Tuesday, August 30, 2011

029 Development: Assignment Panel Draft

A discussion to categorise the 3 panels ensued after tutorial 5, where we received feedback based on our original drafts [link1, link2, link3]. Some points to take note was that we had to organise our panels in such a way that words alone do not clutter the whole presentation and decided that some are best left written on the blog. However, some feedback from the tutor as well as the outcome of the discussion from the group are some critical points that have been carried through to our final assessment panels and statement:

- specific architectural speculation and hypothesis
- architectural strategies and possibilities
- using existing systems to integrate
- incorporating physical elements
- viability of using a platform to "share" identity
- regional collaboration leading to a mobile exhibition "to move around"
- integrate parliamentary services
- combined to create a hybrid form of transport to service the population
- engaging parliament for Australia as a nation

Following are some draft panel works.

Panel 1 [link to previous draft] is a progression of illustrated sketch ideas that first comes to mind what it means to either be Flexible, Distributed, Virtual and Mobile in parliament today. Two motivating factors in the formation (& eventually finalisation) of ideas were "recognition" and "representation" between the current parliament system and general population. In our chosen strategy of Mobile, we deduced that there is still a correlation between all the other 3 (Flexible, Distributed, Virtual), and that they're not formally separate, or independent. "I believe the move is more in the direction of soft-technologies, invisible technologies and I think the direction we see things going today... well it is more through biology." Lewis 2004.

For those who are reading this with no background information on why the terms "Flexible, Distributed, Virtual and Mobile" are used, these are strategies presented to us by the tutor as a way to jump-start & form ideas at this conceptual stage of designing for a hypothetical Australia capital city of the future. As a matter of fact, this stage of the design is not even conceptual - it is the stage before conceptual.

Reference: Duncan, Lewis. 2004. "Duncan Lewis Scape Architecture + Block" In Sociopolis: Project for a City of the Future, edited by Vincent Guallart, 128-143. Barcelona: Actar and Architekturzentrum Wien.


Panel 2 [link to previous draft] translates the scenarios into illustrations for easier comprehension of portraying the strengths and weaknesses of existing infrastructure. The illustrations further elaborated by building upon existing infrastructure systems to provide a more efficient service that is able to function objectively at targeted communities. In our case, our vision is to provide "access" to communities in remote places whom are not given the opportunity the selection of network and services for them to be in tuned with the rest of the urbanised nation. This should be seen as a way to close the ever-growing gap between the urbanised and isolated areas of Australia.

Panel 3 [link to previous draft] builds upon the strategical ideas formulated from Panel 1 and the presence of infrastructure researched from Panel 2. It serves to create a "platform" that will enable the vision to be put across in a much more effective manner. In Australia's ever increasing loss of national identity in a globalised world, and the need to manage the inconsistencies of population densities, our architectural identity and presence is through a "program" and/or architectural design innovation that sense and responds organically. It is literally a mobile platform that goes into the heart of these isolated communities to create a sense of belonging and ownership for these people through their individual participation. The genius loci is subsequently maintained giving them a sense of place, long after the "program" has left the grounds. It becomes a form of manifestation that leaves an imprint into the mind, body and spirit of the community. 

Outcome
The outcome, is a vision for a mobile entity in the form of a mobile exhibition like an expo, that goes into the heart of the regional communities. This is speculated to translate into a national initiative that metamorphosis itself into the characteristics envisioned of/for the hypothetical Australian capital city.

~ H

Monday, August 29, 2011

028 Reading: [Personal] A Climate for Growth

click img to link for more info on the book
Briefly, this book gathers insights from professionals & experts on Southeast Queensland current growth climate. It looked at some key aspects like; 1. Framework for growth, 2. Planning in a subtropical region
3. Landscape of infrastructure and 4. Planning and community.

Although this book was primarily focused on the growth climate of Southeast Queensland, I take away from it a few very valid points that are relevant to the overall planning climate of urban Australia. This, I think, helps to aid my research for a hypothetical Australian capital city.

