Theories Journey..

This will be the last class of my theory architecture class. Throughout this semester, this class had makes me know lots of extra knowledge, as in difference kind of people’s thinking in difference perspective and views. In the past, architecture is more likely like a concept or designing to represent power, identity, wealth and lots more. Basically, I would characterize majority of the structure in the past were considerate it aesthetic, local identity and sociopolitical dimension. However in the modern generation, function and economic have dominate the world. The competitive technology has allows the world to chase up speed, therefore large space will require for human to explores and produces item.

Through my first theory’s assignment, I have required to blog about a movie name of “minority report”. In my personal view, this movie has show the evolution of our future world. Which it might be dominate by the mobility world through the integration of technologies. If this really happen, decreasing the interaction between human will soon became a fact. As an architect, we have the responsibilities to reconsideration the design and to prevent lack of human interaction.
I am required to blog about a more general architecture articles. Firstly was the understanding of space and place, building and dwelling, and how to bring things into the present. In addition, I have also needed to explore the issue how buildings embody the past. It was important to understand the relationship of architecture when applying in a National Monument. By just walking through the National Monument, we should be able to have the historical feeling before us actually knowing it. Last but not least, I had learnt about the seven senses. This is one of the theories I can apply in any of my design. It seems like easy when we want to apply these senses in our design, but architects nowadays had been lacking out these theory by just focusing on the sense of sight, which is cause majorly by the media.

Most importantly, no matter what it is, for me; understanding ourselves is the main things of the theory class. Is been 2 years in my architecture life, I have never thought of the reason why am I doing my design in such style until I met this theory class. In my philosophy, I found out that in this world, everything is interrelated, everything were actually come from the basic. For an example, when u looking at a very complex building, you will thought that it must be come with a very complicated thinking before it built. But, I realized things don’t go in that way after the theory class. When we actually observe it in detail, the original thinking will real simple and basic. The basic things that shape me in my design nowadays were closely related with the house I stay when I was young. The reason why this happen, I think it is because an environment will cultivate a person attitude and thinking. Since that in the very young age I have been shape in that way, therefore, my design and thinking will closely relate to the house I stay when I was young.

The best things I love about this class which is my lovely lecturer. Before telling why it is the best, lets me talk about the worst things of these class. The worst thing of this class, which is to understands the article given by the lecturer. Is slightly difficult to blog about the articles when we don’t even know what it is talking about. Therefore, we will need to take our time until the last minute to produce the best understanding toward the article. And yes! Almost all of the articles make me burn the mid-night oil until the next day of the class. In the half sleeping mode, our lecturer still manages to joke with us, by keeping us awake to understand the lecture. The kindness and freedom environment of the class that creates by the lecturer makes me love it so much. Therefore, I guess that is the best of this class~

Taboo and Transgression: Architecture and Desire..

Bernard Tschumi is a deconstructivist architect, writer, and educator. Through the article, he has derived several pleasure of fragment of architecture which is fragments of geometry, mask, bondage, excess, and eroticism. According to Tschumi, pleasure of architecture can only be achieved by both pleasure of space and pleasure of geometry. They are both gather to create pleasure of architecture.

Throughout the article, idea of pleasure still seem sacrilegious to modern architectural theory. It’s why architects rarely transgress its limit even from the past of the time until now. In the modern architecture, it’s still a desire to exceed the limit that has been set in the architecture world. Due to tschumi, there is only space when there held an event. By regulating events, the extreme limit-conditions of architectural program became criteria to evaluate a building's capacity to function as a device capable of social organization. However, by architects itself to exist their limit will make them to explore more and form pleasing design. Architecture is inherently sensual, which is mean, their built building by allowing our bodies to lead the way by our seven senses.

In my point of view, a space whether it is prohibit or encourage sexual desire is mainly affect by the design of an architect. In the past, sexual activities only be carried out in the bedroom, sexual activities is thing which is very personal and privately done by a couple. The design of a room will be enclose even the bed itself will have curtain around it in the past dynasty of china. In the modern generation, we shall encourage more space being design to be sexually desirable. Due to the more open minded of the modern generation, we will chase for more excitement, and that have eventually affected an architect design limit. For example, in the past, a bathroom is only for the bathing purpose, however in the modern, the use of semi transparent material for the bathroom that blends with the restroom, will eventually encourage sexual desire.

