Wednesday, August 14, 2013


Ideas Seminar – E/Ye Design (Jefferson Ellinger)
Date: August 14, 2013

Professor Jefferson Ellinger talks about many computational system and construction techniques. But I thought little bit more about the idea of geometric design interaction with nature system viewing his projects. How natural phenomena can become instrumental in the design of new architectures that radically redefine built environment. Many architects and designers derive inspiration from nature surrounding. I think the relationship between architects and nature is very complicated. Sometimes, they bring some techniques from the nature and apply them to existing construction system. Adding small and simple changes can improve the built environment even computation design through systemic integration.

A good example of this form is W-House. The design of the W House is typical roof construction system, but interacts more with the path of the sun and interacting to create a new internal landscape that challenges the relationship between the geometry of the site and the surface of the building. Building elements such as the roof plane and floor plan are shifted to optimize environmental. Issues of light, ventilation and circulation affect these shifts to create a dynamic interior space that is inherently linked to the movement of the sun and the land.

The project entitled ‘High-density urban affordable housing’ in Malaysia that I’ve done suddenly occurred to me. The project was intended to re-develop 5 acre-sized Kampong (village of) Puah Seberang which was the most representative unauthorized residential area in Malaysia. I was charge in investigating the climate condition of the field for more efficient building design, considering its temperature, rainfall, sun path, shadow cast, and wind direction etc. During the course of my research, I stumbled across the ‘Airwell’ which is common in Malaysia. Airwell, a huge air vent exposed to the open air going through from the bottom to the ceiling between the units and the corridor, is an architectural form to optimize the natural lighting and ventilation. It is a quite effective passive system that is designed to overcome the high temperature and humidity of Southeast Asia. Taking the airwell’s manifold characteristics of varied forms and sizes into consideration, I delved into the way of optimization of natural ventilation and lighting through the Airwell. From this project and then today’s lecture, I felt recent investigation in the world of architecture in science guide to broad understanding of how we build interacts with environment every level. Architects have the relationship with nature that is symbiotic, even productive. If so we can push design beyond sustainability that redefine the nature of the spaces that we occupy.

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