1. Emphasising on the collaboration between state and local governments
"...the critical importance of collaboration and coordination; but most importantly the mechanisms and administrative arrangements put in place... both state government departments and local governing bodies." (pg 37)

2. Influential issues for change
"...two big issues which will influence the future pattern of energy use are 'peak oil' and climate change." (pg 81)
These are two very dominating issues in most (if not all) government departments all over the world. Reflecting these issues into an architectural hypotheses will make for a very significant debate, depending, however which aspect of architecture outcome that I seek to pursue in the later stages.

3. The "green setting"
"The origins of a metropolitan- and regional-scale open space setting for the growing urban area which would become the City of Brisbane can be traced to influential overseas sources at the turn of the 20th century - principally the advocacy, writings and initiatives of Ebenezer Howard and the Garden City Movement." (pg 129)
This is an important precedence to note. In a hypothetical Australian capital city, does it want to recreate a planning "movement" that would be "replicated" and/or be the source of influence for another growing urban city state? Should it embody those forward-thinking planning strategies that other "growing" cities will like to emulate?

4. Communal participation
"...express widely held values, constrain private and sectional self-interest and inspire public action." (pg 258)
Like in every design strategy, the social participation of the users that the design is catered to makes for a very significant factor at the early stages of an architectural design. So, it is with this great interest that this notion should not be lost, whether or not for the current environment of Australia or the future. There has to be a platform for this.

5. Two levels of reality
"...economic prosperity... social and human environment... Why can't the two connect?" (pg 274)
It seems to exist the great disparity between the "powers-to-be" and the "users" in relation to a certain development. This creates a disconnected union that should be tackled with smart and innovative design solutions, be it architectural or planning.

~ H

027 Reading: "Architecture is a Device"

"...paradoxically encourage convergence rather than differentiation."

"originality and authenticity will be challenged and the role of architect questioned."

"...the role of architect into a service provide... in the increasing roles of corporate architectural offices..."

"architect should put itself in the middle of the public debate on space."

"...can architecture once again offer a perspective?"

"architects work not only on buildings but on regional planning as well..."

"it can potentially suggest societal directions by literally constructing thoughts."

"...keeps up with the tradition of passion, intrigue and surprise..."

"...architecture is now able to move into the development of "devices" that can combine top-down, large-scale issues with bottom-up individualized input: a combination of analyses with proposals."

~

The one thing that I can appreciate in the way Design 8 had started, is the overall perspective approach of architectural design. It seeks to provoke our train of thoughts to go beyond architectural solely for a "beautiful" design but one that is investigative. It creates this platform for me to venture out of the architectural "norm" and look at the "bigger scheme of things". This particular article that Yasu wanted us to read in Week 2 is very helpful (& somewhat relevant) as a "base" of our overall design approach.

~ H

Thursday, August 25, 2011

026 Development: Individual Statement Task

For all of the diagrams, sketches and texts that have resulted from the tutorials in weeks 2 to 4, this is a summary of statement for a hypothetical Australian Capital City. These statements are in draft, which will or will not eventually by incorporated into the groups Statement for Assessment.

"a dimension of mobilising the parliament and population."
  • 1. the seduction of the place in the next century [FUNCTION]
    • the motivating and encouraging factors that create a city that is all-encompassing for the everyday people of Australia
  • 2. collaborative management between parliament and population [PURPOSE]
    • multi-function nation of inclusiveness without allowing any room to allow anyone to fall within the "cracks" of life
  • 3. a hybrid element of mixed programs stimulating creation and action [FORM]
    • a form of one tangible "element" that ties back to point #1 to allow for a "seductive" city state - one that sense and responds accordingly
  • 4. open to socialist ideas and concepts without limitations [METHOD]
    • being open, welcoming ideas from the population with no reservations but thoughts of propelling a capital city "to represent herself as a nation that is adaptable to various situations depending on social, environmental and economic circumstances" [link to entry 002] in a technologically-driven future state of the city
These are ideas that can progress for a parliament to function in a manner that promotes intergovernmental relationships with an expansive view of discourse.

~ H

025 Development: Assessment Panel 3 Draft - Characteristics in Proposed Services

[a continuation from the previous entry]

"A Liveable City"
In an ideal world, a high standard of living conditions is about the ease by which people living in a dimension that are able to satisfy their everyday needs. These factors will include bread & butter issues (but not limited to) like
- educational standards and standing
- income growth per person
- equality and quality in employment

"Spatial Evolution"
In the temporal dimension of measuring the "rhythmic repetition" of people and the "progressive & irreversible change" in the built environment, time and space becomes intimately related (Carmona et al. 2003, 193).

