星期五, 1月 21, 2011

建築家

早兩日衝比賽才跟「賽友」講起「建築師」和「建築家」的分別,
前者為practicing architect,後者不知是甚麼

昨天晚上跟一班Ideas Project的組員討論我們的設計,
我們將要為一家巴基斯坦籍家庭設計一件傢俬
那家庭有一爸一媽跟四個女兒,
四個小女孩知道有義工來幫她們造傢俬而津津樂道
三位姐姐十分愛錫小妹妹(藍色裙子的豆丁), 小妹妹沒有自己的床, 要跟爸爸媽媽同床睡
三位姐姐想跟小妹妹一起睡, 所以想在自己的房間為小妹妹多建一張床
房間只有5.7平方米, 大半已被姐姐的雙層木床霸佔了
小妹妹的想法是在床子的底層加建一塊可拉出的床板作伸縮床
因原本木床結構的關係, 念頭被打消了


剛剛的星期五跟一班組員見面, 齊齊拆解難題
其實除了空間的問題外, 還有錢的問題, 我們只有一千大元的工本費家下百物黱貴,
一千元連人工整傢俬真的有點緊絀

小組的組合十分有趣, 有不同的人, 一位建築師, 兩位建築實習生和來自各行各業的人,
也不是甚麼太專業的團隊
經過一番討論後, 我們決定研究一下用組合式盒子去加大原有的床
最大的得著莫過於見證著靈感的誕生, 雖然我們都不是professional,
憑著我們的家得到了無限靈感
例如有組員曾經在家改裝割爆床褥, 令我當下突眼珠

如果說靈感來自生活, 最大的靈感也許來自 家
將來你如果對待你的家, (很大機會是發了水的二百呎單個窗單位), 就影響你的孩子, 然後孩子繼續影響孩子的孩子
每一個人去為自己的家去建計, 去發現, 是一件美麗的事, 再擴展發至社區, 社會, 和世界

其實, 人人都可以當建築家

共勉之

星期三, 1月 19, 2011

建築師的命運

從前有一隻百腿蜈蚣, 是森林裡面最擅長跳舞的動物。
所有的動物都因為蜈蚣能用盡一百隻腿跳出精妙的舞而大大感動, 唯獨全森林裡有一隻動物不喜歡蜈蚣的舞:
烏龜。

烏龜前思後想, 定要想出方法令蜈蚣不再跳舞;
但全森林的動物都非常喜愛蜈蚣的舞,,單憑三言兩語絕不能夠令蜈蚣停止跳舞。
最後,烏龜寫了一封信給蜈蚣。

「蜈蚣先生,我被你的舞蹈深深感動,可否跟我分享一下你的舞蹈心得?
請問一下你是先舉起你的左腳第二十八號,再舉你的右腳第三十九號;
還是先起你的右腳第十七號,再舉你的左腳第四十四號?
衷心等候你的回信。 烏龜」

結果,蜈蚣從此以後不再跳舞。

突然閃過上過月跟一位做了建築師四十多年的老前輩吃飯時,他跟我解釋有勇氣的設計就是要在年經最沒有負擔的時候做,
因為到了某一天,當你拿起筆準備做設計時......
就在畫第一條線的一刹那......
「aiya, 咁樣BD唔批」「aiya, 咁樣hoarding唔夠位」「aiya, 咁樣無位走渠」「aiya, 咁樣DLO唔批」
aiya,我做唔到Design


回到蜈蚣的故事,因為蜈蚣的舞是無意識地設計
就在它開始用自己的理性意識去解釋它從超現實世界摸索出的藝術
所有的原因,邏輯和理據把蜈蚣天生而來的能力奪走了

(蜈蚣的故事來自蘇菲的世界)

星期二, 1月 18, 2011

讓孩子走進城市

互聯網一天比一天普及,從前的孩子會在街頭小巷跑跑跳跳,但今天的小孩就是像筆者般對著電腦玩網上遊戲,看facebook.這生活模式的轉型是好是壞?

