Modeling the House in Stabio

Model of Casa Rotunda

Casa Rotunda 

A link 

Mario Botta, Casa rotonda, Stabio, Ticino, Switzerland, 1982

Outdoor Living

What kind of look should it be if a designer develop design for Australian culture?

Galah Office House

Bus Stop Design and Culture & Architecture

Adshel Classic - Revit

Parramatta Bus Stops

Guideline is available online:

Page 40 https://www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/92562/Public_Domain_Guidelines.pdf

There are two bus stop designs: Adshel Classic and Adshel ‘Mini’ Classic.

Adshel Classic - https://goo.gl/maps/Sd97RrBRY1p and https://goo.gl/maps/V15WNdemhMw - bus stops nearest to me.  

No Adshel ‘Mini’ Classic because the footpath is broad along here.

Slightly larger one is here: https://goo.gl/maps/g3Vsp9QYxFv  - but only three times in length and the same design,  a few stops away from where I live.

Where few passengers go - https://goo.gl/maps/R4o6F5n93XF2

3.  Conclusions

The most critical conclusion is that there is still only a limited pedestrian perspective represented in the tools and guidelines that assist designers, policymakers and regulators on the design and implementation of street furniture. Adherence to relatively simple design guidelines at the design stage will improve conditions for pedestrians in terms of both safety and amenity. Safety issues including pedestrian safety should be paramount, and will be satisfied in most cases by the application of the best practice guidelines. Given the range of different types of street furniture and the range of locations where they are provided, guidelines cannot be universal. In certain cases community priorities may determine that other social or historical values and benefits from street furniture must be balanced with a reduced but still reasonable level of road user safety.

Page ii

NSW Roads and Traffic Authority Street Furniture Research Project Final Report

http://www.walk.com.au/pedestriancouncil/images/elements/contentpics/2009/PDF/ovearup_streetfurniture_reduceda.pdf 

Some of the best bus stop designs around the world: 

https://au.pinterest.com/explore/bus-station/

Would councils ever spend on bus stop designs and let the designers have a chance? That will create lively environment with each bus stop being different. 

Visual Texts

Two types of visual texts in architecture

Visual Advertisement

Images are imaginary that helps people imagine. Imaginary images express their selling the points, how people who use them can use them and feel about them. Their intent is to provide information to clients and users.

Visual Texts are:
To provide more information for imagination;
To declare the intent of the development;
To persuade the client and potential users - the professionals too;
To develop customer awareness;
To justify the price or cost;
To ask for support of the people and the society;
To help answer many relevant questions from concerned individuals;
Etc.



Visual Technical information

Images are technical when the intent is to communicate for technical purposes among various consultants. Their intent is to provide information to professionals and specialists.

Visual Texts are to provide information with:
Elevation: Levels, heights, openings, building parts, shading devices,

Site Plan:
Where on earth/site the building is located and its orientation to the north; how the building is accessed; how the building fits among the existing buildings & streets - shadow, look, culture, environmental impact, noise, wind, solar access,  

Floor plans: Parts of buildings; openings, and types of openings;

Sections and details: Means of construction; materials used; structural solutions for loads, heat & water penetration,

Tiny Circles

Independent in name only, not in thought and action, there is a trend to follow. Follow it to the whirlpool just like everybody else. You can share this centripetal force.

At the peak of a pyramid, centre of attention, leader of the movement, there is something special. The higher a pyramid goes the more support it needs to keep itself standing. That something special supports this pyramid standing. It will be standing as long as its structure is desirable. It is desirable because everyone has agreed with it, liked it, and accepted it and following its leadership...

There are raindrops in every rainfall. They create their own tiny circles when they hit the ocean face. They disappear randomly. However, if they hit the peaks of wavelets, they do not create circles. 

A Difficult Site

What make a site a difficult site?