"A Beautiful City"
As defined by Richard Rogers in his strategy of a sustainable development design, this is about using art and architecture in a very significant way that will spark the imaginations of people to "move" (Carmona et al. 2003, 43) the "mind, body & spirit" of the population. This is a concept of mobilising the people, not necessarily in a physical way but using "interest" to generate motivation.

"Accessible + Connected City"
A solid infrastructure that brings people from point A to point B without relying on private transportation, and having a very well-connected network of greenery and pedestrian.

"An Ecological City"
Minimising one's negative environmental impact will continue to be a continuous effort. The process of mitigating and then, adapting to vulnerable surrounding conditions will result in the building of infrastructure that are safe and ultimately efficient.

"A Valuable City"
The short-term gains of developers and long-term benefits of the public come hand-in-hand in creating a city that's valued holistically in the long run. This should be done without compromising on the density of Austrlia as a whole.

So how does the parliament function in advocating for this place that will create the hypothetical Australian Capital City of Canberra?

"Greater Political Collaboration"
There is the critical importance of collaboration and coordination; but most importantly the mechanisms and administrative arrangements put in place (Minnery and Choy 2010, 37). This means, that there will need to be a greater emphasis on the collaboration between local and state governments.

~ H

Reference:
Carmona, Matthew; Heath, Tim; Oc, Taner; Tiesdell, Steve. 2003. Public Places Urban Spaces : The Dimensions of Urban Design. Architectural Press.
Minnery, John.and Choy, Darryl L. 2010. "Early Innovations and False Starts" In A Climate for Growth: Planning South-East Queensland, edited by Brendan Gleeson and Wendy Steele, 23-38. University of Queensland Press.

024 Development: Assessment Panel 3 Draft


Graphic 1 (above): A continuation from Panel 2, the vision summarised on Panel 3 will be on "Managing Population Density". With this serving as a "vision" for the hypothetical Australian Capital City, we began looking at the various ministries in the Gillard Parliament that are KEY to our concerns in managing the density of Australian population.

Graphic 2 (below): The exploration below is further elaborating the characteristics that will form the framework in addressing the management of population. We identified 6 characteristics which would ultimately link to the need for a "greater political collaboration". These are the proposed range of "services" that would form the basis of "The Place to Be".

So what does the 6 characteristics expand into for a mobile architectural element/entity/form/etc. that would translate into a hypothetical Australian Capital City?

~ H

023 Development: Assessment Panel 2 Draft

Using ideas generated during tutorial on week 3, there were 3 scenarios that encompass the lives of the "everyday people". Working on the hypothetical concept of integrating technology with current housing, depletion of natural resources and limiting the fragmentation of regions, the group came up with a systematic form of generating those ideas, according to:-

- Situation (the problem),
- Context (people & places involved), and
- Response (possible solutions).


Upon analysing the whole "system", we formed a summary of a vision that could be deduced from each situation.

~ H

022 Development: Assessment Panel 1 Draft


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

021 Week 4 Tutorial - Architectural Purpose II


It became apparent that population density becomes the issue that we are really most concerned with. This will provide us with an umbrella of purpose for our architectural entity/element/form/etc. to serve. With this, it branched out to 3 main components (but not limited to) of:-

1. regional identity
2. over density
3. lack of density

This forms the basis of how we will be proceeding with the next part of tutorial that will be addressing the architectural presence and identity for the creation of a hypothetical Australian capital city.

