Research Method Lecture

Research can be defined as the search for knowledge or any systematic investigation to establish facts. The primary purpose for applied research is discovering, interpreting, and the development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of our world and the universe.

When I was in my own country, and studying some relating subject as now. I don’t think research is really that important for a design project. but when I started to study in here, and reach more and more design project, I understood that how important is research are.

There are a saying goes like this: “ The chance is for someone who have well prepare.” And research is an important element of “prepare”. When there are a well prepare before you started to thinking of an idea or any design option, it is always more easy to archive what you want to do.

In today’s society, there are so many ways to doing research. You can through internet, books, or any other method to archive your aims, to get what your want.

Today’s lecture have been introduce some simply but effective methods to use during the research process. Which impressed me very much.

So glad that to hear about it, therefore I can have more ways of doing my research, and to archive a more effective outcome. To get more prepare before I stared to design something for that area.

Lecture Eight - Case Study / Chareau- Maison de Verre 1927-1932

The Maison de Verre (French for House of Glass) was built from 1928 to 1932 in Paris, France. Constructed in the early modern style of architecture, the house's design emphasized three primary traits: honesty of materials, variable transparency of forms, and juxtaposition of "industrial" materials and fixtures with a more traditional style of home décor.

The primary materials used were steel, glass, and glass block. Some of the notable "industrial" elements included rubberized floor tiles, bare steel beams, perforated metal sheet, heavy industrial light fixtures, and mechanical fixtures.

To me this is really a beautiful building. Either in day or night, it can show it’s own petty to all others to see. The design was a collaboration among Pierre Chareau - who was a furniture and interiors designer, Bernard Bijvoet - architect and a Louis Dalbet - who as a craftsman metal worker.

Much of the intricate moving scenery of the house was designed on site as the project developed.The external form is defined by translucent glass block walls, with select areas of clear glazing for tranparency. Internally, spatial division is variable by the use of sliding, folding or rotating screens in glass, sheet or perforated metal, or in combination. Other mechanical components included an overhead trolley from the kitchen to dining room, a retracting stair from the private sitting room to Mme Dalsace's bedroom and complex bathroom cupboards and fittings.

And the other case study this time is The Villa Muller. It is an architectural structure designed in 1930 by architect Adolf Loos, born in Brno, Austria-Hungary.

The villa is located in Prague, Czech Republic. The house was designed originally for Mr. Frantisek Muller and his wife, Milada Mullerova.It is also Known as an innovative landmark of early modernist architecture, the Villa Müller embodies Loos' ideas of economy and functionality. The spatial design, known as Raumplan, is evident in the multi-level parts of individual rooms, indicating their function and symbolic importance. Raumplan is exhibited in the interior as well as the exterior.

My architecture is not conceived in plans, but in spaces (cubes). I do not design floor plans, facades, sections. I design spaces. For me, there is no ground floor, first floor, etc...For me, there are only contiguous, continual spaces, rooms, anterooms, terraces, etc.

Storeys merge and spaces relate to each other.

Shorthand record of a conversation in Plzen (1930), Adolf Loos

Lecture Seven A - Procedures and Enquiries 4 - Symposium On Drawing

Is glad to had this lecture around the year. Which can introduce some new ideas of designing and also drawings. It is always feel great to see people works which are fresh and included creativity. I can always got lots of unexpected elements and inspire when I finished listening to those talks.

Today’s talks is about Drawings, every one have different drawing skills and drawing method to express their own feeling. But most of them are can not been read by other clearly. So, how to made my drawing to have more readability? This is a question which always occurs in my mind.

Normally, many people drawings are only can read by himself but not to others. Even is the guests of today. Some of their work if they not do any explain, I really can’t understand what is it for. Therefore, what is the meaning of a good drawings? I am really confuse of this question.

In my point of view, drawing should be a tool or a way to express our own feelings, then, why should they have readability? Although all of the other don’t understand of it, I have already done what I want. In fact, there are something different between artist and designer. Artist did painting to express what is in their mind, but designer is different. Drawing of design need to be read by audience, who you were designing for. Therefore, it must have their own readability.

During this lecture, I really things this different kind of drawing are more fine art rather than design. It let me confuse again. Maybe, during any learning process, confuse is a main process which we need to pass through, I hope I can make more good drawings at the future, and learn to appreciate others artistic drawings to find more hidden meaningful definition inside every single piece of works.

