Urbanisation

URBANISATION

Studio Project Site: Wu Kai Sha Beach
Place: Near to Ma On Shan



The beach and buildings behind













The beach and the pier views













Formal Site Plan of the beach and the peripheral










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Analysis
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A beach is normally a natural landscape, which is the connection between land and sea in the world. I don't know whether this is the natural one or the man-made one, yet, i see it as a natural one first.

This beach at Wu Kai Sha is not very big. There is a pier in the middle of the beach and the pier is extending outward to the sea. There is also a walkway beside the beach which is about 2 meters higher than the sea level. Behind the beach and the walkway are urban areas with residential buildings, roads, and recreational buildings like stadium and shopping malls. These are the major urban forms appear around the beach.

Among all, the critical parts of the overall form of the site are 1. the beach with sand (indicated by blue frame); 2. the pier (indicated by red frame); 3. the walkway (indicated by green frame). These are the critical parts because the function or the intention of having a beach there is for the recreational and transportation purposes. The peripheral residential buildings and roads are totally different elements, therefore, they are not among the critical parts of the form.

As i observed in the site, i realised that we can take something from the site. For instance, some residential buildings are built very close to the beach. It is good for residents to gain a good view there, but it may disturb the silence of the beach, and pollute the beach by noise or air or water, etc. It may be better to have those residential buildings built further behind the beach.





















Based on the normal usage of a beach, i think we can give 3 elements to the site.

1/ Firstly, we can give a watch-house (indicated by red frame) to the site. There in front of the beach is the magificent Tolo Harbour seaview, with far away sea, mountains and reservoir. People go to there to appreciate the view. A watch-house can give such function, with differnet platforms at different levels for experiencing the view and scenaries.

2/ An enclosed area or prevent-shark-net near the seashore. Many people go there to swim or to do some water activities like paddling boats and fishing. It will be better to provide safety for them.

3/ some kind of toilets or exchange room. People going there to swim may find it difficult to get washed or to exchange their cloths. A washroom can do !

Technics

Image: HSBC headquater in Hong Kong











































Critical Parts
The HSBC headquater building has a form consisting of cross bearings and columns, which enchorge the building firmly. They are the supporting elements, the structures. Thus, the critical parts of this building form is 1/the column sets, and 2/the triangular shape bearings.


















First principle
The use of the forms of columns and triangular bearings may be inspired by the hangers. We use hangers to hang wet clothes on a bar or frames for drying. By that, the clothes will not fall down, so it maybe strong for a building to adapt to this type of ''hanger'' structure. So, the first principle of this form maybe the hanger form.

















Natural phenomenon
An example of natural phenomenon according to the first principle i supposed is the fruits on a tree. For instance, in an apple tree, apples grow at the branches. They are attached to the branches firmly by the structure like a hanger. Perhaps, this natural phenomenon can explain the first principle i supposed.

Habitation

This is one of the routines in my life - to open a window.
Why does it play a critical part in my routine? As we all know, we open windows for ventilation. It connects the external and internal part of a room. Apart for ventilation, windows are there to provide a path for light to illuminate the room. In an architectural sense, windows regulate the space of a room. That is, when windows are closed, the area enclosed within the room is only a definite space; when windows are opened, there is a connection between the inside and outside of the room, so, the room is no longer definited by that space, the space can be connected.





















Then, this is another room that accomodates my routine mentioned above. This shows the school bus of cuhk, where at the ceiling of the bus, there are some kind of openings which can be opened. Their function are also for ventilation of air and for some degree of illumination of the area inside the bus. With that, the space of the ''room'' of the bus can be changed according to the degree of opening of those openings.