我們先探討一下在二三十年前,孩子對城市空間的需求,
「活濯而充滿交流感的老街區,
恰恰給孩子的成長提供了恰當的監護,
孩子們不但可以自由,安全地玩耍, 嬉鬧, 還擁有了對世界的開放式了解,
這才是城市可以提供給孩子快樂成長的魅力所在.」
<<美國大城市的死與生>>
先歸訥出三大孩子對公共空間的需求
1. 與同輩,長輩和社會的交流
2. 能在家長的
監護和孩子的自由中取得平衡
3. 令孩子有認知(對世界)上的增長

也從歷史中找出三大「城市提供給孩子的公共空間」
-自然空間 : 指的不是nature,而是在一個城市網絡裡,由市民發起的公共空間. 例如, 舊住宅區裡的街道, 會有販擺賣, 也會見到孩童嬉戲. 這些都是一些由市
民跟據城市需要而發起的一些自然空間.
-人造空間 : 由設計師在規劃城市時就預設的公共空間, 如社區中心,遊樂場
-網絡空間 : 各種網路平台,包括電話和互聯網

第一種空間「自然空間」的先決條件是社區交流,
必須要有一個開放而富交流性的社區才能刺激人與人之間去進行這種「城市空間開發」
心理月刊就訪問了上海市浦東的一位小女孩,從前在鄉下長大,現在搬到大城市裡.
「我從小在鄉下長大,那裡地方大,我總是像個男孩子一樣到處亂跑,由此有了個『皮大王』的稱號,雖然弄得渾身脏兮
兮的回家後要挨罵,可每一天都過得很快樂」
搬到去大上海後的她, 「一道鐡門隔著,樓上樓下都不怎麼認識」
其實, 阻隔交流的又怎會是一道鐡門?
社區不斷下降的交流性是網路空間發展的一個代價.
先做一個假設 : 人是需要交流的
從前,人無論在「自然空間」還是在「人造空間」中, 要交流就必須找在空間中的其他人, 而這些交流,都會加強了城市的活潑度. 因為人的交流能發展出更多大大小小的
「自然空間」.
今 天, 人無論在甚麼空間, 都擁有了「分身術」.因為人無論在任何的空間中,他同時是身處在某網絡空間, 例如電話, 電腦. 正如筆者身處「家中」的同時, 又身處「Yahoo Blog」,更誇張的可能是「MSN」, 「Facebook」, 一分就可分出五六個分身.

在既雜而多的交流中, 其實沒有一方的交流會做得好.
所以筆者都在打blog前,先關上msn,facebook,也把電話放在一旁.
家長們,不論在任何空間,也和孩子一同感受一下「獨身的快樂」吧!


星期五, 3月 20, 2009

Hong Kong Architecture Centre Facebook Group


It's finally up and running! The Official Hong Kong Architecture Centre Facebook group for the active Facebook Users to join and be updated on current and past centre events, activities and Archi Talks or just another place to post your views and comments.

So come join our group and show some support!

星期三, 3月 04, 2009

FoA Meeting 12.02.2009

Hong Kong Architecture Centre (HKArC) – Friends of Architecture (FOA) Meeting


Date: 12/02/2009

Time: 7pm to 8:30pm

Venue: G/F, 8 Peel Street, Central

Chairman of meeting: Mr. Alvin Yip

Minutes-taker: Mr. Platteen Tsang

Meeting with architecture students from Hong Kong University (HKU) and Chinese University Hong Kong (CUHK)

Both students had just taken over the duties from their predecessors in the student association / society respectively. Hence, this is the first official meeting between parties.


Introduction

There are representatives from three parties: representatives from the Department of Architecture and the Faculty of Architecture, HKU; and representatives from the department of architecture, CUHK.

The representatives from the HKU Faculty of Architecture representing also students from the Department of Real Estate and Construction, Department of Urban Planning and Design, and Division of Landscape Architecture. Hence, their interests are multi-disciplinary. Representatives of the Faculty of Architecture will be addressed as RFA hereafter, while, representatives from HKU and CUHK Department of Architecture will be addressed as RDAHKU and RDACU respectively.


‘Basic’

RFA introduced a multi-disciplinary committee called ‘Basic’, which was jointly established by 5 societies from 5 disciplinary courses in HKU. Therefore, ‘Basic’ is actually representing HKU students in the construction field. ‘Basic’ attempted to publish a journal years ago but was stopped.

RFA indicated their intention to revive the ‘Basic’ committee. However, RDACU raised the issue that involvement from CUHK is lacking.


Activities

Mr. Alvin Yip encouraged the participants to suggest potential activities for the parties to developing a closer network and enhancing communication in between, hence to grow a stronger bond, say, for the purpose to voice out louder in the future.

General feedbacks from participants upon this topic are:

1. Activities should be more academic and more informative;

2. Activities could include elements of art and design;

3. Visiting architects office and / or visits to construction sites are good considerations (Popular examples of activities include:

a. A guided tour to International Commence Centre (ICC)

b. Guided tour to places outside Hong Kong, e.g. Architecture Tour to Kaiping

c. Archi-talk by noted architects or designer such as Tadao Ando);

4. Sportive activities are not very popular;

It was suggested that a platform, such as blog or forum, could be established on the internet, so that more students could access to the most up-to-date news if they are interested.

