Learning PortfolioLearning PortfolioEric TrinhEric Trinh

Arch 21 Spring 2011Arch 21 Spring 2011MidtermMidterm

IntroductionIntroductionThis learning portfolio is a This learning portfolio is a demonstration of my work, the demonstration of my work, the thought processes and analyses thought processes and analyses behind it, and my reflection on it as behind it, and my reflection on it as I’ve progressed in my critical I’ve progressed in my critical thinking, self-learning, and mind thinking, self-learning, and mind regarding the creativity behind regarding the creativity behind architectural design.architectural design.

Time and MemoryTime and MemoryFirst day of class and there’s already an First day of class and there’s already an assignment due on the next one. Lovely. assignment due on the next one. Lovely. The icebreaker was to compile images that The icebreaker was to compile images that represented time and memory represented time and memory respectively, creating a relation between respectively, creating a relation between each other.each other.

I thought of time and memory as simply I thought of time and memory as simply analyzing moments from time and analyzing moments from time and remembering something about it that remembering something about it that made it memorable.made it memorable.

Time and MemoryTime and MemoryI thought about the Back to the Future films I thought about the Back to the Future films fairly quickly and used images from the fairly quickly and used images from the movie to show how time and memory movie to show how time and memory related. In the end, it was a little too related. In the end, it was a little too obvious of an approach.obvious of an approach.

Time and MemoryTime and MemoryAfter the next class, I started to After the next class, I started to understand a bit about time and understand a bit about time and memory. Something more personal memory. Something more personal would evoke a better presentation. would evoke a better presentation. I decided to go with something that I decided to go with something that was more conventional and that was more conventional and that was my hobby of playing video was my hobby of playing video games.games.

Technology of video games Technology of video games advance with time and always have advance with time and always have something unique and memorable something unique and memorable because of this technology, so I because of this technology, so I wanted to present that.wanted to present that.

Time and MemoryTime and MemoryI had something to start with, but I had to progress I had something to start with, but I had to progress further from there. It wasn’t enough that I had the further from there. It wasn’t enough that I had the game system and images of memorable features of game system and images of memorable features of that system. that system.

In the iterations following, I added text and more In the iterations following, I added text and more images, creating a narrative about how these games images, creating a narrative about how these games and fictional characters were tools to take me to and fictional characters were tools to take me to adulthood and beginning to think and act for myself.adulthood and beginning to think and act for myself.

I learned that showing a I learned that showing a relation between time and relation between time and memory wasn’t enough. memory wasn’t enough.

Evoking a strong sense of Evoking a strong sense of growth and experience is growth and experience is what made time and what made time and memory stick out. In the memory stick out. In the beginning I wasn’t sure beginning I wasn’t sure what to do; I was lost. In the what to do; I was lost. In the couple of weeks, I began to couple of weeks, I began to see that I overestimated the see that I overestimated the contents of the box instead contents of the box instead of what’s outside it.of what’s outside it.

Time and MemoryTime and Memory

FloorsFloorsI took images of floors around the city, each I took images of floors around the city, each one with different material serving different one with different material serving different functions such as indoor flooring, rough functions such as indoor flooring, rough ground, and raised tiles.ground, and raised tiles.

I learned from this exercise that beyond the I learned from this exercise that beyond the physicality of the material, the flooring is a physicality of the material, the flooring is a medium utilized for pathways, indicating medium utilized for pathways, indicating direction, or placed to indicate a static direction, or placed to indicate a static place or node.place or node.

FloorsFloorsThe next assignment involved The next assignment involved finding places with flooring that finding places with flooring that served a deeper purpose than served a deeper purpose than just for being a floor.just for being a floor.

I had a hard time thinking of I had a hard time thinking of what places had a strong sense what places had a strong sense of floors and walls. Through of floors and walls. Through Google and Wikipedia, I Google and Wikipedia, I eventually came to use the eventually came to use the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the California Academy of the California Academy of Science’s “Living Roof.”Science’s “Living Roof.”

FloorsFloorsExploring these floors brought out a lot of Exploring these floors brought out a lot of information I never would have thought of before information I never would have thought of before like symbolism or metaphors and even the like symbolism or metaphors and even the significance of where it is placed. significance of where it is placed.

For example, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s For example, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s walkway is placed between the Washington walkway is placed between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, serving as Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, serving as something that is part of American history. The something that is part of American history. The path that people walk while looking at the names path that people walk while looking at the names on the wall acts as a guidance to those that have on the wall acts as a guidance to those that have lost their loved ones. It’s a form of healing.lost their loved ones. It’s a form of healing.

Model - First IterationModel - First IterationConcept:Concept: “Loop de loop” structure “Loop de loop” structure with stairs. The narrative was the with stairs. The narrative was the satisfaction of overcoming a difficult satisfaction of overcoming a difficult obstacle. The stairs were an “easy obstacle. The stairs were an “easy way out” path that, going through way out” path that, going through this way, does not give satisfaction.this way, does not give satisfaction.

First IterationFirst IterationI had only put this together to start I had only put this together to start out with something to build on. The out with something to build on. The model had practically no walls and model had practically no walls and one path. The structure was framed one path. The structure was framed by a rectangle held by small by a rectangle held by small columns. There was no rhyme or columns. There was no rhyme or reason to it, but the idea of walking reason to it, but the idea of walking through paths with peculiar through paths with peculiar structures would stick in my mind.structures would stick in my mind.

Second IterationSecond IterationConcept:Concept: The struggle of maintaining The struggle of maintaining a living; decisions on money use, a living; decisions on money use, labor, and time management. labor, and time management.

