-- Reinhold Niebuhr
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Monday, 30 August 2010
Too many words on buses
"Test drive today"
"Call this number"
...and it doesn't stop there; if you want to use a tin of paint, a ladder or a slice of bread, it comes with a set of instructions and conditions
would you adam'n'eve it?
People who use ladders, paint, bread etc know which way up it goes, they don't need to study law for nine years before they can understand the concept!
If I really can't figure out how to operate my ladder I can ask a person who uses one or buy an instruction manual seperately and keep it in the bottom drawer underneath all the old tablecloths, carrier bags and disused batteries or in my library of books where there is no danger of it distracting me from my task of painting the soffits and facia boards.
when I want to turn right at a busy junction my attention must be here and now - in the present - actually happening, not trying to read the bus - back at school - recall the alphabet - in the supermarket - mortgages - or down the test drive centre, that's insane, how can anyone possibly concentrate with all that nonsense going on. No wonder there are so many silly accidents on the roads....
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Building for Health at RIBA Headquarters
This is to me a very interesting resource, showing how information may be conveyed....
Also on display in the building is a stunning image of St Pancras Station,
Ernest Neto, exhibition at the Haywood Gallery
Mostly made from nylon stretched over plywood shapes, secured to the wall, ceiling and held to the floor by packets of sand.
The following images are taken from one long tunnel which snakes round the whole area of about 600m². The first two below show the area above, just below the ceiling, viewed from atop a step ladder.
....A sculpture and some quite nice scenery from the top of the SBAC....
In my view this image of the Oxo Tower is too much of a comprimise. A far superior composition may be seen from another balcony; but a baby dressed as a security guard with nothing better to do told me I wasn't allowed to take the picture from that place....
....Which makes me think I'll have to be a bit surreptitious next time. ;)
Small Spaces, exhibition at the V&A Museum
This made an enjoyable day out and an interesting follow up to project 103 which was based on designing homes in left over city space.
I saw an aluminium tower with rooms seperated by curtains on many levels; a lean to style woodshed formed of the large timber joints that you would expect to see only in the shed's corners, these were held together by a long threaded bolt going the entire length of the structure; a funny kind of shelter made from bowed strips of wood supported by tree trunks....
....Here are some of my favourites....
Terunobu Fujimori's 'Beetle's House'
The wood was charred with a blow torch, suprisingly this actually helps to preserve the structure.
Reconstruction of narrow living spaces between architecture in Mumbai....
I am most impressed at the amount of different spaces contained within this L-shpaed confinement.
Sou Fujimoto's 'Inside/Outside Tree'
The entire transparent structure is made from acrylic shaped sheets held together with cable ties. At first it is hard to notice any entrance, then on closer inspection you can realise that some of the panels are open forming various sized pockets!
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Easter holiday anyone....?....
So this is the start of a three week break from trains, tutors and lots of generally busy people whizzing about, but as Micheal rightly says "not a rest."
Almost a week since my last morning at uni yet all I've managed to achieve so far is find an up to date building for my history comparison and repair, sorry 're-do' two pages of drawings for 103, Parkour Competitor's Dwelling at the aptly named "Elephant Centre," itself hindered by my .3 pencil getting in a sulk with me.
Well then,
Have you ever tried telling your landlady that you have things you would - rather be getting on with other than paying your way. My advice is try it once if you're brave, or suicidal, enough then just bite the bullet and do what you can....
More on this later. Thanks for reading my old nonsense.
Almost a week since my last morning at uni yet all I've managed to achieve so far is find an up to date building for my history comparison and repair, sorry 're-do' two pages of drawings for 103, Parkour Competitor's Dwelling at the aptly named "Elephant Centre," itself hindered by my .3 pencil getting in a sulk with me.
Well then,
- still to do: complete the third and fourth drawings, on one A2 and have a crack at a nice perspective drawing, on another,
- 105 Villa Shodhan section drawing:squeeze on inset plans of each floor, 1:200 or something,
- Also 105: struggle on with modelling mechanisation, can't get to grips with PhotoShop, I would appreciate any help with this one, thanks,
- Catch up on my journal on the history lectures,
- I have gladly made inroads with my essay of architectural history compared, but desperately need to get back on it,
- And lo and behold if I can find a way to tackle 104 The Eco-friendly Build of four units,
Have you ever tried telling your landlady that you have things you would - rather be getting on with other than paying your way. My advice is try it once if you're brave, or suicidal, enough then just bite the bullet and do what you can....
More on this later. Thanks for reading my old nonsense.
Word Verification bit - disabled. Well I don't know, maybe the sites owners deem it necessary, in order to prevent evil minded servers dumping truckloads of corrupted data on their equipmentComments welcome!!
Monday, 8 February 2010
Cabanon, Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier's summer retreat, located on the French, Mediterianian coast was the only building he ever designed for his own use. All of the funishings were built into this minimalist design which does not include a kitchen. There was no need for one as his friends resturaunt happened to be located beside the site. The use of a light wood interior and plenty of ventilation makes this place seem spacious.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Rhino Project
Since using this software for a little over three months, now seems a good time to compare with Solidworks which I have used previously.
