Solar Mildura

This semester, I have been allocated into the Mildura - Solar Irrigation City Design Studio. Initially I wasn't really keen to take this subject, especially I do not have much interest into solar architecture and hardly know anything except solar panels.

Mildura - Solar Irrigation City Design Studio Brief

However, the more I was involve since week 1 in terms of it's design scope and brief; I start to fall in love with it instead. It starts to drive my passion of challenging and to look up for precedents. Amazingly I found very interesting and emerging solar eco technologies.

Inspiration from Contour Farm

Although it is still not very common in residential Australia, but the huge massive solar farm development happening in China, Japan and Barcelona surprises me. It goes to show how much effort are you willing to spend to take up the challenge. Over the last weekend, I went down to Mildura and had a great site experiential. It's an awesome quiet and peaceful place. I am sure there are plenty of opportunities that Mildura could grow. I am kind of really excited and hope to go there again, but definitely not with a bicycle which has flat out tyre.

3d Conceptual Idea

Here is one of my conceptual idea of 3D. It's still just in experimental stage with the combination of 3 solar systems collector. I'll see what my tutor comments on Tuesday's presentation. Again, wish me luck.

The Proposed with 3 types of Solar system used

PS: It's last day of JULY !!!!!!! I am feeling great~ I am very sure the Month July of Shit will all ends and everything will soon fall in place.

Believe in Yourself

' If you believe in miracles,

And dreams that all come true,
You will find as if by magic
They will unfold in front of you.

No matter how dark the burden,
Nor how heavy the load you hold,
Those dreams are waiting for you,
All shimmering like gold.

Just Believe within yourself,
And keep focused every day
And never for a moment
Allow them to slip away!
Then simply try to recognise
The strength you have within.

And you'll find that every battle
You so easily can win.
Just solidly determined
And focused in every way
And you're sure to find the magic
That lies in every day! '

For the last two weeks, there are so many things that either happen all in a go or coming up one by one. It seems to be testing out how far my patience can go. Fortunately, I am still coping; although in between there is a few breakdown and EQ collapse. It's still now not over yet, but the great thing is I finally got what I wanted since 2008. Thanks to my wonderful parents, which really helped me a lot in realising my dream, and also my dear who supported me.

Mildura City with Murray River

This weekend, I will be away again due to my choosen studio and electives' site - Bundoora (40minutes drive from Melbourne CBD) and Mildura City (6 to 7 hours drive from Melbourne CBD). What a great distance! Anyway, wishing myself very very GOOD LUCK to be solidly determined.

La Trobe University in Bundoora

Recent - Make Over oF my Study PlaCe~

Since my move from a two bedroom apartment to an one bedroom apartment in March, I didn't really have the time to tidy and unpack my stuff. They were all in the Nong Shim Boxes, which makes my whole apartment looks like a WAREHOUSE.

Therefore after finishing my semester, I spend almost more than two weeks to clean and throw away all the unwanted stuff. Due to non-stop mole increasing living at my old black brown's cabinet's edge, I took the opportunity to get rid of it and decided to head IKEA for a replacement.

the EXPEDIT Series from Ikea

I was totally fascinated by the EXPEDIT series, which looks more elegant and costly. With my interior desginer sense, I just can't stop looking at it; although my dear hubby was telling me that it cost more and wanted a cheaper one instead. I wasn't really satisfied; and went on spending two days in the IKEA measuring, and a long night of hours coming up with proposal plan sketches to persuade my so called client - Hubby.

the two EXPEDIT shelves that we bought in our living room

I guess my profession really works; because we finally bought two shelving units from EXPEDIT and re-arrange our living room. So this is it.

my current folders to keep my latest account bills and subjects

Argh, too bad that I have forgotten to take pictures of what is it before my make over. Of course, it still looks messy now, because I am still having a housemate staying with us. There are still few areas that I have to cleaned up after he is gone.

the still messy corner that I can't sort out at this moment

But at least now my 32'' inch TV is sitting comfortably and ready to be on with my beloved Wii and PS3. It looks perfectly well with the EXPEDIT shelf.

my 32'' inch TV

my Wii & PS3

a holder to keep the remote controls

All these years since 2006 when I started my profession, I have also collected a series of magazines to keep on update myself with latest technologies and design trend. It's now all arranged and divided by the holders.

Trends Magazine

Architecture Review & Architecture Australia

One of the best thing about the EXPEDIT shelf which I like the most, is the fixed shelf and the 33cm Width X 33 cm Height holes, which perfectly sits with my existing transparent boxes that I have. I am sure you will agree that I have many junks.

my existing transparent IKEA boxes to keep my junks

Lastly is my laptop - DELL XPS sitting together with my two monitors. I know I am spoilted by the wide screen, but it's really nuts if you are trying to do the mutli-tasking design works by looking at the small screen of the laptop for long hours.

my DELL laptop

Not sure who do you think about my make over; but certainly I am satisfied and happy with it.

Coming Up - Auckland, New Zealand Trip

30th of June 2011 is one of luckiest day in my life; my wish since 2009 has finally going to come true. At least we have received the pre-grant email. It has been years and months that I have been waited for that email to come. So to make it come true, I am going to New Zealand - Auckland with my dear hubby.

New Zealand Map

Auckland used to be the capital of New Zealand. Although it was later on replaced with Wellington in 1865, but it is still one of the largest and most pupolated urban area in New Zealand. Of course, don't compare it with Hong Kong or New York. They call it the City of Sails.

