Submission 1 - equus

Client Name: Brunhilda Klein

Age: 25 years old

Occupation: Botanist

Nationality: Germany

Well, I spent a lot of time on the design of this house. Because I want suit the dwelling to the dweller.

I have mentioned in the previous blog that Hilda is pretty optimistic to her life, she loves simple the most. For this reason, I didn’t too embellish unnecessary and exaggerate the design of the house. And, I tried to make it simple to the utmost.

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In my 1^st design:

Floor plan:

In front the living area and both sides of house are large door and windows all provide a strong indoor-outdoor feel for the house, moreover, it has fulfilled Hilda’s requirements for the living spaces to be flooded with natural light.

And, a high window provides natural light to the hall.

A deck places in the rear, for the purpose of relaxing.

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In my 2^nd design,

After finished my 1^st design, Hilda has revealed a little story about the reason she becomes a botanist and fond of praying mantis. (I have mentioned in previous blog as well.) Therefore, I have some new ideas to add to the design.

Praying mantis was a great source of inspiration to me!!!!!

For a start, I did some research about create building or pattern using animal imagery or animal style. Well, specifically, it called “Zoomorphism”, means shaping of something in animal form. Or, it can be called “Biomorphism”; it is an art movement that began in the 20^th century. The term was first used in 1936, by Alfred H. Barr, Jr Biomorphist art focuses on the power of nature life and use organic shapes, with shapeless vaguely spherical hints of the forms of biology. In fact, tons of successful example around us, such as Swiss Re Headquarters by Foster and Partners in London, the appearance, structure and ventilation system bear similarities to sea sponges, Turtle Portable Puppet Theater by Sorkin.

So, I tried to add some characteristics of praying mantis in the design.

1. Camouflage is very important for the praying mantis’s survival; they must blend in with their habitat to avoid being eaten.

2. Their front legs are very equipped with rows of sharp spines used to grasp its prey. It is a key and useful part to them.

3. Their eyes are big and sensitive to the slightest movement up to 60 feet away.

Floor plan:

The form of this dwelling is inspired by the important part of praying mantis, their front legs.

The large windows in the living room, which similar to the eyes of praying mantis. It can provide good view as well as bringing sufficient natural light into the living room.

Design a grassed roof for this dwelling. As for the appearance, it is quite identical with the camouflage, one of the key ways for praying mantis to survive. View from the top, this house looks like it is hide in the grassland. Apart from this, this kind of roof design can provide protection.

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In my 1^st model making,

I tried to discover more of the insufficient lighting problem.

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In my 2^nd model making,

This time I have a big change on the design of roof, I keep the idea of grassed roof, but which is roofed with the resemble shape of praying mantis’s wing.

But, I still keep the arrangement of floor plan, and another changing was adding 2 pillars which are visually looks like the legs of praying mantis, and it were used for support the roof.

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Well, this is my 1^st time to design something with “zoomorphism” and “biomorphism”. It is really fun with building in any shape of animal structure. Plus, this kind of design method has become the height of fashion!

forschung #02

Most often people think that mantises are pests. That is only partly true. Actually, they can be beneficial too. Praying mantises are terrific pest exterminators. They keep down the population of bugs that are a threat to farming. A master of disguise, the praying mantis can be an able assistant to farmer, botanist and gardener.

Camouflage is very important for the praying mantis’s survival. Because they have so many enemies such as birds, they must blend in with their habitat to avoid being eaten. They have a triangular-shaped head with a large compound eye on each side. Praying mantises are the only insect that turns from side to side in a full 180 degree angle. Their eyes are sensitive to the slightest movement up to 60 feet away. They have straight, leathery fore wing and very powerful jaws used for devouring its prey. They have ultrasound ears on their met thoraxes. The met thorax is located on the thorax. In the bodies of some species of mantis, there is a hollow chamber. Recently it has been discovered that these hollow chambers provide the mantis with a means of detecting bats, one of their most feared predators. Apparently, the mantis is flight will drastically change its flight pattern (often hurling to the ground in a spiral) when the mantis hears certain frequencies of sound.