Lecture Seven - Bauhaus

Bauhaus is the common term for the Staatliches Bauhaus, a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933.

This school was founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar. In spite of its name, and the fact that its founder was an architect, the Bauhaus did not have an architecture department during the first years of its existence. Nonetheless it was founded with the idea od creating a “total” work of art in which wall arts, including architecture would eventually be brought together.

This style become one of the most influential currents in Modernist Architecture and modern design. The Bauhaus had a profoundinfluence upon subsequent developments in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial deign and typography.

I remember that I have study of some information of Bauhaus before. Is surprise to see that a artistic style can inspire these many kind of area. You can imagine how successful it is, and how famous is it.

Defeat in World War l, the fail of the German monarchy and the abolition of censorship under the new, liberal Weimas Republic allowed an upsurge of radical experimentation in all the arts, previously suppressed by the old regime.Many Germans of left-wing views were influenced by the cultural experimentation that followed the Russian Revolution, such as constructivism. Such influences can be overstated: Gropius himself did not share these radical views, and said that Bauhaus was entirely apolitical. Just as important was the influence of the 19th century English designer William Morris, who had argued that art should meet the needs of society and that there should be no distinction between form and function. Thus the Bauhaus style, also known as the International Style, was marked by the absence of ornamentation and by harmony between the function of an object or a building and its design.

Lecture Six A - Case Study / Le Corbusier - Villa Savoie

The Villa Savoye is considered by many to be the seminal work of the swiss architect Le Corbusier. Situated at Poissy, Outside of Paris, It is one of the most recognisable architectural presentations of the International Styla.

And the introduce of the five point of architecture, is really a good case to study more deeply.

1. The pilotis, or ground-level supporting columns, elevate the building from the damp earth allowing thegarden to flow beneath.
2. A flat roof terrace reclaims the area of the building site for domestic purposes, including a garden area.

3.The free plan, made possible by the elimination of load-bearing walls, consists of partitions placed where they are needed withoutregard for those on adjoining levels.

4. Horizontal windows provide even illumination and ventilation.

5.The freely-designed facade, unconstrained by load-bearing considerations, consists of a thin skin of wall and windows.

This weekend house is an excellent example of Le Corbusier’s Machine for Living ideal, it is no surprise that the house employs a number of mechanical devices for easing manual tasks. Less frequently described, however, is one of the most exciting things about the house; its extreme spatial dynamism. Such as the walls bulge and curve to push and pull at the spaces and entice the occupant from one room to the next. Also the views of the landscape are framed to draw the eye into the frame and beyond. Le Corbusier uses ramps to speed one from floor to floor. In one homemade film, he can even rides bicycle around the roof. In fact, the building is not only a spatial playground also as a great visual impact.

This works of Le Corbusier was designed as a weekend country house and was originally surrounded by trees. The polychromatic interior contrasts with the primarily white exterior. Vertical circulation is facilitated by ramps as well as stairs. The house was fell into ruin during the World War ll, but already has been restored and open for viewing again. How lucky is that they decide to restored and keep this treasure after it ruin. If they haven’t made this decision, this great master piece will only can see on books or learn from history.

Lecture Six - Modernist Theories and Dogmas

Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization; It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubled or diverged from. The term derives is from Greek, that which seems to one, opinion or belief and that from “to think, to suppose, to imagine.” The plural is either dogmas or dogmata.

Modernist Theories is some things that always can listen to and more easy to reach than Dogma. Actually, this is the first time I hear of Dogma, but it was impress me so much. It is only have three very simple words but is very important to learn about it.

To think, To suppose, To imagine; these three kind of things is what a good way to introduce a new design concept and also to develop some new ideas to have more confident to present to others. But some time to think too much seems not a good way for me during the design process.

Because of too much worries, the out come always turn into a death point. Worry about how it works? Worry about will other accept me? Therefore, always staying and back to the starting point, think and think and think. I don’t know if it will success of not, but now i understand that, if i want to success, I must try to step out my first step. Just like what surrounding people did.

Not only to think, to suppose and to imagine. Also to try, to practice, to learn and to archive.

And about the Modernist theories, this is still have a deep relationship between Loos- Ornament and crime also some of the Futurist Manifestio. These two is really a important element to developing the Modernist idea, which is mainly about less is more.

