Science Center Prototype [Archive]

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 05:02

Mambo,

Thanks for posting your work, but if you want to receive a proper feedback from the other members please edit your first post and add the minimum required INFO (http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2747).

Welcome to the forum.:cheers:

Okay hello again everyone.
And I hope I wouldn't just be showing off some graphics then.
This work was my final studio work in my campus.. The aim was to design a science center with speciality on basic science.
What I was trying to do was designing a building with symbolic ideas, which is to translate character of 3 entities: solid, liquid and gas into the anatomy of elevation and the plan. This is the graphic showing padat (solid entity) as a container for cair (liquid entity) and gas entity.

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 05:08

And then, the solid entity as a container will contain liquid and gas entity, mostly will be the character presented in plan anatomy. While in the elevation anatomy, will present as character, but not shown as container and content.

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 05:25

Finally, I came with a plan design like this one.
The character of the 3 entities are;
- solid; represented in line character as stable, using 90 and 45 degrees corners.
- liquid; represented in line character as flowing, continuity
- gas; represented in line character as unpredictable edges and spatial forms

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 05:33

In the elevation anatomy, the concept should be clearer. This is the front elevation

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 05:36

The representation of solid entity in front elevation. As you can see, the lines show the character of 'stability' to represent solidity.

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 05:40

This is the representation of liquid entity, the character of 'liquid' is shown in continuous lines, and 'flowing' lines

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 05:44

And then the representation of gas entity.. shown by unpredictable character of lines

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 05:48

:P

And then... I'm waiting for more response now. Is there anything about the concept I should explain? Before I submit other perspectives.

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:13

First of all sorry for the late writing, I have to say I'm really happy to find such a positive forum to join ... I havent even a week in pushpullbar so pardon me if I seem to be a little shy to show my work. But then I see more other works being discussed and I feel that I'm glad to meet you guys. Especially because we can share my thoughts and more... Unfortunately this project has been done and all we can do is just discussing the traces of my thoughts. I think I will share the concept completely in this forum.

This design was to answer some issue in my country as developing country, we should have more science centers. Children in elementary and junior high school supposed to have a place where they can find out more about science because they don't have complete laboratory tools, computer machines, and hands on learning devices. Not only that, adult visitors are encouraged to visit (adults in here are sometimes don't have higher education than junior high school). This facility serve provincial area.

To increase appreciation from local students in the city, I should consider to attract them and people in the city with a building that is not similar with traditional buildings. I have to create something new and unique.

Therefore, the quality of the design is pointed to making show in facade, using geometrical forms. I grab the idea from the substance of science, which is to learn the nature of materials, that consist of 3 entities; solid, liquid and gas.

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:16

The site wasn't so easy to work on, because of the strange shape. But I think I've done my best for the site work.
I worked the project in several stages, the first was making concepts, took me a few week while doing on modelling. That time I used AutoCad and... I wish I knew skethup earlier.

This was the time of enjoyment in the designing, although it was also exhausting. I draw and draw sketches everyday, millions of them to catch whatever ideas coming in. Not bad,... I came up with a very much sculptural building.

This is the first modelling using Autocad and Max.
(sorry, the file was damaged. I couldn't find the better ones)

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:19

another view of design in process

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:24

This was the plan

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:27

The first stage of designing made me think more about designs, I wasn't so sure about it (the shape) and the connection with the interior spaces, because there is a half circular space that having a problem with sunshading etc.. because the site heading westward. And then I was setting back my design to one of my sketch idea and come up with these.

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:30

another view

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:31

another one

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:35

And after reviewing and completing all the required dimensions, I came up with the final one. I'll make these pictures in sequencial order so that you will understand more.