The decisions The decisions were represented as multiple were represented as multiple

paths, each one different paths, each one different structurally and part of a structurally and part of a

maze-like design.maze-like design.This iteration had quite a This iteration had quite a

messy look, weak logic in the design, messy look, weak logic in the design, and didn’t look like part of a landscape. and didn’t look like part of a landscape.

Third IterationThird IterationConcept:Concept: Different points lead to a Different points lead to a tower where there top can be tower where there top can be reached by following a multitude of reached by following a multitude of paths, either from the structures paths, either from the structures around the tower or an elevator that around the tower or an elevator that goes straight up and down. About goes straight up and down. About everything in the landscape can be everything in the landscape can be viewed at the top.viewed at the top.

Third IterationThird Iteration

This iteration lacked strong intricacy in This iteration lacked strong intricacy in its design as the focus was very static its design as the focus was very static and large which made the paths and large which made the paths surrounding it insignificant in surrounding it insignificant in appearance. The pathways were what I appearance. The pathways were what I really wanted the focus to be on so I really wanted the focus to be on so I decided that I had to make them more decided that I had to make them more noticeable.noticeable.

Fourth IterationFourth IterationConcept:Concept: a Point A to Point B path a Point A to Point B path first by going through stairs to a first by going through stairs to a tilted circular platform with smaller tilted circular platform with smaller rectilinear platforms “gravitating” rectilinear platforms “gravitating” around it.around it.I wasn’t sure where to go from there I wasn’t sure where to go from there so I just placed material around the so I just placed material around the model.model.

Fourth IterationFourth Iteration

Fifth IterationFifth IterationConcept:Concept: Same as the last, but now Same as the last, but now had the floating platforms appear as if had the floating platforms appear as if they were once part of the circular they were once part of the circular platform. I reintroduced the multiple platform. I reintroduced the multiple paths but tweaked the story behind it. paths but tweaked the story behind it. I rushed through this so the end result I rushed through this so the end result was completely out of what I set out was completely out of what I set out to do.to do.

Fifth IterationFifth IterationBefore I put everything together, I Before I put everything together, I placed the material where they placed the material where they should go first and marked a few should go first and marked a few things, such as bridges or high/low things, such as bridges or high/low elevations.elevations.

Fifth IterationFifth Iteration

Fifth IterationFifth Iteration

Though I set out to create what I Though I set out to create what I planned ahead of time, I lost a lot of planned ahead of time, I lost a lot of time and material and was stuck with time and material and was stuck with what I had to work with.what I had to work with.

Sixth IterationSixth IterationEver since the fourth iteration, I had this strange Ever since the fourth iteration, I had this strange fixation on the stairs stacked in a zigzag-like fixation on the stairs stacked in a zigzag-like pattern and wanted to stick with this to represent pattern and wanted to stick with this to represent the act of following a decision in life and staggering the act of following a decision in life and staggering and taking caution in the steps you take.and taking caution in the steps you take.

My classmates gave me great ideas and My classmates gave me great ideas and suggestions on how to improve my model. I suggestions on how to improve my model. I decided to play around a bit with the idea of decided to play around a bit with the idea of deception, though not entirely about deception deception, though not entirely about deception itself, but the feeling of being aware of what you itself, but the feeling of being aware of what you may be getting into because, in life, it’s may be getting into because, in life, it’s unpredictable what happens. Sometimes there’s no unpredictable what happens. Sometimes there’s no gold at the end of the rainbow.gold at the end of the rainbow.

Sixth IterationSixth Iteration

Sixth IterationSixth IterationMy model now had more logic behind its My model now had more logic behind its structuring. All the shapes were rectilinear and I structuring. All the shapes were rectilinear and I made clear pathways with one end directed made clear pathways with one end directed towards another. Nothing looked completely out towards another. Nothing looked completely out of place.of place.

Though I had cut the materials earlier on, I used Though I had cut the materials earlier on, I used Bristol board at some parts to save time.Bristol board at some parts to save time.

The only problems left to solve were the empty The only problems left to solve were the empty space, which I decided would be best for more space, which I decided would be best for more walls and paths and also some landscape.walls and paths and also some landscape.

ProgressionProgressionHaving gone through about two months on the models, I Having gone through about two months on the models, I remember why there’s a lot of time and effort needed input to for remember why there’s a lot of time and effort needed input to for a better output. Initially, I didn’t know what to expect of myself a better output. Initially, I didn’t know what to expect of myself because I wasn’t sure what I was doing was right. I realized then because I wasn’t sure what I was doing was right. I realized then that there weren’t any wrongs nor rights when it came to your that there weren’t any wrongs nor rights when it came to your perspective and imagination. From there, it’s how to build your perspective and imagination. From there, it’s how to build your creativity into something fascinating, unique, and outstanding. creativity into something fascinating, unique, and outstanding. Something that makes you feel there is more to it than just how it Something that makes you feel there is more to it than just how it looks or sounds or anything related to the five senses. I also had looks or sounds or anything related to the five senses. I also had to have a fresh mind of ideas flowing and active in order to work to have a fresh mind of ideas flowing and active in order to work at the fullest to create something extravagant.at the fullest to create something extravagant.

In retrospect, the most difficult thing I had while doing everything In retrospect, the most difficult thing I had while doing everything was my time management. Had I put more time and effort into was my time management. Had I put more time and effort into the assignments, they would’ve been completed with less the assignments, they would’ve been completed with less problems and more refined. It definitely didn’t feel very fun with problems and more refined. It definitely didn’t feel very fun with the limited amount I had left to work with. With more time I can the limited amount I had left to work with. With more time I can see how that would leave strong memories, just like when we see how that would leave strong memories, just like when we broke the ice.broke the ice.