Terrain Vague: A Mean to Coexistence; Dual-Architectural system with nature
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A. Thesis Title Terrain Vague: A Mean to Coexistence; Dual-Architectural system with nature
“Empty, abandoned space in which a series of occurrences have taken place seems to subjugate the eye of the urban photographer. Such urban space, which I will denote by the French expression terrain vague, assumes the status of fascination, the most solvent sign with which to indicate what cities are and what our experience of them is.” Terrain Vague, by Ignasi de Sola-Morales. B. Thesis Statement
Terrain Vague According to Ignasi de Sola-Morales’s essay in 1995. He expressed the term “terrain Vague” – the spaces in the city which are empty and unoccupied, such as vacant lots, abandoned buildings or leftover spaces. These ambiguous spaces of the city that exist outside the social and cultural context of the city. The status of imperfection and unclearness makes it hard to incorporate with the current urban condition. Terrain vague can be considered as a void in a rapidly growing city, a neglected and forgotten space. The void surrounded by hoardings, with closed gates and security guard box just right at the edge of it. The surrounding architecture remain isolated and static to this void. A frozen space in an absence status. Because it is empty, these spaces are often turned into spaces of consumption. However, other than the absence status, the lack of productivity can be seen as a space with richness and unique atmosphere. Here, where we embrace the emptiness as traces of the past, a presence of the transformation of a place in time. It seems particularly difficult to give meaning to void space, however the concept of terrain vague allows us to reinterpret this contrasting tension as a potential dual relationship between the nature and people.
The thesis aims to examine a dual-architectural energy system that would undergo a continuous material transformation. And the possibility of architecture becomes invisible/decay naturally over time.
C. Description of Project Intended to Test the Thesis Statement The thesis intends to examine a mutual relationship between nature and human through an energy system. Using this energy system suggests a way how a top-down architecture can be blended in/mimic the beauty of nature, rather than only making iconic shapes of architecture at the same time dialect with the surrounding. To seek for new means of material in relation to the energy system and nature, there are possibilities for a natural system to parasite on an existing framework and eventually disappear in the natural growing system. Adaptation is a process, it is about change in behaviour, so the system should not be totally controlled or dictated in a long term instead certain flexibility should be given. The alternative response for a particular urban phenomenon can reflect in the issue of space, nature and time. The Terrain Vague condition is actually a scale up relationship between the people and the nature, a disconnection of the richness of vegetation, an isolation of a ground condition and a waste of land resources. Therefore, the gradual connection between the mechanical energy device and the natural resource would be a key element to deal with. Time is a fundamental factor for a natural energy system, a new understanding of time through its process will be examined. This dual-relationship can also redefine the position of human in relation to the nature, and how spatial hierarchy provides an equilibrium thus can distinguish the active-passive relationship (e.g. air flow, sunlight, birds’ nest etc.) D.Outline of Research/Design Method Research: 1. Condition The dual-architectural system derives from the terrain vague condition. Therefore to start with, a research will carry out based on a phenomenon of the void condition (eg. the enclosure/ level of ruins/vegetation) and the environmental effects. e.g. Kalasatama’s terrain vague 2. Natural energy system using surrounding resources Investigation of a natural energy system which is self-sustainable and also use environment as a source of energy (e.g. sand/water/wind/ruins/smoke). Investigation of the process of the energy system (filtration/condensation..). The selected aspect of would be abstracted and translate into a spatial aspect and with which mimic the growth of nature
3. Material/Structure Research on potential decayable or growing material overtime, the use of material inspired by nature (such as honey comb system / sand / salt). Precedence studies on structural framework to integrate with the potential natural material.
4. Potential Site Several site can be suggested to see if the system has certain flexibility to execute in different area of the world after the formation of the system Design Proposal: Scale 01 1. Demonstrating energy system in part components 2. Time based testing to on materials
Scale 02 1. Spatial scenario to demonstrate energy system through: – change in enclosure – the active/passive relationship with human and nature – the materialisation and structure – the equilibrium relationship – the architecture changes over time Scale 03 1. System on Site
E. Bibliography Nancy Holt, The Writing of Robert Smithson, 1979 Robert Smithson, Entropy and the New Monuments, Artforum, 1966 Terrain Vague – Ignasi de Sola-Morales Primitive Future – Sou Fujimoto AA works, Anti-Object – Kengo Kuma The Manhattan Transcripts – Bernard Tschumi Parc de la Villette – Bernard Tschumi Pet Architecture: Atelier Bow-Wow Architecture without architect – Bernard Rudofsky |
