In the country where I learned to speak my first word, where l learned running before walking, and where I made my first childhood friend, people relationships are much different from the ones in America. I feel that distance, as in miles between people, can really hinder on any relationship. This may be common sense and it may just be me overreacting to society right now. The speed in which people move from one city to another either for job, school, marriage, or whatever other reasons is phenomenal. Perhaps it's just my family since we did move 13 times prior to my 11th birthday, but that's besides the point. The people in their 20's -30's just can't keep from moving around the country. I for one, came to the Bay Area first, then moved to jersey, then moved to upstate NY for college, moved to NYC for 1.5 yrs, then moved home sometime after that, and now I'm in Texas! All happened within the last 6 years of my life. The people I have known, gotten close to, loved, and forgotten all seem to go through the burner cycle. It gets warm, then hot, then red hot, then kinda cools, then kinda warm, then cold... If we are not physically there to entertain our friends do those friendships eventually go out like the burner? Every person at some point must have been worth the friend-making, then why do they go out so fast? Is it because we are bored too easily as Gen X or Gen Y are so often described? Are friendships more shallow and arbitrary in our generation than generations past? Then isn't it so hard to find someone you might fall in love with because they live so far away? How did society turn into this high-speed through-way where no one really cares about the process but only cares about getting from A to B and how fast we can get there?
Going back to the topic of my home country, where life seems a lot slower and people seem to genuinely care about each other a little bit more than they do here in the US, relationships are much stronger and longer lasting. I recently met up with a girl whom I had gone to elementary school together in China, I haven't seen or talked to her for over 16 years but the minute we met it was like we've known each other all my life, it didn't matter that I hadn't stayed in touch for that long. If I randomly found a girl from my US elementary school, who the hell would meet up with me and would they even remember? They'd probably think I'm crazy to want to "catch-up" with someone they knew 16 years ago, whom they probably don't remember. That is the difference. I have always known there to be some cultural gaps but it has been proven with solid evidence. I cannot say enough that I appreciate the cultural diversity and the diplomacy in which society works in America, but is this the consequence? Perhaps there are just too many people in china to separate ourselves so distantly from one another, that not even family gets to see one another more than once or twice a year. Hence, that is also the story of my life, where I have become an international student with no relatives or family in the same country as I am. I wish someday I can find my place, where I don't have the desire to move, to scramble, to escape, to find an alternative.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
An Engineer’s Architecture Manifesto
I am interested in building structure as well as building aesthetic. I believe architecture should be designed by both architects and engineers. Architects need to collaborate with the client and contractors. Structural soundness should be the most important factor in designing a building. It should take into consideration of locale, type of building, and site adaptability.
I believe that the building’s aesthetic should not be the sole reason for its design, and that design decisions should be made with the user in mind. Each decision made should have multiple supporting factors. The priority of a building should first and foremost satisfy its program. The program may be to build a train station, if its design has a fancy shaped roof or multiple levels of elevated platforms, there must be a reason behind both design decisions. The fancy roof may be shaped by an optimal sun path during the winter to let in more light or heat the building and shielding the most direct summer rays out. The elevated platforms may function as a way to separate passenger traffic; it could also save space if the site is located in a city where square-footage directly corresponds to cost.
I admire and aspire to architecture that both visually amaze and functionally perform. The aesthetic form shaped by an inherent functional need can create very beautiful architecture; the difficulty is in finding that form. I believe that the key to finding that form usually demands starting from scratch.
I also believe that every design problem deserves to start at page zero. It’s an opportunity to locate the origin of the design problem so the architect can look at the problem from an objective starting point without bias. Precedence can be considered but only in helping to expand design options and not to narrow it down. Studying precedence helps the architect avoid future mistakes by examining prior practice. Although design problems may be similar in type or geographic location, there are no two completely identical problems so the solutions shouldn’t be the same either. Only through original thought can innovation take place in architecture.
Both visual and physical experiences of a building are essential in making design decisions of architecture. Where the light comes in and how it is reflected throughout the building determines both physical comfort as well as how the building is perceived. The material mingles with light to create a visual and spatial experience. Where light hits a wall is where the material of that wall begins. Where the light doesn’t hit, everything is in shadow or darkness. This basic principle lets light visually highlight space and voids throughout the building. The outdoor presence of a building can also be dramatically different as the sun is at high noon on a summer day versus during sunset. Being inside a well lit building with natural sunlight compared to one artificially lit can lead to very different building experiences. Besides having natural sunlight, the view one sees outside a window can also dramatically affect the overall experience in a building. Similarly if a building is not ventilated correctly, its occupants can develop Sick-Building-Syndrome and notice a decrease in performance.
