Story: The user research

I have a new branding project. Before creating anything, I have to research what the client’s business is. I have to know why/who/when need the products and how to choose it. Furthermore, how they find the products, touch point?

Basically, I like architecture. I have a board on Pinterest. I often read Azure and dwell at a bookstore. I visit IDS Vancouver(Interior Design Show) almost every year. However, I didn’t know what actually architect is doing, the process of design. Interesting to me.

A Day in the Life of an Architect | Architecture vlog

There are many interesting people in the world. I’ve never search, “architect, day, work, etc” on YouTube. I found 30X40 Design Workshop. He says his residencial architect’s practice has started in 2013. It’s a popular channel(400K) in 2019. I don’t know where it is, but he is quite transparent about his daily work as an architect.

In this moment, I feel that life is design, and design is life. I simply like to research even this is the process of a project, part of work. By the why, this video is too good quality. If he manage video, sounds, lighting and editting by himself, that’s amazing.

I don’t take a lot of time watching the video even it’s quite interesting. I just need to know what the potential target is doing.

How I Got Started: Frank Gehry | Fortune

The legendary architect talks about his journey. He found his interest, architecture when he was in Toronto university somehow. He took a ceramic class in L.A. He loved art and music stuff. I feel he is too artistic and well-known.

“We experiment with a feeling generated by materials.”

If client is willing to beyond the border, it works. However, I guess crient normally does not arrow to this kind of experiments in the big project except master architects.

Why great architecture should tell a story | Ole Scheeren

Some sentence which I like:
– Architecture and building are a space of stories.
– Story of the people who live there, of the people that work in these buildings.
– These are an explicit engagement in physical reality and conceptual possibility.
– How can we arrange things in both a functional and experiential way?
– How can we create structures that generate a stories of relationship and narrative?

I didn’t know the architect creates personas. There are many approaches to solve these problems, community, isolation, privacy, individuality, sharing, greenery. I saw giant buildings of concrete block. I hope they used wood/natural materials for the interior as same as the shared space. Don’t forget that many people contribute to projects.

Behind the story of architecture

YouTube channel, Buildofy Architect tells us about the project and behind the story. Not main point, but I didn’t like typography at the intro. I’m more curious about why and how they chose these materials. In the video, architect mentions steel material. I felt it sounds a little intuitive rather than logic. If so, I wonder what will be a trigger for decision, familiality, flexibility or cost. Where is touchpoint between the client’s products and decision-maker, a trade show, an industry magazine, sales call/meeting or simply Google?

26 Things to Consider When Selecting Architectural Materials

This list of material properties, building off one compiled by The Constructor, is a cheat sheet for many physical concepts that you might not be used to thinking about. As you search for materials on Architizer, you may run into these terms when talking to manufacturers, and it’ll make your life a lot easier if you’re comfortable with what they’re talking about. When you hear mentions of “creep,” “specific heat” or even “hygroscopicity”(!) in relation to building materials, referencing this list will help you make well-informed decisions for your projects. – Architizer.com

The materials require specific function, strength, hardness, elasticity, plasticity, brittleness, fatigue, density, water absorption, fire resistance. There are also rules(regulation, code) for developing a house/building, I believe.

Architect, Contractor, Builder and Developer

Architect makes a home or public space safe and visually appealing, architects act as engineers and artists. Not only do they attempt to meet the desires of their clients, they have to also ensure building codes for safety are being met during the design process. After meeting with clients, architects create a scaled sketch of the project, which often includes structural systems like plumbing.

Contractor supervises home-improvement projects, as well as new builds. They first meet with clients to gain an understanding of the project, and they then offer bids. These bids are based on a contractor’s estimate for labor and materials, and a client hires the contractor who offers the best deal. The experience and special knowledge of the contractor and their team could also influence a client’s decision to hire them.

Builders typically just work on building the house from the ground up and are rarely involved in the creation of a housing allotment as a whole.

Developers typically work with several housing units at a time, and complete the big picture framework like obtaining permits, installing power lines and sewer systems, and streets for an allotment.

Principles to guide materials selection in construction

The final decision about what products or materials to use for a specific building project should take into account not only the cost, performance and aesthetics of the product or material, but also the environmental, health and safety information about a product and its ingredients, how the product is used in a specific application, its exposure and risk profile during use and its end-of-life characteristics. – BUILDING WITH CHEMISTRY

Conclusion: Not only 1 answer

The article mentions comprehensive thinking, life cycle approaches, environmental product declarations, single vs. multiple attribute considerations materials & ingredients lists and risk assessment. After all, the client products are one of the materials. The process of building a house, these materials should be incorporated with good balance.

Reference:

YouTube: Living Big In A Tiny House
ArchDaily: 16 Things to Consider When Selecting Architectural Materials
Bjarke Ingels Interview: Different Angles
NEVER TOO SMALL: ep.24 24sqm Micro Apartment – Boneca
The B1M: Top 5 Bjarke Ingels Projects