.jpg)
An amazing year of 2011 has passed us by, now its onto a new stretch of life...brace yourself for a spectacular new year filled with new obstacles. during this year I will be taking the BLOG to an all time new high...
designs, innovations and state of the art gadgets are soon to hit this ''space''
****************** STAY TUNED IN ***********************
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Model Building
Wow, when can i say i last built as model....well it was back in the day when Hansie lectured design in my first year... after that year we progressed to 3d drawings, and 3d renderings took the norm.
starting off with sketchup, and finally CAD 3d, models took a backseat. Model building proved to be an acquired ability, either you have or you don't. Luckily for me, I'm versatile.
I'm currently in the process of assisting a friend...the deadline is looming and I'm learning new tricks in this trade. Detail is key in creating a well built model, not only does this show ones creative mind set, but it is a reflection on the student.
Creating clean cut lines is no joke, attention to detail is perfection. There are now a number of ways in which models can be constructed, personally i prefer to print out each of the sections on a4, then paste it onto the cardboard, thus creating a template from which to work. another option whereby one passes the manual cutting process is by having the templates laser cut...this is perfection at its best, but it yields a costly price tag, and for many students, its a no go.
Gluing the pieces is another issue...only certain glues can be used...many turn a dirty yellow colour which can give the completed model an unsatisfactory finish. The use of a syringe allows for precision
Ill post a few photos later on of the completed works.
starting off with sketchup, and finally CAD 3d, models took a backseat. Model building proved to be an acquired ability, either you have or you don't. Luckily for me, I'm versatile.
I'm currently in the process of assisting a friend...the deadline is looming and I'm learning new tricks in this trade. Detail is key in creating a well built model, not only does this show ones creative mind set, but it is a reflection on the student.
Creating clean cut lines is no joke, attention to detail is perfection. There are now a number of ways in which models can be constructed, personally i prefer to print out each of the sections on a4, then paste it onto the cardboard, thus creating a template from which to work. another option whereby one passes the manual cutting process is by having the templates laser cut...this is perfection at its best, but it yields a costly price tag, and for many students, its a no go.
Gluing the pieces is another issue...only certain glues can be used...many turn a dirty yellow colour which can give the completed model an unsatisfactory finish. The use of a syringe allows for precision
Ill post a few photos later on of the completed works.
Lecturing
The year has come to an end, and for some, it has been a long hard battle as for others a fruitful ending. I took on the position of assistant lecturer...here i worked along side Lucy with the her 1st years in the subject - Studio work (DSW)
My primary goal to assist the class with construction and teaching them the do's and don'ts in technical documentation. The class was the biggest ever reaching a total number of 94 students... The class was so huge that i barely managed to remember faces. A semester had passed and the number came down...primarily due to failures and in certain instances drop-outs
As the second semester progressed, I learnt the names of many of the students and I created student lecturer bond, with them coming for crits on a steady basis.
I am proud to say that these students, most of whom are hard working all achieved really impressive marks. They really upped their game, and the marks prove just that.
I'm ready to tackle yet another year lecturing, only this time I will know how to approach them right from the beginning...
Well done guys. May your 2ND year with Mr Pansegrouw be a great one
My primary goal to assist the class with construction and teaching them the do's and don'ts in technical documentation. The class was the biggest ever reaching a total number of 94 students... The class was so huge that i barely managed to remember faces. A semester had passed and the number came down...primarily due to failures and in certain instances drop-outs
As the second semester progressed, I learnt the names of many of the students and I created student lecturer bond, with them coming for crits on a steady basis.
I am proud to say that these students, most of whom are hard working all achieved really impressive marks. They really upped their game, and the marks prove just that.
I'm ready to tackle yet another year lecturing, only this time I will know how to approach them right from the beginning...
Well done guys. May your 2ND year with Mr Pansegrouw be a great one
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
SIR NORMSN FOSTER - A LEGEND
After some research on the web, I came across a birthday wish.... Sir Norman Foster has turned 75 today. Here is a recap for those whom don't know or remember him - He was born on the 1st of June 1935.
In 1963 he and three partners started an architectural firm and named it TEAM 4, however the firm did not last long and it was dissolved with each of them heading their separate ways. Foster and Wendy Cheesman (a former partner of TEAM 4) teamed up and founded Foster and Associates, this later became the FOSTER + PARTNERS.
Here are just a few amazing works by which I'm sure you would have come across:
GLA Building, London, UK
Chep Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong.
Hearst Tower, New York, USA
In 1963 he and three partners started an architectural firm and named it TEAM 4, however the firm did not last long and it was dissolved with each of them heading their separate ways. Foster and Wendy Cheesman (a former partner of TEAM 4) teamed up and founded Foster and Associates, this later became the FOSTER + PARTNERS.
Here are just a few amazing works by which I'm sure you would have come across:
GLA Building, London, UK
Chep Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong.
The Gherkin, London, UK.
Hearst Tower, New York, USA
SKY CITY - Tokyo, Japan
I recently watched a documentary on Tokyo's new proposal to develop a new housing scheme.
The reason: there is simply no more land to build on...so instead of building across (horizontally) they have had to propose building upwards (vertically).
Architects and town planners have planned a radical new move that would change the lives of people 10 to even 100 years from now. This new proposed mega structure will top the worlds highest building twice. Its is estimated to stand 2/3rd's of a mile high nearly 1 km in height!