As for the diet, the praying mantis is a carnivorous insect that takes up a deceptively humble posture when it is searching for food. When at rest, the mantis’s front forelegs are held up together is a posture that looks like its praying. These front legs are equipped with rows of sharp spines used to grasp its prey. They wait with unmoving and are almost invisible on a leaf or a stem, ready to catch any insect that passes. When potential prey comes close enough, the mantis thrusts its pincher-like forelegs forward to catch it. The prey probably won’t escape because the forelegs are so strong and armed with overlapping spines. The mantis almost always starts eating the insect while it’s still alive, and almost always starts eating from the insect’s neck. This way, the mantis makes sure that the insect’s struggle stops quickly. Praying mantises can resemble flowers and can catch small, unknowing hummingbirds.

forschung #01

these are the pictures that were taken along the way to Hilda's botanic garden.



inside the garden...




















and this is the site that Hilda tends to place her house at.

mein klient (iii)

There was a small interesting story about Hilda when she was still in her school life.

Hilda hates praying mantis since her childhood, but she was constantly warned by her mum that not to kill one and her mum told her that praying mantis were good luck; she should treat them with kindness.

But Hilda didn’t think as the same way, because she had witnessed a mantis devouring another insect; she was dismay by its ferocity as she held a magnifying glass to the head of the mantis, she had the thought to kill it on the spot. One day, the mantis alighted on the pages of her magazine, she closed it. But she racked by feelings of guilt from the way she treated the mantis.

Since from the night, Hilda made up her mind to be a botanist and decides to treat them nice.

mein klient (ii)

Client name: Brunhilda Klein

Age: 25 years old

Occupation: Botanist

Nationality: Germany

Well, I just have a great talk with Hilda, she is a quiet person but she always presents a pleasant smile. I don’t feel any formality throughout the whole conversation as she is an easy going person. In addition, with the help of Clementine, we became closer to each other.

Hilda dresses in white, very simple. By our conversation, I think that her quietness might be due to the way she was brought up.

Hilda was grown up under the care and love from parents. She was diagnosed to have heart disease since young. So, she spends most of her time at home due to her illness and Hilda had a heart attack at the age 10, so her parents let her to learn at home instead of learning at school, therefore she has fewer friends.

When Hilda was a child, she was given the piano lesson by her mother, who is a well-known pianist in locally. And she always did gardening with her mother when her childhood; therefore she has formed the keen interest on gardening nowadays as well as open a botanical gardens.

Hilda comes from a wealthy family; however, she implied that fortune doesn’t bring happiness. Rather than that she prefers to stay healthily. Her parents passed away in an accident when she was 14 years old, so she inherits the family property and she was brought up by their house keeper.

Hilda is unsure how long can she live, but she enjoys and appreciates every moment that she has, she finds her happiness from every little things, such as gardening, especially when she sees the smiley face from the visitor, meeting with new friends, listening to people. To her, she thinks that happiness can be found anywhere, anytime; unfortunately no one sees its existence.

mein klient (i)

wow...
going to call up my client...
what kind of personality she is....?!
umm...

wo ist berlin ?

• Berlin is the capital city and on of sixteen states of Germany.
• population = around 3.4 million
  
• the largest city in Germany.
• located in northeastern Germany.
• Berlin is among the top three congress cities in the world and is home to Europe's biggest convention center in the form of the international Congress Cent rum (ICC).
• Berlin is an important center in the European and German film industry, the city is also home of the European Film Academy and the German Film Academy and hosts the annual Berlin Film Festival.
• Berlin has developed a highly complex transportation infrastructure providing very diverse modes of urban mobility.

"Berlin ist arm, aber sexy! (Berlin is poor,but sexy!)"
by Klaus Wowereit, governing mayor, in a press interview, 2003.

who is...JOHN HEJDUK?

• born in 19 july 1929 - 1 july 2000.
  
• an architect, artist and educator
• Hejduk is noted for his use of attractive and often difficult-to-construct objects and shapes; also for a profound interest in the fundamental issues of shape, organization, representation and reciprocity.
• Plus, his 'hard-line' modernist space-making exercises, heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, moved away from his interests in favor of free-hand "figure/objects' influenced by mythology and spirituality clearly expressing the nature of his poetry.
  

hola : )

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