Architectural Design V
Module Coordinator : Dr Ungku Norani Sonet
Tutor : Ar Patmaselvi Paramarajah
The module emphasizes the idea of ‘place-making for the urban communities. The emphasis in this module will be on exploring the notion of ‘place-making’ and architecture that respond to urban responsive design approach. Developing design thinking as an architectural narrative, forming proposals in poetic expressions in further expanding the richness and fulfilling the needs of present and futures ahead of the context. The two major parts of the studio are a) townscape appraisal – urban contextual study and b) responsive architectural design development. Subsequently, the major project involves the development of a design scheme that engages with the spirit of place and the everyday life of the urban community. The design work explores the plan-section-elevation relationship to achieve an architecture that acts as a vibrant block exploring the maximum potential of the urban space.
August 2023 - December 2023
Roles in Group work:
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Group Coordinator for progress and tutorial sessions
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Diagramming for Serial Vision
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Bird;s Eye View Axonometric Drawing
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Model-making
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Developing presentation boards
Live Work Play Communities
The theme revolves on the Live Work Play community of Brickfields. It is discovered through research findings that Brickfields offer these three aspects to both insiders and outsiders. This is also influenced by the mixed use districts in Brickfields which offers different functions and experiences ; co-existing in the same urban fabric in an almost symbiotic state.
Brickfields
Project Site
The site is located in Brickfields, home to Kuala Lumpur's main transportation hub, KL Sentral. The proposal aims to be an urban infill, connected to a row of shophouses while being sandwiched between a 5 storey tall building, BSN Bank. The site connects to a busy street with pedestrians and vehicular access.
Site Plan
Methodology
The townscape appraisal was divided into three aspects: FORM, MOVEMENT PATTERN and ACTIVITY and four phases namely Data Collection, Data Tabulation, Data Analysis and Data Synthesis. The analyzed data is supported by Urban Design Dimensions like Morphological, Visual, Perceptual, Social and Temporal. The outcome of the townscape appraisal is presented in 10 A1 Boards.
Physical Model
Project 1A: Townscape Appraisal
Group Work
The first project, Preliminary Studies, is a preparatory task that investigates the character of a place (town or city) and architecture for place-making through the ‘Townscape Appraisal’ exercise. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the character, identity, and uniqueness of a town and urban region in order to identify opportunities for producing responsive architecture design within urban context and place-making led urban space in the given site. Thus, the project introduces students to the fundamentals of urban design by assessing the ‘content’ of the urban context within the proposed site.
Project 1B: Architectural Design Strategy
The project aims to deduct a position for finding architecture and producing architectural design strategy. We are to be able to find their positions to develop the Community Centre for the community. The students are to individually interpret the idea of Community Centre for the community in Brickfields and come up with an architectural design strategy for the same. This will be in-reflection to the issues and inspirations they found in Project 1a in order to offer to character, continuity and enclose, quality of public realm, ease of movement, legibility, adaptability, and diversity in the city.
Collective Memories of Brickfields: The Past, Present and Future
Brickfields’ rich layers of history have seen the development from a sprawiling land with attap houses to setting ups of brick kilns (Meikeng, 2022), emergence of Indians and Sri Lankans for the making of railway till the modern development take charges of its land. The sense of place in Brickfields resonates through the layers, a place of history in the making of Malaya, the migration of foreign workers, the rebuilding of a nation via its brick kilns and railroads. Have people slowly forgotten about the underlying culture that kneads pieces and bits of Brickfields?
Sense of Place
From the mapping of intangible elements, it is evident that the gems of Brickfields like brick kilns, railways and different communities are being wiped out as time transcend with the rapid urbanization. They are the main story tellers which narrates the tales of Brickfields. On the other hand, older developments like Kampung Khatijah, 100 Quarters, Padang Chan Ah Tong that housed locals for communal activities which involves the passing down of culture or rituals are being demolished for exclusive-based modern developments. Have people slowly forgotten about the underlying culture that kneads pieces and bits of Brickfields?