The tower (Sky City) will comprise of 14 intermediate levels each with 10 floors.
Basically a self contained city where there is no need to set foot on mother earth. There will be condos, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels etc... with a green space in the centre, all connected to a state of the art new transportation system.
There are a few major underlying problems that will need to be addressed, ie: Tokyo has a very soft soil and to reach a hard surface, they would have to excavate nearly 800 metres - this obviously is no solution so they would rather use thousands of friction piles to create a steadfast foundation. Another factor 'earthquakes'... these can cause immense damage. The image below is an artists impression -
The designers estimate the tower to house 135 000 people, with the tower weighing in at 6 000 000 tons... The base of the structure (foot print) will be approximately 30 acres in size. Japan consider tress to be sacred, hence the incorporation of the central parks through out the design - the green space doubles up as a fire barrier in case of a disaster.
.
NEW LOCALLY AVAILABLE PRODUCTS
As students we generally keep our specifications constant through our years at the university. Most of the time we specify products that are not locally available, and in the industry this could result in your client carrying the HIGH costs.
I did some research and consulted with a local company SPECIFYING DYNAMICS to find out more on local products. Their sole purpose to promote their clients products and where possible they aid architectural firms with the necessary specifications.
As students we are quick to jump onto the world wide web (www) or Auto Spec for that matter to specify products...right? OK but ill repeat - LOCAL. How and where can we get information on local products - myself and the university are currently organising a school lecture for next semester where SPECIFYING DYNAMICS will be addressing us on their clients products and a display board will be on show for two weeks at a time and a catalogue will be made available to the students in boardroom on the mezzanine level.
When it comes to roofing, we would generally specify Brownbuilt for example, but i was made aware of a new company stretching their market from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. They offer a wide range of colours etc... but what caught my attention was the way in which their new sheeting profile is fixed to a structure. The system is perfectly suited for the windy conditions we face in PE. Click on the ARONA link and browse their site, its a definite competitor in the market : http://www.aronaroofing.co.za
I did some research and consulted with a local company SPECIFYING DYNAMICS to find out more on local products. Their sole purpose to promote their clients products and where possible they aid architectural firms with the necessary specifications.
As students we are quick to jump onto the world wide web (www) or Auto Spec for that matter to specify products...right? OK but ill repeat - LOCAL. How and where can we get information on local products - myself and the university are currently organising a school lecture for next semester where SPECIFYING DYNAMICS will be addressing us on their clients products and a display board will be on show for two weeks at a time and a catalogue will be made available to the students in boardroom on the mezzanine level.
When it comes to roofing, we would generally specify Brownbuilt for example, but i was made aware of a new company stretching their market from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. They offer a wide range of colours etc... but what caught my attention was the way in which their new sheeting profile is fixed to a structure. The system is perfectly suited for the windy conditions we face in PE. Click on the ARONA link and browse their site, its a definite competitor in the market : http://www.aronaroofing.co.za
Monday, May 31, 2010
will PE be ready for the soccer
South Africa is to host the Soccer World Cup 2010 with billions of rands spent on new stadiums and infrastructure, my question to you is
CAN WE A DEVELOPING COUNTRY AFFORD THESE EXPENSES?
Yes many people are optimistic but there is a reality...can we for afford to maintain these super structures (stadiums). These new facilities are going to and i quote 'cost us a arm and a leg', with some stadiums requiring between 10-70 million rand per Annam for maintenance.
After travelling around PE over the weekend i noticed that there was still a lot of construction happening...should this not have been completed already? the new widened road in Walmer is an eye-sore with the incomplete road works and debris lying on the verge of the road. The islands are not 100% paved with an attempt to plant vegetation.
If you take a drive around the stadium you will notice the same problem....OK the stadium is impressive and the grounds are tidy but once again i refer to road works. The new center lane for public transport is sealed off and non operational...
The Livingstone Hospital had to upgrade their Accident and Emergency Centre to comply with FIFA's regulations...that is still under construction and i doubt it will be completed for practical completion later this week. The link provided is a 24/7 web cam showing the construction http://www.lhaepe.co.za.
It might seem as if I'm being negative but I'm giving you the facts.
Link below - stadium maintenance review
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=19&art_id=nw20100512102013232C199857&set_id=
CAN WE A DEVELOPING COUNTRY AFFORD THESE EXPENSES?
Yes many people are optimistic but there is a reality...can we for afford to maintain these super structures (stadiums). These new facilities are going to and i quote 'cost us a arm and a leg', with some stadiums requiring between 10-70 million rand per Annam for maintenance.
After travelling around PE over the weekend i noticed that there was still a lot of construction happening...should this not have been completed already? the new widened road in Walmer is an eye-sore with the incomplete road works and debris lying on the verge of the road. The islands are not 100% paved with an attempt to plant vegetation.
If you take a drive around the stadium you will notice the same problem....OK the stadium is impressive and the grounds are tidy but once again i refer to road works. The new center lane for public transport is sealed off and non operational...
The Livingstone Hospital had to upgrade their Accident and Emergency Centre to comply with FIFA's regulations...that is still under construction and i doubt it will be completed for practical completion later this week. The link provided is a 24/7 web cam showing the construction http://www.lhaepe.co.za.
It might seem as if I'm being negative but I'm giving you the facts.
Link below - stadium maintenance review
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=19&art_id=nw20100512102013232C199857&set_id=
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
