firadaus khazis

Inspirational People

2012-04-28T20:54:00.000+08:00

These are inspirational people whom I'm looking for in my life to keep my spirit on.

HAMAM: DARE AND ENTICEMENT

2012-04-22T23:39:00.001+08:00

I only noticed today that my normal way of designing is actually not constraint by being safe in making decision for construction and structure but, actually my design structure were derived from a drama. The example showed in the lecture has finally make me realize that the project HAMAM, my third year first semester project which actually made of vernacular concrete grid structure is actually consist huge plot and story.

Greg Missingham's example of enticement and dare, are both happening in my HAMAM project. It has Narrative, Visual Participation and also Ritual Ceremony.

My Plot of Drama goes like this.

DARE, The stepping stone right at the entrance will dare visitors to jump over to get to the welcome centre. This somehow challenge the visitor experience the water even their clothes still on.
Once they have paid for their bathing session, they walk into a corridor that leads to the change room.
ENTICEMENT, Once changed into bathing attire, they will seduced into a space with sound of water flowing down from a stairs made of recycled blue stone.
ENTICEMENT, The stairs wall materials are also composed from recycled material of previous onsite standing building. They consist of blue stones, bricks, timber floor strips, and floor times. Timber frames, roof frames, roof tiles and aluminum panels. These materials are assigned in particular order on the right side wall in such to tell the order to give sense of texture and story to the visitor a story about what was the previous building were made of. These also create enticement as visitor experience the change as the walking on the overflowing water stairs.
DARE AND ENTICEMENT through VISUAL PARTICIPATION. Along the stairs, as on the right of the stairs is where the old materials transformed into one another, on the left are a huge glass wall containing huge indoor bath acting like a aquarium where the visitor will able to see sectional of the pool and also other bathers in the pool. Often we only see the head of the bathers from an angle above. This will entice bathers to walk up to experience the pool itself. It is also a dare to take bath while letting others to see their body in the water just like fish in the aquarium.
DARE AND ENTICEMENT through RITUAL. Once they get up into the indoor bath, the visitor will experience the strangeness of water temperature. Toward the water fall area, the water is cold, on the other wall the ware is hot while the middle is where the nice warm water is resulted. The hot water are resulted from overflowing water from FIRE BATH pool in the room next door, while cold water fall are resulted from overflowing water from ICE BATH pool on the floor above. These water fall then create a wall that give dare and enticement to visitor to go across it. Once crossed, the visitor will reach into a FLOWER BATH where the water with fragrance is kept as if they are rewarded for their bravery to go across the coldness of the water fall.
ENTICEMENT. On the same floor there is also a cafe that is half sunk. The bathers will sit on seats which are in water while the table face is just right above the water. This will entice bathers to experience new way of enjoying coffee with half body in water.
ENTICEMENT. On the top floor, right above the cafe, is where the recycled stone are formed into arches and create number STONE BATH. Water is then channeled through the stones, and bathers will walk across the arches to experience different stone texture, smell and what kind of reaction it has with water. For example blue stone will just produce clear water but sand stone with have yellowish water.
DARE through VISUAL PARTICIPATION. The ICE BATH which is at the same floor as STONE BATH, consist of floating ICE CUBE that dare the bathers to take bath in the cold pool.

To conclude, a box shape is not always boring while curvature design is not always exciting. A good architect will somehow turn into a drama director for the building that they design to give more experience to the user.

design and drama

2012-04-18T19:57:00.004+08:00

There was an exercise in school that I did which was about 'write 5 actions in sequence of what I normally do when I arrived home.' This exercise somehow has opened my eyes about one more role of an architect that we always forget:

"The Director for Daily Drama."

My answer was.

1. When I arrive home I clear up my pockets. I put keys and wallet on my desk.
2. I hit my spacebar on my desktop computer (as I normally keep my computer asleep when I'm at class)
3. I ran upstairs to the toilet while waiting for my computer to awake (my toilet is at second floor)
4. I came back to my room sit in front of my computer.
5. I turn on facebook to check my status update.

Reflection:
I have seen most of people that were asked have rarely answered up to detail such as entering apartment lift and or climbing the stairs. Most of the action described are activities happened once they have entered the house which is what I call the Stage for the Drama. Besides stage, I noticed a drama, requires:
1. Actor(s)
2. Prop/Set/Surrounding (sound, smell, light)
3. Storyline
4. and sometimes audience

In this case, I was the actor, and my house as the prop, and the storyline is about me who want to turn on computer and get access on facebook, but because it will take quite sometimes, so I fill the time gap by going to toilet.

