Introduction

1.)What i learned from this thoeries class.

From the pass few months, we had learned a lot of knowledge which was very different from design clas. The 1st class for our thoeries class was watching movie. How cool was that. Our movie was Minority Report, starring by Tom Cruise. From the movie, it inspire our creativity to open our mind of the deisng of future building. After that we had learn 5 theories, which is the 1st theory is Concept of place. But the explaination was gave us after we post the blog. So whatever we post on blog was what we understand from the articles that lecturer gave. The second theory was Heidegger Thinking. It was the hardest article in my life....so far....The articles can't erally understand but wiht the help of google and friends, finally i still manage to come out a short blog to critic the article. The third theory was Mies house which inspired Mies. And fron the mid term assignment, i had learn more about this articles. The fourth theory was the monument, memory. From the photo, i can't imagine how the new jewish museum link to the old musuem and also the monument. But the design concept and space planning of the building was show the explaination. It really show the design which combine with the concept and idea. It is some kind like abstract concept and explaination for the design. The fifth theory was teh 7 sense. From our common sense, we only know 5 sense which is see, hear, smell, taste and touch. There are other 2 sense which is skeleton and feeling. This make architect more sensitive to the materials and environment. Ater that we had a site visit to Kellie's Castle, we go to get inspire and feel the environment. And from there , we can feel that 7 sense and with the good or bad of the castle, we can know that which part of the building inspired people and learn from it. There is another blog we need to post was regarding the article about the sexuallity of the building. It not mention about how sexy the building was but how to make the building more attractive. How to attract people to go inside the building? We can know it from the articles. All the article we read we have to write a critic blog.


2.) What i had learned.

I had learn a lof to theories ( cause 5 theories lecturer told.) From the concept of space and place. We know about how to space planning and wiht the good space planning, how the building can last longer and become landmark. And we learned about how to respond the site to the surrounding and also connect the site context of the surrounding. The heidegger thinking for what i learn is , we should design a building which has to blend with surrounding. A building is not just a dwelling, it also is a space for connection of human and God, human and environment.
The Mies house, we can learn the lesson and also the spirit of Mies. We should brave to try new thing and try hard to think out of the box so that we can learn or create a new thing.
The monument of memory not just a building or sculpture that as memory of the past people but also can be a space that commemorate something but also telling the history in this building by visit this building. It can not just using the building form to represent but also with the space planning, materials chosen and also the view.
The 7 sense that we learn it really teach us how to feel a good building design. It is very hard to feel other building which are not design by us but with the sense of this 7, we can feel the design with our own language and it can become part of our design and also it can giving us a inspiration . Learn from other people and absorb it and become our knowlege.

3.) Best and Worst moment.

The best moment will be when you read the article, and you really understand what its talking about. It was very hard to understand the whole articles. When you read the articles and you finally summarize it can come out with your own understanding, that moment will be the best moment. When lectueres explain the theories and you find out it match with what you undestand by your own you will feel the happiness.

And the other best moment will be visit the Kellie's castle. Finally can go out from the enclose space and feel the real building.

Of couse, when you don't understand the whole theories it will become the worst moment. When i learn about the Heidegger thinking, i don't even understand the 1st page. It was really drive me crazy. Luckily my friend was learning is english education and she tried to help me read the articles as she was graduate from Tasmania Architecture course, finally she sumarize it and explain to me what the Heidegger talking about. Then i manage to come out a short critic.

4.) What is my philosophy

My philosophy is design should be simple. Design should combined with art. - Design is in everything we make, but it's also between those things, It's a mix of craft, science, storytelling, propaganda, and philosophy. - Art is process or product of deliberatly arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. Art should combined with creativitiy- creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun. Creativity is a stae of mind, a choice to look at every angle- not just the expected ones. It is the act of making something new- and thinking outside of the box ( in fact, why have the box at all?) Creativity should combines with the building sustainable - No matterh how your design have the creativity, special but everthing must be sustainable. If you want your building last longer and become a well known building, try your best be sustainable. Then your building might can last until the end of the day.

Session 7 : Taboo and Transgression: Architecture and Desire

Whether you think of architecture as "male" or "female", there is no doubt that buildings can suggest sensuality.

Some buildings, like the X-rated temples of Khajuraho, India are explicitly erotic.

Other Buildings are sensuous becuase they are pleasing to both the eyes and the fingers.

Many people find adobe pueblo homes sensual, perhaps because they are hand-crafted from the earth.

Great architecture touches the soul and lifts the spirit. The most beatiful buildings also reflect our physical bodies and celebrate our senses.

Buildings that are bland, uninteresting, or downright ugly may strike you as neuter.

