Read this from a forum on an article based on 10 singapore architects.
"For instance, in Singapore you can use timber and stone for complex decorative screens that require intensive labour to assemble. You can design handrails using on-site stainless steel welding, or make details that use several different trades - metal, stone and glass. These would be impossible to build in Australia or Europe, for instance, due to the labour costs and rigid separation of trades and warranties. We are designing an apartment building in Sydney and it is quite impossible to do anything there with any kind of significant labour component or mixing different trades. "
On site stainless steel welding brings to mind the curvilinear handrails of hortpark by MKPL. Perhaps this is why it was possible.
Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Monday, 30 January 2017
Asking the right questions
One module that i did in university, think it was world religions once highlighted that the different religions exist because they ask different questions.
I tried googling the parable and the closest i could find is the buddhist interpretation about suffering and the arrow. Anyhow, here i am exploring it in terms of architecture.
Safdie, Moshe, the canadian architect that build our iconic marina bay sands, for his masters' thesis explored the concept of " A Case for City living, a Case for 3-dimensional Modular Building System". High density apartment.
Official website: http://www.habitat67.com/
Description of Habitat 67 composition: http://www.msafdie.com/file/613.pdf
The building that shot him to fame was Habitat 67, a 354 unit housing complex comprising of 1-4 bedroom units with roof gardens and a modular kitchen.
Question here is city living? Some ideas that float would be what is the image of the city, and the materials use to represent that. Some associate that with affordable living for middle income? Low income? A key aspect is technology of the times vs the cost necessary for it.
I tried googling the parable and the closest i could find is the buddhist interpretation about suffering and the arrow. Anyhow, here i am exploring it in terms of architecture.
Safdie, Moshe, the canadian architect that build our iconic marina bay sands, for his masters' thesis explored the concept of " A Case for City living, a Case for 3-dimensional Modular Building System". High density apartment.
A 5min talk by Moshe Safdie about his work.
Official website: http://www.habitat67.com/
Description of Habitat 67 composition: http://www.msafdie.com/file/613.pdf
The building that shot him to fame was Habitat 67, a 354 unit housing complex comprising of 1-4 bedroom units with roof gardens and a modular kitchen.
Question here is city living? Some ideas that float would be what is the image of the city, and the materials use to represent that. Some associate that with affordable living for middle income? Low income? A key aspect is technology of the times vs the cost necessary for it.
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Week1: Thursday
Sometimes when you have so much time on your hands, you don't know what to do.
And when you are so busy, you wish you had more time.
Relentless pursuit of an architecture this book i started on. Interesting the concepts experiemented that were built, sequence of space. The plan and sections themselves are so interesting.
And when you are so busy, you wish you had more time.
Relentless pursuit of an architecture this book i started on. Interesting the concepts experiemented that were built, sequence of space. The plan and sections themselves are so interesting.
Monday, 23 January 2017
Post Trip Thoughts
The year has just started and here the first post begins on the third week.
However, the year began with a precious trip to one part of South America, Brazil.
5 cities were visited in 3 weeks, enough time even for a maternity leave one once said.
Jan 2- Jan 6: Rio- the city in a mountain wrap in beaches
Hotel: Winsor Palace and Avenue Atlantica
Best Meal: Fogo de Chao
The flights felt long. Arrived to Rio at night, so it wasn't morning till we saw our view from our beachfront Hotel. Beautiful with all the elements necessary to take ones breath away. Thinking about it, travelling is like experiencing a cook dish. Not that i am a foodie but somehow the comparison seem apt. The ingredients can be the same, but having that particular set come together is what makes it special. Sometimes one come across new ingredients never tasted, heard or even seen before. But maybe that is why the mountains and the sea is so symbolic because everything comes from it.
Cycled to the Lagoon and back on Day 2. Rented bicycles that came very kindly with a basket, rode around 13km, saw Copacabana, Ipanema ( famous one with the Postal marked with a painted concrete station for the lifeguards) Alot of life, the continuous sidewalks were very thoughtful, and paved in the signature waves that L mentioned were copied from Manaus. We went to Jardine Botanico as well. And it was beautiful, somehow the proportion of plants placed, the height of the trees, but the most well made was the orchid conservatory, a small round and full rectangle that had landscape build into it. So well made, that you forget you r in a rectangle. Integating the columns, day light, plant growth and accessories so well.