As many as I can think of, a difficult site can be with one of more of the following issues (maybe some of them are not in this list): 

Natural problem areas: bushfire, salt problem, quake, snow, storm

Soil problems:

(From BCA) Ground movement caused by-

(A) swelling, shrinkage or freezing of the subsoil; and

(8) landslide or subsidence; and

(C) siteworks associated with the building or structure;

Difficult soil types 

Termite problem

Slope of the site

Rainwater flowing into the site from neighbours - the site is lower than the surroundings 

Drainage/sewer/plumbing problem - distance 

Shape of the site and setbacks

A narrow lot

Narrow street and sharp turn

A remote place to get things needed for construction

Requiring excavation too close to neighbouring house's footing 

Trees, roots, and branches 

Rocks etc

Council's property, main water pipe, phone line, etc. in the site 

Budget is tight to have flexible ideas to design

Strict regulations 

Orientation that is disfavouring certain requirements

Difficult access from the street

Difficult to get sunlight into the living room, etc

Each issue above is quite broad. Solutions can be varied site to site. Not all designer know all these solutions. I don’t! Some are for designers to solve and some are for the engineers and specialists.

What I understand is: designing a building in a difficult site is not a big problem if a designer understands how to build it and how the builder can actually build it. In designing process, construction can be considered and solutions can be given. in the design, overusing of resources to get the building done can be an issue - this is a problem even in normal building. Spending on necessary activities is owner's responsibility though. A designer or builder might be able to minimise it. 

 Images from BCA

An Assignment Using Revit

This is the assignment required to pass (or fail) 1773 Graduate Diploma of Building Design.. That was how I spent $5000 of student loan. The course was enjoyable although we were not taught anything much but guided toward finishing a project with proper specification.

I started using Revit in 2012, but only for one small project, and then switched to ArchiCAD 14. So this project was using Revit 2014 first time. I got a lot of time to learn Revit during the course, although I wasted much time on socializing online.

What I like very much about Revit is exploded view. This view can communicate sufficiently to get the message across, about what the building is, what programs it has, etc. Its visual information is very clear and the design can be seen in enjoyable manner.

Revit has another powerful tool, rendering tool, that can make the model look real, and predict how it might look in real life. it's necessary to render often, whenever a part of building is done - in this case, it's alright to check with 'visual style: realistic/realistic with edges' 

This building was based on a site in North Ryde Station Precinct.  

Download the map and place it into the project, with the exact address, to test Building Performance. The following image is Solar Study and Overshadowing at 9am winter. Actually this is what Vasari did, not Revit. It's beautiful to use the two tools together. If you're going to use Revit LT, you do need Vasari and other building performance tools. But this building was possible only because of Mass modeling tool.  

The building is shaped that way to adapt the shape of the site, and other factors to make it a good building, with a reasonable level of Building Performance. This mass of building can be located anywhere in the site with regulation of 5m setback and no overshadowing after 9am, the shadow must move on. 

The result from using Revit in residential design. It is obvious. 

Galah

Galah is a design theme based on Australian bird Galah. 

Colour scheme is to match these birds.

You can download the images if you like to see actual size.

A GOOD HOUSE

What make a good house to build and to live in?

Good to ask this question before meeting a good designer, not to give a hard time to the designer, so you know what to want and what to spend on. The owner can make an informed decision. Comparing between a new house and an existing house is just like comparing a new car and a second hand car. A new house can be designed for you and your family. In addition, it can be a good design. This means even a cheap house can be a very good house. An old house maybe a good house if it has the right criteria but a brand new house can be clear of everything, if the land is good too, beside superstitions. New houses can achieve desirable qualities with modern scientific methods.

A good house has the qualities of a good house, not the quality of land or the quality of fittings, although they also make a house a good house. There are books that explain about a good house and its qualities. The composition of a good house is the good quality of the overall structure and its functional performances.