Keep in mind, however, that between this (week 4) formation of summary for an architectural type & purpose, and the (week 5) research/conclusion of the formation of architectural presence & identity, there is a series of further refinement to what is needed in the following:-

Panel 1:
Investigating & Researching the various Strategies of Mobile, Flexible, Distributed & Virtual

Panel 2:
Investigating & Researching the Capital Infrastructure & Presence in the form of Architectural Fictions

Panel 3:
Architectural Capital Vision with an innovative suggestion proposing a Range of "Services" under the umbrella of "MOBILE" as a Theme

~ H

020 Week 4 Tutorial - Architectural Purpose I


Our investigation in relation to the issues of the population, led us to a series of further issues that needs addressing. The idea of "affordability &/or accessibility" became a guiding principle in deepening our understanding of what needs to be critically addressed. Under this "umbrella", main issues pertaining to the everyday lives of the population were looked into:-

- infrastructure
- welfare
- food
- children

It was decided that "infrastructure" as a component is ultimately a critical issue to look into as it is able to encompass the various problems associated with having a strong and solid infrastructure as a framework. "Infrastructure" here, could mean a variety of things - social, economy, housing, food supply, transport, etc.

In terms of our MOBILE tutorial theme, we came up with a series of questions that naturally challenges how population and infrastructure needs improvement, and how the parliament can function to address this.

- Is having parliament necessary?
- How does a hypothetical Australian capital city wants to "move" the population?
- Is there a need for members of parliament to fly in & out of the capital city in order to meet and make decisions?

These series of questions then led us to question if it is about managing the density of Australia as a whole. It looked at the importance of Australia as a "body mass" that receives immigrants and asylum-seekers, as well as holiday-makers and international businesses.

How then, would the parliament manage the density of Australia in light of current globalisation where "home" is subjective? Should this form a basis for a hypothetical Australian capital of the future?

~ H

019 Week 4 Tutorial - Investigation of Issues



In groups of 3, we worked on investigating issues that will eventually help us form an architectural entity/element/form/etc. We were interested in looking at the various issues which are now affecting Australian citizens in general:-

- affordability & accessibility
- transport & infrastructure
- better recycling system
- "total" national defense (economy, social, etc)
- welfare systems

Of the issues above, we decided that there is a strong need for recognising the relationship between the PARLIAMENT and the POPULATION. Therefore, we came to an early (albeit briefly) conclusion that there has to be a "2-way-street" between the parliament and the people.

Question 1: 
But what sort of issues of the population that we are most concerned with? 

Question 2: 
What sort of issues need to be addressed by the parliament in a hypothetical Australian capital?

~ H

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

018 Development: Global Mobility



On a global context, Australia is a huge "island" surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Ocean. In terms of global movement, Australia is no stranger to receiving visitors, immigrants and asylum seekers alike from all walks of life, from every corner of the world. How have this movement shaped Australia? How will this influence in shaping a new hypothetical Australian capital?

As the current global movement is made easy with airplanes, it is a lot easier to move in and out of Australia.Will this affect greatly on the mobility of Australia, both internally and externally? Can the existing structure of parliament continue to function the way it is? Or should there be a new approach? Which ministry (link to Ministry List) in the current parliament should spearhead this? Foreign Affairs, Trade, Infrastructure and Transport, or...? How should this be represented?

~ H

Monday, August 15, 2011

017 Research: Current Metropolitan Growth II - Framework

Mindmap
Thought Process: an OPTIMISTIC & IDEAL FRAMEWORK for a hypothethical Australian capital strategised into divisions of various spatial expressions

~ H

016 Research: Current Metropolitan Growth I

Mindmap
Thought Process - Support for the PEOPLE & COMMUNITIES of current metropolitan growth


~ H

015 Research: "Threads of Power"

SLQ Works of Art Collection
Symbolic representation of transport and industries in Queensland, Noel Pascoe Lambert, ca. 1939, Image No. 4678-1v000r001 
A 1939 watercolor painting by Noel Lambert of the then Queensland's Premier William Forgan Smith depicted in a scenario "playing" on the "threads of power", controlling the various industries that coexist within the Queensland region during his charge.

Is this a reflection of everything a hypothetical Australian capital DOES NOT want to be?

~ H

Friday, August 12, 2011

014 Week 3 Tutorial - Architectural Fiction

Sketch & Words of an integrated infrastructure supporting public transport and housing .
Technology has always been a huge part in the lives of Jahn & Hazel. It was frustrating for this couple, who relies greatly on public transport to move from point A to point B, especially at the start of the day when they're about to leave the house. They look for an urban development that not only had integrated public transport but one that  is devoid of any form of private transportation within 1km of their development. What they found was private housing that was integrated with a digital network that informs them of updated information of when and where the next public transport will be and/or arrive. Having this virtual system implemented as a staple in their lives allow themselves to be more efficient in terms of mobilising from place to place and acting out their daily routines. This results in some of their excess time being allocated to a zone that is now flexible and open to other activities which enriches both their lives.

