1. Architecture Precedent: Azuma House, it was designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando in his early career. It was designed without exterior windows reflecting the desire of the owner to feel that he was not 'in Japan', but to compensate for lost light, an interior courtyard with cross walkway was created.

Azuma House developed a theme of design, but also a social theme. Tadao Ando presented a cement box in the middle of a row of dilapidated wooden houses, of which there are masses in the central areas of Osaka, and created a highly self-sufficient living space within that box. Guaranteeing individual privacy (something which the traditional houses did not provide) and creating a residential space which allowed for the development of modern individuals. It is an expression of the belief that Ando had, that the home is exactly the construction which can change society.

Built between dividing walls, the house sits within a plot of 57.3m² with a total constructed floor-space of 64.7m², divided into three equally sized sections: two spaces and a patio. It is a concrete box which occupies the entire plot. The building, moving towards its centre in terms of its organisation of space, is divided into 3 spaces and centres on an uncovered patio.

Key Concept: The key concept of this model making is demonstrating the skill of casting plaster to represent the concrete. All concrete structures will be presented as cast-in plaster.

Selected Design Element: Structure walls, roofs and floors will be made of cast-in plaster. Curtain wall frame and glass will be made of matte acrylic and translucent acrylic by using laser cut machine. Indoor furniture could be done with 3d printing. Base could be presented by plywood with engraved house floor plan, which helps to stick model on the base. Surrounding buildings can be massing models by laser cutting.

How is the key concept reflected in the Design Studio: The concrete is my favorite material using in my own design. The skill of casting plaster helps me to more accurately represent the material in my studio models.

Geometrical Description of the Shape: The shape of Azuma House is basically a cube with a third of opening void in the middle. This house has two levels with only on entry and exit. The size of rectangular plan is about 3.3 m x 14.1 m.

Proposed Scale: Because there are a lot of details will be shown on the mode, the scale will be 1:50 or 1:100.

Material: Cast-in Plaster, black matte acrylic, translucent acrylic, plywood and veneer.

Technique: Cast-in plaster, laser cut and 3d print.

Time commitment, Budget: 20 hrs. $ 180.

2. Architecture Precedent: TEK is a public building in Taiwan that uses a form and highly mixed program to encourage a large cross section of users. Designed by BIG Architects, the 57-meter cubed building has an open section, or ‘street’ to allow full public access through the building. The access rises and dilates near the top of the building and opens onto a rooftop garden. The roof is to be a public park and informal performance area.

Radiating from the street will be hotel, retail, office, restaurants, etc, with no particular formal arrangement. The building is an expression of a city bock packed into a more vertical system. The ribs, evocative of the underside of a mushroom form stairs through the structure and is repeated on the walls and ceiling thus creating a visually continuous facade. The access through the building allows for ventilation, shade, and increased fenestration for the occupants. The building site is not yet disclosed.

Key Concept: Laser cut is the main idea to make the model and it will help the model to achieve a highly finished level. One layer of laser cut material represents one layer in the real building. A layer in the real building is defined by the stripe texture on the wall. All layers will be glued on top of previous one and form a cube at the end.

Selected Design Element: Landscape base will be made of form. The main building will be presented by translucent acrylic. Hand-made trees will be added. Human figures could be 3d printed.

How is the key concept reflected in the Design Studio: The idea of using sticking laser cut layers can help me to easily make some organic models by laser cut. This idea could be also used to make a contour model.

Geometrical Description of the Shape: The shape of TEK building is a cube with a spiral void raised from bottom to top. The spiral void forms the main public circulation. All the openings on each surface are entrance, rest area and roof top area. The size of the cube is about 57m x 57m x 57m.

Proposed Scale: This is a model only showing the openings, entrance and roof garden without any details, so the scale is 1:100 or 1:200.

Material: Foam, translucent acrylic, metal wire and 3d print PLA.

Technique: CNC Routing, laser cut and 3d print.

Time commitment, Budget: 10 hrs. $ 220. 

3. Architecture Precedent: MVRDV, together with research think-tank The Why Factory, contributed to the 7th edition of the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture (UABB) held at Nantou Old Town, Shenzhen. MVRDV was one of 200 exhibitors from over 25 countries that reflected upon the theme 'Cities, Grow in Difference' through site-specific exhibitions and public space interventions.

The Urban Village section at the Biennale presented a number of interventions within the sub-theme of “Hybridity and Coexistence” which reflected the unique urban reality that urban villages present in Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta region.
Within this theme MVRDV, together with The Why Factory, contributed interventions exploring future cities: The Future City is Wide: Products that will Change our Cities, (W)ego House and The Vertical Village. In addition to these installations The Next Hutong, a research project by MVRDV that reflects on the hutong’s development over the last decades and proposals for a better way to model its future, was presented.

(W)ego House was an installation of several rooms made to fulfil idealistic but egoistic perspectives in a limited space. When confronted with the dreams of others, users must learn to negotiate with each other to optimize use of limited urban space. The (W)ego installation afforded visitors a window into the future of adaptable housing. A future in which the coexistence of multiple lifestyles is optimized in a dense reality.

Key Concept: Laser cut is the main skill to make the model of this building. Each colored part will be cut with one colored acrylic. There are a lot of opportunities to use many different colored acrylics on model. Engraving on acrylics represents the indoor furniture.

Selected Design Element: Model base will be made by laser cut. Model with different color combination will be made by laser cut. Indoor furniture will be engraved on acrylics by laser.

How is the key concept reflected in the Design Studio: The attempt of different color combination gives me an experience in color selections, which helps me in my future studio model making.

Geometrical Description of the Shape: The building is a square box combined with some irregular colored parts. The size of this building is about 10m x 3m x 10m.

Proposed Scale: Basically, it is a massing model, so the scale is 1:100 or 1:200.

Material: Colored acrylics.

Technique: Laser cut.

Time commitment, Budget: 5 hrs. $ 100.