Monday, 3. November 2008, 09:08:56
首先我想从一个无国界玩家的角度来客观评价这个游戏。
的确是大作。虽然做 辐射2 的黑岛已经解散，但是在此作中仍然可以清晰体验到黑岛作品的一贯风格，那就是非常高的游戏自由度，从这一点讲，此作就已经继承了2的成功要素。虽然此作的系统改成了第一人称和第三人称视角可切换的射击类游戏，会让一些习惯SLG模式的玩家感到不适应，但即使是我，一个几乎不玩射击类游戏的玩家的角度讲，这个改变也不至于像游戏发售前某些玩家预测的“砸辐射招牌之作”那样。游戏画面也很令人满意，大到场景小到人物表面材质，都非常精细，虽然人物面孔没有美感，身材不可调整，某些动作稍显僵硬，但鉴于东西方人审美观的迥异，这些问题也构不成此作的明显缺点。至于撬锁和侵入电脑系统变成小游戏，瞄准不可以瞄JJ和眼睛，不能杀小孩，没有车开这些令人不满之处，比起总体成功来说，都是微不足道的。总体来说，这游戏还算成功。
下面说说这个游戏中的一些猥琐小动作。
首先是预告片。此作的游戏世界背景是核战争后变成废墟的美国首都华盛顿，在游戏里叫Wasteland或者Capital Wasteland，有些NPC也会仍然叫它作Washington D.C.或者the D.C.，时间是公元2077年，核战争爆发于公元2066－2067年。预告片除了一些游戏画面的剪影外还有一个黑白风格的广告片。这个广告是游戏中虚拟的一个叫Vault Tech的公司推销其地下避难所(vaults)的，而这些避难所则是用来应对核战争后地面充斥核辐射而不适宜人类居住的情况的。广告片中一个四口之家正围在餐桌旁吃早餐，镜头前景中的推销人说：“Our American way of life, isn't it grand, peace, freedom and bacon and eggs. But, friends, your future might not be as secured as you think. Where would you be when the atomic bombs fall?"刚说完这句只见窗外一个原子弹落下后爆炸，下面有个标题Not an actual atomic blast。然后就是推销人介绍万一爆发核战争，躲在地下避难所中的好处。请注意推销人说开篇词时一个很快闪过的镜头，镜头中四口之家的父亲在看报纸，报纸的头版头条是：Red Winter--Chinese Forces Invaded Alaska。下面是美国的版图，在阿拉斯加上有个原子弹爆炸后产生的蘑菇云，蘑菇云顶端是一面五星红旗。也就是说，2066－2067年爆发的核战争是美国与中国之间的战争，而把华盛顿夷为平地的原子弹则是中国投下的。
再看游戏中，早期可以获得的一把10mm口径的手枪被称为Chinese Pistol，实际上就是驳壳枪，然而有点军事常识的人都知道驳壳枪不是中国发明的，而且没有任何文字记载欧美国家把这种枪称为Chinese Pistol，只是在中国广为应用并且在抗日题材的老影片中高频率出现的一种手枪而已。稍后会获得一种自动步枪叫Chinese Assult Rifle，外形其实就是AK-47只是枪托不是一块木头。还是同样的话，有点常识的尤其是常玩CS的人都知道AK-47是哪国发明的，也找不到任何文字记载欧美国家把AK-47称为Chinese Assult Rifle。再后来甚至可以在商店里买到一种叫Chinese Jumpsuit的衣服，外形就是二战中解放军穿的军服。还有在废墟中捡到一本书，封面上就用中文写着“中国军队训练手册”。
我目前的游戏进度到了一个叫Rivet City的地方，这是一个在废墟中用一艘航空母舰的残骸建成的“城市”，里面有个历史博物馆，馆中陈列的物品记载着美国历史上每一个重要时刻和事件。在馆里的一个电脑中有这样两个文件：The War Declaration on Germany和The War Declaration on China。在对德国宣战的文件中记载的是二战中美国与纳粹德国宣战的事件，而在对中国宣战的文件中记载的则是游戏中虚拟的核战争，说的是在2066年中国军队入侵美国，在阿拉斯加投下了原子弹，美国被迫对中国宣战。
好，到此为止已经很露骨了。我想说，美国小鬼子，你们可以说我喜欢对号入座，不过我还是要来揭穿一下你们的猥琐小动作。
首先说说那张报纸。Chinese Forces Invaded Alaska，就不用翻译了，查查字典都知道什么意思，我来揭穿一下Red Winter的猥琐引伸义。Winter，冬天，可以引申为严酷的环境的意思。而在我出国前我不知道，出来以后才知道，在二战后英语母语者（包括那些坚决拒绝承认自己是中国人的香蕉）的心目中，red除了是一种颜色以外，还代表共产主义。现在苏联已经不存在了，那么造成这个winter的这个red难道是古巴？难道是朝鲜？还是谁？你们就不必搞你们那套美国式的幽默了，说直接点，原子弹是中国投的，中国的玩家不会拒绝这款游戏的，不过想从中国玩家手上赚钱那你们就做你们的春秋大梦去吧，首先这款游戏就不太可能在中国发售，其次就算发售了也没人买，咱都玩破解的盗版。