They lack a sense of masculine or feminine energy, and they do not appeal to the sense.

For some people, streamlined Bauhaus architecture can seem neuter. But for many people, the most simple architecture is also the most sensual. A Bauhaus building such as the Walter Gropius house shown here can express the best of teh physical and the spiritual relm.

What do you think makes a building "sexy"?

Fragment 1 : A double pleasure

The pleasure of space : Space planning that will inspire people. The pleasure of the space can't use words to descript, have to use the feeling. If the feeling right, i think you are success for the design.

Fragment 2 : Gardens of pleasure

Using the landscape design to create a pleasure feeling to the people. From the neo classical period it already have a picturesquare concept. The garden design can create a harmony or relax feeling to the surrounding.

Fragment 3 : Pleasure and necessity

Design something that for the need. It design for usage purpose and not only for aesthetic. It can't be only like fireworks... it shine for a while and it can't be sold or buy, but architecture is design for dwelling, function and stay longer.

Fragment 4 : Metaphor of Order - Bondage
In architecture, there is some bondage. There is always a guide line for everything. With this Bondage it can bring more better pleasure for the design.



Fragment 5 : Fragment 5 : Rationality



Rationality will let you have a good sense to create a better pleasure feeling to the design

Fragment 6 : Eroticism



Eroticism is different from sensuality. It is not the excess of pleasure but the pleasure of excess where architecture is not only about the sensuality, but it also about the mentality and sensuality.

Fragment 7 : Metaphor of seduction - the mask



There is alwasy a reason/meaning for a design. As we can know that it is the ' concept' . It is only how people going to understand the meaning of it by vision, experience the space planning or from the designer.

Fragment 8 : Excess

There is some limit which are pervered and prohibitions. It is not necessarily a matter of subversion but a matter of preserving the erotic capacity of architecture.



Fragment 9 : Architecture of pleasure

Design should consider the site, culture, aesthetic and function. It can increase the pleasure of the design if you consider all the method and problem.



Fragment 10 : Advertisements of Architecture



After you design a building, you might need to sell your idea to client. How you going to sell you idea if there is only a professional construction drawing which only you can understand. So it need to come out a presentation board to promote your design. It also can make your design more pleasure if you have a good presenter and also a good material and presentation method.

Fragment 11 : Desire / Fragments

Desire of architecture is a goal or aim to finish the final design and the fragments of the design which will be the scheme of the design which it need to be catogarize and reach the goal.

My point of view, by using our 7 sense and our knowledge, we can experience a good architecturte. And it also can encourage our sexual desire. The taboo and transgress of architecture are making impact to the architecture deisgn and it also inspire the pleasure of desire in a space and place.

Field Trip : Astherics, Ruins & Space

A grand mansion with 6 floor tower, wine cellar, stately columns.Moorish arches and wall with Greco-Roman designs. The Kellie's Castle was built in 1915. It reflect the pioneering spirit of the early colonialists and the romanticism of a bygone era. For my opinion, William Kellie Smith built this mansion is giving a gift for his wife and a home for his son. He desperately want a son for so many years. After so many years trying hard. Finally He got a son. As a gift from God, i think he want to built a castle for his son and also as a memorial for this moment.

Why was the mansion restored to its original state? Over the year, th sturdy castle appears to have weged batle against the undergrowth. Althought the creepers sprout from it exterior and gnarled tree roots fill the compound, the interiors is undamaged. But the original house of the Smith was destroy during WW2. The goverment want to keep the best moment of the building, so that they restored the building until that period that Smith dead but not completed the building. So every visitor who visit this building. They can have their own imagination to completed the building by themself.

There is few photo that show the beautiful and ugly of the building.

From the front of the building. The building looks like a bit eerie from the outlook. It a bit like ghost house if come at late night or evening time.

The long corridor is the famous part. They said Mr. William Smith shadow can found out from this corridor. For me this corridor is a beautiful scene. The corridor exudes a certain air of dignity and grandeur. It is a scene like all the wealthy people having tea time and chit chat in this corridor. Maybe there will be some romantic story happen start from this corridor too...

From the court yard look to the back of the building. I found out this scene. The sky had been seperate by the 3 trees....Above the trees is shiny sky but when u look down ...the sky become dark blue....And at the middle of the part there is a thunder shape of trees...all the leaves are gone. And only left a thunder shape brunch. It looks a bit scary. Imagine that if you look at it in the night, the moon just on top of the tree brunch....suddenly a black shadow of witch fly through with her broom.....

I consider it is a unpleasant view.

This is the roof top. On that day, there is a couple taking their bridal photo. You can see how the sky, human and the ground ( roof top ). It create a asthetice view and using the sense of vision, it create a nice scene.

