Exercise 3 & Project 3

Due to that time is urgent, I did the final model quickly. The plan and section of norman fisher house are simple, but orientation is hard to distinguish. What i learned from doing this model is that how to make the stairs separately,  and how to build window frame or door frame. What i need to improve is that cutting the thick wood more neatly and keep clean gluing. In addition, since the wood board is not enough wide, we should use two pieces of balsa to compose each surface of the house. The way in which i connected the two pieces are not advisable. I used a small wood block to connect them. This is unstable, and the model is easier to collapse. I figured out a better way after my submission. The way is that we can cut the boards in certain shapes and then stick them directly, but ensure that the area of the interface of the two pieces is enough large, hence there will be only one joint. This way will reduce inaccuracy and presumably enable the model to be stabler and stronger . I also obtain an useful skill from Sarah. She cut the stone-like texture on the thick balsa to identify that the basement of norman fisher house is built by stone. This method is the one that i never thought about, admittedly it is quite convenient and acceptable.

Exercise2 & Project2

Exercise 2 focuses on quick models. We were offered a piece of section, and then imaged the whole building on our own. In my opinion, quick model can be rough or abstract; the aim of doing quick models is to enhance or express the concept of the building we have come up with. Because plan and section drawings sometimes are not enough for people to form a clear perspective about the building, the quick model acts as a presentation resolving this problem. But the prerequisite is that we ourselves has got a design in our mind! Therefore, 30 minutes seems to be too restricted. As for me, expecting to be an architect, making something special but cost a lot of time is better than making something normal in a hurry. We can make a model quickly following our mind or hands when inspiration is there. And whether we can do a quick model also depends on what materials we choose. Paper, cards or something soft is more suitable for quick model making.

 

         I didn’t follow the instruction letter to letter to do Exercise 2. Because I found something interesting to experiment. When I did the second models, i found by chance that the two models that my friend had made could be matched like neighbor. This layout was special. So, i give up making models, and instead i began to figure out how to design my 3 houses and make them like a huge house when they are organized in certain way, meanwhile these 3 house have the same section in their components. The bigger model is a developed model that derives from one of the 3 origin model designs. It is a big house with a private garden on its top. I used a lot of triangles in this exercise, and this really made the progress harder the before. Triangle shape requires more accurate dimention than rectangular.

 

         From Project 2, I learned how to make contours in my model, and how to attach the house nicely into the contours. I also learned how to make trees. The way i used to make tree is tranditional, but other students’ choice are more interesting. For example, the trees in Sarah’s model look quite vivid, i am confused about that whether she used real branches or cardboards; Dahua’s trees are also abtractive, the materials are sticks and yellow sponges.