Handmade model

After the 4 weeks practices on the model making (process can be seen on the 'practice handmade model' page), I began to start my final model design. 

Model 1

My first model was inspired by the Green Cast by Kengo Kuma and Associated, and it is also a derivative of the small house in the practice model two. I increased the contrast on the second and third model so the light in the room can stand out. 

Green Cast

Room in Practice Model 2

Final Model 1

The main idea of this design is to test the transimission of light in space via the window. Therefore, in order to get more light in the room, inspired by the design of Green Case, I tried to open as many windows as possible on the wall. In this case, I decided to carve the windows on three walls and the openings on the roof of the room. However, since my model is only a room but not a building, it is not a public space and privacy is necessary. As a result, for walls I carved the openings in different ways. For the backwall, I opened the window on the top part of the wall, while for the side walls, I opened the windows on the bottom part of the wall (as shown below). The window can also be closed because I did not carve all four sides of the squares, but still keep one side connected to the surface (this can be seen clearly in the first picture of this model at the top). Therefore, I can choose in which direction the light can go through and which side remains dark. This design also helped me to found more interesting shadow patterns by closing some of the windows and opening others.

Window design

I then tested how the light performs in this little room with different colours of light in different direction. I tried to simulate the light of a day in this small room by changing the light intensity and color.

For the first one (shown as followed), I have tried to simulate the sunlight of sunrise and it can be seen that the sun is just behind the room. The yellow light is not very hard which gives people a very warm and romantic feeling.

Sunrise

At noon, the light is very strong and dazzling.

Noon

In this third picture, I simulated the light of sunset. Unlike the sunlight at sunrise which is warmer and energetic, the light in sunset is colder and quiet which represents the relaxation and self-reflection after the whole day work. 

Sunset

I also tried the green light as I feel that the green colour always gives people the feelings of  isolation and loneliness. People will stay quitely in their small room and indulge in their own small world after they come back home.

Nightfall

In the evening, the pale light of the street shone into the house, leaving the ground deserted, people lying in the bed and dreaming.

                                                                    Late evening

Model 2

In the second model, the space designed has changed from a room to a larger space. As seen in the following pictures, I carved the window in a symetrical way. The reflection of the form and shape provides a sense of harmony and balance and always gives a pleasant feeling. This idea is inspired by the budiling designed by Leon Battista Alberti which is full of order and rhythm with its perfect porportion and scale.

The Basilica of Sant Andrea by Alberti 

              

   

    Model 2

This space is made from a cardboard with the ice cream stick fixed the cardboard in position. It can be seen that the cruve shape is formed by a stick crossed the cardboard in the middle. 

                                                               First structure

I then used the balsa wood to make the door. I didn't make it to be closed but instead I left a 'T' gap (two doors don't touch with each other and also do not touch the roof). In this case, while the light shone through the door instead of the sides, the shadow ray will look something like the picture showing below which is pretty.

I worked with symmetrical shadow in this design and tested how shadow varies in a symmetrical way. After multiple testings, I found that the yellow light is the most suitbale colour in this space. I changed the direction of the light source to watch the performance of the light. The following pictures showcase how the light approached to the door and created an ultimate symmetrical beauty.

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I also varies the light direction to create some one-side shadow which is also very cool as well. 

I then tried to render my model. In the first one I put my model in a dark forest. My model in this case is like a cave for caveman.

Int the second one, my model becomes a secret industry. This picture looks like anime, the hero enters the villain's base.

I changed the texture of the wall and it looks so real.

Model 3

In the third model, I decided to change the material used to make the model. In the first two models, I have used paper and cardboard, therefore, in this model, I decided to use the balsa wood and the ice cream stick to create the my space. It can be seen that I also used the tracing paper on the top. I carved some pattern on the paper which first I believed that when the line shines from the top, it will create a beautiful pattern on the ground. The design of the roof is hexagonal, it is made of ice cream sticks layer by layer, with a total of three layers. The idea of this model comes from the Mongolian yurts, a portable, circular dwelling made of a lattice of flexible poles and covered in felt or other fabric. Yurts have been the primary style of home in Central Asia, particularly Mongolia, for thousands of years. 

