Case Study of an Architect: Steven Ngu

Ar. Steven Ngu Ngie Woon is an designer working in Garis Architects house. He is one of the senior designers working at that place and he leads the designing squad. Get downing from his childhood, Steven has already been exposed to this field because of his father’s business as a contractor. Bing the eldest boy in the household, he was brought up in a really rigorous mode. His slogan “do more, learn more” was besides an influence from his male parent. And because he was brought up to larn to be responsible for the things that he make, he ne’er does his work half-heartedly. Therefore, he was ever one of the top winners in his instruction. He is presently 34 old ages old. He graduated from University Malaya in twelvemonth 2006, he got his Ar. rubric two old ages after graduation. Ar. Steven’s favorite work is the Symphony Hills in Cyberjaya which he handled from the start till the completion of the undertaking, and it is besides a undertaking that has won legion PAM awards. The intent of this essay is to understand the linguistic communication of architecture based on the designers childhood, instruction and working experience, the messages and significances the edifice carry, and the context of which it is applied within. Therefore I chose the direction office of Symphony Hills.

Pic 1 – Front lift of the office

Bing in a state with tropical clime, the designer has to believe of different methods as solutions to the rough clime in Malaysia. Cyberjaya is a topographic point that is bare and has no trees to supply shadiness from the searing heat from the Sun. There is non much precipitation and the air current is non really strong. Therefore, some design solutions are used against the climatic conditions in Cyberjaya. In order to avoid direct warming of the infinites of the edifice, green walls are placed on the frontage of the edifice. In add-on, in conformity to the way of the sun way, the green walls besides work as a perpendicular shading device to forestall blaze from the Sun rise and Sun set. Not merely that, big overhangs on the North and south facing of the edifice to supply shadiness. As for the edifice stuff, concrete is used because of it high capacity as a thermic mass and maps as a heat sink. Not merely does it absorb heat easy and detain the peak temperature of the indoor infinites until the residents have left, it merely releases heat when the outside temperature is lower and that is merely during the dark clip when there is cipher in the office. Furthermore, in order to increase the heat optical density capacity, a green roof is used where the dirt will besides work as a heat sink. Besides, because of occasional heavy rain in Cyberjaya, a polycarbonate roof that extends out to about five metres is used to forestall the rain from making the gallery infinite where people walk from the office to the surau.

Pic 2 – demoing the overhand and the construction of the edifice

Compared to other subjects, architectural theory is limitless. It encompasses theories of architectural engineering, architectural history, and architectural design. Harmonizing to Professor Korydon Smith, architectural theory is defined as “ the apprehension of nonsubjective rules and subjective values that guides the persons in determination about their ain and others architectural works.” Through this, what i identified was sustainable architecture and late modernism, besides known as structural expressionism. The chief intent of sustainable design is to “eliminate negative environmental impact wholly through adept sensitive design.” In order to accomplish the optimum comfort in the office without devouring much energy, the edifice uses H2O characteristics environing the edifice as an indirect evaporative chilling method. A green roof garden is besides used to take down the temperature of the edifice through the vaporization of H2O stored by the workss and the dirt. To farther cut down the heat of of import infinites like the office, non merely is the green wall is used as a perpendicular shading every bit good as a chilling device. By using assorted inactive chilling methods into the edifice design, the edifice is able to utilize less air conditioning system. Additionally, the edifice besides uses egg crates in the edifice design to avoid direct sunshine and warming into the infinites. However, it besides uses curtain wall on the frontage of the edifice to maximize the entry on sunshine into the infinites. Another theory used in this edifice is late modernism, besides known as structural expressionism. It normally exposes the structural elements of the edifice, together with the usage of drape walls. Its design is besides largely based on the map of the edifice, big interior infinites and easy entree to each floor.

Pic 3 – Diagrams on theory

Another factor analysed is the user, the simple program layout makes it easy for the user to do usage of the infinite efficaciously. When in an office, teamwork is of import, therefore an unfastened program was used to avoid individualizing infinite for each staff. With an unfastened program, the staffs are able to pass on with each other with minimum walking distance. The edifice besides has balconies to let people to hold private conversations while looking out to the beautiful landscape. Furthermore, since this is an office for Symphony Hills itself, the multipurpose hall was made to let Symphony Hill to do a impermanent flat salesroom. The salesroom takes into consideration that during the launching twenty-four hours of the undertaking, there will be many viewing audiences to come position the salesroom, therefore public furniture are placed in forepart of the salesroom to let the invitee to hold treatments with the gross revenues people after sing the show unit. Additionally, the edifice scaled harmonizing to human proportion, non doing the user to experience alien in a on the job environment. Curtain walls are besides used to buoy up the infinites, doing it more environmentally friendly for the staffs when working, as a brighter infinite improves their on the job efficiency.