~ H

013 Research: Proposed State Functions

Heywood, Phil. 1997. "The emerging social metropolis : successful planning initiatives in five New World metropolitan regions." Progress in Planning 47 (3):159-250. Oxford : Pergamon Press.

This is an example of some functions that can be responded to through the proposal of the architectural identity. The table showed the various functions that can be proposed at the various stage/concentration of the country. I am looking directly first at the large scale of planning, which will be the STATE/PROVINCIAL, as I would be concerned at how a hypothetical parliament will want to tackle the issue, before proceeding to look at the micro scale of the state.

~ H

012 Research: Urban Mobility

Forum for the Future. 2011. Megacities on the Move. Accessed August 12, 2011.  http://www.forumforthefuture.org/sites/default/files/images/Forum/Projects/Megacities/megacities_full_report.pdf

An online "toolkit", created by Forum for the Future, to help public bodies, companies and civil society organisations understand and plan for the mobility challenges of the future. It is designed to encourage action now and stimulate innovative products and services using some form of speculation for what future mobility might be.

~ H

Thursday, August 11, 2011

011 Development: CAPIThethicAL

As the academic progresses comfortably into the end of Week 3, DAB810 Architectural Design 8 for Semester 2 of ADY 2011 is looking at The Competition - CAPIThethicAL as a base for a design proposal on a hypothethical Australian capital. This explains the exploration of ideas during tutorial in Week 2.

It focused on 4 themes of - Flexible, Mobile, Distributed, Virtual - as a catalyst to further elaborate on design ideas upon a blank canvas. Within each of these themes, we are expected to delve deeper in understanding on what makes a city tick or not using various mediums of understanding. Although, it is still very hazy at this early stage there are many questions that deserves to be researched on;

... what defines Australia?
... what defines an Australian city?
... how is Australia represented in the eyes of the world?
... is history and heritage important for an ever-growing Australian city?
... how do you define a physical place as "home" for the people?
... is an Australian capital a state of mind (non-tangible), or should it always be physical?

~ H

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

010 Research: Metropolis 1927



"Metropolis is a 1927 silent science fiction film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Lang and Thea von Harbou. Lang and von Harbou.... Metropolis was produced in Germany in the Babelsberg Studios by Universum Film A.G. (UFA) and released in 1927 during a stable period of the Weimar Republic."

The movie was set in a futuristic urban dystopia and examines a common science fiction theme of the day - the social crisis between workers and owners in capitalism. The film stars Alfred Abel as the leader of the city, Gustav Fröhlich as his son, who tries to mediate between the elite caste and the workers, Brigitte Helm as both the pure-at-heart worker Maria and the debased robot version of her, and Rudolf Klein-Rogge as the mad scientist who created the robot.

`

In a hypothetical Australian capital, what can be the common science fiction theme of the day that the common people can envision, connect with, endeavors to be, or, do not ever want to represent?

~ H

Monday, August 08, 2011

009 Research: Carlo Ratti - Architecture that Senses & Responds



I had the fortunate opportunity in attending a talk given by Carlo Ratti back in January in Stuttgart, at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste. It was intriguing how, to me, he (re)introduced what I (we) would term as "interactive" achitecture in his talk. In its true sense of word, interactive, he discussed about architecture that are sense-able and responsive to the way human beings use a certain element. It is not about architecture of the physical four walls but about the architecture of interaction between the elements of a structure (note that I did not mention building), and then maximise the usage of those elements to interact with everyday human beings.

It is a bit more complex to explain to a layman what this "type" of architecture is because there are various factors being engaged in this sort of architecture, mainly the transition between the digital world to the physical world. But heavy usage of technology is the way forward in any industry for any nation, Australia included. Perhaps, think about simplifying the usage of technology so that it is embedded into the way the Australians live their lives? After-all, people today are alreaday constantly connected to the digital world, so taking advantage of this "characteristic" could boost a better image for Australia as a nation, what with the upcoming completion of the National Broadband Network. Therefore, for a hypothetical Australian Capital, it is important that I take this digital element in consideration when proposing the vision & strategy for "The Place to Be" proposal.

