PROJECT 2: Room and Narrative

Two bird scientists

who would rather only live with the birds

my narrative

***

Chosen painting: Nighthawks (1942) by Edward Hopper

There were a few things that strikes me at first impression:

1. This was one huge (and unnecessary) expanse of glass. Yet it holds its own unique sense of appeal. It reminded me of the residential buildings back home (in Malaysia) where there was just too much glass. However, this glass expresses a certain purpose.

2. This was one lonely diner.

Diners, in general are very people-friendly places in itself. The warmth of the space, with the availability of hot food and the typical hospitable diner lady (or in this case the bartender, who was the only staff there, perhaps due to hard times) draws people in for various social or private frolics.

However in this picture, there are only four people. The lack of company introduces a quality of loneliness.

In a general negative view, it can be observed that most of Hopper's paintings explore different qualities of loneliness. As Nighthawks was painted after the attack on Pearl Harbour (Nighthawks, Wikipedia), this painting, depicts the stark sense of loneliness and entrapment (no visible door in the painting) in an urban background. These, are all communicated by the large expanses of minimal glass window.

This is not necessarily a bad thing to some people, as some people are reclusive in nature, and I wanted to experiment on the character's subversive draw to loneliness.

Hence the narrative.

Additional note: I have found this opening interesting.

This opening, I believe, stimulates contemplation, which goes in line with the introverted characters.


References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nighthawks
The Art Institute of Chicago

PROJECT 2: Poche

These are my poche drawings:

the overall layout

The rest are self-explainatory.
(note: course requirements are sections, plans, and an axonometric drawing)

PROJECT 2: Model

Site Context: On a hill, facing urban civilization

Model Materials consists of: balsa, acetate and perspex sheets (plastic), and bamboo skewers.

front view

side axonometric view

The entrance begins from the top-





On the 3rd picture of the 2nd floor is the bedroom. Therefore its window is smaller, more private.


I replaced ladders (those metal ones used in bird cages) to reinforce the idea of the house as a bird cage.
This is the first floor-it houses the entrance of the glass aviary.



To get a view of the ground floor, one must peer through the glass-

This floor is the centre of activity, thus windows are varied.



The circular one serves as an opening for seating. It opens up a small niche of space separated from even the birds within the glass aviary.



The aviary and niche is separated by a glass wall.



Cuts in the plastic model represents openings.



There is a difference in the openings between the first and ground floor - first floor is enclosed,

(notice the lack of thin bamboo frames on first floor)

and ground floor is opened up to let in the outer world. However, both let in large amounts of light, as fitting for the wellbeing of the birds.

(the cut bamboo skewers show the window)

(this wall will be solid, in reality)

Notes on representation of material:

I did not use cardboard as representation of masonry as my central idea was a house as a parallel between a bird cage, and the occupants being caged birds themselves. To use such a material would diminish my idea of the cage.

After much consideration, I used two sheets of acetate to represent the masonry wall and single sheet for glass, as walls were thicker than glass. I felt that way, I will be able to represent the material accurately, yet not compromise on my design idea-

(section detail: representation of masonry wall)

Another plus point of having a plastic model for conceptual purposes, was the ease of visibilty.