Yes, the drama seems pretty boring, nothing impressive nor suspend happen in the storyline. Pretty decent.

Then what if I integrated these approaches into the storyline?
1. Architecture of the dares (a. social risk, b.physical dare)
2. Enticements

In class, a friend of mine suggested that the stairs can be removed and replaced with wall climbing gear which I found interesting. I'm not only dare my physical to climb up just to get to the toilet but also dramatize the storyline which giving me no choice but to climb it.

Second example that I found interesting is an example by a friend of mine who suggested to replace some part of her apartment's floor with glass floor. This will have two purposes, one is to allow light to come through, and two two create social risk of embarrassment that there is possibilities that people down stair will see what is going on in her apartment.

Enticement on the other which was not discussed in the class. Enticement basically will lose potency with familiarity. In this case the stage will be something new to digest for the actor. One of my own experience is when I travel in Barcelona city. The first day when I arrived the old city of Barcelona I have no clear intention on where I want to go. The tightness of the building block which separated for only 3 metres and the little curve or turn of the blocks had obstruct my view and has sparked curiosity. These curiosity and action by the actor is what create the storyline of the drama.

Few other building that I think create the drama and why:

1. Building 8 of RMIT on Swanston Street. Reason: The building circulation is a maze and new comer, especially Melbourne University Student who want to get to the library, always found their selves lost on some other floors due the lift which has very confusing floor indication. Turn out, they have to go back to the floor they came from, and take ramp up. The journey by walk on the other hand also create enticement through the ramp and escalator which slowly revealing what is happening on the different floor.

2. Turkish HAMAM. Hamam on the other hand create drama by having dares in it. The culture which is to have bath with only towel and sometime naked create social risk when it is designed to mix different gender in one space.

kisah alam

2012-04-10T22:20:00.003+08:00

I made this song in 2010.

Fira - Niche

A visit to Vitra Museum

2012-03-11T08:25:00.000+08:00

Water Pavilion

2012-03-07T19:17:00.003+08:00

Wicked Deliberations

2012-03-02T16:58:00.001+08:00

To view the whole presentation, click here

To view the whole presentation, click here

Temporary Student Housing

2012-02-10T06:09:00.002+08:00

A student project that I'm doing now is a sustainable student accommodation. The concepts are heavily influenced by Ken Yeang' idea that a building should able to be retrofitted for other purposes in the future. I found that the biggest challenge to make this possible is the flexibility of existing building structure to adapt with new program. Most of structure design and built are permanent, and if not, it requires a huge scale renovation which may cost equal to demolish and construct new building which apparently not sustainable.

Perfofrmative Architecture Studio : Video Journal

2011-11-23T19:43:00.007+08:00

nCloth experiment with Maya

2011-10-06T16:16:00.001+08:00

From Drop Box

Performative Architecture Studio : INFLATABLE STRUCTURE PROPOSALS

2011-09-30T21:53:00.001+08:00

ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE B TASK 1

2011-08-18T10:40:00.001+08:00

hai rakan2, minta jasa baik rakan2 untuk menonton video (hanya 3 minit) untuk group assignment saya, dan LIKE (jika anda sukakannya) di YOUTUBE page. bilangan LIKE anda menyumbang kepada markah group kami. :') terima kasih.

performative architecture studio task 1

2011-08-01T13:29:00.003+08:00

melbourne graffiti 001

2011-05-28T23:56:00.005+08:00

The first time I saw pretty graffiti was in Batu Pahat, Johore 2001. 2007, the Klang river bank was occupied with transformers graffiti and looks pretty awesome. 2010 I came across a superb graffiti in Wang Maju (near petrol station) in Malaysia and amazingly it updated each time I went there.
But to be honest there aren't many pretty graffiti in Malaysia as what I have seen to compare to Melbourne. Kuala Lumpur have too much in appropriate signatures (or graffiti if you like) by immatures. They taught its pretty and some are halfway done which sadly turn into vandalism rather than an art. So I guess while I'm still here I'll document these graffiti in this blog in a hope Malaysians graffiti people can use this as reference to make our back alleys more interesting to see. Here is my first shot, graffiti found at Croft Alley, near Chinatown Melbourne.

picture taken on 24 April 2010.