From the roof top, i can see the view of the surrounding area with a wide angle. From my sense of vision, i can observe the surrouding changes and with the sense of hearing, i can feel the stream flow. And the wind blow on you face smoothly. With the sense of touch, you can feel the sign of decay of the castle.

From the view, it create a contrast of the building that restore and the building had been destroyed. The view is a little bit unpleasant but it also show the vicissitudes of the building. After 100 years the building still standing there.


From the arch, it looks like the Rome ancient period. I think Mr.Smith use it as the entrance of courtyard must be a reason there. When you walk pass through the arch, it brings you back to the roman time and for Kellie's Castle, you can back to the period of the construction period.

This is the sketch that i think for the completed Castle. The space that i choose is the courtyard of the building. Imagine that when that period there is no air conditioning provide. So the green roof and also good ventilation is needed. The courtyard is plant in greenery and provide pathway to connect to each of the block. At the centre of the courtyard, there will be a small garden and maybe a scultpure of Mr.Smith and his family. It become the gathering place for the family and also the event function.

The mansion had create a very grand, english style building that totally contrast with the surrouding area. With the courtyard, it create its own dignity garden and have a pleasant view inside the building. It create a harmony feeling that allow the son and daughter can run and play in the courtyard, the daddy chasing the son and mum preparing the tea...enjoying the happiness that her family brought her for......

Session 5: Architecture of Seven Sense

The 7 sense that for architecture is eye, ear, skin, toungue, skeleton, and muscle.

From the building mention below, lets using the 7 sense to feel it :

Church in Kuala Lumpur, from the interior view, using the eyes to feel the elegance, Grand feeling of the church. Using you ear you can feel the spiritual, peaceful of the silent and echo of the Hall. There is something that we can't only use visual to judge the design of the church but with our other sense we can feel the spiritual and peacefuness of the building.

Denmark shanghai expo building. The muscle feeling the building creating a pathway to allow people to go through spirally into the internal part.

By using your sense of tounge, the denmark waterscape giving a sense of peaceful,relaxing and totally different from the city life that represent their country culture. The waterscape and the mermaid sculpture giving a impression to the visitor from different sense.

Canada Building at shanghai world expo. the facade of the building giving a sense of skin to attract the people to touch and feel the strip wooden line and the texture of the wood. It create texture to allow people to touch and feel and from there, it bring them into their culture of Canada.

Daan Roosegarde's Dune project, using some 'electronice bamboo stick' set at the underground tunnel. When people pass by, the Bamboo detect the step foot sound of the people it will swing and light up the head part of the stick. It giving a sense of attract people to touch the stick and it also brighten up the space. By using our sense of eyes, the Bamboo stick create a illusion and it also can lighten up the boring tunnel become a creative and fun tunnel.

England Shanghai world expo building. The facade of the building inspire fews of our senses such like our eye, touch and etc. By Daytime, the facade will create a illusion that attract people to touch the facade. By night, the facade will light up different color and it create another feeling that stimulate our sense of eye cause it create another illusion.

KLCC, during the day the steel and glass surface giving people a cool feeling. By using our sense of eye and touch, we can feel the coolness of the building. But when night come, the Building become Kindly and elegant, the lighting effect create a harmony feeling which touch our sense of eyes and ears. The lighting effect soften up the steel structure and the glass panel that giving the feeling of coolness.
The Taiping Environment, you can feel the peacefulness and relaxing with your sense of eyes, ears, touch and muscle. Walk along the pedestrian pathway, you can hear you foot step and the surrounding natural sound come to your ears and create a harmony, peaceful feeling. From the vision, the greenery, wide angel blue sky, the lake will fully cover your vision.

The Würth La Rioja Museum Garden, the pathway create in disordered lines are reminiscent of the nature, branches, leaves, channels, cracks, rivers. These lines seems to create a virtual grid over the existing site will geometrizing the ground, and organizing it too. By using our senses, we can feel the pathway,wall and the waterscape become vertical trees walls, lace permeable branches laces, bark areas reminiscent of the forest ground, white pebbles stones eroded over time by water, as if a river were involved.

When the night come. the environment will change into forest feeling, the soft light will create a harmony and kindly feeling and it stimulate our sense by the lighting and the wind flow that create by the narrow path.

The Cloud Gate, by using the sense of touch and eyes, we can see the skyline from the cloud gate. From there, it also attract people to touch the skyline of city by touching it. The cloud gate giving a chance to the people to feel the city and also let you be in the city.