再说说那些搞笑的枪械名称和那本“中国军队训练手册”。为什么会在美国本土上出现这些东西呢？那无非就是说中国军队已经踏上了美国本土并和美国军队发生交锋，虽然首都被夷为平地，但是中国军队仍然被消灭了。入侵朝鲜，搞越南战争，你们的狼子野心没能被满足吧？是不是还有点赔了夫人又折兵的感觉？很不爽中国军队是吧？就只好在游戏里搞些猥琐小动作yy一下是吧？
最后是那份宣战文件。可见你们那副yy了这么多还没yy够于是决定猥琐到底的丑恶嘴脸。
众人皆知，美国小鬼子对中国是又恨又怕，不敢和中国发生正面冲突于是在背地里搞些猥琐小动作和小阴谋，结果中国不但没被你们猥琐垮反而越来越强大，还在今年举办了奥运会。虽然今年中国发生诸多灾难，但是2008年永远是值得我们所有中国人骄傲的一年，而且以后这样的一年还会越来越多，无论你们搞多少下流猥琐的小动作都没用。你们只能靠一帮秃顶的肥猪程序员在屏幕背后使劲yy，却只能眼看着中国一天比一天强大；你们只能靠一帮每天早上起床不刷牙的流氓政客到处鼓吹中国威胁论，却只能永远地这样被“威胁”下去；你们只能靠一帮每天对着AV女优裸照打飞机的美国大兵到处欺负弱小，却只能对付些手无寸铁的小国家；你们只能抱着几颗发霉的原子弹猥猥琐琐地说要给中国做个外科手术，却只能搬起石头砸自己的脚。
美国小鬼子们，我们给你们适当的尊敬叫你们鬼佬，你们却自甘猥琐硬要当鬼子。中文里“鬼子”怎么解释？鬼，就是在背地里搞阴谋搞小动作用下三烂的手段对付别人的猥琐之徒；子，读轻声，就是在弱者面前逞凶逞恶在强者面前只能点头哈腰的孙子。你们就天天yy吧，洗干净脖子等着哪天我们给你们演绎个现实版的辐射3，只是我们会过着正常生活，而你们就蹲在Wasteland上喝着含核辐射的Nuke-Cola吧。
Thursday, 5. April 2007, 10:42:15
This is the research report on the issue of small houses. I was looking back into the history of the development of small houses, and my group partener Ivana was working on the design strategies concerning affordable and small housing. Special thanks to Ivana.
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SMALL HOUSES
Research Objectives
With research assignment, we aim to explore the possibilities and opportunities presented in the design of housing with spatial constraints. We hope to discover some of the ways in which residential buildings can be designed to make the most of such limited spatial constraints. In order to gain a full understanding of contemporary small house design, we must look to the history of the small house, and note how the design solutions for such small residential buildings have developed, changed, and evolved over the years. A study of precedents should enlighten us with design methods which have enabled other architects to overcome the space constraint issue in their designing of pleasant and habitable living spaces. By the end of the research, we should have developed a list of space-saving strategies and innovations which would dictate the design process, and allow for efficient small house design. This can then be used later on in our own design practice, regarding the social affordable housing issue in Marrickville.