On the last full day, we did a full day tour to Pao De Acucar, Santa Theresa, Corcovador. Pao de Acucar is a funny shape sugar loaf as the locals affectionately call it. Got into contact with a Carioca, our guide. Relaxed guide, sporting an even tan or is it natural i can't tell. Think the first thought is to associate everyone with the heat of the sun.
Jan 6-Jan 10: Sao Paulo- the most diverse city i have ever seen.
Hotel: Maksoud Hotel
Best Meal: Figueira restaurant with set lunch, main as steak.Here
A most well build hotel internally. Externally looks like one of the many tall buildings around in Sao Paulo. Internally, with elements like open corridor, balconies, green, natural light, and these seem all too common in singapore. Yet here, it is placed together in a way that has become timelessly classic.somehow. Perhaps it is the uniform brown doors, the soft lighting in the panel lined ceiling. The balconies are 3m long protrusions wide enough for 6 square concrete planters. The tendrils from these plants are then encouraged to grow through the railings, vertically downwards. These balconies are then offset vertically by half as they go up vertically. Beautifully. Wooden generous capings of handrail over the cold concrete and furniture in the room gives the whole hotel a vintage old school feel. A most beautiful Interior and done by Architects. We caught this hotel at a good time as they had just finished their massive renovation, where even the bar was changed.
The city itself feels older, it is not unusual to find streets tree-lined and puddles forming at where asphalt meets curb. Our closest main boulevard was Paulista Avenue so we ended up walking along it everyday. Day 1s lunch was a disaster of popish art food, mine was a disastrous lasagna that cost a fortune and looked like crap but was tasty. L went with the visually safer beans and rice. It was also because it was quite late and upon dropping in a cab we went to a nearest one. This one in particular i thought to try as even the taxi driver had pointed it out as a landmark in the neighbourhood. We did a cycling day tour 9am to approx 1pm, saw the biggest cathedral in SP, with a square that it opens out to lined with palm trees. My first initiation of a tropical palm cathedral. Saw beautifully Victorian detailed buildings that were abandon, though not uncommon in SP for a variety of tax reasons. We were lucky as it was a sunday during our cycling and as such car traffic was a lot lighter, and there were designated human traffic controllers on chairs along the central spine of the cycle pathways in the 8 lane boulevards. After this tour, from 1 pm, the main boulevard was entirely pedestrianise. We then sat down to rest our legs and take in the sight. This view is one that showed me what humanity can be. I will have to sketch it out. All colours, shapes and forms and class. never had i seen with my eyes occupying the same space. This is the one of the reason why architects do architecture i think.
L brought me to a most delicious restaurant, Figueira at Haddock Lobo, 1738. Good Hotel, good food, good company, and just as i thought it wouldn't get any better than this.
