective

Create surfaces on the sculpture.

Create complexity.

Research for exemplary designs that respond to the physical of

site and the forces of nature.

Exemplary Design

This is the Stamp House. A design by the Charles Wright Architects. I choose this exemplary design

because the way it’s hanging above the lake makes me think of the second floor of my design,

which is half hanging and half attaching to the whole design. Based on this exemplary design, I think

my design is suitable for a similar environment, where the second floor can be occupied above a

lake or some similar natural environment. I believe the dynamic of my design will stand out even more

by that.

Reflection on the 9th IterationAdding surfaces to the sculpture is like giving a soul

to the model. With the skins and bones combined, the model produces a sense of complexity and is a lot more interesting than the pure sculptural model, the previous one.

There are two main features that I find especially important to my design:

1) The curved surfaces on the second floor.

• The curved surfaces bring extra dynamic to the

whole model

• It also creates a balance to the third floor, a

stronger relation

2) The openings on the back and the first floor of the model.

• The openings boost the transparency of the

whole model

• It’s kind of like the skin is being tore off so that the

bones become visible

FrustrationThroughout the learning process, there were two frustrating moments that I remember the most:

Failure on controlling foam board.

Because I wanted to add contrast into the

design, I got myself some black foam board.

The foam board is very solid, which is good

for my model. However, at the time I only

had school glue. It was very frustrating that it

takes a lot longer for the glue to get dry on

foam board than on card board.

I overcame the issue by being extremely

patient to pull everything together.

After this iteration, I decided to use black

card board instead.

The second experience of frustration is similar

to the last one because it’s, too, about

handling new materials.

After the lesson of “Skin & Bone”, I was

assigned to create a sculpture of my design. I

decided to use balsa wood to build the

model. However, I didn’t do enough research

before I started. I failed to connect the wood

because of the inappropriate glue I had. As a

result, I fail to meet the deadline of the project

and didn’t have a chance to participant in

the critique session.

After identifying the problem, I immediately

bought a hot glue gun and caught up with

the class.

- The night I spent extra

hours working on the

model because of the

unsuitable glue I had.

- The night I found out school

is totally inappropriate for

wooden materials, no matter

how strong the form is being

created.

An overview of the learning process- first line, 1st-5th (left

to right)- Second line 6th-9th

( right to left)

Conclusion

The process has been very valuable that I’ve gained plenty of knowledge about design and architecture, which I had non knowledge about before taking this class.

In the process, I learned that a good product can not be created in just one night. The key to create good product is the design process. In the process, we ask ourselves series of questions, bring up tons of problems. Then, step by step, we find the solutions for each immediate issue. Eventually, we will end up with a complete, meaningfulness or even best solutions for the questions and problems we’ve been exploring. Therefore, I came to understand that there’s no reason to be afraid before we even start as long as we figure out a way to approach to the problem or issue.

Then, I want to mention the importance of embracing failure I learned from this process. We have to learn to accept criticism. Although criticism does hurt our feelings, when we think about it closely, it is what drives improvement. Listening to criticism also broadens our horizon. We can absorb others’ opinions that we may not have considered and create something beyond our thinking.

The whole process had been quite intense, comparing to other classes. However, after I did some research on what other architecture students outside are doing, I sort of understand the necessity of this hurry. Our instructor is being responsible to push us forward. He really has his reason, and it’s not deniable if we are to compete with the outside world. I’m looking forward to the next half of the semester and the final project.