PDIV – Week 7 Updates

Lau Yi Wen x Weng Ya Yu

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Recap from last week!

Last week, we have decided on doing public seating to facilitate more interaction in the Communal Plaza of North Hill Halls. The forms will be inspired by our own interpretation of the trees; Fluidity, Transience & Vitality.

Some feedbacks that we’ve received:
> Prototype that we did was too abstract and hard for viewers to relate it to the 3 trees.
> Motion sensors were too gimmicky and we should keep our idea simple.
> Consider the materials needed.

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SOOOOO, for this week…

We did up a PSD Matrix for the values of the trees interpreted by the hall (Fruitfulness, Nurturing & Positive Reach).

We’ve decided to use the characteristic of the trees interpreted by the hall as we want to provide a more accurate representation of the values as compared to what is displayed right now.
(Currently, they have the 3 trees planted outside the hall to show the values mentioned.)

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From the PSD Matrix, we have decided to combine the elements into ONE sculpture, but it looks kinda messy/rojak. It is also restricting how we can change the aesthetics.

Below are a few ideas for combining all elements into ONE sculpture:

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Next we decided to make a series of sculptures reflecting each values instead, but with the same design language.

Look Below:

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However, we realised that the values that we are taking on were more of what the halls interpreted the trees to be, instead of what the trees truly are. Hence, we decided to refine the sculptures in such a way that we reflect the unique natural forms of the 3 trees.

Below are the sketches for it:

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Materials:

We are looking into using the similar materials that are currently used in that area so that it won’t be too jarring.

> Dark Wood
> Steel (painted in grey)

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Next Step:

> Consider about technology and use. (possibility of adding lights)
> Interaction with people

PDIV – Week 5 Updates

Lau Yi Wen & Weng Yayu (Group 7)

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We had a little site visit last week to check out the 3 trees planted at the new halls.

We got a leaf from each tree to have a closer look and to observe it
(shortest leaf – banyan; longest leaf – binjai)

We were pretty amazed by the smell of the leaves of binjai tree 😮 it was a sweet mango smell. After it’s completely dried up, it smells like tea.

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Based on last week’s comments, we’ve decided to explore both possibilities of execution of our idea.

1) Hybrid Tree
2) Symbolic

HYBRID TREE

It was suggested last week that we can look into creating a hybrid tree to show how the 3 trees grow together. We went to do some research on hybrid tree and we came across this artist who created a tree of 40 fruits.

Tree of 40 Fruits – Van Aken

There are 16 of these trees are planted across US.
Super-Hybrid tree made through grafting technique (involves joining one part of the plant to another)

We also understood that to create hybrid tree, it’s more like mix and match the fruits, roots and trunk. Methods available are either by grafting or by natural pollination method.

HOWEVER,

We have decided to not do hybrid tree as we do not see the meaning of having a special tree there as it do not serve any purpose and it will be underappreciated as it will not be phenomenon.

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SYMBOLIC WAY OF EXPRESSING

The characteristics of the 3 trees from last week:
Fluidity (Banyan); Vitality (Tanjong); Transience (Binjai)

Our idea was to:

“To reflect the spirit/characteristic of the 3 trees in the sculpture and for people there to identify with.”

Based on these 3 characteristic, we done up a matrix to analyse the possible way of executing based on P.S.D (Proportion, Surface & Detail)

This version of matrix was mainly to highlight the possible category that we can use to show the characteristic and from there we tried to loosely come out with some ideas here and there. We also included another category of colours as we find that our concepts can make use of colours to do it too.

We continue to make detailed description of how are we going to execute the characteristic of trees under each category. Based on the new hall’s write up for the trees, each tree have specific representation for the residential living.

Execution for each characteristic:

From all these…

We thought of:

> Having an open shared place for people to come in and interact.
> We might not be using the whole tree there (plant the trees there) as it will not be the center of attraction either instead, we are thinking of using the timber/bark of the 3 trees to build the whole installation.
> Abstract way of expressing the characteristic – by using the matrix list – either a sculpture or a shelter.

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REFERENCE WORK

“Mater Matrix Mother and Medium” by Mandy Greer

“Yellow Zinger” by Tim Prentice, sound installation.
http://www.timprentice.com/yellow-zingers.html

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We will need to finalise on what we want to do (shelter? sculpture?) so we can continue experimenting the forms of the installation.

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http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/artist-creates-hybrid-tree-grows-40-fruit-article-1.1887459

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-hybrid-tree-101741.html

PDIV – Week 3 Updates

Lau Yi Wen & Weng Yayu (Group 7)

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Continuing from last week’s discussion on “The Infra-Ordinary at North Hills”, we continued to look around the school and observed the student body interaction with school environment.

We realized that NTU is really “green” in terms of how much nature was incorporated into our campus. However, the routine of daily life actually caused us to be “numbed” about this environment.

Another on-site observation was the wind volume at certain areas of NTU. As NTU is located on highland, we can enjoy unobstructed wind at certain part of the campus and this is usually unobvious to people in NTU as it’s intangible.

Hence, we aim to achieve the following for our project:

“Rediscovering Nature Through a Medium”

This is to influence people in NTU to look at nature in another light.

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1. Amplifying Intangible Phenomenon in NTU

We were looking into making the intangible phenomenon (in this case will be wind) to be obvious to people. We were inspired by some installations too.

The Singing Ringing Tree
Carefully angled hollow pipes will catch the wind pass through and resulting in some sound to be produced.

The Singing Ringing Tree by Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu

Liquid Shard
Use of holographic materials and hang from a point to another point in an area, allowing it to be floating over the heads of people. Material interacts with sunlight and creates a mesmerizing effect together with the wind.

Liquid Shard by Patrick Shearn

Our Ideation:

We looked into bringing nature even closer to people and allowing them to see it/hear it. We were looking into creating it as a shelter or sculpture.

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2. Nature Man

From the observation of student body in NTU, we realized that it’s natural for majority of them to be walking under shade of trees when give a few routes to choose. It is instinctive for them to do so.

Maximilian’s Schell
The use of simple modular shapes to create a shelter at a less used pathway and influencing people to come underneath.

Maximilian’s Schell by Ball-Nogues Studio

Our Idea:

We were looking into letting people interact with our installation of having vines around a structure. Or having an installation that will influence the way people’s behaviour.

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3. Everchanging Flora

Based on our observation, we feel the lack of vibrancy in school environment and it’s mostly green in colour. Hence we would like to incorporate some flora into this environment.

Blooms

Blooms by John Edmark

Our Idea:

The idea was to have a spinning sculpture on a shelter. We want to incorporate Fibonacci Ratio into the creation of a surreal flora. So when the sculpture turns, it will look like the flora is changing.

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Feedback

> They were into the idea of populating unpopular spaces
> The previous idea of the 3 trees at the new halls was more attractive. Suggestions were to find out characteristic of the 3 different trees first.
> Can look into having the trees planted and growing on to some structure at the new halls, so the students will actually care for it and it also symbolises striving.
> Can look into giving new meaning by integrating nature and man too.