Introduction
It is now a world-wide trend to build small houses which are affordable and sustainable, since recent scientific research has revealed that resources on the Earth have been overused and will be unable to afford the rapid growing population if severe constraints are not applied to energy consumption. However, building small houses is not a recently raised issue concerning the global energy shortage; instead, small houses have always been taken into account by architect throughout the history of human beings. Moreover, the architectural and aesthetic aspects in conducting designing small houses are never neglected as the architectural designing theories as well as practice develop.
How Prehistoric Small Dwellings Developed?
As soon as the human civilization came to dominate the Earth, men had been building small dwellings to shelter themselves from external threats. The earliest small dwellings could be rather simple, which were built of branches and leaves of trees or some of them built in mountain areas taking the cave form. At that period of age, men were even unable to ensure their lives by protecting themselves from starvation; no aesthetic values were ever applied on those small dwellings as a result. Further, lacking of skills in construction had prevented men from building large houses. Resulting from limitations above, these shelters with the minimum living functions were not referred as “houses” in any archaeological resources but given a description of “dwellings”.
Later as men were gradually acquainted with various surviving skills in the nature including building techniques, the earliest small dwellings that could be described as “houses” were constructed. These houses which were built of timber or clay usually took forms of circle or cone, with central open hearth and a thatch or turf roof. Rarely, some of them were built of stone as a result of being probably in an area that was rich in stone resources. These houses housing both human and animals still could not be regarded as having any architectural design due to its minimised living functions; however, this historic improvement indicated the process that primitive man eventually rejected cave dwelling. “Man wants a dwelling which will house, not bury him.”(Laugier, A., cited in Pople, N., 2003). Moreover, usage of materials from trees such as braches, trunks and leaves had contributed significantly to basic element of all classical architecture.
What Is Vernacular Style and What Is Different From Architecturally Designed Forms ??
As human are scattered around the world, civilizations with different cultures were gradually established, together with their small houses of various vernacular styles. Vernacular styles were not deliberately designed by any architects but were defined as styles of buildings conceived by people who built them.
An important vernacular style during the medieval age was Gothic which was considered to be an artistic expression of a shared belief system. (Pople, N., 2003) Nevertheless, small houses inside a medieval city as well as outside were extremely different from those well designed and luxury cathedrals. Peter Ackroyd describes the house of a young couple living in the city in the mid-thirteenth century: “The unfortunate pair lived in a house of wooden construction with two rooms, one above
the other, and a thatched roof. In the lower room which opened onto the street there were a folding table and two chairs, with the wall ‘hung about with kitchen utensils, tools and weapons’. Among them were a frying pan, an iron spit and eight brass pots. The upper room was reached by means of a ladder- here were a bed and mattress.”(Ackroyd, P., 2000) Consequently, “the small rural dwelling would have meant enduring the most exposed existence, socially, physically and economically.” (Pople, N., 2003)
Compared with poor residences, some well designed Gothic small houses would have timber frames, taking the form of basilica with side aisles and a central hearth, or the form of long houses in cold climates particularly. (Pople, N., 2003) Some evidence also indicates that Gothic style derived from imitating the natural form of trees.
“It was at the end of the sixteenth century that the first example of small houses conceived outside the vernacular tradition began to appear in Europe.” (Pople, N., 2003)
Examples presented by Nicolas Pople in Small Houses concerning this issue (all texts within quotations are cited from this book):
1.Le Petit Trianon, France, Queen Marie Antoinette
“an eight-roomed neoclassical building set in extensive grounds with its own garden; the design of the grounds was clearly influenced by the ideas of Jean Jacques Rousseau, in that it was a ‘natural park’ attempting to be a condensed reproduction of the landscapes experienced in different parts of the world”
2.The Triangular Lodge, England, Sir Thomas Tresham, 1593
“…built in 1593 by Sir Thomas Tresham for occupation by his gamekeeper, is neither classical nor Gothic in its stylistic treatment, but is rather a highly personal attempt to present the concept of the Holy Trinity. The building is in plan and elevational composition consistently related to the number three…”
3.J.S. Harford’s Estate, England, John Nash
“In England, small lodges, gatehouses and dwellings for estate workers proliferated as the fashion for ‘improvement’ took hold.”
