First of all, I'm sorry for not keeping you updated for the past one-quarter of the year. Work is getting hectically chaotic; fun is definitely ineluctable. So, I am going to blog about my work life and also my social life since I returned back to this gloomy depressing yet happening London.
I'll start with work.
AA in my 1st year passed vaguely. First year was definitely stressful. But not in the last three months of the academic year. I would blame the warm summer weather and Hyde park for that. I used to jog and take naps at Hyde Park during weekends. YES, a nap! It was so reposeful, I just didn't want to leave the place.
Anyway, I'll fast forward 3 months from Hyde Park. Back to school, the system AA works is that even though you passed your current year, you are not officially accepted into the next year, yet. One would have to attend an interview session, by choosing the preferred unit of your choice. So, this is like selecting the type of interest one wants to specialize in for the year ahead.
The AA divides its school into 3 categories. First year, Intermediate School and Diploma School. I'll leave out Masters Programme for now. So, first year are for new comers. Intermediate Schools are for second and third years. Diploma Schools are for fourth and fifth years. There are about 10 Intermediate Units and 10 Diploma units.
Crits at the AA
I am now in Intermediate Unit 8 (Inter8), known to be one of the toughest unit among all intermediate schools. Basically, it was only me and James Chung from Korea, both of us from first year 07/08, who managed to enter Inter8. The other classmates are new students and third years. James was so excited he hurrayed real loud after knowing that he is accepted into inter8.
My unit's blog is www.aa-inter8.net
We upload our works constantly, so do stalk us at our blog to check out some real cool stuff..hah.
To view our works, simply click on our names.
There I am, first one on the site.
Inter8 consists of only 5 girls. That's sad and you know why? being one of the hardest unit at the AA, I guess the girls are not up for it, to suffer...ha ha
And just to give you an idea of how serious inter8 people are.
There are only 3 people in inter8 who has a facebook account!
Inter8 people
Even Omar from 5th year told me this.
"yheu-shen, heard you are in inter8 now. My advise is to contact all your friends and tell them that you will only see them in July 2009."
HA HA...
Inter 8 is a unit which focuses on parametric architecture, taught by American Eugene Han and Chris Yoo. Computational skills are highly vital in this unit. If I may say... I am sort of relieved that literally we dont even have to do a single hand-drawing for the whole year.
Parametric Urbanism
We are designing a dam this year, and our site is the Hoover Dam in Vegas. So, I'll be heading to Vegas and LA from the 5th till 13th of December.
A dam is basically just a concrete wall, which acts as a barrier to perform various functions depending on the site and purpose. Purposes of a dam include providing water for irrigation, improving nagivation systems, creating reservoir, generating hydroelectric power and creating habitat for wildlife and flood control etc.
But is that all it can do? Can a dam does something else?
Our unit questions the definition of a dam and has the ambition to redefine a dam.
Can a dam be a space? a hotel? An underwater resort?
How can we improve the social aspects of the dam? For example, the government of China had to destroy the homes of its people, in order to build the famous Three Gorgeous Dam in China.
Since, millions are spent for designing an awfully thick monumental wall, why not do something else with this wall, that hasn't been done before, architecturally.
Dam has always been a civil and structural engineer's job, due to the lack on focus architecturally on dams.
Eugene(My Unit Master) kept emphasizing that we are not engineers.
We are Architects!
So our emphasize in design has a limit. We have to keep it clean and we leave the dirty jobs to engineers.
Boy, they look real pissed.
Fortunately, I have the luxury to use Imperial College's library. They have the best books on dams.
I usually spend my weekends in Imperial's library, researching about dams and also refresh my knowledge on hydraulic pressure and fluid dynamics.
Well, this is not surprising considering the fact that dam has always been a civil engineer's job.
But yeah, thanks to Hehn,I would say that most of the good books on dams available in imperial is GONE.
I think I "loan" about 8 books from the library, and still counting.
So, who says I cannot enter Imperial to study huh?
Fyi, AA is still my love.
Okay, on dam project.
The brief was handed out a month ago, my first focus was how the functionality of sticks can be maximized in a dam.
In a triangulated truss, forces are being transfered three-dimensionally and also towards gravity. Thus, a three-dimensional module was designed in order to respond and to accommodate various changes in a trussed system.
Typically for an arch dam, the base are thick and the crest are thin. This is due to water pressure increase proportionally with depth of the water.