Traditional Chinese Bedroom


Modern Bedroom

The relationship between sex, place and bodily libido is interrelated between one and another. We can carried out sex in anywhere and any place, but the question come, whether is it the place enhance our libido? A place which is comfortable and relaxing therefore will be the first consideration of having sex. To enhance the bodily libido, sometime is depends by the environment. Due to Tschumi, space and concept are erotic when both of them are junction together to produce the ultimate pleasure of architecture is the in impossible moment when an architectural art, brought to excess.

Kellie's Castle Trip...

Introduction

Kellie’s Castle is a castle built by William Kellie Smith, a wealthy Scottish planter which owned the Kinta Kellas Rubber Estate in the early of 19th century. This castle amidst the lush greenery stands proud of the ruins of the never completed dream of William.

Idea / Concept

The idea that William Kellie Smith built his mansion was mainly because of two reasons. The first reason was because of her wife. In year 1903, William has brought her wife, Agne back to Malaya. After the marriage of William and Agnes, Helen had conceived the following year. Agne has complained the uncomfortable of their brick and wooden house that rises up 38°c in the evening. Thus, William decided to build a castle with thick brick wall and nice courtyard that would reduce the amount of heat inside. Thus, a castle with the symbol of love is constructed. However, after the birth of his second children, Anthony, which he has a son to hand over his properties and estates, he decided to expand his previous castle to Kellie’s Castle as to be seen nowadays.

Besides that, due to the documentation from Discovery Channel, William was actually facing financial problem before marrying his wife, and there would be a great fund of three hundred thousand pounds from her family in 1905. So the second reason of William built the mansion was to show his pride and power. However, he realized that the money would only be given in 1908. Thus, it was the poorest period till 1908. In 1908, he decided to build a big castle to prove to the government officer that he was actually got the money. And through the opening roof design of the castle, William feels proud of showing his wealth rubber estates to the government officer during the roof party.

The mansion was extremely imposed and it was modelled on Moorish styled Government Federal Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur. And it has become well know throughout the Perak as being the most prestigious house of the state. Besides that, the Kellie’s house was surrounded by landscaped gardens, with flower bed, lawns, lake and a great sweeping drive bordered by royal palms.

Others than the castle, The architecture of the temple is a curious mix of Moorish, Greco-Roman and Indian design. Encapsulated forever in a moment in time is the odd, misplaced figurine of Kellie in his planter's suit and topee among the sixty deities on the temple roof.

Restoration of Kellie's Castle

William Kellie Smith himself was died of pneumonia during a short trip to Portugal in 1926. Prevent of staying in the castle that make Agne think of William, the heartbroken wife decided to pack up and return home to Scotland and selling the William’s properties; the estates and Kellie's Castle to a British company called Harrisons and Crosfield.

Kellie's incomplete castle was left to the elements to deteriorate. However, despite more than eighty years of vandalism and neglect until the Department of Museum and Antiquities took action to restore it in year 2000.

Personally thinking, the reason of restoring the mansion to it original state is to maintain the historical love story of William and Agne and recreate another tourism attraction in Ipoh, Perak.However, it was restored to the condition it was in when work stopped, so that it looks abandoned and incomplete, as it awaiting its mater to return and finish the job. Kellie’s Castle was a memorable and valuable place of for the descendants of the Indian laborers brought over to Malaya to work on the mansion still alive nearby even now. In addition, the Kellie’s Castle has used as a setting in the 1999 Indian film, Anna and the King. Through the film, we able to realize that the important of the love story and the memorable history of this castle.

Beautiful of Kellie’s Castle


The memorable of a castle lying on a small hill.


The symbol of old age of the castle.


The fine and repetition of brickwork.


The space for first elevator (technology) in Malaysia.


The open roof that join the window of the room for better ventilation and sunlight.

Imagine Space...


Current courtyard space surround by unfinished structure.


A complete version of courtyard space surround by double stories mansonry brickwork.

Feelings of the Castle...

Through the trips, I was first seen Kellie’s Castle when I was still in the bus. It was a far slight that have stock me that Kellie’s Castle was a building that built about 100 years ago. Due to the technology in Malaya by that time, to build a Castle, it needs to take up plenty of years and cost a large amount of money. By the time I reach and when I’m standing in front of the castle, I can sense the mess and durability of the building, by the structure and texture of it. The combination of brick and concrete work has show the heaviness and stability of the building. When I’m walking in the corridor, touching the texture of the brick work, I can feel the fine and effort of the workers of laying the brick. Besides that, the uses of marble in the wine cellar have make me felt the coldness in the room, even when it’s hot in the weather. Last but not least, when I’m standing in the open roof top, I can smell the freshness of the air from the surrounding of landscape garden.