STUDENT FEATURE 3

Featured Students: Tee Sing San, Tan Chin Yoong, Wong Kai Chen, Lim Kai Zheng
Course: Diploma in Architectural Technology
Semester: 2
Featured Project: Building Construction 1- A Solid Experience





The Taj Mahal

The dome and the drum of the building are the part to be built for the project. The scale used is 1:150. The material used include MDF blocks represent the bricks for the major structure, balsa wood to mimic the existed ornaments, and craft board for the finial and the lotus.
Basically, Flemish bond and Common bond are used for the bonding system of the brickwork. Flemish bond is used for the drum part of the structure, and the common bond is applied on the dome structure.

The challenges faced during buiulding this Taj Mahal dome include the difficult shape and form that requires accurate calculation, especially the angles, and have to measure the whole structure very often, to make sure the shape of the dome is correct and never distorted.

Besides, breakage happens between the bricks immediately after the shape of the dome is formed. A lot of strength is needed to hold them together, to make sure it never runs out of shape. The quality of the tack, as the bonding agent, plays and important role.

While the most challenging part is that parallel strength has to be remained throughout the whole constructing progress, which is not easy, and any small mistake, the dome might run out of shape, and even worse, it will collapse.

"We choose Taj Mahal because based on our research, it is the finest masonry building. We feel that it is very suitable to be selected for this project. Also, the shape of a dome is not easy to be constructed. If we able to build it, we can be labelled as one of the best group."

-Chin Yoong

What is your intepretation of perfect design?

I would say that a perfect design is just an inhibition for the design. Whereas, a good design is somehow different from a perfect design in the sense that it should meet the fundamental yet contains spaces for further improvement.

-Chin Yoong

Nothing tends to be perfect. It depends on one's perspective to consider whether a design is superior or awful. Creativity is not enough when designing a project, other facet such as target ussers and spaces composition should also take under consideration to come out with a successful design. For me, a design which is accepted by the mainstream is considered as a successful design.

-Kai Zheng

A design with strong argument and reason behind it, I name it as a perfect design.

-Kai Chen

Perfect is everything and everything is perfect as well. So, to me, a perfect design is 100% design which you think the design is perfect in all aspects.

-Sing San

Breathless Enthusiasm on Building Construction

Before the Chinese New Year as we, architect students of semester 2, are noisily fooling around the class waiting for our Building Construction 1 lecturer, Miss Suja, to enter the class. But what we are not expecting is that day Miss Suja is actually going to give us a extreme stressful and difficult task to fulfill the requirement for our subject. With a great big smile, she loudly announced that we should make a model of an already existing building. Our model must be built out of 20 x 10 x 9 mm MDF blocks.

As first we were surprised – I mean how are we going to build a model of a whole building with just small wooden blocks? It’s just too absurd! After a clear explanation and briefing from Miss Suja, we felt relieve because we can take a part of the building and make a model out of it.

We felt anxious because this is different from all those assignments we had done before in our course. Without a moment of hesitation, almost everyone in the class proceed to come out with an idea on what sort of building they should use and how they can construct it in an efficient and time-saving way.

The main reason why we should do this assignment is to demonstrate a convincing understand of how solid construction works, to exploit the qualities inherent In solid construction and also to be able to manipulate solid construction to solve an oblique design problem.

After deciding on a particular building, we immediately went and look for second-hand wooden bricks because it will reduce our cost a lot from purchasing these materials. To construct the model, it is common sense to purchase tools such as saw, hammer etc to make our work of progress more efficient. Some groups even bought a drill to drill holes through the bricks so they can put steel wires through it to use it as a reinforcement bar. The only thing we did not expect is most of the groups, including mine, actually do not have enough bricks and white tack to build our model when it’s near completion!

After the completion of the model, we are require to produce a portfolio and present our model to the whole class.

The pictures below are some of the models constructed by us.

Dome of Taj Mahal - 6*** Bricks

Flying Buttress of Chartres Cathedral- 8*** Bricks

Stari Most Bridge- 5*** Bricks

Magedeburg Monastry of our Lady- 7*** Bricks

Castel Del Monte- 2*** Bricks

ALERT : Change of booth competition submission dates

Submission for stage 1 is now on 17th April (originally 10th April)
For this stage, all the groups need to submit sketches of booth conceptual ideas, choices of materials, ways of displaying models and storyboards in the booth. Also,please include relevant informations and details of the booth.

