< RAG 132 > Built Environment and Human Settlements

Geodesic Dome Production

2008-10-02T01:35:00.000-07:00

Team Name : Pavilion

Team Leader : Me, Yap Kai Mun ( Architecture )
Team Member :

1) Thoo Hon Kent ( Construction Management )
2) Chan Kam Seng ( Interior Design )
3) Cheah Wai Kin ( Building Technology )
4) Ma Feng Yi ( Planning )

*Team members formed by at least ONE from a different major student. Checked!

Motto : Strive to Be a Better 1.

Intention :

- As stated in our motto “Strive to Be a Better 1” and to create a better dome to prove our extraordinary mindset and to present an outstanding dome identity: PAVILION.
- did come with knowledge which gained by listening to the orders and requirements of lecturer, seeing the examples given on website, and differentiating the required dome we need to build.

Actor :

1) Pavilion Team. (5 members)

2) Mr. Wan Burhanuddin bin Wan Abidin, our lecturer of Human Settlement subject. (He sets the rule in this assignment, assess our product, provided us with examples and details of dome construction) Special thanks to Mr. Wan!

Rule :

The constructed dome must be -

geodesic
zero cost
packaged and prefabricated
accomodate 5 persons and is carryable by 3 persons
constructed by own team members only
showing team identity
constructed within 30 minutes started from 11:30am till 12pm on 10 September 2008
its lifespan must be less than 12 months
independent and not linked to other domes
The materials using in the construction should be recyclable

Team members should formed by at least one from a different major.

Site :

Source of picture: http://www.hbp.usm.my/1b/RAG132/2008/132-08realconst.htm

The 28th location at the proposed HBP-Minden Valley dome spine.

Act :

With the reference of geodesic dome calculator during researching and group discussion, we have decided to construct a 2V geodesic dome with radius = 1.8 meters using the following recyclable materials:

Bamboo as framework (could be recycled into the forms of beautiful furniture such as bamboo photo frame, bamboo-bath-set, bamboo flooring, bamboo glass, bamboo fence and so on) - cut from the bamboo site near the USM sport storeroom.
Plastic rope as connector (could be recycled for binding, tying and furniture)
Black plastic bags as dome's coat (could be recycled as garbage bags and other domestic usages). - donated and sponsored by seniors and kind villagers.

*Zero cost and recyclable materials. Checked!

Firstly, we cut the bamboo sticks into smaller parts by ourselves and using the specified measurement calculated by the dome calculator.

After that, we drill a small hole at each side of the small bamboo sticks to allow the plastic rope as connector with other sticks through the small holes.

Then, all the small bamboo sticks will be formed into six pentagons.

Next, the frame structures are covered by using plastic bags as the coat of our dome.

Finaly, the practical construction of our dome’s skeleton structure is completed.

* The dome can accomodate 5 persons. Checked!

On the Domes Day, our team did work hard to erect the dome planned on the correct site in the given time right after the team photo registration.

Source of picture: http://www.hbp.usm.my/1b/RAG132/2008/domeregist.htm

* The prefabricated dome packages are carryable by 3 persons. Checked!

*An independent dome is constructed by own team members. Checked!

Product :

-A geodesic dome which is outstanding of its big interior space just like a real pavilion. The black color of our dome’s coat is representing a restful place in the dome is provided. Black absorbs all aspects of light which represents the inner power and possiblity of each of us. The reusable material used is showing that our dome is an environmental friendly and it is a better one for human being to stay in.

* Dome constructed shows our team identity. Checked!

- Team report.

- We did strive for the better one as stated in our motto.

P/S: Some of the photoes and information might be similar among my team members.

Product...

2008-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Mostly products might be containing few elements:

1) Form-space (shape, size, scale, proportion, colour, light, heavy, texture, transparency, translucency, glow, finished, pattern, shine......)

2) Nodes-paths

3) Illusions
Usually the layout and physical appearance of the products play the main role in the way we look at the products before we consider the other aspects such as price and quality. Therefore, the elements mentioned above are crucial to show the unique identity and attributes of the products and withdraw the attention from users.

On the other hand, it's optional for us to think how we judge a product is it is beautiful or ugly. What are the definitions of beautiful and ugly? There are definitely varies answers come out from different people according to their different perspectives. For an example, how would you judge the 'Ugly duck' as shown in the following picture? is it really ugly? For me, it is a beautiful enough creature. ^^

Scales of The Built Environment...

2008-09-29T04:13:00.000-07:00

Production:

- Any element in a production might contain another whole production. Example: A product which is produced from an intention with knowledge could generate another new intention.
- a factor of scale.

- Usually there are only 7 scales used in built environment:

1. Object:

2. Interior:3. Building:4. Premise:
5. Urban:
6. Regional:
7. Global: Different perspective of looking at it such as Euro centric view, Pacific, Malacca perspective and Buckminster Fuller's view.