Lecture Five A - Case Study / Rietveld - Schroder House

The Rietveld Schroder House in Ultrecht was built in 1924 by dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld for Mrs. Truus Schroder-Schrader and her three children. She commissioned the house to be designed preferably without any walls. The house is one of the best known examples of De Stijl- architecture and also arguably the only true De Stijl building.

The location of this house let the house look more simple and more special, although it have a simple out look but it included some difficult definition in it. Is how amazing to have different interior space in different time or even different mood and feelings. In today’s interior design of an apartment, normally, there are two or three rooms in a floor. Some time it is great to have a private space to do some private things that you don’t want other to disturb you. because of this limited of space, people used to stay in their own space of paradise, when times goes by, the communication of family have decrease, it will also create so much of misunderstanding and mistrust between families members. But this situation, seems will not occurs in the Rietveld Schroder House; it can be a totally open plan, also can be a individual space when you needed. How amazing this design is?

The Rietveld Schroder House constitutes both inside and outside a radical break with all architecture before it. The two-story house is built onto the end of a terrace, but is makes no attempt to relater to its neighbouring buildings. And when you go inside, there is no static accumulation of rooms, but a dynamic, changeable open zone. In-between this open space is a wide variety of possible permutations, each providing its own spatial experience.

Just like before I think that, some time is hard to break some rules which are already existed. But who can break it successfully, who are really success. To study on this case, I can learn so much of details, also have some new influence of designing a interior open space.

Lecture Five - Modernist Factions - 4 Movements

The four Movements of Modernist Factions are ; De Stijl, Bauhaus, Purism and Constructivism.

De Stijl, Dutch for “ The style”, also known as neoplasticism, was a Dutch artistic movement founded in 1917. In a narrower sense, the term De Stijl is used to refer to a body of work from 1917 to 1931 founded in the Netherlands. De Stijl also is which Curl suggests was mistakenly believed to advocate materialism and functionalism. In general, De Stijl proposed ultimate simplicity and abstraction, both in architecture and painting, by using only straight horizontal and vertical lines and rectangular forms. Furthermore, their formal vocabulary was limited to the primary colours, red, yellow, and blue, and the three primary values, Black, White and grey. The works avoided symmetry and attained aesthetic balance by the use of opposition. This element of the movement embodies the second meaning of stijl: “ a post, jamb or support” : this is best exemplified by the construction of crossing joints, most commonly seen in carpentry.

The De Stijl style, most famous things to let me remember, is the red, and blue chair. The Cubist painting is the most influenced things of De Stijl movement, also the ideas about “ideal” geometric forms in the neoplationic philosophy of mathematician M.H.J. Schoenmaekers. The works of De Stijl also influence the Bauhaus style at the following days. However, it did nor follow the general guidelines of an”ism”, nor did it adhere to the principles of art schools like Bauhaus; It was a collective Project, a joint enterprise.

This style make design and architecture raise to a more simplify way to display. only focus on lines, surfaces, and rectangle. let these geometric forms show the fundamental elements of the design. For me, this maybe is a good way to see design details more clearly, also to learn more about how space created by. A valuable information to learn and keep reference.

Lecture Four - Industrialization of War

When I was in college and studying History, I always think that War is necessary; because in my point of view, It always bring us bloodshed, raise the enmity between country and nation. The important things is, it always occurs because of one’s desire or ambition which never being satisfied. But in a manner, War change our history also let us to have advancement in some area.

Weapons are what make human muscles formidable; and from the dawn of civilization it took specialized craftsmen to make weapons out of metal. In the course of time the amount of metal used by warriors tended to increase; and the size of armies may also have grown greater-though with such ups and downs that no very definite growth pattern here emerges before the wars of the French Revolution.

Until that time, throughout ancient, medieval and early modern history, however, the industrial basis of war making remained unimportant in the sense that whenever the prevailing weapons-system remained constant the supply of arms seldom constituted a limiting factor in the actual conduct of operations, or in deciding victory and defeat.

Because the reason of war, because of the way that people discover to make new weapons. Many new material and new making method have been introduce. These except for increasing the quality of weapons, also bringing many new ideas in to art and designs. Also because of the Loos’s essay “Ornament and crime” ideas still hit at that time. Therefore, most of the designs and architectures of that time are simply and not much of decorations. Furthermore, the feeling of those outcome of that time, always give me a cold feeling, heavy metal and glass has been used. Just feeling cold and sometimes not friendly at all.