~ H

Sunday, August 07, 2011

008 Exemplar: Centre Georges Pompidou


Centre Georges Pompidou, obviously a well-recognised piece of building which was built ahead of its time. The characteristics that's embodied within this piece of exemplar, is one that is Flexible in nature, but definitely Mobile. Flexibility in the way the building was initially intended for in terms of moving floors, and Mobility, because it is a place for movement, transient not structurally but in the way people and art within, constantly move and changes. It stands the hands of time.

~ H

ps: When I was there, I stood stationary for a quite a long period of time both outside and inside the building. It was strange how this museum stood within an urban context that's far removed from any form of similarities, and when standing inside, I feel "comfortable" in the sense that it felt like a building built for "now", 2001 and beyond, and not before.

Saturday, August 06, 2011

007 Development: What can an Agent of Australian Capital be?


What sort of characteristics will an Agent of a hypothetical Australian Capital posses?

We collaborated and started by recognising that there needs to be a "catalyst" to spur a city/monument/etc. to be that "capital". Every nation require an "identity" that is unique for every individual to be able to relate to. This is a common human trait in finding solace in knowing where they come from. The hypothetical capital needs to be a metamorphosis from what it is today - not that there is everything wrong with the present capital, but recognising the potential of the rest of Australia that would fit the characteristic of representing Australia as a whole, is beneficial to represent the diverse population of Australia. There are many desired aspects to being an Australian Capital and recognising some of those aspects may be key to ensure that certain cause & effects can be hypothesized and tackled appropriately - addressing issues before it happens.

Current popular cities in Australia represent a hub of different things that people tend to flock to, both local and non. These are strength and traits of the Australian society and culture which could be maximised in its entirety in the search of an Australian Capital in order for it to stand as "A Place to Be".

~ H

006 Week 2 Tutorial - Distributed

The thought process of what it means in the term "DISTRIBUTED"
The concept of "Distributed" as a catalyst in mobilising people came from a simple observation of Brisbane city's current public transport. If we take the bus stops, train stations and/or ferry terminals as examples, we understand that these "places" are located on fixed sites. Commuters gather at their desired stops, stations or terminals to go on-board the respective transport in order for them to get to their desired locations as quickly as possible. This translates to a simple factor of the "Distributed" strategy as a catalyst that mobilises people.

Taking a leaf out of the natural environment, there is a cycle of germination and pollination. These are nature's ways of reproduction that increases the current population of flora and fauna. If we translate this to the way the population of Australia reproduce themselves, we will definitely see an upward scale in national population growth. This growth will eventually mean that there will be an increase of resources that has to be distributed (maybe) equally to spur this growth. Subsequently, this increases options and choices, therefore creating more room for creativity in science, technology, engineering and arts to happen.

In this hypothetical Australian capital, there is a need to shelter the ever-growing population that is a result of local reproduction as well as globalisation with constant immigrants coming to seek opportunities. By distributing local resources and even the representation of Australia as a nation, the capital can do wonders in achieving a nation that constantly moves forward for the betterment of the society. This brings back the idea put forward in Entry 002 about the hypothetical Australian capital having to be "adaptable to various situations depending on social, environmental and economic circumstances", in an age where man-made threats and natural disasters may occur on a more burgeoning rate.

~ H

005 Research: Virtual example - Tron


Before moving on to the strategy "Distributed", I mentioned briefly in the discussion that the movie "Tron" creates a good example of mashing the 2 ideas of "Virtual" mentioned in the entry before this, between "technology" and the "human brain".

The movie is about an adventure set in a digital world that was created by the expertise of the human mind. It tells the story of a young man who is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father. His father was a man once known as the world's leading video-game developer. When he investigates a strange signal sent from his father's old arcade—a signal that could only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a digital world where his father has actually been trapped for 20 years. This embark on a life-or-death journey across a universe created by his father. It is a universe that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape, in addition to wanting to take over the digital realm that the young man's father had created but wanted to destroy.