Remembering Highland Tower

2011-04-24T22:43:00.004+08:00

Highland Tower as it is today.

Image by Sonicblue4 from Wikipedia

Wicked deliberations 4: Promotion Strategy

2011-04-23T19:33:00.004+08:00

As part my design proposal which is trying change the lifestyle in tropical climate country, I think by just putting an architectural object within a space wouldn't seduce people to use it. So I come with third approach which is Promotion Strategy to implant the idea of new lifestyle through advertising. Some example of advertisement that steal my attention.

These are Train related advertisement for my study;

Well, for the end of semester I think I want to produce a short animation to promote my project.. but I dont know how long this will take.. might only produce a poster...

wicked deliberations 3

2011-04-21T05:55:00.003+08:00

wicked deliberations 2

2011-04-12T09:28:00.008+08:00

"We must kill off the street... We shall truly enter into modern town-planning only after we have accepted this preliminary determination." Le Corbusier

Week 7. Everything goes pretty well for my design studio. Previously I was endured with a proposition of good facilities at existing train station or bus stop which allow flexibility in a way people approach to the train station or bus stop. The proposal was to introduce shower places and bicycle storage at train station or bus stop to tackle lack of car park issue and unpleasant walk due to the climate. I challenged myself to deal with numbers of train station with different site context. The sites are at TAMAN MELATI LRT STATION - in a housing area consisting numbers of flats and apartments (I used to rent a room here in 2010), KLCC LRT STATION - consist of offices, shopping complex, recreational park and hotels, and lastly BUKIT BINTANG MONORAIL STATION - a shopping district.

I first started this project with a motto 'THE LOST STATION' as I thought the shower place and bicycle storage are something that people in tropical climate country are missing. As I dig the issue deeper, the idea grew from promotion of public transport to investigation of an ideal way of living for tropical climate country which subsequently changes the title to 'TROPICAL METROPOLITAN' which reflect more life and way of urbanization in tropical climate country. So the hope is, this research and design find out will not only imply in Malaysia but also other tropical climate countries, like Indonesia, Vietnam and Brazil.

My first few weeks started with the idea of 'THE LOST STATION' which I presented in Week 4 and still applicable with amended design approach which is now 'TROPICAL METROPOLITAN'. When I did the Lost Station, I was only exploring the idea within my first site which is TAMAN MELATI LRT TRAIN STATION, but when I get into KLCC LRT TRAIN STATION, the idea evolve due to big changes in type of environment which subsequently evolve the possible outcome that I have thought about.

It can be said that 'TROPICAL METROPOLITAN' is an evolution of 'THE LOST STATION' with deliberations of larger scale and wider issue.

The Wicked Problems are:

Increasing in car ownership each year
Lack of use in public transport
Lack of efficiency in public transport
Reduction in subsidization on fuel each year
Expected non renewable resource like fuel will last only for 50 years
It take 9 to 10 years for a person with average salary to pay for car loan
Government’s initiative to extend railway track for 2013
Western lifestyle which can be seen in apparel
Lack deliberation in process of imitating technologies from developed countries
Lack of engagement in cultural reference and religious consideration

bandar untuk rakyat

2011-04-10T07:25:00.001+08:00

BANDAR UNTUK RAKYAT (CITY FOR PEOPLE). Ini bukan propaganda politik. Hanya satu inisiatif untuk timbulkan kesadaran di kalangan rakyat malaysia bahawa bandar yang dibina di Malaysia ketika ini bukanlah untuk kita. Sebagai contoh, orang ramai masih taksub dengan jalan raya berkelajuan tinggi. tiada siapa peduli akan pejalan kaki. Jejantas pula dibina hanya untuk cukup syarat . Tangganya tidak mesra pengguna dan memenatkan kerana setiap tapak adalah sangat tinggi (tinggi setiap tapak melebih 170mm!) untuk penjimatan kos.