Although war can give us some new inspire, war is always let us feeling cold, disappointing, and lost of hope. If sadly we will having another World War in the future, Maybe some one can raise a style which can stop the War, and let people to awake from ambition, I think it will be a nice style.

Lecture Three - Ornament and Crime

Ornament and Crime is an essay written in 1908 by the influential and self-consciously “modern” Austrian architect Adolf Loos under the German title Ornament und Verbrechen. And it was under this challenging title that in 1913 the essay was translated into English:” The evolution of culture marches with the elimination of ornament from useful objects”, Loos proclaimed, thus linking the optimistic sense of the linear and upward progress of cultures with the contemporary vogue for applying evolution to cultural context.

This essay show Loos “ Passion for smooth and precious surfaces, informs his expressed philosophy that ornamentation can have the effect of causing objects to go out of style and thus become obsolete. It struck him that it was a crime to waste the effort needed to add ornamentation, when the ornamentation would cause the object to soon go out of style. Loos introduced a sense of the "immorality" of ornament, describing it as "degenerate", its suppression as necessary for regulating modern society.

Finished having this lesson, I was so surprise that some one would said this kind of things that no one ever though about, but sadly, It seem a bit truth. In many times, people design a space either interior or exterior, always will added some decoration, and in many case, style are mainly depends on what decoration are using? what material are using?But how about the style of building method or any others? It seems always ignored by people. Only less of them will focus and care about it.

The essay was written when Art Nouveau, which Loos had excoriated even at its height in 1900, was about to show a new way of modern art. The essay is important in articulating some moralizing views, inherited from the Arts and Crafts movement, which would be fundamental to the Bauhaus design studio and would help define the ideology of Modernism in architecture.

Lecture Two - Jugendstil

Jugendstil is a artistic style that arose in Germany around the mid-1890s and continued through the first decade of the 20th century, deriving its name from the Munich magazine Die Jugend, Which featured Art Nouveay designs. Two phases can be discerned in Jugendstil; an early one, before 1900, that is mainly floral in character rooted in English Art Nouveau and Japanese applied arts and prints; and a later, more abstract phase, growing out of the Viennese work of the Belgian-Born Architect and Designer Henry Van de Velde.

The mainly characteristic of this artistic style is full of energy, curve line, aims to let some traditional decoration lifelike also more vigorous. Just like a seed of grass growth up but turn into a beautiful rose. Is a surprised outcome of the new development form traditional.

They not avoided to use new material in their design, I think it is a important element to let the art and design history move that big forward. Also not banned to using machine and using them in a good measure way; mainly for glass and metal, it can let this artistic style become more perfect.

After of this lecture ended and also of doing some research of this topic - Jugendstil. I think it is really a brave, creative and nice try of that period. All of the art works are so tasty till now. It not only retain traditional beauty, also introduce a great creativity of using new method and new material of building and making. What a big confidence!

It cannot be denied that, sometimes when people develop a system of their design ways and working method, it is hard to change, besides is a artistic style from traditional. I always think that, traditional can reflected the culture of a place, also a thing that people already adapted to. Therefore to break a traditional or either to break a designing way is a aim that hard to achieve. But when you bravely to walk out to first step, every things will be different. This is what we need to learn.

Lecture One - Introduction

Is glad to hear that, a series of Contemporary Practice Lecture has been introduce to us in this year. This series of lecture cover a wide range of Arts and Design also Architectural history; I think it is really good for us to know more about what is happening from the pass till now. This can enrich our folder of knowledge also to inspire our concept of our own design project.

To learning through understanding existed architecture and design art works, sometimes is better then any other ways to learn some hidden treasure in those works and also some important definitions which discover and bring up by some great artists and architects. The reason of this saying is because, although there are so many inputs are given by others, but different person with different thinking, can create different outputs which is unexpected. Therefore is important to get more different inputs from any different ways.

Learn from the pass, except of learning good things; also can avoid to commit same mistake which have been ignored or have been happened. In my opinion, the most difficult things to learn in design are details and how it works.

Because in many time, our audience are people, So, only having a great concept but things couldn’t read or understand by our audience, maybe is a sign of unsuccessful. So to learn more about those successful project in both design concept and also readability is really a good things to started with.

When looking of those changing and happening of some key styles and movements in the history of arts and design, it is full of fun and sometime you can discover more than you expected. Just like reading an interesting story started from the pass and still happening now. If we work more hard, to understand more from learning, maybe we can be a part of those history one day. Looking forward to all Contemporary Practice Lecture series.