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:38

moving rightward

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:45

moving rightward

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:48

seeing more

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:52

moving rightward again

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:55

This is the view of the entrance to multifunction exhibition hall

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:56

After that, seeing from the reversed direction

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 14:57

and heading leftward,seeing the whole complex

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 15:00

Right now it's clearer

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 15:02

There, and back again

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 15:03

Well, that's it I guess

I can now resting from uploading so many images :cheers:

beratulang

02-08-2006, 15:09

Your explanation of your design process is akin to your username: mumbo jumbo! Can't correlate your idea of the various states of matter to the eventual concept.

An idea is an idea, it generates your design concept, but and idea cannot be a concept in itself.

I can't read the process that transforms your thoughts into a building.

How did you derive the shape of a 'solid'? Or 'liquid'? Or 'gas'?

I mean, solid can be any shape. The big difference between these 3 states that any matter can exist in, is the density and energy content in the matter.

How is density and energy concentration/dispersion/flow rate/flow direction used in your concept analysis?

At the moment the project looks arbitrary at best. The completed floor plan does not in any way reflect any irregularity, as you said, to represent gas. It is in fact so practically thought out that it looks like the floor plan was developed separately from the elevations, there's no relationship between the two.

What about spatial quality? Architecture is about space as much as it is about forms.

The 3 states of matter, solid, liquid and gas, is as much about the way matter occupies space and relates to space, as it is about the form that it takes. In fact, liquid and gas doesn't have any form of its own. They are largely shaped by the container they fill up. In other words, how does the immediate loci, the environment, the neighbourhood, the site conditions and restrictions, affect and inform your spatial and formal design?

Were the basic principles above given a place in your decision making?

digdoi

02-08-2006, 15:12

Mambo,

Thanks a lot for posting the additional info.
I'll take a closer look on your project later, but at a first sight:
Your solid/liquid/gas concept is very interesting, but you talked only about forms and none about materials. What's the building materials? How these relate to your concept?
I also would like to have a better view of the plan (there's only one?) and what's going on inside the building.

beratulang

02-08-2006, 15:22

More thoughts:

Does the charatheristics/properties of each state of being help you in developing the programme of the science center?

Does the way each molecule/atom behaves affect your circulation flow/ programmatic sequence/ location of specific activities?

Is there any parallel study on human/molecular activity, in terms of similarities and diversities?

Lots more, if you care to throw your ideas at the forum for discussion. Quite a 'wow' project this has the potential to become - regardless of whether your final project's been submitted already - after all, projects are about our development as designers, not about grades - well, not entirely, anyway.

SWANK-E

02-08-2006, 15:34

what i really don't get is the sense of urbanity or any kind of context. how does this building relate to the street and the context? how are people meant to use the spaces around your building?

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 16:02

An idea is an idea, it generates your design concept, but and idea cannot be a concept in itself.
I mean, solid can be any shape. The big difference between these 3 states that any matter can exist in, is the density and energy content in the matter.
At the moment the project looks arbitrary at best. The completed floor plan does not in any way reflect any irregularity, as you said, to represent gas. It is in fact so practically thought out that it looks like the floor plan was developed separately from the elevations, there's no relationship between the two.
The 3 states of matter, solid, liquid and gas, is as much about the way matter occupies space and relates to space, as it is about the form that it takes. In fact, liquid and gas doesn't have any form of its own. They are largely shaped by the container they fill up. In other words, how does the immediate loci, the environment, the neighbourhood, the site conditions and restrictions, affect and inform your spatial and formal design?

Were the basic principles above given a place in your decision making?

Thank you very much for your replies... :)
I use these 'theme' in the building to certain aspects only, which is the plan and the elevation, about how people behave (moving) inside the building, there's nothing to do with the theme.

My project is to bottomline these aspect, due to the purpose to attract visitors. About the irregularity of gas in the plan, I did it inside the part with circle. It might be not shown here in the site plan, but it's inside the interior, the curved lines insice give the visitors a sense of unpredictable vista.

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 16:08

what i really don't get is the sense of urbanity or any kind of context. how does this building relate to the street and the context? how are people meant to use the spaces around your building?

