Project 2 :DSW 4011 > A Whale & Dolphin Research & Observation Centre at Cape Recife, Port Elizabeth...SITE ANALYSIS

2013 Shortlist of the Aga Khan Award: Lycee Francais Charles De Gaulle D...

#PRECEDENT - A Damascus School Revives Traditional Cooling Techniques

#PRECEDENT - A Damascus School Revives Traditional Cooling Techniques - Karim Elgendy

The brief for the design team was to  to develop a campus for the school with a capacity for 900 students ranging from kindergarten to high school. The design team was also tasked to develop a campus that embodies sustainability by using low-technology solutions for ventilation and conditioning of the school spaces, while maintaining the thermal comfort levels required for students in an educational environment.

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Project 2 :DSW 4011 > A Whale & Dolphin Research & Observation Centre at Cape Recife, Port Elizabeth

Context Analysis**

Project 2 :DKP 4011 > 3DS Max

First 3DS Max Render. That Sofa and those cushions though...

Project 3 :DSW 4011 > Sports Pavilion

A few panels from the last DSW presentation. They look a mess at the moment but I'd like to rearrange them for portfolio.

CRITS AND CRITICISM

  

I'm awful at taking criticism. Whether it comes from other people or I'm judging myself, I take constructive criticism too personally. Some interesting articles linked below related  to the topic of crits and criticism.

ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL: CRITS AND CRITICISM
http://www.architecture-wiwik.com/arche-school-crits-and-criticism/

HOW TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO DESIGN CRITISISM

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/10/01/how-to-respond-effectively-to-design-criticism/

AISJ Aquatic Center / Flansburgh Architects

Architects: Flansburgh Architects
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Area: 15,000 sqft
Year: 2012
http://www.archdaily.com/489577/aisj-aquatic-center-flansburgh-architects/

Tom Kundig: Prototypes and Moving Parts

"KINETIC FACADES" Interesting Stuff

Project 3 :DKD 4011 > Marketing/Information Kiosk

BRIEF

You are to design a marketing/information kiosk to be used by one sales person. The kiosk will be used for a product of your choice. The idea is for your client to travel to the big or small centres and transport the kiosk on a trailer or any other suitable means.   The material of choice must be aluminium (we have an annually prize for the best project in aluminium).

MATERIALS

Frame and cladding must be 80% aluminium.
Combination of materials and connections must receive special attention.


THE DESIGN

The kiosk will be used on university campuses all over the country. Your design must be striking and a bit over the top.
The kiosk will sell one brand only. Select your product of choice and use the kiosk to market the item.


RESPONSE

CONCEPT - Ola Kiosk. Profile/ form derived from that of an ice lolly. I think the sketches are pretty self explanatory. Thought I had a winner, but No. The design is not B-tech standard. I was told at crit that the scale of my proposal is too way too small and simple. It needs to be more extravagant or as the brief puts it, "Over the Top".    

Glowing trees could be used "instead of street lighting"

http://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/24/movie-sxsw-daan-roosegarde-glow-in-dark-trees/

http://www.dezeen.com/2014/03/24/movie-sxsw-daan-roosegarde-glow-in-dark-trees/

Project 1 :DKD 4011 > Green Elevation Treatment

INTRODUCTION

The brief requires the re-design of the existing west elevation of the BTech computer lab and staff offices.

AIM

This assignment forms a very important part of your DSW document and the student is required to show the application of his research analysis clearly. The research and precedent studies for this assignment will assist you with your second semester DSW project.

BRIEF

The existing elevation treatment makes use of horizontal concrete louvers to shade the glass. This approach, although successful in keeping direct sunlight & heat out obstruct the view.

The BAS studio to east of the BTech studio requires more cross ventilation and will be part of the problem.

Study existing building examples and by removing the horizontal concrete louvers of the NMMU building, re-design the West elevation to improve the following:

·         Ventilation (both BTech lab & BAS studio)

·         Improve the view without allowing direct sunlight into the lab.

·         Reflect natural light into the BAS studio (not compulsory). 

THE DESIGN

The existing concrete louvers may be replaced with sliding, pivoting, tilting and horizontal or vertical louvers.

The existing system fulfils one function but the new system will have to meet the following criteria:

·         Provide shading (check sun angles, time duration of direct sunlight)

·         Allow natural light and some unobstructed view

·         Create stack effect to assist ventilation

·         Reflect natural light to space behind CAD lab.

MY RESPONSE

Concept Sketch -  My first crit did not go too well. I had some components which were unnecessary. 

Section Through Light Duct, Floor Plan with Duct Layout & Elevation. 

Section Though Vertical Fins

Model. My light duct worked effectively. My chimney also worked but very slowly...

Section Through Thermal Chimney. Still needs to be resolved. # Crit did NOT go well. Lecturer felt that my chimney was not appropriately sealed and also my chimney does not effectively implement/accommodate high pressure to low pressure pressure systems...basically my flue needs to get smaller and smaller the higher up it climbs to encourage hot air to travel upwards at a more accelerated rate.

Project 1 :DUD 4011 - URBAN DESIGN > LIFE ON THE STREET - urban design seminars

"BRIEF INTRODUCTION
"The format for lectures for the first part of the semester will be a series of seminars prepared and presented by the students in groups of 2.

THE TOPICS
It is important to understand the role that the following individuals have played in urban design in the late 20th century. Some of their work  continues to influence and is still very topical. The following personalities and their influence need to be discussed:

JANE JACOBS
KEVIN LYNCH
GORDON CULLEN
DONALD APPLEYARD
JAN GEHL
CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER"

My presentation was on Christian Alexander. He is a very interesting man and he has some captivating views on urban planning and the built environment.

Alexander is often overlooked or even despised by the mainstream architectural community because his work intentionally disregards contemporary urbanist dialogue and he showed that urbanists became anti-urbanists especially after the Second World War.

Alexander’s work is said to be a beacon illuminating a way to make the world more robust, beautiful, and kind. His approach to urban planning is a holistic one which implies a “from the grass-roots” method and which suggests that beautiful urban forms can come about only through a process that is meaningful to people.

Project 1 :DKP 4 > Autocad/ Revit Rendering

Our first  DKP project required us to draw up a suitable interior scene selected from a book , or publication in 3D using Autocad or Revit or Sketchup. Once the scene was drawn we then had to add light and materials and render the model in Autocad or Revit to as closely as possible resemble the chosen image.

ORIGINAL/REAL IMAGE

I chose the above image for this project. It had unique lighting elements as required in the brief such as the suspended downlights, lighting elements that are tucked away in bulkheads to reflect on the ceiling  an wall surfaces that surround them. I also liked how there was some differentiation in the colour/render in lighting in the room; the play between warmer/incadescent with cooler/flourescent and daylight that poures in through the window.

1st RENDER - MEDIUM QUALITY

I modelled my entire scene on sketchup and exported it to autocad. I had to work on my lighting. On the real image the atmosphere is much warmer whereas on mine, it's cooler. Trying to get daylight to seep in through the blinds was hard. The bulkhead lighting is much warmer on the real image and the shadow contrast is too much on my imitation image. The kitchen furniture surfaces also need to reflect more.

PRESENTATION