Final Week before Revision Period

For this week, I'm going to finish up all the unfinished tasks and assignment for my Graphic Communication subject, compiled them and present them in a port folio form. That's one.

Two, I'm going to submit my term paper on Tadao Ando for my Intro. to Built Environment subject. Pray hard I'll get 20% solid.

and three, I'm going to submit the maths assignment. Hopefully I'll get the 10% and that'll adds up to my 36% carry marks. I'm going to need at least 39% out of 45% to get a solid A.

Then, I can finally focus on my preparation for final exams.



that's all for now. Until next post, au revoir!

IBE Assignment

As for today, I decided to work on my Intro. to Built Environment term paper where we're required to choose any international prominent architect (still practicing) and discuss his works, contribution in the field of architecture, experience and educational background. We can also include critic of his works in the literature if we want to.

It's a 10 to 15 pages of course including photos and this is to be submitted on next Wednesday. 

Me? I chose Tadao Ando. 

Well, I love Frank Lloyd Wright (who doesn't?) and since Tadao Ando is in fact influenced by his works, and of course Le Corbusier's, Louis Kahn's, and Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe's works too and therefore, I chose him. 

...yeah, to those who know me definitely will say it's because he's Japanese and he even built his firm in Osaka (Tadao Ando Architect and Associates) instead of Tokyo where people believe that it's better to start in the most populated city in the world. No my friends, it's not because of that. 

Anyway, I'm going to gather some information from the Internet and going to the library probably tomorrow to borrow some books (our library's collection on this guy is unbelievably small. Only 6 or less books. Not to mention those in other campus libraries) and hopefully be done by Monday cause by Monday, I need to start on my Maths assignment and of course to work on my port folio. 

until next entry, au revoir!

Am I Serious?

A classmate asked me a question this afternoon.

"Which department are you going to next semester?" 


Before this, I would definitely say it it right out. But all of a sudden, my voice stuck and I was speechless. For a moment there, I was 100% sure that I have a second thought regarding this matter.

No, E. I told myself. This is it. After 4 wrong stations in 2 terminals, this is the one. I got the ticket in my hands right now and all this while I am almost 80% sure about the road I was about to hit. There's no way I'm backing out of this.

"I'm going to architecture, if God's willing. Of course it depends on so many factors we know but yes. That's the plan."


Right after that, I got my IBE mid term's result.

One word. Awesome!

Next, we set the date for our final exam which is going to be on 3rd of January. Maths' paper going to be on 8th.


Dear God, I need the strength to keep heading forward in my life. Give me guidances and patients so I could go through this. Amin.


Au revoir,

Shoot Me!

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Trying out the feature...

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GC: Assignment #15

The 15th assignment given to us today is the lettering assignment. Pretty easy I guess...

I'm still working on my previous assignment though~

Got Math quiz on logarithm and matrices next Thursday...

Nothing much to say... it's been real crazy for the past 2 weeks... with the finals are getting closer...

Class of 2011...

Well, for Graphic Communication... :D

From left: Mirwan (Cambodian), Abdullah (Palestinian), Nabil (Malaysian), Hazem (Canadian), our Bro. Zakaria a.k.a Zack, almost invisible Bayan (Saudi Arabian), Huda (Nigerian)

At the back: the tallest Awni (Palestinian) and Ahmed (Palestinian).

Peace 'em out!

GC: Assignment #14... Part I

So we arrived to the 14th assignment~ few weeks left before the port folio day... *Nervous!

Okay, first of all... after doing a little research on residences during Nara period (8th century), I decided on Fujiwara no Toyonari's mansion.

The first source I could find in our own Resource Centre is this book : 'What is Japanese Architecture: A Survey of Traditional Japanese Architecture' by Kazuo Nishi and Kazuo Hazumi, first published in 1985 by Kodansha America. I got the second edition, published in 1996 by Kodansha International.

About the book: it's a super guide for the understanding of the form and structure of traditional, historic Japanese architecture. Many diagrams of structures. Not lots of photos - but the illustrations of construction techniques, plans, sections and elevations give a different perspective than the plentiful picture books of Japanese architecture.

A clip from the book. Just a preview. This is copyright material. 

The challenge here is to understand the measurement used during this period which are the ken (translated to 'bay' in English), shaku, and sun. Up to this day, 1 ken is approximately to 1.818m, and every ken is equivalent to 6 shaku and 1 shaku is equivalent to 10 sun. For this very assignment, I only used up until shaku and that's it.

About this mansion, it belonged to Fujiwara no Toyonari and according to the book aforementioned above, it was thought to have five ken wide and 3 ken deep. Referring to the one after Sekino Masaru, seems to me the mansion was built symmetrically.

I also found the mansion being illustrated in D.K. Ching's book, Design Drawing. The illustration in there is clearer and closer to the real measurement.

As for the assignment, we have to do the floor plan, the elevations, and later on the axonometric plan view. I'm half way done for the floor plan (I was home throughout the previous week) so I barely started the drawing.

Any who, I'm going to gather some information on IBE's assignment before getting on with this one.


Signing out!

E

Books Suggestions

I've been asking here and there... and for you guys out there who have some time to check out some books during your free time, I'm planning to post series of entries of books suggestions that I picked from lecturers, seniors, and of course forums and architectural sites.

If you guys have any ARCHITECTURAL BOOKS or magazines suggestions for me, do drop some comments, yeah!

Getting Inspired

I read about this on Tanggam.com and I would like to share with you guys out there...

The title of the post is "Mental Block? No Idea for Design?"

Point number one would be reading some magazines that has good reviews first. Not just looking at pictures. Some reviews are descriptive, some are critical. Go for critical ones as these can tell you not only what's good about a design but also WHY. They also often compare with other good or similar design.

...and of course, it goes without saying that we need to improve our vocabulary each and every day for this... If you think you can tackle heavy reading right away, you're wrong. I learned it hard way so trust me. 

Point number two is traveling. But only when you have obtained comfortable amount of vocabulary then it is wise to travel to great places. I'm talking about design language vocabulary here. We have to be able to communicate what we see and feel when we go to a site. Simply 'nice', 'cozy', and 'beautiful' aren't just good enough. We must know what exactly that makes us feel that way and why or else traveling or visiting great places might not reveal any substantial results within the time frame.

I really have to agree with the point stated above. A lecturer suggested for us to go somewhere around the city to explore local architecture but it seems that it'll go to waste if we're not sure what are we looking at... or looking for... 


As for myself, the first thing I do after I turned on the research mode button, I just started Googling and Yahoo!-ing. Then I'll holed up in the university library for hours, trying to get some books that can help me. Followed with sessions of few minutes with some seniors.... 


Okay, I guess that's all. I'll post some more later!