The LOVE NYC sculpture. From the vision to the taste. When you 1st sight saw the sculpture, it attract you with the simple 4 alphabet. Sooner it become taste of sweetness and happiness. From the 4 alphabet it become a word : LOVE

Essay 4 : Monument, Testimony and Memory

From the Jewish Museum, we can found out the new building and the old building is totally contrast. The old building is a Neo Classical building but The design of the New Building is using deconstruction style to present the memorial to the Heroes which i think it make a big contrast to the old building. It won't disturb or not matching with the old building. From the outlook, we hardly feel that it connect to the memorial the war and the secrify of the solders. But in the progress that you visit the museum, you can feel it deeply. The visit tour will give you back to the journey of the War period. The architect using the abstract way to present and bring out the feeling. The unformal walk way, the slunting wall, the unparrallel opening all create a illusion style and it create a time tunnel to bring back the time to the period. The totally design is very different from Malaysia Museum.

Malaysia Nasional Museum is using a tradisional Minangkabau style as the structure. It also level up the ground floor to create a 'long feet' tradisional house. It is very Malaysian style. Compare to Jewish Museum , the Jewish Museum was using a modern and contemporary style but Malaysia Nasional Museum choose to use a Malaysian well known traditional malay house style as the design. It easily can be regconized and remember by local and it also can represent our culture to the foreigner.

The building facade using the painting or motif craft style which also is malay traditional culture. Our country is form by 3 main races and also bumiputra, my opinion is we should indicate more 1 Malaysia concept design which is content 3 races and also more international style. Because from the outlook of the building, it only can recognized the old tradisional malay house. Maybe the surrounding side building can put in more modern style or other tradisional style.

Unfortunaly, beside the main building, you can found out there is few side building. The building style all is different style and the style is not really related back to the main building style. Example the building beside the old train. The buiding using a simple style which always apply on our current primary and secondary school. By adding some 'slunting pattern' overhang. It make the Museum become mix and match. And other side of the building was apply a English style of building is another style. And beside there you can found out some temporary structure for the hawker store or parking lot. Which make the design a bit ' rojak'

From the another view of the Museum, it use the simple but clear meaning of finishing to bring out the Malaysia tradisional culture. Different from the Jewish Museum, Malaysia Nasional Museum choose to show directly the history and culture of Malaysia from the building itself. It attract the foreigner 1st then lead them to the interior part.
The Jewish Museum is abstract form which using the design concept and the space planning to create the feeling which i think it is more abstract and more creative way to lead people to the museum.

My opinion, the Jewish Museum outlook is totally contrast with the old building. But the architect using the space planning to create a space that for memorial the Heroes.
Malaysia National Museum is more straight forward and it show the Malaysia culture from the facade of the building and also the building itself.

About the Malaysia National Monument. After visit the place, it giving visitor a feeling like the place is very pure, saint and peaceful. It using many waterscape to create a quiet, peaceful place to memorial the heroes that secrified in the WW2 which i think it is very succesful.
But the surrounding building it giving a wrong illusion that visitor are visiting the Mosque which i think the monument should explore to the main road.

Essay 3 : Remembering the Home

The Plan show where is my childhood home located.

And it also show the journey that i took this afternoon from Taman Paramount LRT station to my house.

From the Lrt, Before you arrive, from the Lrt, you can see the surrounding is cover by green.

Once you step out the Lrt, it is different from Tasik Selatan and Lrt in KL, this lrt is quiet but the density of people in this town similar like Taman Connaught.The traffice at here is not heavy and it is surrounded by residential area. If you come to Taman Paramount, you will found out the differences.
Taman Paraount and Taman Sea ( South East Asia) form early in the 60's.

It is one of the oldest satelite town in Malaysia.

This area influence by British alot. Most of the old peoples can speack very well english because most of them work for English people. Until now, if you don't know chinese, you can speak english with any of them.

Before that i mentioned about before you arrive you will see Taman Paramount is covered by green. It is because beside the Lrt Station is the Taman Aman - One of the largest Recreation Park in Petaling Jaya (another at Taman Jaya and Kelana Jaya). From my memory, this recreation park exist when i was born, but when that time it don't have so much facilities. Since young, already know that our dwell must stay together with the nature. From here, the air is more cooler and there is some differences between land cover by green and without green.

This is the outlook of Lrt. Before it built. It is a piece of land that cover by bushes and tall trees. After government transfer it become Lrt station , they remain part of the green and make the lanscape and hardscape nicer which i think it is very good. Unfortunately because more people start using the Lrt, they started to built carpark behind this Lrt station. The carpark only serve start on 2008. Which i think the carpark serve for the demond not over demand.

This is Part of Taman Aman, When i was kid, my parent love to bring my brother and me come here, there was a uncle likes to tell story, now i think he might rest in peace....

