Tokyo Architecture Collection

Some time ago I visited the Tokyo Architecture Collection, which is a competition for 15 chosen Architecture Design Master students to exhibit their graduation works. All of them have a different theme or concept and they will present it to the examinators. The winner will receive money to improve their skills and creativity in architecture.

I have chosen a few projects to present here.

Entrance Hall

 Project 1: water.

This student made 15 study models in 150 hours to examine how water can be used in architecture.

A girl who made 15 study models in 150 hours.

Project 2: bird watching.

A study for watching birds from above ground level.

Final model for watching birds.

Project 3: living in harmony between the mountains and the sea.

This idea emerged as a reaction on the Kanto natural disaster and the student wanted to create an environment profitable for both humans and nature.

Houses in the mountains.

Houses next to the sea.

 Project 4: living in different levels.

I liked the fact that the model was made in sections so you can have a good look at the inside of the design.

It was really fun to walk around this model.

Project 5: opening up a space to wind and closing it for rain.

This design reminded me of a project I did with the title Miyazaki Atelier in which the walls can be opened and closed by steel slabs. Though the functions are different: one is for water and air and mine was for controlling light.

Cubical shaped houses stand inside the wooden frame. 

Project 6: playing with mathematical shapes.

In Japan I noticed that a lot of models are made by styrene board or wood. At my school in the Netherlands we use all kinds of materials and I was glad to see one student working with steel and experimenting with the beautiful colours and characteristics of it.

A lovely imperfection of the shapes.

 Project 7: a stable for horses.

To me it looked like a car park designed for horses. It was an interesting concept to "park" horses on upper levels. Especially in areas with limited space this might be a good solution.

If you look closely, you can see a horse walking the slope upwards.

 Project 8: Hotel hanging from a wall.

My favorite was the laser cut card board model of a hotel hanging from the edge of a cliff. At first the model was made out of very thin and fragile parts and above that it was hard to believe that this construction would not tumble down into the valley.

For some reason this design also reminded me of the mines in the movie The Mask of Zorro.

Last nude drawing

The last nude model drawing we did was in a lying position on a couch. I had a hard time constructing the upper body and the couch was distracting. The stomach and legs came out in a spacious way and I am content with that part. 

Sculpture Drawing Class

Another very relaxing class is the Sculpture Drawing Class. I attend the classes with my dutch friend Anna. Although the classes are fun, it is hard to keep up with the high leveled skills of the japanese students who will be professionals when they graduate.
We use charcoal to draw sculptures, still lives and nudes. In December we have had a female nude model pose for two drawings. Each pose was 3 sessions of 6 x 20 minutes (she needs a five minutes rest after every 20 minutes). It was hard to draw the exact pose, because after each break, the pose of the model was slightly different. But I can understand that, since posing and not moving in a standing position, surrounded by over 30 students in a classroom with limited air circulation, can be difficult.
It was not my first time drawing the nude and I love muscles and volumeus areas and it was fun to see how the model has gained or lost weight every week she posed for us. She will do one more session and I hope that she can be as interesting as the other two poses.

Pose 1, the legs are too long...

Everybody gets a mark for his/her drawing.

Pose 2, I tried to make the hands more delicate.

As a holiday assignment, Anna and I have to draw a sculpture and  a still live. The still live is not drawn yet, but for the sculpture we chose the bust of Laocoon, one of my favorite sculptures of Greek History. This bust is just a part of a large sculpture in which Laocoon and his two sons are attacked by snakes from the sea. I love the volumeus build muscles and dramatic expression on his face and hope that I did right to the sculpture.

Laocoon bust, by Kiwa.

Left made by Anna, right made by Kiwa.

Colour Class

We have had quite a few Colour Classes and everyone has made a piece of work every week. Classes are until February. I really enjoy the 2 hours a week I spend on thinking and making a composition of colours. The teacher gives good advice about every piece of work. Normally all the japanese students make their design with (acrylic) paint: the skills they have are abnormally good. My neighbour Anna, who is also a student from the Netherlands, and I do not possess these skills and we are allowed to use computer software.

A composition by texture.

A dutch friend Anna cut out fall leaves.

Slices of foam with a heated wire. 

A composition that gives the illusion of three dimensionality.

Based on the city plan of Amsterdam.

Composition based on a structural system.

Composition made out of materials from the 100 yen (1 euro) shop. 

Burned candles. But it is not what I wanted it to be...

A particular one that I liked. Made out of shiny paper.

Glass Presentation

Finally there was the presentation of the glass objects we made. We were supposed to make a presentation within a space of 30 x 30 x 30 cm and write a short report. My glass object was made out of blue and amber coloured glass, which resulted in blackish green areas that gave my object the title Seaweed Lizard. In this class there is another dutch student. My buddy Riccardo is a Product Design graduate student and he has made a glass bulb that seems to emit light.

Seaweed Lizard in its natural habitat.

Glass teacher Igarashi sensei with translator and assistants.

Riccardo and his glass bulb on a wooden presentation block.

Sceneries of the University of Tsukuba (Fall)

The typical brown/yellow/orange/red colours of the trees that mark the Fall are already fading, but here are some pictures of the University of Tsukuba. These are sceneries I see on my way to the Sports and Art/Design faculties everyday. 

Bicycle parking.

Sports and Art/Design faculty.

There is a passage through the building of the Sports and Art/Design faculty.

The stairs go all the way up to the 7th floor. There is also an elevator (which I don't use).

Near the International Student Center.

International Student Center

Near the library is a big pond.

I don't know which faculties are here, but I like the water with Koi fish.

This narrow path is dangerous when it is crowded. I actually ran over a person with my bicycle (not my fault).

Japanese Architecture Office

From November, I started working part time at Takenaka Corporation, This is an architecture office which emlpoys over 500 architects and engineers and does projects in Europe, America and Japan. My job is on Monday only, from 10:00 to 19:00 with an hour lunch break.

My tutor at the University of Tsukuba advised me to do this job because it is a good opportunity to get to know how scale models are made in Japan. The job is pretty simple: my boss gives me a printed plan of the design and I have to make a scale model for that plan. My tutor is working at the same day under the same boss, so we work together.
Both the university and the office use foam board and Styrofoam a lot, while in the Netherlands we often use cardboard or wood. Another thing I noticed is that the used tools (the cutting knife, glue container and ruler, etc) are slightly different in Japan.

To keep the projects and progresses secret from clients and other companies, I am not allowed to take pictures of the office spaces. I will post some of the exterior of the building soon.

Above: dutch knife. Below: japanese knife.

Left: dutch glue container. Right: japanese glue container.

Above: dutch ruler. Below: japanese ruler.