Functions must lead the design forms. Form must follow function… in an assignment, I wrote:

Build Form of this new building is very conventional. Form follows functions, aesthetic, natural features of site, orientation, light, wind, weather, materials and structural possibility & limit. Form follows function and nature for the benefit of user experience. Function follows brief, user experience, and practical sequences. Site features and the surroundings dominate overall idea of form. Functions (programs) dominate interior spaces. Site and function become overall building design. Aesthetic function is fulfilled with building features and user experience.

 The brief from the owner is very important for the designer. Actually, it is the starting point. An informed owner will meet a good designer not just to order a design but also to construct a brief. An informed owner can make a good brief with the designer, feedback and recommendation, and positive criticism to reach the final design of a good house. An informed owner can involve in design development constructively. A clear vision of a new house, how it will look like when finish, may be developed with a strategy to get there.

Consider the following for a good house:

I am paraphrasing from somewhere I read.

Building Life Cycle Environmental Impact, Building Performance, and Energy Performance are parts of a house: These three are related directly; however, they must be considered separately and carefully; this is first part. Liveability, Usability, Enjoyable Interior, Acoustic Performance, Lighting, Air Flow or ventilation, Structural Aesthetic, Security, Easy Access, and Escape are also parts of a house; this is the second part.

Favouring the first part can reduce the performance of the second part and vice versa. For example, window is where cold and heat easily penetrate into a house, but a house needs enough light and enough air. Glass is generally poor insulator, so it demands more energy for cooling and heating. It is good not to prioritise either part but it depends on how much one can afford. Nevertheless, the balance can be better in long term. That is generally how a good house is designed. Life Cycle Costing stated by NSW government is “the total cost throughout its life including planning, design, acquisition and support costs and any other costs directly attributable to owning or using the asset".

Building envelop, interior, room location, circulation, floor styles, decoration, cultural style all can be designed within the good design practice. BASIX assessment is mandatory so generally all house designs that passed this assessment are equally good. However, the difference appears when compare the designs in other aspects.

A house might need to be accurately tested for energy rating for different reasons. There are AccuRate assessors available for this purpose, during design stage. AccuRate is a good software developed by CSIRO.  

The same aspect is also known as ESD Environmentally Sustainable Design can be read on a government website.

It is also good to think about future extension – start from a small house and make an extension later or build the whole house with many bedrooms. This depends on the budget. However, later extension is far more expensive than building whole house at once. If Extension is to be made later, good planning is necessary for this intention – at least to know where to and how to extend.  

A house is not just for living, but can also be investment for next generation, or for resale. People do move to different locations in their lifetimes. A good house is a good investment if it is designed properly. At least its value should be enough to buy another house in the new location where the owner wants to move.

Before building a house, all of these things can be considered carefully.

After all the considerations on design, the owner should be able to make an informed decision in choosing building designs for themselves. An informed decision does not base on a designer or a design farm but the designs themselves.

G20 Rules Make Bank Bail-ins a Reality - Ellen Brown on GRTV

That boot shape building represents "Boot Stamping on Human Face" of future generations? 

Governments think they can sell their own people to bankers?! And that's what they've done?!

This is how boot on the face 2 

This is how boot on the face 1 

This is How boot on the face 3

How boot on the face 5

Can We Stop Birds From Crashing Into Windows?

Can We Stop Birds From Crashing Into Windows?

Make Your Windows Bird-Safe

Top 10 Things You Can Do to Prevent Window Strikes

Buying vs Building (New vs. Second Hand)

A second-hand car is not a new car. A second-hand house is not a new house. Can a second-hand house be a better choice than choosing to own a new house designed for your own wishes?

Why do people favour buying a house than building?

Building a new house is cheaper. It can be an enjoyable lifetime Experience. The smell of freshness will give you a nice nostalgia one day.

An existing house can have unexpected surprises!

Plan your new house. Think about exterior and interior or you can only think about your needs: Types of Rooms, Spaces, and Garden Style. It is good to ask some people too about their experiences. Designers can give good advice. Employ a designer and magic will happen. 

Consider security, fire safety, fire escape, light control, and noise control. 