Jan 10- Jan 13: Foz de Iguaza- Baptism of water
Hotel: Del Ray Hotel
Best Meal: Churrasco restaurant right after our boat ride tour (Argentina side)
Best Purchase: handwoven Carpet at a flea market Rua Edduardo, 287 Tremembe, Marcelo hp:11.2953 5303, Cecilia hp: 2952 1446
The plane arrives in Curitiba and we take a connection flight to Foz de Iguaza. It has 1 straight road to the airport and 1 straight road back. Everywhere else dots sleepy hotels and hostels, pharmacies, matteress shops and lavanderia. We had 2 full days here, perfect amount of time for the falls, no more no less, 1 day for Brazil and 1 day for Argentina. Brazil side started with a drop off at a platform, what greeted us was a handful of watefalls from far numerous but not enough to be a 7th wonder of the world. And then we started walking, along the way more appeared, and finally we came to the elevated walkway just in front of the falls. Built on strong poles into the running rapids, we could see the spray from the fall blanketing the walkway. people had raincoats, some wore swimsuits, some windbreakers, us, we just wore what we had, and even with the shoes. not so clever. but the water amazing. it is the continous light spray, the roar of falling water, and the sound of people and the view of being surrounded by a continous wall 4 stories high of water that is so unbelievable. And soaked as we were, we continued on after, we both bought shirts, and walked around in our wet clothes. Day 2, we thought we were smarter so we brought change, of top. Boat ride. 2 insertions, first into the wider smaller fall, to get just a little wet, even though this was near to the noisy big one.Then the bigger one, as the speedboat which had the driver on a higher tier for him to navigate on top of the spray.The boatman went near to the water, at first it was 5 foot away, and then he went in closer, and as the boat had to be against the current flow downstream, there was a side closer to the direct waters fall. and we were on that very side. L was quite scared. After a while, you don't see anyone, all you hear is the spray and as we take out our glasses, all we see is the white from the foam spray.The fall of the water is intense, the top height of the water high, one almost starts to imagine this is how the other world feels. Anyhow, a very exciting boat ride, one of the smartest thing we did was to take both our shoes and socks off. and soaked we were, even the bags provided to us were the strong taupaulin ones that could be rolled at its mouth to prevent the water from coming in. We then walked all the trails after that. There are many. The last one, thought quite far on feet, felt like 2kn after the top of the motorised train. They call it the devils' throat. Quite a sight to behold, being at the top of the throat literally.
One of the best underdog attractions was the birdpark, the best birdpark i have ever seen in my life. Designed in such a way, the birds are free to fly, in a tall cage, with a double door, in this way the experience for the visitor is like being in jurassic park minus the horror, where even the endangered ones come right up to you. The Arrara cage, is just insane, all the different colors, flying everywhere. This cage has like poles build alongside the rectangle walls of the mesh, and as such rows and rows of them perched above looking down onto the activity. There is a feeding pond, stick, ducks.
Jan 13- Jan 16: Brasilia- a city build to be modern
Hotel: Kubitshek Hotel
Best Meal: Lunch in the hotel with that mousse.
Interesting Coffee: Ernesto CLS 115 Bloco C Loja 14, Asa Sul
We saw a city build for cars.The funniest part was that our guide only told us that building brasilia was Kubitsheks 31th promise to the people, being a random one that someone from the crowd had asked about.
It is big, clean and wide. No building shadows for any homeless man or prey. Perhoo aps that is why the city is so visually clean, places are just too wide for any street life.
Met L s frieds, E, C, B. They are very nicely brazilian, well engaged with the cities politics as civil servants.
Itamaraty was very well made, a building of foreign affairs, all diplomatic matters are conducted here. The flooring is fully white marble, and high ceilings, so when the light bounces in, there is very good ventilation and a beautiful lightness of being.
Jan 16- Jan 20: Manaus- the city in the middle of the Amazon forest
Best meal: Best piraruku at Banzeiro, Best tambaki ribs at Mecambe?