Auckland - City of Sails

It has been a while since I went to New Zealand, in 2005. So it's not a bad idea to travel again and refresh my memory. Therefore I won't be able to blog for next week, but I will definitely be bringing some thoughts and experience back. Wishing myself a safe journey to New Zealand ! Bon Vogaye~

Auckland CBD - Night View

RMIT - End Semester 1'2011 Exhibition

YEAH !!! Finally the first semester for 2011 is OVER~ I am really glad that my Bachelors student life has comes to its end and I swear I am not going to take any more Bachelors class !!! Although the results has not been announced yet untill mid of July, but I am pretty sure I will be able to get at least CREDIT for all the three subjects and achieve GPA above 2.5. Unlike last year end, I was totally shocked when I saw 'NN' on my History 20th Century subject. I really thought I failed that stupid idiot history subject. Anyway, it's over now after been confirmed by my tutors.

Front Page of the Invitation Card

Back Page of the Invitation Card

So as per RMIT Architecture School's tradition, each end of semester all studios will exhibit their student's work. Above is the invitation card of the RMIT - Architecture & Landscape Student Exhibition held to this Friday 1st July 2011. Everyone is welcome to come and have a look. You will be surprise the amount of talented Future Architects and also some LAZY slacky drawings. Below is one of the great projects, which is just right opposite of my studio's exhibition wall.

One of the great project panels from other Studios

Below is my studio - 3080 's exhibition wall. It was taken during the pin-up session, before the Opening ceremony. I have two panels exhibiting on the wall. They are both on the top left corner, proudly presenting on the walls. My project is about the Meeting Point @ Docklands, base on the morphological prototypes development diagrams and being design driven by the existing Local Pathway access.

My 3080 Studio's exhibtion wall

Lastly, This is the invitation to the RMIT Architecture Major Project Exhibition - from the Final postgraduates student. Its opening ceremony will be on this coming 1st of July as well at 6pm. I'll be going to have a great look; also to support one of my ex-university mate and now my senior - Raymond. Congratulations to him, and all the best to his future~

http://rmitmajorproject2011.com/

the Poster Invitation to
RMIT Architecture Major Project Exhibition

SONA event FLUX 2011 - Student Architecture Congress

These few days I have been thinking about the coming up SONA event FLUX 2011 - the Student Architecture Congress (6th to 9th July) in Adelaide. I asked myself whether should I be going, and take the opportunity to listen what architecture means to others. The program really attracts me, although more than half of the speakers I never heard about them.


Speakers that I heard or Met before :
1. Dr.Ken Yeang - He is actually a Malaysian architect. I get to know him when I was doing a sustainable ecological research in 2008. Later on, I found out that Menara Mesiniaga, in Subang Jaya was one of his works. I was totally shocked to realise that building which I passed by more than 100 times since young, was actually a bio climatic design.

Menara Mesiniaga, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

2. Stuart Harrison - He is one of my lecturers in Australian Architecture; although I always think his lecture is a little bit boring. But I have seen many many of his articles about architecture. His articles are really impressing. A lot of my research survived based on his reflection and critic on historical frameworks.

3.Michael Rayner - I get to know Michael Rayner, because he is the Principal of COX Architects. Not in particular know him well; but the works from COX is far too famous in Australia. It's just like something that you've got to know if you lived in Melbourne and belongs to the architecture profession. AAMI Park was their very recent work, and just had their opening ceremony in May 2011.

AAMI Park during it's May openning Ceremony

AAMI Park - the Bubble Stadium, Melbourne, Australia

4.John Wardle - He is also one of the Melbourne based architects, where some of his works are just very near to me. One of it is the QV Apartments II, which I eventually passed by every week. When I was still in my old apartment - 1303, I could even see the building everyday. I never had the chance to inspect the apartments in QV II, but I've been to another of his design - Melbourne Grammar School's library in Toorak. It caught my attention, especially when I was still working and researching on education facilites. Sometimes I tell myself I would really want to input some of these contemporary design into our company's work. Unfortunately, I feel disappointed; maybe that was the reason why I dislike to continue working in the company. Anyway, that's not important; at least not in this post.

Melbourne Grammar School's Library Exterior

Back to the FLUX topic :
So I continue to look at the speaker's list and found out there are actually 14 speakers that I don't even know or heard before. I seriously wander am I outdated or am I picking up too slow. I guess I have been living in my small little world with just all Tadao Ando's work inspiration. No wonder my tutor asked me to research on contemporary issue and be aware with what is happening around.

Speakers that I never Heard before at all :

1. Nathaniel Corum
2. Charles Holland
3. Lara Calder
4. Dr.Esther Charlesworth
5. Benjamin Hewett
6. Luke Jones
7. Peter Malatt
8. Andrew Maynard
9. Paul Pholeros
10. Brian Potter
11. Gerard Reinmuth
12. Rewi Thompson
13. Patrick Stewart
14. Melonie Bayl-Smith

It's still not too late to start knowing them now. I am sure they must have something that could inspire the students or graduate; if not they wont be on the speakers list. Anyway, I don't seem to have much choice except waiting for my @#$%^ grant notification, before I can decide what I can or want to do. Argh, sometimes I really wonder what takes it so long to approve when all the documents is ready. Too bad, I guess I just have to patiently WAIT :(

the Start of My Life Design Studio

Finally decided to continue my interest of blogging after nearly two years of slacking. This time, I have decided to use the blog to explore my interest, find the goal in my life & set up my own design studio.

So This is going to be the place. For me to explore :

What is PING?
What is Architecture or even Interior Design means to me?
What is it in architecture interest me so much?
WHAT kind of STYLE do I have?? WHAT? WHAT? & WHAT? W.....H.....A......T.......

or Maybe WHAT is it that I want to achieve in my Life?
I am sure along my journey;
I will be able to find my mentors which inspired me.