Theories of Architecture and Urbanism Synopsis

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019)
Name: Hee Kar Hang ID No.: 0328186
Lecturer: Mr. Prince Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: Architecture or Revolution Synopsis No: 1b – Towards a New Architecture
Author: Le Corbusier
Often we are confronted with the task to make a decision between two choices, for instance in
Architecture; ‘Organic or Geometric?’, ‘Concrete or Steel?’, ‘Slanted or Pitched?’. However those choices do
not matter when either one is chosen while the other can still exist to be applied in the next project.
‘Architecture or Revolution’ being an exception, the choice is to be reflected on our life and era itself where
one is chosen and the other cease to exist. It is the one important question that is to be reflected onto every
architects to-day, reconfirming their direction and making sure what architecture is to them.
Why do architecture to-day have to reflect the question onto themselves? That is because the revolution
have changed architecture into something that is no longer the architecture it once was. The changes have
undergone in a slow paced, without conscious that it has become a very different thing after a long period. As
mentioned by Le Corbusier in the reader, ‘Architecture of Revolution. Revolution can be avoided.’ And I
believe revolution can be avoided too based on the fact that the architect themselves, are the one creating
and designing the building themselves, therefore they can make a change by just shifting their mindset.
This revolution can be fatal to architecture though it is not obvious. If the post-revolution architecture
persist to go on for a longer period, more and more ‘lifeless’ building will emerge, slowly destroying
architecture to a point it would someday become a machine work. Architecture should be embed with life, with
essence and stimulation that users can feel. Mass, rhythm and proportion, the profound laws of architecture
that no longer exist, should be brought back, along with the ‘life’ of architecture. Some would see the change
in architecture as a natural phenomena that is bound to happen with the modernizing era, but to be observed
closely the changes are in a way of too much ‘industrialization’ that caused a fatal damage to the quality of
true architecture.
Word Count: 335 words Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date 28-5-2019 Page No. 271-288

2. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019)
Name: Hee Kar Hang ID No.: 0328186
Lecturer: Mr. Prince Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: Complexity and Contradiction
in Architecture
Synopsis No: 2b – Nonstraightforward Architecture: A
Gentle Manifesto
Author: Robert Venturi
Complexity and contradiction, from the sound of it, most people would try their best to make things less
complex to avoid any confusion or to avoid spending too much effort on the specific thing they do. As
mentioned in the reader, it seems complexity in architecture is not something we could avoid nowadays. That
is due to the case of increase of emerging problems that we need to solve in the architecture as the world
progress towards modernization. The advancement of technologies is advancing so because the system
within those technologies are getting more and more complex, giving birth to a more innovative technology.
All these bring an impact to architecture too, since architecture is not just about the design or the building, but
instead it is related to everything to the depth of human emotion.
One may question, isn’t making it simple and straightforward a task that every architect should do in order
to deliver a message clear enough to their users or client? That is indeed a task that every architect should
do, delivering their message straightforward and easy to understand, in their presentation board that is, but
in the process of designing and when the design is broken down to be analyzed, it should include complexity.
Complexity shows the amount of thoughts processed and consideration taken in the details of the design.
Complexity however, have the consequences to the emergence of ambiguity and contradiction. For
normal practice, ambiguity and contradiction should be filtered and solved one by one to avoid any
misunderstanding or collision of narrative, but some of these ambiguity and contradiction can bring positive
impact onto the architecture too, with enough justification and consideration in solving the negative ones. The
whole process of giving birth to an architecture design with complexity and a level of contradiction is difficult,
but that is exactly the challenge of what to-day architect should confront with in order for architecture to
progress towards a better future.
Word Count: 326 words Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date 28-5-2019 Page No. 16-33

3. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (APRIL 2019)
Name: Hee Kar Hang ID No.: 0328186
Lecturer: Mr. Prince Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: The Geometry of Feeling Synopsis No: 3b – A Look at The Phenomenology of
Architecture
Author: Juhani Pallasmaa
The question, ‘Forms follow Function’ or ‘Function follow Forms’ can trigger an argument in almost every
situation, given the debaters are of architectural background. There is no definite answer to that question;
some prefer to start their design with forms while some prefer to start their design the other way round. This
question also applies in the other form of arts in some way, for instance in visual art, some would debate that
a specific artwork should begin with its outline while some would debate otherwise.
In contrast to the question and to the reader, I would stand on my point to argue on the ‘Forms follow
Function’ ground, where an artwork or building is derived from a single stroke or a block of concrete. I believe
designing from the simple stroke is what it means to design a building with life, with primary feelings. As to
why I say so is nonetheless the fact that ‘Function follow Forms’ sounded like a production of a shell, and to
follow by throwing in the contents and thus inducing a building without life.
How does starting the design with function, be able to create something that align that of what is stated
in the reader, the architecture with life? What it may mean by starting with a simple stroke in architecture
mean starting with a wall, a floor, a window or a roof. But try to give up on all theories or the formal elements
that is acquired from a book for a second, what elements will you think of? Those elements would nonetheless
be the few things that stimulates people mind the most, a stranded budding seedlings in an empty land, a
stranded standing rock that stands strong for ages or an isolated pond that once connects the living.
The books we read and the classes we attended could be enlightening to us, but at some point especially
designing a building, we should shed off all those limiting knowledge and return to our passionate self so that
the building can be incorporated with ‘life’. Architecture is not just a large scale artwork that people perform
all sorts of activities in it, but it is something that embrace a person into the place, stimulating their primary
feelings, stimulating a memory from just anywhere to the place and to the experience in the place itself.
Word Count: 392 words Mark Grade
Assessed by: Date 28-5-2019 Page No. 448-453