Both kinds of 3-D design software operating quite differently from each other. The first, Solidworks, allows creations to remain in a state of flux so calculations relating to a series of forms and spaces may be easily changed in view, distances can be entered as formulae devised from existing measurements within the project.
A form in Solidworks is built by first of all making a two dimensional sketch. In the 2-D sketch lines and points fit one of three descriptions: under defined, shown in green; fully defined, shown in black or over defined, shown in red. Under defined parameters maybe constrained fully defined parts of the sketch or sketch origin making them fully defined or related to other undefined parts or just left in this state of flux.
If a line, curve or point has conflicting definitions it is over defined and the software will not allow it to be extruded into a form. If measurements or relations that parts depend upon are deleted or drastically altered, then the line or point which depends upon it is said to be dangling and shows in green.
A form may be extruded perpendicularly with or without the inclusion of a draft angle of up to three decimal places applied to it or revolved from a sketch. Further sketches may be drawn onto or offset from any surface of any form. An array of tools and options are available, giving rise to all manner of creation.
Forms may be saved as parts then built up into assemblies by relating points, edges, surfaces, etc. to each other.
The software includes a varied database of renders to give a final finished effect. On the whole, after the initial head scratching period, I found this software very easy to use.
The finished article may be printed as drawings with chosen measurements shown, as a variety of fixed views for example front, left, right, rear, top, bottom, isometric, dimetric or trimetric, or rotated to any position from a fixed perspective.
Rhino on the other hand requires that clear definitions in terms of X, Y & Z are made from the outset and alterations are not so permissable, although parts may be constructed then combined and moved together or seperately, but again only in terms of X, Y & Z As far as I can tell there is no way to reference Part A to Part B and formulae can not be used, for example, a piece of funiture can not be set to reference other parts in the project the only way to reference any part is in terms of X, Y, & Z with respect to the origin, so you have to know where the parts are in order to reference other parts to them. The split screen facility is absolutley essential to this end.
I do think this is a cheap alternative, however, once you get used to it Rhino is quite a versitile program. The point of perspective may be altered to give much more realistic views and I found that adding renders was very simple.
Both kinds of 3-D design software operating quite differently from each other. The first, Solidworks, allows creations to remain in a state of flux so calculations relating to a series of forms and spaces may be easily changed in view, distances can be entered as formulae devised from existing measurements within the project.
A form in Solidworks is built by first of all making a two dimensional sketch. In the 2-D sketch lines and points fit one of three descriptions: under defined, shown in green; fully defined, shown in black or over defined, shown in red. Under defined parameters maybe constrained fully defined parts of the sketch or sketch origin making them fully defined or related to other undefined parts or just left in this state of flux.
If a line, curve or point has conflicting definitions it is over defined and the software will not allow it to be extruded into a form. If measurements or relations that parts depend upon are deleted or drastically altered, then the line or point which depends upon it is said to be dangling and shows in green.
A form may be extruded perpendicularly with or without the inclusion of a draft angle of up to three decimal places applied to it or revolved from a sketch. Further sketches may be drawn onto or offset from any surface of any form. An array of tools and options are available, giving rise to all manner of creation.
Forms may be saved as parts then built up into assemblies by relating points, edges, surfaces, etc. to each other.
The software includes a varied database of renders to give a final finished effect. On the whole, after the initial head scratching period, I found this software very easy to use.
The finished article may be printed as drawings with chosen measurements shown, as a variety of fixed views for example front, left, right, rear, top, bottom, isometric, dimetric or trimetric, or rotated to any position from a fixed perspective.
Rhino on the other hand requires that clear definitions in terms of X, Y & Z are made from the outset and alterations are not so permissable, although parts may be constructed then combined and moved together or seperately, but again only in terms of X, Y & Z As far as I can tell there is no way to reference Part A to Part B and formulae can not be used, for example, a piece of funiture can not be set to reference other parts in the project the only way to reference any part is in terms of X, Y, & Z with respect to the origin, so you have to know where the parts are in order to reference other parts to them. The split screen facility is absolutley essential to this end.
I do think this is a cheap alternative, however, once you get used to it Rhino is quite a versitile program. The point of perspective may be altered to give much more realistic views and I found that adding renders was very simple.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Stair Project
A long winding pergola over a raised walkway located at Inverforth House public garden sets the scene for this project....
Measurements were taken and drawings of the existing structure were produced.
The requirement is a stair from the raised walkway to the garden and then to the lower forest level with the inclusion of a "21st Century nymphaum"
Such a thing seems somewhat parodoxical to me. However I have decided to use the image of the fairy toadstool, the sort of thing found by Alice in CS Lewis' popular story, in my design.
The toadstools are to be connected by occasional steps in groups of four. The lowest group of four steps gives access to a circular raised bed within the formal garden, steps in groups of three connect this to the forest.
Measurements were taken and drawings of the existing structure were produced.
The requirement is a stair from the raised walkway to the garden and then to the lower forest level with the inclusion of a "21st Century nymphaum"
Such a thing seems somewhat parodoxical to me. However I have decided to use the image of the fairy toadstool, the sort of thing found by Alice in CS Lewis' popular story, in my design.
The toadstools are to be connected by occasional steps in groups of four. The lowest group of four steps gives access to a circular raised bed within the formal garden, steps in groups of three connect this to the forest.
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