Even before arriving, the view from the plane is amazing. I asked L is this the one to a big river that we just crossed. no, and then no and then maybe, and then the big one. So huge, that it was the size of 2 airplane windows from our height. Just incredulous, also the acres and acres of forest. My first nights dinner was a tucupi sandwich, actually it was 2, but i ended up eating both. I really love the juices that L ordered. First day we had a white one, and then there was an orange one at the floating platfrom resturant and a pink one somewhere else. And the acai shake. the cheese here is also very tasty, in the tapioca. yes the tapioca. Enough of food for now. We did a tour of course, swimming with doplhins, watching a tribal ritual, seeing the big water lillies, seeing the meeting of the rivers. The black river is something very impressive indeed. Rio Negro, velvety and smooth and even in heavy rains, the surface tension doesn't break. There is something about its movement that makes you feel relax. Actually when i thought about the water i did think perhaps i will be scared to go in, but i did actually. And the water is so welcoming. It was raining cold, but somehow the water was lightly warm, and opaque it was but as many people from the tour went in i did too. There was a man who fed the pink dolphins, and they were really smart. We were one big group swiming around the man only an arms length away in a circle, and with a slab of the palm size fish as bait, the doplhin could come from below and up towards the fish. CIGS and IMPA were good fun too, the local zoo with manatees and a big island for monkeys. The feline collection was really impressive too, housed in 4 big moat like cages, a bridge is placed over for the people to look down into it. There was one jaguar that we caught closer up that was prancing near the feeding bars, where it suddenly turn and look L in the eye almost as if to say, yum yum this one you be careful and L got a little shock. We saw rounded turtles too, saw 2 humping in turtle fashion. The market too was fun, walked through the fish and meat section, arranged like the wet markets in singapore, the meats are sliced and stacked as they all, above each other. And numerous as they were, there was no smell at all, which is quite amazing. Because the ones in sg tend to have a smell. One thing i like is that the brazilian people who sell the meat, they are all dressed in uniform, with the name sewn on, and the shower cap or hat placed on the head. Very professional looking. The hotel was the best so far, Caesar Business Hotel with sheets the perfect thickness, king size bed, quiet aircon. Only thing missing was the complimentary water. haha. It was really nice that we got to meet Ls friend Neto, and even the brother, his wife and the littlest one. Met for lunch also the cousins, very sweet sisters who kindly gave me n L all the tambaki ribs.
Brazil, an enchanted place where some things are locked in time, and yet such visible diversity of nature, people and food. What a trip, L would say What a mousse!
However, the year began with a precious trip to one part of South America, Brazil.
5 cities were visited in 3 weeks, enough time even for a maternity leave one once said.
Jan 2- Jan 6: Rio- the city in a mountain wrap in beaches
Hotel: Winsor Palace and Avenue Atlantica
Best Meal: Fogo de Chao
The flights felt long. Arrived to Rio at night, so it wasn't morning till we saw our view from our beachfront Hotel. Beautiful with all the elements necessary to take ones breath away. Thinking about it, travelling is like experiencing a cook dish. Not that i am a foodie but somehow the comparison seem apt. The ingredients can be the same, but having that particular set come together is what makes it special. Sometimes one come across new ingredients never tasted, heard or even seen before. But maybe that is why the mountains and the sea is so symbolic because everything comes from it.
Cycled to the Lagoon and back on Day 2. Rented bicycles that came very kindly with a basket, rode around 13km, saw Copacabana, Ipanema ( famous one with the Postal marked with a painted concrete station for the lifeguards) Alot of life, the continuous sidewalks were very thoughtful, and paved in the signature waves that L mentioned were copied from Manaus. We went to Jardine Botanico as well. And it was beautiful, somehow the proportion of plants placed, the height of the trees, but the most well made was the orchid conservatory, a small round and full rectangle that had landscape build into it. So well made, that you forget you r in a rectangle. Integating the columns, day light, plant growth and accessories so well.
On the last full day, we did a full day tour to Pao De Acucar, Santa Theresa, Corcovador. Pao de Acucar is a funny shape sugar loaf as the locals affectionately call it. Got into contact with a Carioca, our guide. Relaxed guide, sporting an even tan or is it natural i can't tell. Think the first thought is to associate everyone with the heat of the sun.
Jan 6-Jan 10: Sao Paulo- the most diverse city i have ever seen.
Hotel: Maksoud Hotel
Best Meal: Figueira restaurant with set lunch, main as steak.Here
A most well build hotel internally. Externally looks like one of the many tall buildings around in Sao Paulo. Internally, with elements like open corridor, balconies, green, natural light, and these seem all too common in singapore. Yet here, it is placed together in a way that has become timelessly classic.somehow. Perhaps it is the uniform brown doors, the soft lighting in the panel lined ceiling. The balconies are 3m long protrusions wide enough for 6 square concrete planters. The tendrils from these plants are then encouraged to grow through the railings, vertically downwards. These balconies are then offset vertically by half as they go up vertically. Beautifully. Wooden generous capings of handrail over the cold concrete and furniture in the room gives the whole hotel a vintage old school feel. A most beautiful Interior and done by Architects. We caught this hotel at a good time as they had just finished their massive renovation, where even the bar was changed.