The individual experience should also be considered in the design. Each individual’s experience throughout the space of a building can greatly differ from one another; therefore it is essential to consider any potential impediments that could cause interruptions for the user’s overall experience of the building. It is important to examine the outcome of these types of interruptions because they can lead to user dissatisfaction or inefficiency. The building’s audience and users should not only be limited to the major operators of the building but also the servicers and maintainers. For instance, the space used by a janitor to get ready for his shift is just as important as the space used by the person who is selling tickets in a booth. Details should not be overlooked even if they are not the main programs of the building.
Today’s architecture should also be measured by its energy footprint. Besides structural integrity and visual appeal, buildings need to also be sustainable in its environment. It needs to withstand from natural disasters and be flexible enough to change programs so it can be used over time. Regardless of how efficient a building might be, if it needs to be torn down or rebuilt, it defeats the purpose of sustainability. For buildings to be green, it needs to be adaptable for reuse, yet sturdy enough to last a long time. Structurally it needs to be very energy efficient so that it takes full advantage of its local resources to fulfill its energy needs. It should be a requirement to use passive cooling and heating to maintain comfort levels while the rest of the energy needs be supplemented by photovoltaic collectors.
There is no reason for any of the buildings designed from now on to depend solely on the energy grid to supply its needs. There is no reason why we should be burning precious natural resources to create this energy in the first place. There is no reason why we can’t change the world, today.
I believe that the building’s aesthetic should not be the sole reason for its design, and that design decisions should be made with the user in mind. Each decision made should have multiple supporting factors. The priority of a building should first and foremost satisfy its program. The program may be to build a train station, if its design has a fancy shaped roof or multiple levels of elevated platforms, there must be a reason behind both design decisions. The fancy roof may be shaped by an optimal sun path during the winter to let in more light or heat the building and shielding the most direct summer rays out. The elevated platforms may function as a way to separate passenger traffic; it could also save space if the site is located in a city where square-footage directly corresponds to cost.
I admire and aspire to architecture that both visually amaze and functionally perform. The aesthetic form shaped by an inherent functional need can create very beautiful architecture; the difficulty is in finding that form. I believe that the key to finding that form usually demands starting from scratch.
I also believe that every design problem deserves to start at page zero. It’s an opportunity to locate the origin of the design problem so the architect can look at the problem from an objective starting point without bias. Precedence can be considered but only in helping to expand design options and not to narrow it down. Studying precedence helps the architect avoid future mistakes by examining prior practice. Although design problems may be similar in type or geographic location, there are no two completely identical problems so the solutions shouldn’t be the same either. Only through original thought can innovation take place in architecture.
Both visual and physical experiences of a building are essential in making design decisions of architecture. Where the light comes in and how it is reflected throughout the building determines both physical comfort as well as how the building is perceived. The material mingles with light to create a visual and spatial experience. Where light hits a wall is where the material of that wall begins. Where the light doesn’t hit, everything is in shadow or darkness. This basic principle lets light visually highlight space and voids throughout the building. The outdoor presence of a building can also be dramatically different as the sun is at high noon on a summer day versus during sunset. Being inside a well lit building with natural sunlight compared to one artificially lit can lead to very different building experiences. Besides having natural sunlight, the view one sees outside a window can also dramatically affect the overall experience in a building. Similarly if a building is not ventilated correctly, its occupants can develop Sick-Building-Syndrome and notice a decrease in performance.
The individual experience should also be considered in the design. Each individual’s experience throughout the space of a building can greatly differ from one another; therefore it is essential to consider any potential impediments that could cause interruptions for the user’s overall experience of the building. It is important to examine the outcome of these types of interruptions because they can lead to user dissatisfaction or inefficiency. The building’s audience and users should not only be limited to the major operators of the building but also the servicers and maintainers. For instance, the space used by a janitor to get ready for his shift is just as important as the space used by the person who is selling tickets in a booth. Details should not be overlooked even if they are not the main programs of the building.
Today’s architecture should also be measured by its energy footprint. Besides structural integrity and visual appeal, buildings need to also be sustainable in its environment. It needs to withstand from natural disasters and be flexible enough to change programs so it can be used over time. Regardless of how efficient a building might be, if it needs to be torn down or rebuilt, it defeats the purpose of sustainability. For buildings to be green, it needs to be adaptable for reuse, yet sturdy enough to last a long time. Structurally it needs to be very energy efficient so that it takes full advantage of its local resources to fulfill its energy needs. It should be a requirement to use passive cooling and heating to maintain comfort levels while the rest of the energy needs be supplemented by photovoltaic collectors.
There is no reason for any of the buildings designed from now on to depend solely on the energy grid to supply its needs. There is no reason why we should be burning precious natural resources to create this energy in the first place. There is no reason why we can’t change the world, today.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
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