Minimalist Aesthetic & Visual Logic

Objectives & Deliverance

I'm proposing a study on alternative usage of common building materials. This study will be in the form of real construction within the scope of interior refurbishment works. As the study will pose materials and construction defects, I'm mitigating the risk by doin it in my own property so that I won't be dealing hefty damages to other's property.

Manipulating Materials & Doing More with Less

Architectural style, or language, was mostly lost in translation somewhere along the architect and the masses. This can clearly be seen with the term 'minimalist'. A very different translation of the term into a built fabric is evident between architects and laymen.

My projects in my hope, are to bridge that gap. By sharing the project details as the rewards, the idea and pure interpretation can be spread - at least for now for one architectural language. This is something that rarely happens in the industry as the detail design are one of the most guarded firm confidentiality. By doing all of these by myself and without any industrial stakeholders, I am circumnavigating that big barrier.

A Continuity of Studies

Extruding a Plane - A Featured Wall

This project is also a continuation of the previous material testing which was done within the same room. In that study, brick and plaster was tested in the form of an addition of another plane as the 'feature wall'. This plane was finished by coarse cement plastering to bring out the smooth and solid blackboard surface fixed onto it. The plane was also treated bare and flaunting its natural textures. This is to show what was existing (painted finish) and what are the addition (bare finish); the best way in renovation works and widely use methodology in building conservation. Another design element that addressed the old and new in this project are the perimeter grooves around the newly added plane. This way we maintain the visual logic of the room and respected what was there previously because what I'm bringing out here is that everything has its own value no matter how small.

Lesson Learnt - Cement as an Active Ingredient

One of the results of this study exercise was that about the curing process of the plaster. The cement plaster cures from inside out and they generate heat during the process. And its very sensitive out external heat gain and humidity. I found out that if the surface dries up very early in the process, the plastering work will cure uneven and start cracking. To avoid this, it is best to cover the newly palstered surface with canvas or moist burlap for a week to achieve the best result.

Extruding a Plane - A Sculpted Floor

Brutalist language will continued to be used in this study due to its economic potential especially by the method of material finishing - bare. This would be in particular useful in todays uncertainty in the construction industry. And it is also very useful as a precedent to break away from of our rather flawed valuation of good building by the unnecessary makeup. I really believe that we can do more with less.

This time around I will be testing concrete with a combination of timber and steel for said elements. The design approach will in general be retained and all 4 elements will be treated as one monolithic scultpture within the room. The space will definitely, but these are one of the common issues for cost savvy project - to design within a small confine of space.

The precaution during curing period will also be in mind now since cement will be use very generously in the concrete mix, so one of the tests that comes to mind is to find what type of covering(s) will achieve the least cracks on the concrete mass - a perfect even cure.

As the nature of this project is to study material finishes, there is a great deal of risk in material failure itself although the chosen material (concrete, timber & steel) are common. But the materials has been used for ages, and standard characteristic and work procedures were tested and verified. This is to say that the are a lot of precedents to work with to mitigate this specific risk.

This project will also be done in the architect's own property. Therefore, the risk of dealing hefty damages to a client will be eliminated. This will also gives more freedom in architectural expression during every stage in this project to produce the best possible outcome. Thus, the objective of this project will clearly be met.

The building materials price uncertainty in the market will also pose a huge risk. This will be addressed in two ways. First and most importantly, the whole course of the project will be done by only the architect, except for sundries item such as material delivery. The elimination of labour charge and builder profit by not hiring a contractor will greatly reduce the cost of the project of this nature. Secondly, micro-management especially on the construction stage will be done, even to the point of producing a detailed bill of quantities. The bill of course can only be done when final options of material finishes has been selected.

In general, sum funded will be divided into three main group:

Item (1) will only cover for necessary specialised handheld power tools needed in order to carry out testing and final production, e.g. concrete diamond grinder, orbital sander & impact drill with medium chisel attachment.  Item (2) will cover for several finishes to be tested, e.g., surface retarded exposed aggregate concrete & melamine board form polished concrete. Item (3) will be used for the production of final design with the chosen finishing.

Due to the nature of this project being more towards a test exercise, the ratio of (1):(2):(3) shall be 1.5:2.5:1. Thus, we can see more importance is placed on the testing phase of this project by having it 2.5 times more fund allocation than the final product itself. 10% of the fund sum will be allowed for contigencies as there will be more often than not some issues arises especially during the demolition part of the room.

Again, even with the risks posed in this project, the outcome will be very valuable. Ideas can be spread and reinterpreted. And even the construction details (being on of the reward) can be repurposed to suit your individual projects.