Submission for stage 2 (only for the selected 5 teams) is now on 23rd May - after final exams (originally 30th April)
For this submission, the 5 groups will need to come up with drawings, models, storyboards, Gantt charts etc.
PLS REFER TO THE (READ ME)POSTER

Other than AT and ID students, each team will need to have AT LEAST 1 QS participant, while CM students are most welcomed to take part as well. This competition is something like integrated project where participants learn to work with one another from different study background/course. AT/ID students will learn about quantities, materials and budget from their QS partners and vice versa.


The champion team will receive RM 1000 while there are 4 consolation prizes, each with
RM 300 and other rewards..

The champion team's booth will be used for edufairs, roadshows, PAM camp, PAM exhibitions etc to represent SABD TAYLORS.

The judging panel of this competition consists of Ms Shereen Effendy Lee, Mr Cheah Khai Kid and Mr Tony Liew.

Those interested please register first by email, to sabd.ss@gmail.com. Please include your names, ID and your course.
There are feedbacks that some students interested in this competition do not know of any QS students, thus we will help look out for QS students who are interested in this competition for the groups. So please just register first even whithout QS participants.


Any enquiries, please leave us a comment, or emails us and there's always the chatbox.

Earth Hour, 29th March 2008, 8pm-9pm

So we are suppose to off all electricity from 8pm to 9pm to save green, global watsoever.

Are you all going to off your electricity??
What are you all going to do in the dark?
Let's share something creative :D
Some people are going to the city to walk around in the dark
Some go for BBQ

Me?
I'll Glow.

hope you all manage to get my "entertainment"
-.-"
cheers*

Jiunn fr melbourne

STUDENT FEATURE 2

Featured Student: Thor Eu Ric
Course: Architectural Technology
Semester: 5
Featured Project: Studio 2- Bicycle Shed



RED


The RED bicycle shed is set in the urban housing area of Bandar Utama. The shed fulfils the need of sculptural impression, expression and inspiration to the site while providing a methodical system for clever bicycle storage.


Driven fervently by the idea of passion, the shed exudes a sense of dynamism and strength, in hope of injecting a sense of eagerness and passion to the blood-shot eyed working crowd of Bandar Utama, as it promotes a cause for cycling.

The shed balances the design for a programmatic and pragmatic space; space circulation is clean and systematic. Bicycles which are elevated from the ground by a system of tracks, not only provide an open floor space, but also giving almost a feel of an avant-garde and artistic “living” space that is constantly at jolt and movement.


What would you want to see from SABD Student Society this year?

"I'd like to see a family of loving team that is fair, honest and trustworthy to all.
I want to see arguments,
I want to see sweet-talks,
and I want to see communication and a sincere relationship among one another."

-Eu Ric

SABD BOOTH design+build COMPETITION 2008

(click to enlarge)

Victory for SABD in the inter-department football tournament

Recently, Taylors College Petalling Jaya held an inter-department football tournament and I was lucky enough to be apart of it. It was no English Premier League, but the matches were just as intense. School of Architecture, Building and Design (SABD) proved unbeatable when they emerged as champions of the TCPJ Inter-Program football tournament.

Organised by the Extra Curriculum Activities (ECA) department, the tournament was held from the 18th to the 22nd of February at the 3K stadium in Subang Jaya. The six teams that participated were from the School of Communication (SOC), School of Computing, SABD, School of Hospitality and Tourism (TCHT) and Taylors College’s staff. TCHT sent in two teams to represent them.

There were two groups of three with the top two teams advancing into the semi-finals. The preliminary rounds were held during the first three days of the tournament, with the semi’s being held on the fourth (Thursday). The final was held on the last day of the tournament, Friday, along with the third and fourth placing match.

The first semi-finals saw SOC losing 1-0 to SABD in a tightly contested match. The second semi-finals saw the Taylors staff team defeating the computing team 2-1.

On the final day of the tournament, SOC and the computing team battled it out for the third and the fourth placing. SOC won 1-0 in another tightly contested match which saw many goals line clearances by the SOC team.