The city itself feels older, it is not unusual to find streets tree-lined and puddles forming at where asphalt meets curb. Our closest main boulevard was Paulista Avenue so we ended up walking along it everyday. Day 1s lunch was a disaster of popish art food, mine was a disastrous lasagna that cost a fortune and looked like crap but was tasty. L went with the visually safer beans and rice. It was also because it was quite late and upon dropping in a cab we went to a nearest one. This one in particular i thought to try as even the taxi driver had pointed it out as a landmark in the neighbourhood. We did a cycling day tour 9am to approx 1pm, saw the biggest cathedral in SP, with a square that it opens out to lined with palm trees. My first initiation of a tropical palm cathedral. Saw beautifully Victorian detailed buildings that were abandon, though not uncommon in SP for a variety of tax reasons. We were lucky as it was a sunday during our cycling and as such car traffic was a lot lighter, and there were designated human traffic controllers on chairs along the central spine of the cycle pathways in the 8 lane boulevards. After this tour, from 1 pm, the main boulevard was entirely pedestrianise. We then sat down to rest our legs and take in the sight. This view is one that showed me what humanity can be. I will have to sketch it out. All colours, shapes and forms and class. never had i seen with my eyes occupying the same space. This is the one of the reason why architects do architecture i think.
L brought me to a most delicious restaurant, Figueira at Haddock Lobo, 1738. Good Hotel, good food, good company, and just as i thought it wouldn't get any better than this.
Jan 10- Jan 13: Foz de Iguaza- Baptism of water
Hotel: Del Ray Hotel
Best Meal: Churrasco restaurant right after our boat ride tour (Argentina side)
Best Purchase: handwoven Carpet at a flea market Rua Edduardo, 287 Tremembe, Marcelo hp:11.2953 5303, Cecilia hp: 2952 1446
The plane arrives in Curitiba and we take a connection flight to Foz de Iguaza. It has 1 straight road to the airport and 1 straight road back. Everywhere else dots sleepy hotels and hostels, pharmacies, matteress shops and lavanderia. We had 2 full days here, perfect amount of time for the falls, no more no less, 1 day for Brazil and 1 day for Argentina. Brazil side started with a drop off at a platform, what greeted us was a handful of watefalls from far numerous but not enough to be a 7th wonder of the world. And then we started walking, along the way more appeared, and finally we came to the elevated walkway just in front of the falls. Built on strong poles into the running rapids, we could see the spray from the fall blanketing the walkway. people had raincoats, some wore swimsuits, some windbreakers, us, we just wore what we had, and even with the shoes. not so clever. but the water amazing. it is the continous light spray, the roar of falling water, and the sound of people and the view of being surrounded by a continous wall 4 stories high of water that is so unbelievable. And soaked as we were, we continued on after, we both bought shirts, and walked around in our wet clothes. Day 2, we thought we were smarter so we brought change, of top. Boat ride. 2 insertions, first into the wider smaller fall, to get just a little wet, even though this was near to the noisy big one.Then the bigger one, as the speedboat which had the driver on a higher tier for him to navigate on top of the spray.The boatman went near to the water, at first it was 5 foot away, and then he went in closer, and as the boat had to be against the current flow downstream, there was a side closer to the direct waters fall. and we were on that very side. L was quite scared. After a while, you don't see anyone, all you hear is the spray and as we take out our glasses, all we see is the white from the foam spray.The fall of the water is intense, the top height of the water high, one almost starts to imagine this is how the other world feels. Anyhow, a very exciting boat ride, one of the smartest thing we did was to take both our shoes and socks off. and soaked we were, even the bags provided to us were the strong taupaulin ones that could be rolled at its mouth to prevent the water from coming in. We then walked all the trails after that. There are many. The last one, thought quite far on feet, felt like 2kn after the top of the motorised train. They call it the devils' throat. Quite a sight to behold, being at the top of the throat literally.
