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ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO 3 (ARC2118)

Project 2 : GENIUS LOCI: Site Analysis & Concept Development

Introduction

Society, culture, history, memory and the landscape of a particular place echoes the meaning of that ‘place’, or its ‘genius loci’. These qualities will inform the architectural concept and generators for Project 2. In Project 2, the design brief calls for an architectural response toward the sense of place with a strong engagement and relationship to the site and programmatic requirements.

 

The first assignment for Project 2 requires an analysis of the site context as a starting point. It is a fundamental need for any design project as it will suggest a series of parameters to suggest architectural solution, one that will be appropriate to the place and its meaning, and contributes to its context. The site needs to be understood, in both intuitive and personal ways, as well as quantitative and measured means. Techniques to record and understand the site are varied, from physical surveys to qualitative aspects of experience and personal interpretation of the place.

Tasks

There are mainly 2 part in Project 2 :

 

2A) Group work : Site condition & analysis

In the same group from Project 1, we are to conduct a site analysis of the physical context within the identified MICRO site. The site that we are visiting is Bujang Valley. The site analysis should include site survey, sunpath orientation, climate, site contours, adjacent street and vehicular traffic patterns, pedestrian circulation, neighbouring contexts, vegetation, views from the sire, views to the site, views through the site, noise and human-cultural. We are then produce our findings into slides and present it to our tutors. 

2B) Individual work : Personal Interpretation & Concept Development as a response

Individually, we are to produce our own personal interpretation of the MACRO site in the form of sketches. The personal interpretations of the overall character of the site will inform subsequent design decisions, and it is important to record these honestly and immediately.

Conclude by identifying the key character(s) of place that would form inspiration in the design, and then present a Design Concept for a Visitor’s Interpretive Centre derived from the issues discovered.

Below are my sketch journal and digital modelling of an initial concept design of the Visitor Interpretive Centre :- 

Conclusion

Firstly, through the site visit, I was able to learn and gain more knowledge about the historical place in Malaysia, Bujang Valley. I was able to have a physical contact with the ruins that has left for more than hundreds of years. This experience definitely helps me in my designing process and idea development in the latter projects. Besides that, through this project, I am able to produce site analysis which document, interpret and analyse the site context and the “genius loci” of Bujang Valley. Lastly, I was also able to produce a concept design for a Visitor Interpretive Centre based on the site analysis conclusions. 

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