Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei & Sterlac

Untitled, Louise Bourgeois, 1996

Clothing, bronze, bone, rubber and steel

300.4x208.3x195.6cm

Photo by Alan Finkelman

noun: human

verb: destitute

adjective: suspended

World Map, Ai Weiwei, 2006-2009

Cotton and wooden base

120x800x400cm

Photo from Faurschou Foundation

noun: canvas

verb: repeating

adjective: permanent

Stretched Skin, Stelarc, 2009
Installation, photography
305x414x5cm
Scott Livesy Gallery


noun: organ
verb: strike
adjective: infinite

Before The First Class: C

During the 2010-2011 Summer Holidays, I spent a week at an Indonesian orphanage (Yayasan Abas) that takes in ill, orphaned and disabled children, as well as elderly women. My time there was to teach the children drawing and painting, and to experience their everyday lives. This photo was taken during a soccer game at a nearby park using the soccer ball that we purchased for them. Whilst the older kids were engrossed in their game of ball, the younger children were playing with what they found around the park. Such as these three children playing with a discarded piece of plastic and string. The reason I find this photograph beautiful is how their happiness exudes in this photo. I am amazed that they are able to find such enjoyment in objects they find littering the park where we go through our day to day activities overlooking the things that we take for granted.

Before The First Class: B

Image from: p239, Architecture Now! HOUSES 2, by Philip Jodidio

Rick Joy - Ventana Canyon House, Tucson, Arizona USA

This large vacation home overlooking the Tucson Valley is (in my opinion) a beautiful piece of architecture. This is mainly due to the use of raw materials and how the building is perfectly suited to the sparse desert environment. The use of rusted steel cladding around the building is an innovative way in which to create a natural texture and complementary colour to its surroundings. Using raw materials of concrete, glass and steel, which are weathered and contain beautiful textures, creates character and plays upon the natural textures of the cliffs and rock faces of the Catalina Mountains. The geometry of the design uses straight lines and right angles, which enhances the facade of the house which has a subtle slant.

Before The First Class: A

For my Major Design Project last year I created a design concept to address the brief: To create a residential  building concept for high bush fire prone areas. The functionality of the design was stressed due to the nature of the project and the challenge was to create a design that was able to meet the requirements of the brief and that was aesthetically pleasing. The above image is the facade of the design created by Autodesk 3ds Max. In order to increase the functionality of the design concept, I chose a simple design that relies on mostly fire resistant materials that contain interesting textures - such as masonry and bricks. Areas which are less fire resistant (i.e. doors and windows) have the additional protection of a balcony that wraps around the right side of the house. Windows on the left side of the house are slit like which decrease the material's expansion when faced with high temperatures. Windows are also located in the gap created by the slanted roofs. The layout of the house also increases the survival rate of the residents by using a centralized bathroom as the 'safe room' during a bush fire. These are just some of the features that I have implemented into the house which I believe is my best work of design to date.