:D
Yes, ... (maybe i got a homework now, I'm in internet cafe), I will discuss this later. Maybe I should show the condition of the street and how it relate to the street.

beratulang

02-08-2006, 16:16

Thank you very much for your replies... :)
I use these 'theme' in the building to certain aspects only, which is the plan and the elevation, about how people behave (moving) inside the building, there's nothing to do with the theme.

you call that a well thought and well integrated design? Deliberately omiting programme from the concept, in favor of the external form. What drove you to make such a decision?

Users of a building, often laypeople, don't understand architecrual theory etc. but they can often tell if a building's a good building or not. There's a sub concious attempt to connect the experience of space and visual form.

Have you sought out and developed your concept thoroughly enough?

mambo-jambo

02-08-2006, 16:19

Mambo,

Your solid/liquid/gas concept is very interesting, but you talked only about forms and none about materials. What's the building materials? How these relate to your concept?

The building materials for the exterior was mostly white or grey wall and the concept was mostly applied in line forms. Inside, I used
- rough material like stones to represent the character of 'heavy' and massive solid entity
- water pools inside the area representing liquid entity
- while the gas, represented in clean-look walls and the use of some floating thin materials like plastic that is moving in some way to represent the presence of 'moving air'

But sorry again, since I did the project last year, I might have lost some files showing the interiors. I will try to find it again

beratulang

02-08-2006, 16:21

My project is to bottomline these aspect, due to the purpose to attract visitors. About the irregularity of gas in the plan, I did it inside the part with circle. It might be not shown here in the site plan, but it's inside the interior, the curved lines insice give the visitors a sense of unpredictable vista.

There's more inconsistency in your explanation of the project than in the project itself. Given that your bottom line is to create a visual attraction. One look at your renders tell me that the entirety of the complex is a solid. The 'gaseous' part of your building isn't so gaseous in 3d.

The way you render them without outlines, smudging the shadows and planes, making the whole building unreadable, doesn't help to identify the different 'forms' of solid, liquid and gas.

There's just not enough of convincing evidence in your renders to justify your written concept ideas.

digdoi

02-08-2006, 19:27

One look at your renders tell me that the entirety of the complex is a solid.

Exactly. That's why I asked about the materials. Just the forms are not enough to translate your concept properly. Solid/liquid/gas is much more about materality than shape. Think about the way we perceive the three...

mambo-jambo

03-08-2006, 05:46

Exactly. That's why I asked about the materials. Just the forms are not enough to translate your concept properly. Solid/liquid/gas is much more about materality than shape. Think about the way we perceive the three...

I hope the last message from me can explain that I use material more in the inside. This is because I was trying to reduce the cost to put so much material outside. Generally, this kind of building will be overbudget already for the Government.

beratulang

03-08-2006, 09:49

I hope the last message from me can explain that I use material more in the inside. This is because I was trying to reduce the cost to put so much material outside. Generally, this kind of building will be overbudget already for the Government.

A classic case of cost vs design

Exactly why archi students are encouraged to try not to think of cost implications too much during design exploration at school. Otherwise we'll never be able to train our brains to think the way a good designer should think.

I'm not saying that budget necessarily hinders good design. Lots of fantastic designs are born out of necessity, solving lots of technical and financial problems along the way. It takes lots of thought. Lots. That's what I find lacking in this project.

No money is no excuse to not go the extra mile in thinking about how to better express our thoughts in built form. Having no materials on a building is impossible - you got to have SOMETHING - plaster, facing bricks, fairface concrete, polished cement, etc. Substituting titanium cladding with something else that still gets the message across, is a solution. Ignoring the issue, which digdoi so rightly pointed out, isn't a solution.

This can be potentially an exciting project. Why stop it from becoming what it wants to be? Was cost a criteria in your grading system?

mambo-jambo

04-08-2006, 07:45

The thing that I was thinking in the design process was to attract the visitors with geometrical shapes, instead of materials, and this might be the choice that I made, because I did plan to propose the building to the local government and budget was always a factor.