The level 100 course intro to Built Environment:

Intention: Ideologies, design theories.
Act: Scope of work.
Actor: Industrial designer (object), Interior Architect (interior), Architect (building), Landscape Architect (premise), Urban Designer (urban), Planner (regional) and Governor (global).
Rule: Legal aspect of development.
Product: Design of physical objects to physical world.
Site: From factories to Internet.

Instead of it, the reality seems like more on the Dying Planet:

Intention: To gain gold and glory.
Act: Design and build.
Actor: Earthling, inhabitant of earth, global villager, designer, builder, developer.
Rule: Economics.
Product: Destruction.
Site: Earth.

Nowadays, the earth cant sustain the overpopulation of mankind soon because of limited source of space, food and energy. The developments and construction impacts on our Mother Earth are destroying the health condition of this planet seriously. It is because of the irresponsible human-being who exploited the resources without considering the effect of it and did not plan well for a sustainable environment. Some said there is a need to control the activities and population in order to have a sustainable earth by using the method of iatrogenocide (the extermination of a population in a systematic fashion through medical error). But is this method right?? Or should it be done?? But for me, I am opposing this method. I believe there is still another way to solve the problems comparing to this "cruel" method.

Production Model on USM Convocation Events

2008-09-28T03:28:00.000-07:00

On the USM 37th CONVOCATION 2008 from Event to Oval, there is application of Production Model on few groups of people:

Group A:

Intention: To earn the maximum profits and satisfy the demands of customers.
Actor: Hawkers.
Act: Selling the products to customers.
Rule: No cheating customers, all non-biodegradable materials such as plastic bags and polystyrene are prohibited according to the USM policy.
Site: The field next to the DTSP of USM (USM Convocation site).
Product: USM 37th convocation 2008.

Group B:
Intention: To enjoy the graduation atmosphere and buy the good quality products with reasonable prices from hawkers.
Actors: USM graduates and customers.
Act: Hanging around the site and buying the products from hawkers wisely.
Rule: Reasonable prices and good qualities of goods and services from hawkers.
Site: The field next to the DTSP of USM (USM Convocation site).
Product: USM 37th convocation 2008.

Group C:

Intention: To set up the temporary structures for Convocation purpose at the beginning of event and convert the built environment into its origin site at the end of event.
Actor: Canopy Service Company's workers.
Act: Set up the tents before the convocation event started and dismantle all of them after the event ended.
Rule: The tents must be set up by considering the safety and durability of their usage during the events, the clearing of site must be done well without any destruction of the site, and the construction processes must be finished within the time given.
Site: The field next to the DTSP of USM (USM Convocation site).
Product: USM 37th convocation 2008 (beginning) and a clearing site as its origin (end).

USM 37th Convocation 2008

2008-08-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

Intention: To discover the application of production model in the convocation event.

Act: Document changes on USM convocation.

Rule: Using production model.

Actor: Me.

Site: Oval.

Product: Photo blog.

USM 37th CONVOCATION 2008

From Event To Oval :

Production Of A Built Environment.

This convocation event was held on 13th till 17th August 2008.

Many tents had been built on the sites for commercial purposes.

Stalls on Convocation site...

A big stage was set up at the middle of the convocation site.

The carnival was crowded with a lot of people included outsiders n foreigners.

The atmosphere of Convocation site was filled with joys and cheers...

The scenery at the big tent area next to DTSP.

Night of Convocation site...

Tents were dismantled and the site was cleaned after the oval of the Convocation event.

View of the site after the cleaning and removal of all the tents.

Built Environment vs Nature

My Ideology

2008-08-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

I guess that my -ism is Taoism.

In my opinion, there is regulation of natural processes and nourishes balance in this Universe. It embodies the harmony of opposites (i.e. there would be no love without hate, no truth without fault, no yang without yin, no success without failure, no teacher without student.)" Therefore, there is no need for me to search the truth hardly as the truth will come to us if we just throw away the falsehoods and lies inside us.

Introduction to Production...

2008-08-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Production:
- the act of producing goods and services.
- consists of 6 elements :

1. Intention:

- purpose, aim, target, want what.
- in form of explicit and implicit.
- constructive and destructive.
- good and bad.
- require knowledge which is a product of the act to know by listening, seeing and differentiating.

2. Act

- doing.
- individually or in group work.
- involve perceiving, designing, building, negotiating, modelling, constructing, finishing,
inhabiting, using, spoiling, demolishing, recycling in the built environment.

3. Product

- in form of physical, mental, spiritual.

4. Actor

- people involved in the process of production.
- by individual, institution, producer, enforcer, professions...
- listen and see but not hear and look at.

5. Rule
- natural and man-made.
- law, by-law, canon, act, enactment, regulation, religion, belief, norms, custom, ideology...
- climatic , technological , economic , social , political...
- Types of ideology :
Altruism = No right and wrong.
Cynicism = Everything is wrong.
Relativism = Everything is right.
Truth-seekerism = Must search the truth.
Taoism = No need to search the truth.
Just throw away the lies inside us and truth will come to us.

6. Site

- built environment must be on earth.
- hot or cold.
- real site : land, floor, table, paper...
- virtual site : dream, thoughts, imaginations...