Saacha Sharp Student Number: 586855 Semester 1/2013 Group 7

Week 4 Module 2: Deisgn

Week 4 : Thomas Heatherwick's Apartment Complex in Kuala Lumpur

Thomas Heatherwick, a London Architect, uses an innovative form of design to create large scale forms that have ‘soul’. Using his unique thinking he is able to create different spatial effects. In a project in Kuala Lumpur he was asked to design an apartment complex for a property developer that gave something back to the city. Heatherwick achieved this by developing a design that effectively used space in a cost effective manner in an aesthetically pleasing way and that aided to the urban environment.

Heatherwick used innovative design to explore a more efficient use of space by maximising the floor area and apartment space thus increasing profit. Heatherwick explains how the conventional apartment building is linear, “with a few trees squeezed around the edges.” However this is not necessarily most cost effective or an effective use of land as Heatherwick

explains that the top of apartment buildings have greater commercial value, thus the bottom of the buildings are taking up unnecessary land and is not as valuable. Through designing the apartments in tulip shapes Heatherwick maximised the amount of surface area at the top of the apartment complex, creating higher commercial value. Heatherwick was able to get the additional spatial effect by having a substantial roof area for gardens and activity. He has effectively created surface area of over 150% of the original land surface area. Heatherwick hereby designed a set of buildings that maximised in profit through an efficient use of space.

Additionally, profit was developed for the firm through the aesthetics of the building as an amazing landmark was created for the city. By creating an originally design and memorising set of buildings, surrounded by rainforest, people would be attracted to live in this beautiful urban area, increasing demand. Hereby, the value of the buildings would be increased by the exquisite space that had been developed.

Moreover, Heatherwick’s design gave back to the city as he sensibly created an environmental space where 90% of the land was greenery compared to what could be 10% if the apartment complex was conventional. This would increase the air quality of the area with more trees recycling the CO2 into oxygen, “giving back to this extraordinary piece of land rather than engulfing it.” Thomas Heatherwick has been innovative in his use of design, successfully creating a beautiful, environmental space but also a more efficient space, optimising the use of land he was given to work with.

Week 4: Lost in Parameter Space

Abstraction and Reduction are both methods of communicating information and transfering it from a design. The key differences between the two processes is that Reduction rather retains the information in the design, just find the optimal way to transfer, thus all the content of information remains unchanged. Contrastingly, Abstraction works by reduces the amount of information in the design, making it more understandable and inturn, managable. In Module one we used abstraction to create our analytical drawings of a natural object. In order to highlight certain features, i.e. the balance, symmetry and movement, we reduced the amount of information in the design to make those elements more comprehendable.

Week 4: Ortographic Views of Contoured Plasticine Model

Left side view

Back view Top View

Front View Above View

Week 4: Digitised Model

Front View Side View Top View Bottom View

I have simplified my model in Module 2, sticking with the tear drop formation, but making the object easier to panel and develop as a lantern. I have not included the vine like raping that would ascend down the arm of the induvidual holding the lantern as it would be to thin to be made out of paper. I would have to use other material or explore other ways the lantern could be held.

Week 4: Panelling Tools (2D Panelling)

TriBasic Wave Diamond Angle Box

Triangular Dense BoxX BrickWeek 4: 2D Panelling (design alternative)

Diamond Panelling

I started playing around with different ways my model could be presented graphically using the Diamond Panelling tool. Even though we are meant to make our models with 3Dimensional Panelling tool, I just really liked how the left image using diamond panelling turned out. The diamond faces closest to the point on the right side of the lantern had larger gaps compared with the faces further from the dot. This could be a potential way I panel my lantern, producing a cut light effect.

Week 5 Module 2: Design