Category: Integrative Studio 2
Bridge 3: Prototypes and Testing
Since I’m going to make a scaled model of the library to show my idea, my prototype of it comes from the model that I’ve made in Bridge 2.
The only difference is instead of thin cardboards, I will be using foam boards and bubble wraps for my model. Thanks to my former experience on using foam boards and the model that I’ve made in Bridge 2. The entire process of making the scaled model was rather fluent.
This is my first time using cardboards to make a couch though, so there were lots of struggles and attempting.
Bridge 3: Material Development and Testing
I had set up my mind of using cardboards as the frame/skeleton of my couch from the very first beginning, the problem was the material that covers the frame.
At first, my first choice was using air pillows quilts like this:
However, I then found out it was difficult to get this material in stores and was also worried about if it would be strong and durable enough to hold human bodies. Thus, I gave up this material and moved on to a new option—bubble wraps. Since they are very commonly seen and used, they are way easier to find.
I first bought 3/16” bubble wrap and tested it. It was amazingly strong and since the bubble size is rather small, it is thus more flexible to cut. Hence, I decided to use it for my scale model of the library as well as the first layer of my couch.
However, for the second layer, the layer that will directly connect with human bodies, since part of my purpose was to serve comfort and softness, I preferred to use bigger bubbles than 3/16”. I looked up in stores and the biggest size I found was 5/16”, which was not as big as I wished. I then searched up online and found the largest size bubble wraps: 1/2″, this was the size I wanted to use.
Bridge 3: Narrative Shift (Stage 1: Ideation / Gathering Context)
I had this idea of changing the whole space into a brand new one, which is somehow an unreal and fantasy-like world.
I thus did some research and found some art pieces that provided me inspirations.
I then listed the key parts in the library, went through them all and tried to start working on altering/shifting experience.
Peer Walk Through
wk 6: 3d model
Bridge 2: Experiential Site Analysis
Week 3 Meditation on Noguchi
Week 2 Inquiry
Annotated Contact Pages:
Description Text:
Throughout this inquiry practice, I found that there are two major biases in my observations. One is color matching and the other is structure.
Wandering through the new school, the first thing I noticed that stood out particularly was how white most the spaces are. It’s obvious that white is the absolute majority color. Thus I have a set of pictures that depict how different kinds of whites match with each other, and another set of photos that show how red, another major color in the new school, matches with white.
Except the color matching, structures also caught my eyes. I found the “three-ways” composition and clockwise winding staircases very fascinating. Moreover, the fact that how long and narrow many stairways are is also interesting.
Like what it was said in McCarter’s book, “The only appropriate way to evaluate architecture is through our experience of it”. I do feel like knowing more than ever about the space I am in every day after experiencing it by myself.
Bridge 1: Research and Analysis
General Process Diagram
- Women in ancient China used to bind their feet because it was common sense that women only look pretty with small feet and they could not find husbands if they don’t do that.
2. Foot binding gave so much damage to their feet that they could barely walk in the outside world but stay at home and do house works. These women’s lives were very much controlled by their husbands and were more like belongings to them.
3. The very first thumbnails draft that I made for the shoes. The main idea of the project is Female Restriction, combining with pain and torture.
4. I first used wires to construct the main frame of the shoes. At first I was planning on using both wires and needles but then had to give up needles because they were very hard to be accurately placed.
5. I cut and painted cardboards to make the bottoms of the shoes. The bottoms were not in the original plan but later got added in in order to amplify the exaggeration.
6. I attached the bottoms with the shoes together with some special black threads. The shoes are sizes smaller than my partner’s actual shoe size deliberately so that she could feel the intensity and pain more clearly.
7. Final Work