Pic 4 – Diagrams on user

Based on the factor analysed, the personal values that Steven used to plan in this edifice is evident. Since immature, Steven has been really discipline about his life style. He is a hardworking individual and he gets along with other people, even though he is busy, whenever person needs any aid or inquiries, he willing teaches them. Bing him, he makes certain that the edifice is functional and it responds to the site. He takes serious consideration on the site context of the edifice.

Based on the climatic factor, he has placed much importance in environmental response of the edifice. Though Garis Architects is a topographic point that designs undertakings with a in-between scope budget, Sympony Hills is a undertaking that is considered to be on the higher scope, most likely because of the client. The client this clip is UEM Land and they manage to acquire 98 estates of freehold land in Cyberjaya cardinal concern territories. So due to the location, the clients purpose was to plan the topographic point for the high terminal community with incorporate installation and services. Using a green roof requires the usage of proper technology on the edifice roof and it is non inexpensive. To cut down the temperature of the milieus, Steven proposed the usage of H2O fountains and pools to environ the topographic point, non merely does it take down the temperature, it besides fits the clients demand to do Symphony Hills into a high-end luxury residential country.

Pic 4 – Birdseye position of Symphony Hills

Furthermore, while Steven has a avocation of traveling and sing celebrated architectural edifice, he tries to larn from the experience gained from the edifices and use it into his ain design. Previously, during his visit to Chandigarh in India, he took the chance to see Le Corbusier’s edifice every bit good. Throughout architecture classs, we have learnt that Le Corbusier is a maestro of designers and he is a modernist. However, modernism is a paradigm of architecture for the machines, it was a clip where the designers pushed their ain political orientation of making a perfect edifice that is suited for anyone. Modern architecture focuses on the honestness of stuffs, usage of modern stuffs and systems, generous usage of glass and natural visible radiation, accent on unfastened infinites, usage shadowing devices to accomplish optimum human comfort, and the accent on rectangular signifiers and consecutive lines. Steven learns from it, nevertheless he took it a measure farther into late modern architecture, besides known as structural expressionism.

Though there is non much of a difference between late modern architecture and modern architecture itself, there is one, nevertheless obvious differentiation between the two. That is late modern manner edifices are non as simple and straightforward as modern manner edifices, albeit rectangular signifier, it is considered as a extremely articulated structural signifier. Common characteristics include open structural frames, truss work, and it tends to be metallic.

Pic 5 – demoing the metal constructions of the green wall and the stairway

Additionally, whenever Steven designs, he takes into consideration the poetics of infinite, and the experience of the user and the residents of the infinite during the design procedure. Before this, he mentioned that his front-runner designer is Peter Zumthor. In a book Thinking Architecture written by Peter Zumthor, he mentioned that every edifice is built for it’s targeted usage, in its ain topographic point for its really ain society. He designs his edifice to seek to reply those inquiries every bit critically as he can. Though Steven learnt to plan following Peter Zumthor’s train of ideas, he used his ain method of using it into his edifice design instead than the usage of .

What the client wanted for this office infinite was for it to advance efficiency in the on the job environment while making a friendly infinite to better the sociableness of the staffs. By utilizing a mixture of both type of infinites, an unfastened program together with a private infinite, Steven aimed to hold a big infinite where the staffs would be able to pass on with each other without traveling from their infinites. Through this, there will be less miscommunication between the staffs because they are able the discuss everything in the unfastened. As for the private infinite, it is the balcony, where the staffs will be able to hold a more relax conversation during lunch clip or break clip. Not merely does it assist in let go ofing emphasis and tenseness between the staffs, it helps in conveying them closer and understanding each other in a better manner.

Furthermore, because there is no mosque near the site, the surau is located merely opposite the office to let the Malays to be able to pray with privateness and without perturbation. It besides makes it easier for them as they don’t need to go out of the compound to look for the mosque and in the terminal have a shorter clip spent for tiffin. And he places importance in the lighting of the infinite. What Steven did to buoy up up the infinite was through the usage of drape walls and skiding doors. When human plants, they will necessitate a minimal sum of illuming to work expeditiously, if non they will hold to strive their oculus in order to see, and sing the long sum of clip they spend in the office, if there is non adequate lighting, their efficiency lower and their wellness will deteorirate every bit good.

In decision, with his slogan of “do more, learn more” , Steven ever tries to larn the values, and replies from whatever he does and attempts to use it in his design. He aims to ne’er halt larning throughout his life-time, and by making so, he will ne’er halt seeking to look for ways to better himself and his designs. Through this design, one can see the sum of work and clip spent in the design and development of the undertaking. Even though he is considered as a immature designer with small experience because of his age, he worked difficult to come up with a design that he is confident plenty about his design and be able to convert the client with it.

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