Action: HKArC is suggested to circulate both current and proposed activities to participants for their attention.


A.O.B.

n/a


Next Meeting

Friday 27th February 2009 5pm to 7pm

Venue: G/F 8 Peel Street, Central

It is suggested to hold regular meetings to keep all participating parties more up-to-date to each other.


Sorry for the delay but the minutes for the meeting held on 20.12.2009 will be posted shortly.


Best Regards,

HKArC

星期二, 2月 17, 2009

Music and Architecure - Some Sharings after a Sci-Arc lecture of Curtis Roads: Microsound

Dear Friends,

Happy Valentine's Weekend! No matter you like architecture or not, i hope you will find this meaningful in life.

Last Wednesday, I went to Sci-Arc for Wednesday lecture as always. The lecturer and topic is "Curtis Roads: Microsound".
Curtis Roads is a composer of electrical and electroacoustic music. Who's Curtis Roads is not important of this sharing. If you want to know more about him, you can probably do a Google Search on him.


The lecture was not only about the music structure and renovation. What amazed me is the sound spatilization, the aspect of music related with space. I attached some excerpts of Road's album. Those pieces are one-minute-long. AND HERE IS ONLY ONE THING YOU NEED TO DO - close your eyes once you click "play", enjoy it.


Some might just want to close this email because Britney Spears probably sounds way better and yes, it is quite not about music, however, the sound is actually doing something. Please keep reading.



Did you see it? When you close your eyes and listen to the sound-track, do you feel the physical from the virtual? Can you imagine a distance, a interval, a contrast, a SPACE with objects, and the movement of the objects?
The space and objects in your mind could be totally different from mine. It is quite about our personal experience. Music(sound) is always motivating a feeling since prehistoric era (if you don't understand, watch any movie on your hand, see what the background music doing for you). And now, sound is no longer pitch and noise, but becoming "sound to volume" " sound to space".

This electronic-generate sound unlimited the limited of space. Although Curtis Roads said that composing these piece is more like a personal hobby/research and the whole sound-to-space is just a out-come of the composition, not much of thinking the contributions to humanities (a sci-arc student asked a question about that, and the answer quite surprised me and disappointed me after this impressive lecture), and after all this, now What can WE (as human being making noise every-single-second) actually do to link up Sound and Architecture? I leave this here.

Please feel free to write back, i will try to get back to you ASAP, i promise.

Vincent


P.S. you may find the followings useful.

星期四, 1月 15, 2009

建築導賞員招募班 Archi-tour Docent Recruitment & Training Workshop




導賞講座
日期:  2009年1月17日星期六
時間: 早上10:30至下午1時
集合地點: 香港建築中心卑利街展廊 (中環卑利街8號地下)

導賞示範
日期:  2009年1月31日星期六
時間: 早上10:30至中午12時
集合地點: 香港建築中心卑利街展廊 (中環卑利街8號地下)

請點擊下載報名表格。

學員完成訓練課程及經考核後, 將被招募成為建築之旅導賞員。
查詢電話: 62220229



Docent Training Lecture
Date: Saturday 17th January 2009
Time: 10.30am to 12.00 noon
Assembly at HK Architecture Centr

Archi Tour Demonstration Workshop 
Date: Saturday 31st January 2009
Time: 10.30am to 1.00pm
Assembly at HK Architecture Centre

Upon completion of the training workshop and review, trainee will be recruited as Archi-Tour Docent.

For enquiries and reservation, please email or call us at 6222 0229 or 2805 7146.



 Application form can be downloaded here


建築講場 Archi-talk Series: 「百年香港 千禧建築」

建築是歷史的最佳寫照。利安植根香港135年, 所設計的建築由殖民時代的香港大學陸佑堂、香港法國傳道會 (現為終審庭)、花園道梅夫人婦女會主樓外部, 到60、70年代的跑馬地快活谷馬場、香港海洋公園, 以至千禧世代的香港大學嘉道理生物科學大樓及香港科學園第二期。利安的建築作品由中環出發, 延伸至香港其他地區, 以及東南亞和中東地區, 正好見證香港的歷史變遷。

講者: 林光祺先生 (Mr. Dominic KK Lam)
利安顧問有限公司執行董事
香港建築師學會2009及2010年秘書長

日期: 2009年1月16日 (星期五)
時間: 晚上七時
地點: 香港建築中心卑利街展廊
地址: 中環卑利街8號地下

費用全免


Speaker:  Mr. Dominic K.K. Lam of Leigh and Orange
Date: Friday 16th January 2009
Time: 7pm
Venue: archicentre@peelstreet
Address: G/F, 8 Peel Street, Central

Free Admission

詳情請點擊下圖。