What you have written down is the brief with which you demand a designer to design a new house for you.

Find a new land or a land with an old house only good for demolition.

Some hard work and stress are an investment good to talk about to your grand children.  

If you have an opportunity to build, just build.

What A Designer Should Do?

1.  Design is not merely about complying with the rules and regulation but also understanding the designs for the best interests of all parties...
2.  When a designer can design with good intention, strong patience, necessary experiences, and generosity efficiently, he can design something good. The designer must be given reasonable condition, budget and time.
3. A good designer can put the environments, users, functions and budget together.
4. A good designer is always bending toward making good designs.
5. Some good designs were over budget (historically). A designer may (and should) produce a cool design first only not to be extreme. The owner may reject such and such to achieve an agreeable state. 
6. Rejecting good design is for bad design. 
7. Building a family home is not building Sydney Opera House. Owners are no fool. However, they should be able to compare good design and bad design. They should know they can afford good design because it's not more expensive anyway.
8. Enough spending is necessary but Good design isn't always expensive. But the designer must produce an ideal design within the budget.
9. When owners (family members for example) get involved with enthusiasm, it is best for the designer to realize their needs and demands. When the owners help the designer, it is for mutual success.
10. A designer should encourage the owner to help him. The process of producing a good design outcome is not one-sided activity. 
11. The best part of the design outcome is the smile of the owners. Owners should smile.
12. Producing Environmentally Sustainable Design is never expensive because it makes sense with long-term welfare. Using locally produced materials reduces cost. 
13. A good designer knows the tastes of good living – not as a luxurious lifestyle although this is a part of taste. The look (although essential) of a house and lots of expensive things don't automatically make good taste.
14. Good taste makes good design. People have to feel good in which they live or work. The owners should inform the designer what make good taste for them. 
15. Me don’t mind to earn only a little. But would like to work for a long time for good designs.
16. Health (ergonomic consideration) is a main part of good design.

Housing for all – a fair go

Government should have a program to solve housing crisis. A best way is to invest in housing annually to grant a loan package to those who can afford it. This loan package will not hurt the economy in general. This loan will only solve the existing long-term problem of affordable housing crisis. Currently people who cannot afford are not affording and contributing to the economy. If they get affordable means, they will contribute to the economy.

Loan conditions

The loan package is up to $500,000 to all Australians who hold non-dual citizenship, with regular income. They must be who cannot afford to buy the house at once. The government will co-own that house.

An Australian who holds dual citizenship must give up the foreign citizenship to get the loan. The owner may take dual citizenship again after paying back the loan.

Interest will always stay at the same rate of 2%, adjusted with inflection rate. If the loan is $200,000, it might become $250,000 at the end of mortgage period. Then the owner will pay $250,000, plus the interest.

Owner’s conditions

If someone can prove:

She or he cannot afford the house without this loan,

She or he has the proven income and it is the only means to pay back,

She or he must have the means to pay the mortgage for 3 years minimum to get the loan.

The owner must build a new house to get the loan.

The owner may buy the house with government regulations, inspection, and approval.

The owner can build a new house independently with a desired design designed by a designer and built by a builder if it is single dwelling.

The owner may buy an apartment or a flat with government regulations, inspection, and approval.

The size of loan is only the actual value of the house; if the house is, for example, $200,000, then the loan is only $200,000.

The owner may pay the whole loan back anytime, plus total interest amount of ten years. 

Government conditions

During the phase of 3-year period, the owner must not leave, sell, or rent the house to anyone.

After the 3-year period, the owner may move and sell, but not rent the house.

Mortgage rate is to be not less than 5% of the loan P/A. The owner may choose the desired amount any time she or he wants to pay.

Leaving and selling the house

After 3-year period, owner may move or sell the house.

The owner may make profit.

The owner must pay a whole amount of loan, with applied conditions as stated above, or may keep paying the mortgage after moving or selling.

The owner may move to another house co-owned by the government.