It is simply an amalgamation of a tangible world that we human know it as with a non-tangible that we human wish to have. This creates an almost complexed form of "virtual" that tries to coalesce the two worlds into one. Then again, it may be that I've watched too many movies, or I am more nostalgic about a movie that first came out in 1987 when I was only 3. It's quite a stress reliever if you remove the complexities away from the movie.

~ H

004 Week 2 Tutorial - Virtual

The thought process of what it means in the term "VIRTUAL"
 Strategy 3: Virtual

The idea of "virtual" immediately started us off on the idea of using "technology". It began by recognising how people today are a lot more plugged into their iPod and/or music device, and then questioning if it was a process of deliberate privacy or public engagement. Privacy; listening to one's own type of music selection. Public engagement; listening to a podcast that was recently made available. This brings about the idea of a "remote control" - it controls mobility, and yet gives flexibility in terms of how we want to be more selective in what we see and listen. Having said that, it also gives a "user" a certain form of control in terms of "management". Using the concept of "City Building Program", there can be a usage of centralising a "control system" that manages the function of a city, which explains the idea of "management" through a "virtual" possibility.

Then there is the notion of a "human brain" that exists within the "virtual" realm. This would be a more realistic point of view where ideas & imaginations are triggered using all the human 5 senses. It recognises the connection that the brain is able to make between the tangible and non-tangible. This tend to generate ideas and subsequently influences in the way one interpret the surrounding atmospheres. Sometimes memories from years ago can be triggered through taste or smell and that "virtual" realm within the powers of the brain is utilised to bring back those memories.

The accumulation of strategies that build upon "Flexible" and "Mobile" provides an insight into the strategy of "Virtual" in how we can perceive this hypothetical Australian capital of the future. This leads the way for the idea of "Distributed" which will be elaborated further in the next entry.

~ H

Friday, August 05, 2011

003 Week 2 Tutorial - Mobile

The thought process of what it means in the term "MOBILE"
Strategy 2: Mobile

We were prompted with the idea of questioning whether or not we will need politicians in this new hypothetical capital city of Australia. It was a question of the necessity of having a figurehead to lead a nation.

In any form of society, there has to be a leader to lead the people. Corruption aside, leaders have been entrusted to lead the society for the betterment of mankind. This is in my opinion. Using this as a starting point, we agreed that there has to be a purpose to having a "leader" to lead a "herd" from point A to point B. This implies that there needs to be a change or an upgrade of technology and infrastructure as it has been recognized that there is efficiency in technological advancements. However, technology will not be successful on its own without the human "touch" as people tend to be more responsive when conversations, debates or discussions happen in real time with fellow human beings and not through technology like a mobile phone or email. We developed this idea, taking a page off the concept of a "network" system using the idea of being in and out of range.

When one is within close range of communication, it is easy to mobilise people with ideas that are transparent and easily understandable. Ideas, however good they may seem to be to politicians, tend to fail the society when these ideas are lost in translation through the network of technology. The flexibility of using movement to mobilise the society becomes another catalyst that can represent Australia as a nation as the place to be. This brings about the idea of "Virtual" as another strategy to move the nation forward, which will be the next topic in the next entry.

~ H

002 Week 2 Tutorial - Flexible

The random thought process of what it means in the term "FLEXIBLE"

Strategy 1: Flexible
An idea started with having to "house" Australia, as a nation within an "umbrella" of a skin, to protect herself from elements while being able to represent herself as a nation that is adaptable to various situations depending on social, environmental and economic circumstances.

This thought process that leads to an idea of a relationship between a boy and a tree whose bond grew over the years as the boy grew. It reflects the malleability of time that exists between two living things - the relationship that grew over the years might record various events that are unique only to the boy. The "movement" of time here shows that time itself is not flexible but the events and occurrences that happens within a time-frame are the flexible components, because it depends on the agent/catalyst who wants to act on maximizing his productivity within that "given" period.

Ideas that are generated in the above-mentioned time-frame then may start to bounce itself off one another during a time of "flexibility" which in turn can result in oneself having to be adaptable to different situations and environment, which brings back to the leading idea as mentioned in the first paragraph. This becomes the base to the next strategy of "Mobile" as will be elaborated in the next entry.

~ H