ARC 60704
Theories of Asian Architecture
Project 1: Contextual Study Sketch Journal of a Traditional Street
In this assignment, we were required to select and conduct a site visit to a traditional street and analyse its physical and non-physical place concepts. From that, we had to create an A4 sketch journal showing our understanding of the contexts of the chosen street.
This assignment was the first time I truly analysed a street to this level of thought; it was an enlightening experience learning to figure out how so many different aspects, tangible and intangible, come together to create a space that is so unique in its feeling and expression. I found myself constantly thinking about this assignment in my free time -- what the street meant in terms of its significance to history, to culture, to the people living there, and to other traditional style streets, dealing with the changes that come with urbanisation and modernisation. In terms of what could be improved, I think I could've found more things to show, rather than having it mostly be building facades.
Project 2: Poster and Seminar - Contemporary Issues in Asian Architecture
As a follow-up to the previous assignment, this time, as a group, we were tasked with expanding upon and further analysing the issues that could be found in the traditional streets that we had visited. After choosing a specific area of study, we had to conduct research on existing studies done relating to the topic. From this, we were expected to produce a topic proposal, and as final products, a poster and a presentation video.
Once again, this assignment helped me realise the significance of traditional streets to a variety of different people, places, and history. I learned more about how the loss of historical architecture not only impacts the buildings themselves, but as well as the people. In terms of what could be improved, I believe we could have gone deeper in detail in terms of the research and potential solutions that we did for each research question.