Two owners may swap their houses and mortgages.

Investors and fund

The government can allow the investors who agree above permanent rules of the program. Banks, foreign investors, Australian investors and individual investors may invest as much as they want. No fixed return – it depends on the number of borrowers and the amount of loans they borrowed – the investors will share the profit annually. The government is always the main investor. The government must prioritise the investors that government will replace its investment money with investors’ shares. If there are no investors, the government will be the lone investor.

Benefit of this program

Businesses in no pressure will serve the people better.

Long-term investment with regular return can profitable.

The program will stabilize the economy by stabilizing the housing shortage.

The program will take the pressure away from public housing sector of the government.

The program will benefit the public in the following ways:

The retiring workforce will have home.

New generation will have own home.

The cost of living and commodity will fall while the standard of living rises.

The invested money will remain the same to benefit generation after generation.

The government will have to add some funding in regular basic to cope with growing population; however, existing houses left by the elderly people will reduce the pressure. However, such funding will be smaller than the fund needed for the current housing spending. 

Politics

Political leaders might find it is hard to implement a solution for political reasons. They may have to choose between actual solution and political ideology, such as - capitalism, market economy, etc. with the need to avoid sounding like their own opponents. When the opposition gets the office, they might find the solution being in conflict with other agendas. Instead of pragmatic approach to problems, political leaders can have a hard time making agreement within a party. The people who elected them can be the last problems in their mind who they should attend when another election is approaching. 

Dream (Destination 2)

we all have a dream
humble or extreme
social or privy
you, me dreamy
as life theme

a dream is a dream

maybe it was born casually, flows casually
or born with a goal and flows free

maybe disappears into sand
a stream can flow through rocks
to reach beyond earth's crust even

a neat journey
or just chaotic back and forth
a dream to reach light
or a dream through sighing

a stream may keep flowing
till it reaches river

when a river flies
it flies in the air
currents of cloud in the sky
travell higher dare
to meet one another
there

winter, fall or summer, spring
quietly
small streams
with tiny footsteps
catwalking

also in the darkest time of night
obscure sight

come from far away
travellers of many years
dreamers gazing
what are you facing?

we must say fulling
not staying, slowly flow
casual or enduring
to our goals

if a dream of yours
we all could share
that we all are involved
then we are together
problems may be solved
just be dreamers
advanced and evolved

let there be light
let there be no more fight
for faith or idea
for right or pleasure
a dream of love
even beyond reality
paradise without infidelity

we have a dream
before we depart
sometimes it's the dream
sometimes the dreamer
left a history past and the future

with priority, You are a part
full time dreaming
though I'm in dark
yet I too can say
"I have a dream!" of day
not of night
whether I'm alive...

now
all the moves
have been moved
all the uses
have been used
please give me new idea
cubed, nude or covered!
as a dreamer

destinations

floating to beach

any destination

a coconut

amid ocean

that can't leak; 

white heart well oiled

starting to rot

before its roots soiled

before its head buried in the sand

it's all poisoned

nothing to blame

in all seasons

shaking its brain

busy with self-importance

walking on a path so ancient

the blue sea in a big bowl

heated by the sun so bored

here the moon glows purest

maddens the restless wavelets

life is a game

a brain game

a long long game

so long and so much pain

just play the floating art sanely

nobody shuffles the cards

only insanity

choose one of the paths

all directions;

little turtles crawl

by instinct

never to be seen again

toward the ocean

with its ancient trails

neverending

win or fail

on a golden track

don't want to look back

don't want to look around

don't want to look forward

now

all the great journeys

started with the first step;

 so were the not too bad

and the not too funny quests

led by the first steps to the farthest

at the first opportunities

where is it gonna be?

fate - empty are ambitions

hate drawing in the sand

persistence building a castle

grain by grain

like a monk with no expectation

winged;

counting the wing strokes of birds will be more fun

a buried head sinking

deeper; 

it is all

the future;

infallible

burden on both shoulders;

No path ever was straight

curvier than ever against expectation

predictability and certainty anchored

tiny ship amid ocean

sea level rising

where am I now?