There is a lake at the center of the Park.

The facilities already renew. Last time it was a very simple wood made children play ground.

This is another Entrance for Taman Aman. Beside there is a International Primary & Secondary School.

The international school name Maz. It form around 1991, my mum sent me here for kindergarden but unfortunately, i only study half year then transfer to other chinese kindergarden because of my father's career. It is the most cheapest international school among KL ( which i think still consider expensive).

Along the road to my house, you can pass through alot of residential. There is few types, single storey, double storey, link house, and bungalow. Unfortunately i stay in single storey.

Nearby the road, there are alot of trees. People in here trying to reserve all the trees. when 2006, One of the tree was 'injured' because of the bees and some desease. The residential try to rescue the trees and finally....they failed. So it's body become they facilities of the playground which jst beside this photo.

One side of the residential is green

Another side was concrete jungle.

After 5 minutes walk, you will come to a area which is full of shoplot. PJ town planning is following the garden city planning, At the center, there will be a area which is commercial area ( shoplot, shopping mall), then surrounded by residential area. Which i think it is very convinient for everyone. When i was kid, every Saturday my dad will bring us to this Restaurant to have our dinner, 20 years ago this restaurant still remain crowded.

EU Institute. My mum study English in here 30 years ago. Now it become Account institure. When i finish my secondary school life ( in Jalan Ipoh), my mum decided to sent me back to PJ live and study because she think this is a very good environment for study and live ( which now im very agree with her ).

People who live here no matter they are wealthy, or normal. Their accomplishment is good.

20 years ago, this is the 1st cinema in Petaling Jaya call Odeon. My parent brought me here once. After that it burned few times and at last, it become Giant. People that wealthy only can afford to go watch movie. Other people only can go once in a blue moon.

From Giant , we have to walk 5 more minutes only will arrive my house. Along the road, we will pass through 2 center of Garden City, Which one is Taman Paramount another one is Taman Sea. From the picture, There is another Commercial area which very famous in the early of 80s'.

Seapark ( Taman Sea ) have alot of tiny club, drink bar to serve the people who works around in 80s'. During that moment, PJ north was picking up because many factory was built at Section 14, which 2 minutes drive to Seapark. Because of that Seapark become a social place for all the officer. Nowadays you still can find out some bar on the 1st floor.

From the picture we can observe that Taman Sea is on Hill, Which Taman Paramount is under the hill and SS2 is on another hill. From this picture you will found out the green is dissapear.

This is one of the large scale building in Taman Sea, a church. Previously it is a Community Hall.

There is a roll of hooker stall at the front of the shoplot which seldom found in this area. Because this place is influence by British , so there is not much local traditional like hooker stall or Malay house around this area. All the building is planned and in concrete. The only different here and KL is there is green around here.

This is one of the oldest shop in Sea park.

When i was a kid, my only favourite is Ayamas, before KFC landed here, Ayamas always our 1st choice.

On the picture, the left hand side orange building is a building that downstair is market, upstairs is club. The market ( pasar ) open 12 am at the midnight for selling pork to 12 noon. And the shop lot is open on 8 something until 8pm. Some of the shop will close even more earlier.

Another side of the shoplot will be double storey house.

There is not much hawker stall in this area.

Most of the convinient shop will be chinese shop.

This is the traditional hawker stall in a corner unit which you can see everywhere in PJ.

From this alley, you can found out there is double storey, single storey, then bungalow.

This is my childhood house. Currently empty and available. because this area is on hill and there is less green overhere. My father decided to plan more tree at the car park area which remain until now. The house is 3 +1 room and it is a happy place for 4 of us. I stay here until 6 years old then move to another more green place ( Kuala Selangor) until 12.

The Alley is defference from KL. They make it more wider during the planning.

From my house to Midvalley, 1 Utaman, Ikea, Sunway Pyramid only 15 minutes drive.

From my house to Nearest Hospital, 10 minutes to UM by driving.

From my house to Food Stall, 1 minutes walking distance.

From my house to School, 5 minutes to primary school, 5 minutes to secondary or International School, 5 to 10 minutes to UM, Taylors, Inti, ALFA college.

From my house to Taman Aman 15 minutes walking distance. This distance i walk since i know how to walk until i come back study college at here. 15 minutes walk is acceptable. and i think the garden city concept of here is very well. The Taman Sea and Taman Paramount are design for pedestrian which very sustainable. With the walking distance you can reach the daily thing you need. If you looking for entertainment of shopping, you only need public transport ( Kelana Jaya Lrt, Bus, Taxi) which very completed and convinient.

So, that is where my childhood home is.