kijun | of drama, shades and edifices
everyday i wake up and it's monday
20090725 - 16:58


"Grab the opportunity while you still can."

"Don't let the chance pass you by."

"You not going for it?
Why not?
Do only la."

"Backside, later regret."




We all have our beliefs and hold on strong to our personal principles, not to mention convictions. I'm not preaching verses from books of inspiration, nor am I advocating practices for a lifelong/after-life/no life spiritual fulfillment. Those are just a few of my points for persuassion in battling my inner angel and demon on my shoulders. Or were. I can't tell for sure now. It's times like these where I doubt and second guess myself when I am usually unyielding. I don't seem to be 'rewarded', if you may, as I might have been before. Gratification become less apparent than before, any sense of delight dawns too soon before I can go hell yeah. Seemingly so, satisfaction strings to a sad song sauced with a sad sense of satire.

It is not the past I dwell, nor the future I swell. It cannot be a measure of guilt, of that I am sure. Regret? Bah. I for one do not do regrets, and the thought of that particular statement being enlisted above amongst the uncertainties of poor me remains, thankfully, unthinkable. Or maybe it's simply me being me seeing what I not want to see rather than seeing what I should be seeing that is simply there to see.

What I see for sure is the imminent adversities and uncertainties that shrouds and surrounds me come this term and the term after. In sheer irony and cynicism, I find myself in this very peculiar spot of what we term as a very bad joke due to no other than the very actions and inactions of yours truly. My very words have come to bite me smack right at the ass and, figuratively, the bite marks are very much apparent to others. Running along that same vein of irony, time which has always been my worst enemy now becomes my very best friend forever. And as I take comfort on the shoulders of a once bitter foe, I must ultimately rely on myself to get me thru the absolute shytness of my words. Oh and did I mention, college starts in two days.







CAD2, please be kind to me. And I wanTOkyo.






why, bleeding is breathing
20090713 - 22:49



"A work of art, is not a living thing, that walks or runs. But the making of a life. That which gives you a reaction. To some it is the wonder of Man's Fingers. To some it is the wonder of the Mind. To some it is the wonder of Technique. And to some it is how Real it is. To some, how Transcendent it is. Like the 5th Symphony it presents itself with a feeling that you know it, if you have heard it once. And you look for it, and though you know it you must hear it again. Though you know it you must see it again. Truly a work of Art is one that tells us, that Nature cannot make what man can make."



- Louis I. Kahn



That in itself initiates a lifelong's worth of pondering.













Whilst the haze is setting off a whole lotta *$!*^#*&*%#^!!!! in me. Blow wind, blowwwww.



i'm starting with the man in the mirror.
20090707 - 22:54




Or so they say. The conference was rather enlightening as they all should be. It's truly a humbling experience whenever practicing architects speak of their ideas and work. Whether or not you agree and glofiry their sentiments does not matter, one still appreciates the virtue and shyt that they convey. Point worthy of taking note: a good speaker does not necessarily represent a good architect. Nor good architecture. Expecting another Bjarke this year was also rather naive I guess. As a BIG fan, lol, this year's line up of 10 was rather weak compared to last year's. Nonetheless, 5, or 6 of them rather, did intrigue me enough to google and find out more about their works.





Howeler + Yoon Architecture. Young American couple who have a thing for glow in the dark sticks, lol. Jokes aside, I prefer their smaller scale projects compared to their architectural designs.






You'd be surprised to learn more from a 2 day convention than a year's work in college. It's not to say that these speakers give you notes and books to memorize and learn by rote, it's the stimulation and controversy that is provoked within you. If I were to expect answers and solutions fed to me, I'd end up very much disappointed and stupefied. And I guess it pertains to everything to a certain extent. I have this tendency to google n wiki like nobody's business after watching a movie or show. The idea is not to search for your answers, but to deduce your own. One with reason and amazing architectural bullshyt.




junya.ishigami+associates. His projects definitely speaks louder than his words. Check out the human scale in his balloon project, made of aluminium yet freakin floating. omggungho.


3mm thick table. Nuff said.




The idea of basic design debated was a perplexing one for me. At first, I didn't and still do not fully grasp nor comprehend the term. I don't believe that it stands for a distinct philosophy or decree that we should or should not choose to follow. Innit more of a perception, a vogue or fad, a certain trend in not only architecture but design, extensively. How do you separate basic to complex design in the first place.?



MVRDV. I speak een Dutch arckcent yarr. Very Bjarke in terms of both their manipulation and stacking of volumes.






Theme aside, (or maybe it's related, I can't tell for sure), Winy Maas made a really good point in his talk I felt, questioning human's greed intelligently, while I sighed pessimistically in accordance. The issues of our local building and construction remains also in question. I remember questioning the question in question in last year's conference as well. Architecture overseas demean our architecture so much, in perspective. Clients want value for money, fair enough. But sadly there's this misconception that value for money means no space is wasted, which means each squarefoot in their land is concrete and artificially built, which means the box, which means no architectural voids, which means all our buildings look the same, rather than getting your money's worth for the design as a whole. Stubborn architects who disagree then refuse and refute archetypal clients as such, and then accordingly get the finger and the sacking soon after. Compliant architects however oblige and design as we see. They get the job, whilst the stubborn ones don't; the richer get richer, the poorer get poorer.




standardarchitecture. Looks like a monk and Hong Kong gangster yet speaks like Singaporean scholar all at the same time. Contemporary Chinese architecture at it's best, I feel.






On top of that, another set of clients with deep pockets emerge as well. Those that want their beach to be airconditioned. Ridiculous.? Maybe. But they can and who are we to stop them. Needless to be say, losta zeroes must be encrypted in the paycheque for the architects involved in these kinda projects. Rather foolish to reject, innit. Would you say no.? There's a good chance I won't.




MTA. This one I like alot. Very Kahn in her design. Seems much more conscious about her design and yes, highly phenomenological.







Who am I to say this architecture is wrong, but after a year n a half's study and torture, this is not the architecture I know nor I like. And of course, politics and social ethics come to play. Who are we to accuse the compliant ones to be money hungry. The bills have to be paid rite.? An archictect is a profession first and foremost. It's the same situation on how global warming is being perceived, donchathink. How everyone is aware of it yet nothing but the absolute minimum is being done at the moment. How we're so ignorant and conservative about the rising temperatures and sea levels, considering how it doesn't directly bites back at us, when indirectly we're figuratively biting each others asses. Aren't you ashamed of how narrow-minded we can be.? I am. Indeed Mr. Churchill, our buildings shape us.