Model 3

Mongolian yurts

At first, I put the light source on the top and wondered how the pattern on the tracing paper would reflect on the ground. However, I found that the tracing paper only softened the light and formed a big hexagonal shadow on the ground. I tried to change my light source to the strongest intensity and it still didn't show the pattern. That was really frastrating as I have spent such a long time to find the pattern and draw it and carve it on the tracing paper. As a result, I changed my mind to test how will the striped shadow rays perform and that was super super cool.

In this case, I wanted to make focus on the striped shadow only. However, it can be seen on the picture above that, although I closed a few sides with the wall, there was still light coming from the top as the tracing paper is translucent. Therefore, I decided to cover the tracing paper with the balsa wood. As seen in the following picture, I inserted the balsa wood board between the layers and that gives me a beautilful radial roof. This design echoes with my testing aim of the shadow ray. By the way, I really like this picture. It gives me the feeling of a peaceful and steady lifestyle. 

The following picture shows how the striped shadow rays perform when I rotated the light source around the model. My favourite one is the third one which gives me the feeling of a shinning stage.

I found that it also looks pretty cool when the picture becomes black and white.

I have done some rendering for this model. In the first picture, I put my model into the grassland as my idea is inspired by Mongolian yurts. However, I prefer the second one where my model has become a pavilion on the water.

                                  

                                  

Landscape render

Model 4

I felt pretty good to work with balsa wood board as it is so light and easily to cut with a craft knife and thus the same material was used in model 4. This model was inspired by 'The Diamond'  in the University of Sheffield by Twelve Architects. I like how the different sizes of the square windows intergrate together which provide a unique and impressive feeling. 

                                                                    The Diamond

                      

 I carved six balsa wood boards with different sizes of rectangles arranged in different manner. 

                                                

Then, I arranged them in different ways, the following is my first try. The shadow performed very well with the whole model.

                                                   

                                            

                          

And then I re-arranged them in more different ways to test the light performance. The two pictures below show my second and third arrangement. For the first one I simulated the light in the morning while the second picture I created the dark yellow light to show the night.

      Morning 

          Night            

                            

I then separated the my model into two spaces and rotated the light source from front to back to see how the model looks like with one part brightens the other side darkens. I pretty like the second one as shown below. With the red light at the back of the building, the shadow and the tone of the picture make it look like a flim scene.

             Brighten the front

                        

            Brighten the back

Then, I constructed the second level to allow more different shadow patterns to perform in one little space. 

      

     

When I put the light source from the bottom and the light ray come from the bottom to the top (like the picture shown below), it gives the feeling of daybreak and hope. 

Model 5

Before building the space, I used a knife to carve patterns on the paper and evaluted how these patterns will form shadow with the light through different direction.

Top

Bottom

After that, I chose the two patterns which I think the light did perform really well with the shape and used these two patterns to form the wall.

Space under the pattern

 I then tried to craft the paper to make some interesting opening.

I started with the A4 paper from the beginning and found that the paper was too soft to stand. So, I made the same shape on the whiteboard later.

And the gif shows how the light perform with the space.

After that, I put all these models together to form a space. The pattern sheets provide a complex and delicate shadow while the windows form the strong and simple shadow. These two combine togethere create a wonderful scene.

Light characteristic testing of model

I examine the light in four aspects: colour, chiaroscuro, extension and ray and I found these external factors have created a different atmosphere for the models, either full of warmth, or surrounding by horror, etc. The colours of light accentuate the atmosphere and evoke different emotions and moods. The strong contrast between the light and shade forms a strong visual impact and appeal, splits the space and highlights the main body. The angle and extension of the light reflect the depth or that three-dimension of the space. The use of rays is one of my favourite, whether it is a beam of light or a few beams of light, they both can produce a very strong visual sense.