One of the best underdog attractions was the birdpark, the best birdpark i have ever seen in my life. Designed in such a way, the birds are free to fly, in a tall cage, with a double door, in this way the experience for the visitor is like being in jurassic park minus the horror, where even the endangered ones come right up to you. The Arrara cage, is just insane, all the different colors, flying everywhere. This cage has like poles build alongside the rectangle walls of the mesh, and as such rows and rows of them perched above looking down onto the activity. There is a feeding pond, stick, ducks.
Jan 13- Jan 16: Brasilia- a city build to be modern
Hotel: Kubitshek Hotel
Best Meal: Lunch in the hotel with that mousse.
Interesting Coffee: Ernesto CLS 115 Bloco C Loja 14, Asa Sul
We saw a city build for cars.The funniest part was that our guide only told us that building brasilia was Kubitsheks 31th promise to the people, being a random one that someone from the crowd had asked about.
It is big, clean and wide. No building shadows for any homeless man or prey. Perhoo aps that is why the city is so visually clean, places are just too wide for any street life.
Met L s frieds, E, C, B. They are very nicely brazilian, well engaged with the cities politics as civil servants.
Itamaraty was very well made, a building of foreign affairs, all diplomatic matters are conducted here. The flooring is fully white marble, and high ceilings, so when the light bounces in, there is very good ventilation and a beautiful lightness of being.
Jan 16- Jan 20: Manaus- the city in the middle of the Amazon forest
Best meal: Best piraruku at Banzeiro, Best tambaki ribs at Mecambe?
Even before arriving, the view from the plane is amazing. I asked L is this the one to a big river that we just crossed. no, and then no and then maybe, and then the big one. So huge, that it was the size of 2 airplane windows from our height. Just incredulous, also the acres and acres of forest. My first nights dinner was a tucupi sandwich, actually it was 2, but i ended up eating both. I really love the juices that L ordered. First day we had a white one, and then there was an orange one at the floating platfrom resturant and a pink one somewhere else. And the acai shake. the cheese here is also very tasty, in the tapioca. yes the tapioca. Enough of food for now. We did a tour of course, swimming with doplhins, watching a tribal ritual, seeing the big water lillies, seeing the meeting of the rivers. The black river is something very impressive indeed. Rio Negro, velvety and smooth and even in heavy rains, the surface tension doesn't break. There is something about its movement that makes you feel relax. Actually when i thought about the water i did think perhaps i will be scared to go in, but i did actually. And the water is so welcoming. It was raining cold, but somehow the water was lightly warm, and opaque it was but as many people from the tour went in i did too. There was a man who fed the pink dolphins, and they were really smart. We were one big group swiming around the man only an arms length away in a circle, and with a slab of the palm size fish as bait, the doplhin could come from below and up towards the fish. CIGS and IMPA were good fun too, the local zoo with manatees and a big island for monkeys. The feline collection was really impressive too, housed in 4 big moat like cages, a bridge is placed over for the people to look down into it. There was one jaguar that we caught closer up that was prancing near the feeding bars, where it suddenly turn and look L in the eye almost as if to say, yum yum this one you be careful and L got a little shock. We saw rounded turtles too, saw 2 humping in turtle fashion. The market too was fun, walked through the fish and meat section, arranged like the wet markets in singapore, the meats are sliced and stacked as they all, above each other. And numerous as they were, there was no smell at all, which is quite amazing. Because the ones in sg tend to have a smell. One thing i like is that the brazilian people who sell the meat, they are all dressed in uniform, with the name sewn on, and the shower cap or hat placed on the head. Very professional looking. The hotel was the best so far, Caesar Business Hotel with sheets the perfect thickness, king size bed, quiet aircon. Only thing missing was the complimentary water. haha. It was really nice that we got to meet Ls friend Neto, and even the brother, his wife and the littlest one. Met for lunch also the cousins, very sweet sisters who kindly gave me n L all the tambaki ribs.
Brazil, an enchanted place where some things are locked in time, and yet such visible diversity of nature, people and food. What a trip, L would say What a mousse!
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