In consideration to my theme, provoking
perceptions, I created a 3D model of a Hindu Temple and a floor model on Google
Sketch Up to confirm navigation throughout the temple itself.
I started by looking into exposed structures as this was the most
obvious form of creating perception within something; it is open to the world so
that it can be seen through. I was heavily influenced by structures like the Cubierta de El Molinete
by Amann (Canovas y Maruri) in Spain and Cloud Cities by Tomas Saraceno. My research
led me to understand how the positioning of a structure creates a major
difference in the final outcome. I then began looking into forms of
manipulating light and how this affects perception on the atmosphere (I did
this with the book, ‘Questions
of perception’ by Holl, Pallasmaa and Perez-Gomez). Then
I moved onto human movement, looking at artists like William Anastasi’s ‘Subway
Drawings’ and after that, the organic elements within architecture through Andy
Goldsworthy.
After looking into different
ways society can influence architecture, I finally chose to design a temple as
religion is one of the most significant agencies of change. I found a client (a
local Hindu charity organisation) and attended their actual prayer events to
hand out questionnaires to understand their preferences (design wise) and what
they required.
Through development I
combined three subthemes together; light and conceptualism, exposure and
geometric designs, as well as repetition.
My final outcome in relation to my
original project proposal differs in terms of to which extent the interior of
the structure was made exposed to the general public. After deciding my brief,
I had to structure my proposal to fit around my brief, so for a religious scene
a more closed off and secluded design was required. I used Hindu symbolism and manipulation
of light to introduce new ways of allowing the interior to be exposed.
I used my sketchbook, blog, initial FMP
plan and feedback from teachers as well as my peers to evaluate the progress of
my project every week. These tools have helped me to develop my work intensely
as they have provided me with a step by step guide to my final outcome. Through
my plan I kept track of time and made sure everything was done accordingly. My blog
helped me with annotations and gave me a clearer view towards the final product
as it was a lot more precise than my sketchbook. Nevertheless, my sketchbook
has been the most significant tool out of the above; here I recorded everything,
from existing research to small sketches of ideas, this method let me explore
my ideas visually all together helping me to generate new ones. It was an at
hand tool. Also, through the annotation in my sketchbook I explained my ideas
and how areas linked together.
Through all these methods combined, I
was able to see where I went wrong and which areas I was strongest in
throughout my FMP. I used this information to work through problematic areas to
perfect my design for the final outcome.
These are the
targets which I made at the start of the FMP. I have met all of them, although
some took longer than others. This has taught me to plan my time more carefully
and responsibly.
- Create a final model which is sufficient and
looks professional.
- Incorporate the research into my work.
- Create a finished project which reflects and links back to my project proposal.
As my project was based on perceptions
and influences, I took the main symbol of Hinduism, ॐ, and incorporated that into the layout of
the final model. Similar to structures like the BBC studio it provides an image
from bird’s eye view of what the building’s original function is. Also, through
experimentation I have found light to be a fascinating and innovative
development tool. Each new flare creates a spontaneous change to the structure
and so I incorporated this into my design as well. The shadows and highlights can
be perceived in many different ways so this links in very well with my project
proposal. Through experimentation I tried to maintain a link between a
conceptual design and a functional structure.
The first
time I tried to create the final piece the structure broke apart after a few
hours. I used plywood which was also hard to cut. On my second attempt, I was
able to deduce a way of curving the wood so that it would not break apart like
the first time.
Also, the
perforated card I used for the roof at first was white; this did not allow light
through well, the colour blended in with the shine, I replaced it with a black
piece instead which helped contrast the shine and darkness together, allowing
the light to show up brighter.
Throughout my tutorials I was told to
experiment more into things which related to everyday human interaction as my
idea was so heavily based on the mind and how individuals in society are affected.
When talking about what I was designing, my tutors told me to try to design
something which was more close to my own experiences as it would help me to
look more deeply into the project and my analysis would be stronger. Also it
would help me to answer the question from my project proposal, ‘how does the
exterior take away personality from the architect.’
To improve my FMP I would really focus
on my time management skills as I think due to time I was unable to add as many
things as I wanted to. Also, I should have used Harvard referencing after every
image so that I would not have to repeat all of it at the end, which furthermore
made me lose time.
Through this FMP my model making skills
have improved a lot, I have also improved in Photoshop. Before I was not able
to apply elements from existing structures into my own and experiment to
develop my ideas but now I am able to do that a lot more easily and this has
really helped me in terms of moving my work along faster and producing more
work in short amounts of time. Photoshop is a vital skill to have in the design
industry as it helps you to attain the type of model and image you want. It especially
came in handy when I had to add scale to my models and put my final model into
location. I also used Photoshop to manipulate a lot of my experimental models. These skills will help me next year in degree
level architecture as I will be able to create better models faster and alter
them to my satisfaction using Photoshop.
Next year I plan to be studying BA Architecture
at Kent University.
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