Audrey Chan- Architectural Portfolio: Project 3 : GENIUS LOCI

Learning Outcomes:

Generate design based on the unique character and conditions of the site context
Generate design through conscious consideration of section-plan relationship with considerations of human scale, natural light, materials/texture
Design a small scale community building which response to the site (site topography, history and socio-cultural events), functional program and users’ experiences
Produce drawings (both 2D and 3D), modelling and verbal presentation to communicate and visualize architectural design and ideas.

Explanation of concept / idea

The concept of this design is "Unfold" or "Revelations"

This idea came to mind when I was at the site itself. When a person dies, eventually their family members will feel sad and grief about it, but in a Christian context, the family members will also think that the deceased have gone to a better place with God. It is an unfold of emotions from sad (grief) to feeling glad.

Unfold is a also an unfold of memories and stories while people visit the VIC, where lots of untold stories and forgotten memories are revealed again.

The idea also came about when I did my research on "bible verses on graves". According to researches, bible verses carved on the tombstones are the verses that suits the deceased's personalities. They might also be bible verses of what the deceased believed strongly in. Therefore this to me, means that if you look closely at each and every tombstones, many things could be revealed.

By looking things only from the exterior, you might not find out much, but when you indulge more into the situation, more things actually came revealing to you.

Therefore the design is translated in the form that the exterior differs from the interior. There is an organic roof with smooth curves on the outside, but the interior of the building is actually angular as shown in the plan. More translation of the design will be explained on the "poetic experience" part below.