Mungkin pada tahun 2020, anda perlu memiliki sebuah kereta atau motor hanya untuk menyeberangi jalan membeli gula di Giant hadapan rumah.

wicked deliberations 1

2011-04-07T21:40:00.014+08:00

When I first select this studio, I was certain that I want to propose something for Malaysia train station. This is because I thought that there is something missing in function and purpose of commuting in Malaysia's public transport. To compare with Melbourne's public transport, there is lack of joy in riding Malaysia's public transport due to:

lack of frequency and there is no schedule provided : people can't plan their trip and no one will rely on public transport in any occasion or emergency cases
train station / bus stop are not convenient : people have to wait for train/ bus for 8 to 10 minutes under hot and humid weather and certainly get all sweat which are not pleasant for their daily activity.

Many people being prejudice (I was one of them) and blame public transport infrequency as a main reason why they prefer to own a private car. However the process of commuting does not start from train station or bus stop, it start right at your house's door step.

If you live at place which is within 5 minutes walking distance from bus stop/train station, the only challenge that you would have is uncertainty when does the train or bus will arrive. So you walk 5 minutes and if you are lucky, the bus or train arrived as same time as you. On unfortunate occasion, you will witness the train or bus leaving you and will end up 8 to 10 minutes of waiting to catch the next trip. This make process of riding public transport almost take 15 minutes (which you have not yet get into public transport).

Now ask yourself, you wake up at 7, take shower and wear very nice office attire (business shirt) and you know that it is going to be a very long day at the office, will you walk 5 minute distance, exposed to warm morning sun and there no certainty that you have to wait for another 8 to 10 minutes? Imagine if you live 10 to 15 minutes walking distance from train station or further than that, will public transport at least be an option of commuting? Now I think I make you confuse why living in certain walking distance does a matter.

Ok now let's imagine if the public transport's efficiency and frequency are solid (let assume the frequency is about every two minutes), and you live in either these three walking distance: 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes. Most likely the people who live in 5 - 10 minutes distance will walk, but I rarelt see people who live within 10 - 15 minutes walking distance will reach train station. The question is why?

It is very rare to see someone willing to walk outside for 15 minutes distance in office attire. They rather drive or ride motorcycle. When you ask why, they just said it is much more comfortable. But when you ask what make them to feel so, they just can't explain why.

I'm a person who prefer to commute by walking. I rarely take tram in Melbourne because I found so much fun in walking as I don't sweat much (very nice climate, gentle wind with soft sun light) and there is so much thing to see from the street scape. But when I walked in Malaysia (the place I stay in is 10 minutes walking distance from train station), I'm pleased with the green landscape however all the way in my journey, I was sweating and I have to keep my armpit open (my body instinctively do so) to allow the sweat vaporize. Eventually, I become not motivated when to have another 8 hours at the office with my body already in a bad shape, sticky skin with awful smell.

Will the efficiency and high frequency public transport system solve the issue? To double the train or bus frequency might cause the government to invest nearly double amount that they are currently spending. But does it worth to only serve for people who only live within 10 minutes walking distance?

negatives line

2011-04-03T09:29:00.005+08:00

i love negative lines. it provokes viewers imagination to come with an early conclusion of what is drawn + very minimalist

pursuit of happiness

2011-03-25T09:56:00.002+08:00

"You Got a Dream... You Gotta Protect It. People Can't Do Somethin' Themselves, They Wanna Tell You You Can't Do It. If You Want Somethin', Go Get It." ~ Chris Gardner

taiping museum

2011-03-23T21:59:00.009+08:00

Love the space.

Transition space from minimalist interior design to something more lively. Not a good photo..

I was quite surprised with the interior design. Did not expect Taiping Museum would have contemporary interior design.

"Cantik, saya pun nak jadi arkitek kalau macam ni," Luqman Khazis

This is one of the placse where they shot the scene Dari Sinar Mata for film Rock

Penjara Taiping across the street.

design studio C

2011-03-22T18:29:00.003+08:00

something that im working on for this semester.

A little update,
Well recently I feel that I'm detached from reading my favourite book. Previously when I was working, I used to take train from KLCC to Taman Melati. That take me 35 minutes each trip and I used the time to read books from my favourite author, however since I'm back as a student, surprisingly I read less. I have too much work load and I only read things that are given instead of what I like. In a good hand, this will make me read stuff that I don't know. Sadly my favourite books mostly are under inspirational genre. No wonder lately I don't feel inspired at all?

the time has come

2011-02-26T15:13:00.002+08:00

back in melbourne. part II, bismillah