The conceptual exploration starts by defining tangible and intangible, where tangibles are the morphology, the seen, that which is an organic expression of the intangible; the intangibles are the unseen, that which is the underlying thread that connects the place. The tangibles that can be found in Brickfields are distinct, perceivable by the human eyes like modern developments, transportation hub, religious buildings, culinary diversity etc. The tangibles are resulting in the birth of the intangibles as they nest all the people, articulating the story and sense of place. It includes the community spirit, socioeconomic diversity, historical background craftmanship skills etc.
The intangibles clearly manifesting through the tangible…resulting in the place.
Intangible cultural heritage
Does it even matters?
Intangible cultural heritage is wealth of knowledge passed down by generations. It is a manifestation of the way of living of a certain community. The passing down of knowledge will foster a sense of mutual understanding or respect towards the others. The sense of identity and place attachment towards the community will eventually blossom. On the contrary in the context of Brickfields while looking at the declining demographics of the locals, migration is a major crisis happening. Intangible cultural heritage will eventually face its own difficulties to be pass down to the younger generations of Brickfields. With the addition of arches, fountains and gate which don’t resonate with the historical backgrounds are being seen as superimposing the identity of Brickfields. This slowly weakens the identity of a place and the loss of stories. How can people be attached to the place anymore? Intangible cultural heritage is a link from the past, through present, into the future.
Issue Statement
The encroachment of gentrification without recognizing the intangible story of place, the history, the generations, the communities all slowly overrides this spirit of place that undeniable is the underlying thread of the sense of place that is felt. The effect of this, if this continues, the erosion of sense of place.
The threat that is already prevalent, no traces of the railway buildings or tracks, the disappearance of the narrative of the brick kilns, the wiping out of communities like Kampung Khatijah or the 100 Quarter residences. The change of morphological language that disrespects the block, the insertion of interventions (arches, fountains and gates) that are disconnected from the actual spirit of place, a surgical maneuver to weaken the underlying thread and identity of place. The disregard of the in-between intangible realm which result in pockets of lost spaces, disconnected and isolated, dividing the place.
A facade of tangible without connect to the in-tangible…. a weakened sense of place?
Can the Community Center, uncover the intangibles and bring it to light, to connect the lost spaces, to revive the spirit of place and create an inclusive place for the communities to thrive and grow organically, and if so, how?
Morphological Dimension
The design exploration starts with looking into the morphological dimension by investigating the relationship between the change of morphological pattern and the loss of intangible elements. The figure ground diagram uncovers the urban form. The modern development buildings are read as isolated objects while rows of shophouses form liminal back lanes which are lost spaces or breathing spaces which are forgotten and unlighted. Lost space is the leftover unstructured landscape at the base of high-rise towers or the unused sunken plaza away from the pedestrian activity in the city. (Trancik, 1986)
Susana Torre has quoted that urban void are once the vessel and symbol of human gathering, and represent the tension between the individual and the collective. The urban voids are layers of the intangible elements in Brickfields as it provides space that minimizes the circulation barriers and gaps, articulate the character of a place. In short, Urban solids as a space entity that represents the visible morphological pattern. Urban voids as manifestation of intangible elements that grows under the layers of it.
Recalling back the rhetorical question on how can we connect lost spaces and bringing it to light while uncovering the hidden layers of intangibles in Brickfields?
Reactivation of lost spaces could address the question, in ways drives the design exploration of the scheme. The reactivation of lost spaces was first looked at the circulation patterns on site itself. Understanding the flux of pedestrian through the site by back lanes, hence enlightens the hidden back lanes way into the scheme. The indifference of pedestrians’ circulation became an interconnected web to fuel the design theory with execution of ideas. Building site lines are derived from the circulation axis and quality views perceived; the connection of lost spaces into the site as well.
The community center is programmed to be a repository for both arts and culture that are prevalent in Brickfields. It is a living testament to the essence of the local community, connecting the lost spaces while reviving the true spirit of place. The programs are envisioned to weave together, archive and document the living heritage. It creates a tapestry of the unsung heritage, showcasing the beauty and depth of a community’s culture, providing inclusiveness to accommodate all.