The final was much anticipated affair with the favorites, SABD, taking on the surprise team of the tournament, the Taylors staff team. It was a very heated affair which saw the staff team go ten men down half way through the first half through an illegal high foot foul. The match ended with SABD clinching it 1-0.

Medals were presented to the winners by members of the ECA department. The best manager award went to SABD’s team manager, Ramanan, while the SABD forward Bahador Razaghi, bagged the top goal scorer award.

Mr. Murali, head of the ECA department, announced after the tournament that he has selected 20 of the students from the tournament to represent the Taylors’ team in the upcoming inter-college football tournament. :)

STUDENT FEATURE

Held for the first time ever on the blog, Limelight features a student from SABD, his/her work & views on the school today. Posted weekly, this feature enables sharing of knowledge & thoughts amongst students.

Featured student: Kua Daphne Chian Chian
Course : Architectural Technology
Semester: 3
Featured project: Studio 1 - Resting furniture design

De-Splendour

The inspiration for this model began with the structure of Ipomoea which is the Morning Glory plant. According to this plant, it doesn’t have any straight line or sharp edge but smooth and soft string twisting freely. It gives a natural curve and bond which reflect the power of nature as well. Wrought iron has been used as the frame and timber as the base to support a human according to our body lines. The timber gives life to the wrought iron frame as it represents the body of the furniture. Cengal Batu has been chosen because it doesn’t absorb heat and it is much stronger compare to the others. The wrought iron frame gives a springy feeling just like you are floating in the air while resting on it. It is being designed for one as it gives a very private space for resting.

“De-Splendour is specially designed for outdoor usage. The best place for it should be somewhere which is more silent and peaceful, such as in the lush tropical garden. You are lying on it, with the trees surrounding you in the brilliant morning, the wind touch you gently while the sunrise shine on you…Try to take a deep breath, feel the environment, that’s the best to describe rest and relax!”

What would you want to see from SABD Student Society this year?

"I would love to see interesting designs from talented students not necessarily buildings, as long as its special.
SABD Student Society should also update members about upcoming projects or competitions (local/international) that students can participate or observe. It will improve us, future architects."

-Daphne

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The Ceremonial Squabble

Lectures for our Architecture History 1 class were to be cancelled for a week. News spread like wildfire and we were about to crack champagne bottles to celebrate the occasion till our lecturer; Pn. Nor told us that it was to be replaced by a debate presentation. Drats! That incident happened a week ago. She emphasized on research, verbal skills and expression of thoughts and opinions in this debate.

Group 1 vs. Group 2

Day 1: Monday

Topic: Film making is the best approach to disseminate historical knowledge to the public

The Proposition

The Opposition

Then the battle begin. . . Several interesting issues were raised keeping the audience on their toes. Among them were:

• Proposition - Film includes documentaries, TV shows and movies. Generally any form of visual communication. Therefore, it is a false generalization to conclude that all films give misleading facts just because movies potrays so.
• Opposition - Movies might be able to attract the audiences attention. However, in the short amount of time they will be exposed to action and romance which is out of the context of the truth and they might accept it as that.

Notable speaker to look out for during the debate presentation. Eye of the Tiger; she got it

This were not going as planned for the proposition team and I had to resort to fortune telling to predict our future.

GG. I guess that's that

"Thank God its over"

Group 3 vs. Group 4

Day 2: Wednesday

Topic: Historical knowledge is fundamental for future architectural practice

The Proposition

The Opposition

It was either a blend of skill, confidence, knowledge or probably experience from the previous group but the second official bickering was much more interesting and organized. It was so well spoken and presented that the audience were mesmerized. Among the issues that were raised were:

• Proposition - Historical knowledge has guide us for architectural accomplishments. We can learn from past disasters and improve our structures to carry through natural disasters or prevent and reduce damages. (ex. Tsunami)
• Opposition - Historical buildings do not path a way for the future; in-terms of practicality. The fundamental of past buildings were built based on religious and spiritual beliefs. In our current time, practicality is more important. Time has become very valuable

Zombified audience

At the end of the presentation, a small prize giving ceremony was held to reward the best speakers from each fight. The winner was none other than:

Diana Sharmini

Vincent. Outstanding hairdos does make a difference

Overall conclusion, Architecture History 1 can be fun if you want it to be. That or have a debate to make it fun.

[Author of Semester 4 updates]

SABD 2008