Interior Architecture
Building Science and Services
Introduction to services and architectural science in buildings such as thermal performances of building and active and passive thermal controls, natural and artificial lighting and building acoustics, water supply and distribution, sewerage treatment, electricity generation and distribution
Assignment 1: Lighting and VAC Design For Comfort
Choose a room which is most frequently used for work purposes as the research site. Map out and record down all main electrical fixtures namely, lighting and ventilation. Draw out electrical wiring to the switches and observe the discomforts with the existing lighting and ventilation and redesign the room with scope of lighting and VAC equipment.
Assignment 2: Indoor Comfort Design and 'Invention'
Task 2a: Recording and measurement of 4 facings of external walla of own residential building as site and identify the wall panel that is the most critical/ highest heat gain/ most utilised space for 2b. (10%)
Task 2b: Without any constraints in terms of material usage, size, type of installation, students are to come up with an original idea design solution to reduce heat transfer with evidence of quantitative benefit. (30%)
Passive/ Green Insulation Product Development (30%)
Dimensions: 10 feet X 10 feet
Insulation Layers: Red and White Chequered Fabric, Old White Towel, Bubble Wrap, Cardboards
Main Product: Grid Base Curtain Hung with Buttons
Side Products: Big and Small Pockets to be buttoned on the base to store objects and be placed in different ways to encourage consumers' creativity
Final Project: Building Services Design in Kitchen
To test and evaluate students understanding of application of interior building services for both form and function, namely electrical, lighting, VAC, water supply, drainage and fire through designing and integrating these services into a service-dense interior space, the kitchen
Interior Perspectives of New Kitchen
Twilight Engine Rendered Realistic Kitchen Look equipped with newly selected material finishes and lighting
Reflection
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic that strikes in since March, the whole semester 3 was conducted online due to safety reasons. Thus, we began with Assignment 2 which is doing an indoor comfort design and 'invention' to reduce heat gain in a room after finding out which wall has the highest heat gain. It was a fun process to invent something out of the box and functionable in modular sizes despite the restriction we had due to the MCO period. We also learnt how to calculate the heat gain precisely in a room that we studied and be able to determine the allocation of air conditioning as well.
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Moving on to Assignment 1, we learnt how to identify the placement of lightings and electrical outlets in a room and comparing lightin lumens by solving the dimness issue to improve te room's brightness for work. It was an interesting process as I have found out how to evaluate the suitable lightings to use and at the same time, saves cost. Time flies as Assignment 1 only took 2 to 3 weeks and we have come to the final assignment (a replacement for final exam), which is redesigning out own house kitchen accordingly that covers all the scopes that we have done in the earlier assignments.
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Throughout the process, I have gained valuable knowledge that a designer should possess, especially plumbing, electrical outlet placement, elcetrical wiring, fire safety materials and kitchen utensils too, in terms of choosing the eco-friendly ones that help to reduce negative impacts on our Mother Earth, as well as adhering to the client's needs. After finishing this project. I reliased building a space is not just merely for aesthetics but we also have to be careful when taking account of its functionality and comfy level of the users as well.
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Last but not least, thanks to Ms. Sharon's hardwork and dedication in instilling the knowledge of Building Science and Services to us that I am able to tackle the assignments well despite the situation that we got into without face to face lessons. I couldn't have made it through without her diligent feedbacks via email when I had my inquiries and confusion. Thank you Ms. Sharon for teaching us and it's an honor to be your student.