I really want to know wether this design concept and application are acceptable in other countries, I'd like to know ... And if you were me, what will you think when designing in such 3 entities theme concept? Will the result be the same like mine? What will you do to apply symbolism?

I will have another project for the next 3-4 months. you will find it in ongoing process trheads.

beratulang

04-08-2006, 16:19

Every project has a budget.:confused:

GOvernment projects happen to have the bigger budgets! hahahaha :cheers:

seriously though, when we say consider materials, we don't mean that you should think of using Italian marble.:eek:

What we meant was that you should think of the way materials will affect users of your buildings, just as your shapes would. Color and textures are VERY important. Again i don't mean that you must have a lot of it. All i'm saying is that you should THINK about these things. THINK. Not ignore.:bang head

mambo-jambo

14-08-2006, 12:08

I kinda question Beratulang's intention to make the critics on my work... Do you want to design the building yourself??

You seem to know it better than I do about everything. Who said my work has to be like what you said? Don't I have the right to interpret the situation surround my work to gain the result I want? It's a matter of choice.

you have to learn more on economical map of the world. I'm not in USA

Kristov Krusjev

14-08-2006, 15:33

Mambo-jambo, don't take Beratulang's critic to personally, he's just trying to help and he makes some good points. They way things work with critique is that some things you take into consideration and some things you choose to ignore. Now that you have posted your project here in the forum, everyones entitled to an opinion. You should be glad that Beratulang is willing to devote his time to give you his opinion, it is then up to you if you agree or not with him.
I for one like your idea of the three states of materials and I think you can work that into a great concept. But I agree with digdoi and beratulang that you can further enhance and strengthen your concept with both forms AND materials. There is a great thread about Peter Zumthors Thermal Baths at Vals (http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=378&highlight=vals) where you can see how the materials play a big part in the architecture. Also on that thread you can see how important it is to do good renderings if you want to convey your ideas. You maybe blinded a little by your insight into what you want to be doing that you don't see that you are not conveying that in your renderings. The renderings run together and become a little obscure. If you really want to get across what you are trying to do you'll have to work a little on your 3d model and renderings.
Keep up the good work.

mambo-jambo

15-08-2006, 04:33

Krusjev, thank you, sorry for this misunderstanding. I have read Beratulang's posts, and I have to say, I agree with him in some ideas. but it was my choice to use some limitation in my design instead of other limitation i had.
you too, Beratulang. Thanks for your replies, I'm opened wide to discuss this with you again

fathul

16-09-2006, 16:31

hi there, i've just browse through the discussion just now and it seems quite interesting. The same points rosed up beratulang and digdoi are definitely true. And indeed it was a crutial points. With all the pics u posted, we still cant imagine how the spaces inside. Without specification on the materials, it hard to say what sort of ambience people might have while having a walk through ur design. Certain material does give difference on the texture. Dont limit urself on having some materials coz sometimes the materials do make huge different on the design that make the price worth it. Unless u overdone with the materials, the budget is out of question.

And without a proper introduction on the context, what kind of view is actually xeperienced by the users. And again for the concept, it is not all shown in the elevation nor in the plans. A strong concept should be able to be understood with a little discription and should be portrait to the entire design. If it is only u urself alone understand the concept then there is no meaning at all. Coz we design spaces for the occupants, layments, not for architects.

Stijn

16-09-2006, 17:11

I have to agree with all the critiques posted here too. You got a good idea that can evolve into some great concept, yet you choose to limit the idea into working out some chaotic façade.
Try to take distance from your own project, and look at it the way we do. WHen I first saw your renderings, I saw something completely different than when I read the text accomanying those visuals; and I must say, I like neither of them.

What I like is the idea, but it's a pity that you don't do much with it. Perhaps you should have simplified the whole things, because I think it has become too complex to read the concept of it straight from the views - and even when you got the text too, it's still some job to get to understand what you have done to get there.