Thus, the intention was to study how wall thickness of a dam can be reduced.
Firstly, wall of equal thickness are created. Water is used to flow to the downstream side of the wall through a water channel. The water will then accumulate at the downstream side of the wall in order to counter-balance the water pressure acting on upstream side of the wall.
Pin-up for presentation.
Discussion on how to make a dam habitable
First trussed model of the year.
Water channel and potential space in a dam.
In the second phase, I explored how surfaces could maximize it's function and potential architecturally in a context of a dam.
Our intention was to explore ways water can be recycled in order to generate hydroelectric power repeatedly.
Topographical surface was designed to self-contain water. Naturally, water overflows from upstream to downstream. When water in the upstream container is filled, the excess water will then flow to the downstream container. This is a looped process where water will overflow at a high topographical surface and fill up container at a low topographical surface.
The accumulation of water in containers will essentially create a large pressure for water to flow down each individual penstocks and thus generate electricity via the turbines at the end of the penstocks.
The density of structural frames varies, based on the water pressure acting on the dam's surface.
Diamond frame has proved to be one of the more structurally preferred aesthetic these days. Thus, using the initial structural frame as a guideline, a prototypical model was built.
Arch/diamond frame/structural columns
Model's Interior. I love this space so much. Imagine yourself rowing a boat through this tunnel. Awesome!
Final surface model. This picture somehow reminds me of a BMW. X5 to be specific. I don't know why. Doesn't it look like four-wheel-drive to you?? or it is just me?
Rendering of dam with site
Presentation day
In a separate study, beams were modeled and built to explore various ways of creating joints accurately. This Gira Form is built based on precise measurements digitally and then physically.
To be continue...
Fun part is coming up!
I'll let the pictures do the talking.
So, what does Inter8 peeps do when we are not working?
We dine!
and we cook!
And We'll be heading to Vegas!!
And Los Angeles!
If only a Malaysian and Singaporean Society is able to form at the AA with 10 people.
I'll be the President and everybody will get a position.... hah.
So,vote for me. 5 votes to qualify?
From left: Sit, me, Calvin, Hafiz, Song Jie, Nurlina, Wen Ying, Brian, Kai, Shen fei. (minus Carrie)
Yimin had a house warming party and we discovered this really cool way of chilling the drinks. Seriously, the water was so cold, it functioned like a fridge to keep the drinks really chilled.
Also, me, hehn and caleb went to visit the Natural History and also the Science Museum.
We enjoyed learning about the deads.
and also...sex
On the same day, I learnt to how to make Cheese baked rice and pasta! good stuff!
Sien had TWO housewarmings at Bayswater.
1st up was to cater to the LSE people.
I love this pic, but it only shows one-third of the people who went.
Next up, was for the Imperial people. It was Halloween at the same time. So, everybody dressed up.
Champions of the night.
A day after that, I went to Thorpe Park with Ye Vonn and her Schoolmates.
I never knew London has a Roller Coaster Theme Park.
MamaMia was goood. Caught it at the Prince of Wales Theater in London.
It was the first ever musical I attended.
Then there was the week of Nottingham Malaysian Games.
I managed to meet up with all my Chung Ling mates who are studying in the UK.
Eng keat, wei han, jie yang, wen wei, chung lee, jun min, kai yan, chun keat.
Somehow, the lovebirds wanted me to be their photographer for the day.
Caleb at the same time, was toying with his super wide-angled-lense shooting.
and then, Hehn had a house warming party as well.
I cooked the curry chicken that everybody loved.
During the second week of November, I attended my very first Masquerade event.
Guys and girls looked real good that night.
Zorro Nimalan
Finally, I miss my christmas tree back home.
and my family.
Aight then, back to work.
See you soon and have a nice day!
Typically for an arch dam, the base are thick and the crest are thin. This is due to water pressure increase proportionally with depth of the water.
and we cook!
Champions of the night.
Zorro Nimalan
See you soon and have a nice day!
Taking a break after a stroll at St. James' Park
EAT at Waterloo...good chilly soury Noodles. good stuff!
Dad entertaining hungry pigeons with his kebab fries at Oxford Street back lane
Lost something?
Structure in detail
Rendered Structure
Existing Design
My proposed changes and design
Models showed during the interview
Presenting to the Juries
Explaining Section