Conceptual Design Exploration
Project 1C: Community Center
This project aims to develop an architectural narration for place making in the city and to perform an integrated design. Architectural design strategy should be further resolved a) by design through form, activity and circulation and b) for technical and services integration through concepts and components. The proposed building should be of an area of minimum 1200 m2 and a maximum of 1300 m2 and 3-5 storeys high in the given block boundaries. Apart from developing a narrative on architectural strategy in response to the relevant questions pertaining to community and its context, the design should take into consideration a holistic application of structural, spatial, technical, environmental, services, and legislative requirements to address the user needs for an urban Community Centre. This will include a focus on tropical design, lighting as well as the design of the façade and building envelope that is of a coherent language to the overall design scheme.
Life Canvas Heritage Hub:
Celebrating Brickfields' Living Legacy
To address the issue of declining of cultural identity in Brickfields due to the lack of archive and a place to showcase the intangible cultural heritage, the approach on the community center is a repository of arts and culture. With the question in mind on how tangible places can uncover the intangibles in an architectural manner? Should it be expressive or subtle?
The community center is programmed to be a repository for both arts and culture that are prevalent in Brickfields. It is a living testament to the essence of the local community, connecting the lost spaces while reviving the true spirit of place. The programs are envisioned to weave together, archive and document the living heritage. It creates a tapestry of the unsung heritage, showcasing the beauty and depth of a community’s culture, providing inclusiveness to accommodate all.
Design Sketches and Models
Concept and Narrative in Comic Approach
Diagrams
Ground Floor Plan
The Act of Archive
The Urban Wall is continued through the scale and archive of old windows, doors and other architectural features that are being found in Brickfields. This aligns with the intention to archive the unseen or forgotten elements in Brickfields.
First Floor Plan
Sectional Perspective
Intangible Cultural Elements as the Programme Mediator
The community center embodies a number of intangible elements in Brickfields namely Performing Arts, Artisan Crafts, Oral Traditions, Local Entrepreneurship, Culinary Diversity and Brick Klins. It is more than a repository, it also promotes the sharing and learning of knowledge to be pass down to generations. The community center will grow architecturally through the enrichnment of programs.
Urban Garden
Covered Drop Off
Archive
Flower Garland Workshop
Spice Repository
Language Room
Spot Counters
Creative Deck
The re-introduction of these elements to the public again is to celebrate the multi-layers of who we are, where the past, present and future are intertwined. It is a space for the local community to share their values, traditions and stories; making a sense of place attachment to Brickfields.
Sectional Perspective
Archive as an Architectural Language
The ideation of having studios, workshops, classrooms and dialogues spaces are envisioned for the artisans and public to exchange their knowledge on the intangible cultural heritage, whereas retails, exhibition hall, sunken performing areas are envisioned to showcase the outcomes of workshops or classes.The community center itself is an archive, documenting the intangibles while allowing it to grow too.
Presentation Boards
Physical Models
This is my very first attempt for urban studio. The site is located in Brickfields, being sandwiched by BSN Bank and a row of shophouses. The brief requires a proposal for a Community Center and an urban space. Brickfields gave me a sense of place which revolves on the effect of gentrification; allowing the scene of the modern and old development exists together. At the same time, the insertion of interventions which disrespect the morphology of the site slowly erodes the true spirit of place which leads to a lack of understanding towards the culture, intangible heritage.
With this in mind, I decided to design a community to celebrate all the “hidden” intangible elements, archive it and provide a platform for artisans, professionals to collaborate and pass down their knowledge to the community. The urban design approach was more to respecting the existing site energy like pedestrian movement, food magnets as nodes and familiarizing the scale of adjacent context.
Nothing is easy and you reap what you sow. The crits received during the final review were to be more bold and daring during design, the level of intensity throughout the schematic design is not there compared to the analysis and focus on one BIG IDEA.
The process was challenging, but fun nonetheless. I am pretty happy with my outcome, enjoyed every moment of producing bits by bits. And also tutorial sessions, sketching over layers and layers of butter paper with my tutor, selecting several angles on Revit. I would say my semester 5 was very hearty. Appreciating my studio tutor, Ar. Patma for the guidance and support.