(nice picture - thanks for all the pictures I've borrowed so far!)

Winter Rain

A very youthful image of you

When breeze plays on the surface of blue sea

In brilliant days sunshine

When sea birds fly diving through the waves deep

Seeking the reality for miles;

That was when the east lit up

With a dream; 

My eyes close with a gaze

Once again into those days

When I still dared to cry whenever I missed a grace of your face; 

A very youthful image of you

The then I was fooled enough

To fight for love given my heart

As sacrifice to convince, an’ tried hard;

Even with a little sharp pain, I used to burst

Like a balloon – filled with love;   

Beautiful were you!

Being attached, I can’t go away!

Painful were those days!

Painful I can’t get away!

Those who had no same old story

Will not know painful glory

A youthful image of you flickering in the wind of old memory

Dead but haunting an abandoned heart

A youthful image hovering above a tombstone completely smashed …

 Smouldering under a snowy volley graveyard 

Facade of Gumption

Good morning! 


Good, having good imagination

Good, it's good quality 

Good, doesn't delude the good beings who use it;

Self-appreciation's confirmed ... 

Be careful!!!
A snake handler can be killed with venom;

Self-deluded thinker - a dead intellect.
Once dead, helpless for help
Whether smartest, best in many ways! 

Good, no dead log rolling downhill. 

The best is cool but can't say
The rest is not!

Challenge is an opportunity 
For doing extraordinary!
Would ya like proving how 
Ya feeling, ya mind an' intelligence exist now?

After living ya life, where ya going?
Ever keen to prove death the end o' ya feelings?
Life's the greatest struggle - you would know. 

Life's art where beauty an' tasteless meet 

Strokes o' ya feet the invisible memory
Ya path started from birth, ya journey! 
Would ya decorate life, or just a tomb in cemetery? 

Those, who never 
Honoured ya feelings in life, 
Laying flowers  
Even gun salutes 
For ghosts wandering through wonderful tombs!

Why does a place of honour burial grounds?
Betrayal to life
Commercial to death
Rivers of feelings flow
On the surface of hearts cold
Ice-age would never return again!

Being obsessed with death, not a curse
Just face the truth!

NEVER TAME THE BEAST

Living on her bosom so long,
Ever listened an Earth song?
Her heartbeats, her weep an' wail?
Spreading by the Nile, Amazon gales,
Yamuna birds, Monarchs' trail
Through deltas, along rivers
Rest ya heart an' lend an ear;
Brute hearts won't hear such beautiful song...

Living on Earth with smooth tongues

Ever tasted –

The farm? The sand?

The fun in teak stand?

The kum or erg?

Pond water with mud settled down?

As ya walk in downtown, ever talked to the land that carries you?

Ever saluted the sky with azure shine, slightly greenish sometimes?

Ever breathed lungful of pure mists and sea-fret?

Ever drunk dew of morn like insect? 

Makes her ocean swell
Shifts her sima
Why does she make a storm
Watches her offspring mourn?
Can a mother hurt for the need o' punishment?!

The sky always blues
Even while clouds move like toys
Above this cradle o' Humanity (as a whole)
Never grow up
Never leave home adult like
Never take responsibility and manage life;
Suckling milk o' mother's love!

The battle between man an' nature

Truth will decide the winner

However idealized it’s been

The war between right an' wrong

Strong as ever
The winner is the mother! 

We can’t go back to yesterday
Either whispered by angels or possessed by devils
Keep sailing ya vessel
Joy or regret in heart
While living on Earth
What can ya do as just a pawn of a move?

Squeezed out of the crowd for fame
Never tame the beast

Why should the people who host the developments led by the government and corporations, get their lives destroyed? It's about development, must be for the people who live there, how can it be about destruction? What are the developments for when the local people are destroyed?