“The ten small dwellings arranged around a green each has a different design but uses a common language of materials and details.”
“The design and construction of such small houses was not primarily prompted by any desire to improve the living conditions of their occupants; rather, it was about the creation of a visually literate environment for landowners that expressed their status and cultural values.”
4.Colonisation
America: “one- or two-storey structures with a single room on the ground floor (traditional European timber-framed construction techniques”
India: “bungalow” type –verandas, ridge ventilation and raised ventilated plinths
5.Spatial Invention by Mackintosh
-L-shaped plan that created a positive external space
-Semicircular stair that forms a tower
-Imposing canted brick chimney that visually locks the house to the ground
6.the 1851 Great Exhibition, London’s Hyde Park, Prince Albert
“This was an early example of what might be called social housing.”
“…represents an early attempt to deal with not only the aesthetics of the small houses but also its occupants’ health and quality of life.”
What Is the Improvement after Industrialisation and Urbanisation ??
“The political pressure to improve housing standards transformed the basis on which small houses were built. … These new projects reflected a new set of values, with emphasis on the internal organisation of the spaces and the level of comfort they could provide.”
1.communal house (Russian “izba”)
“one roomed timber hut, dominated by a large brick stove, that could be grouped as multiples around shared lobbies minimised personal space and stressed the importance of shared facilities”
2.a community of houses
“a free standing dwelling for each human being if he or she lives alone; free standing dwelling for groups of various sizes, from one couple to any desired fraternity –surrounded by space and greenery, permeated by light and sun, freed from being squeezed into the narrow limits of the city block”
3.the Green City
“fully prefabricated and furnished individual cottages as part of an area that would eventually contain an extensive range of dwelling types and collectively form a ‘socialist garden city’.”
4.urbanization of Europe
-required the rapid provision of mass housing
-prefabricated houses
-Frank Lloyd Wright: “underfloor heating, a masonry chimney core, thin timber board and batter walls, an integrated carpoint instead of a garage, and a virtually flat roof without gutters or downpipes” 
Why build a small house??
“Small-scale housing forms what one would call the undergrowth of dwelling from which thoughts about the world are to germinate. One of the most important tasks for these pioneer species of architecture is to create possibilities for a balanced and interactive relationship between man and nature. It requires discarding anthropocentric thinking and understanding the inherent value of nature itself. It also means renewing the concept of time in architecture. The Mini House style is typically characterised by a holistic approach and an inbuilt ephemerality. This offers a good basis both to renew architecture both towards more sustainable solutions as well as to conceive a home or housing area an as ever-changing built landscape.”
Throughout history, large houses have been considered to be symbols of wealth, luxury and prosperity. In the ‘McMansion’ craze of the past few decades, homeowners and homebuilders have desperately sought to build bigger and greater houses, but in doing so, the elegance and harmony of efficient design has been neglected. It has been substituted with unnecessarily large bedrooms, oversized living rooms, inefficient kitchens and sprawling backyards. Too often the small house has been overlooked as a lesser creation, an indication of unfortunate circumstances. However, recent socioeconomic circumstances have fuelled a surge of interest in the opportunities and possibilities of the “small-house lifestyle”, and compact residential architecture. ”An unassuming elegance has replaced grand showmanship. The lot size and floor space are surprisingly small, materials are modest, yet pleasing and economical.”
"The design and construction of such small houses was not primarily prompted by any desire to improve the living conditions of their occupants; rather, it was about the creation of a visually literate environment for landowners that expressed their status and cultural values."
Small house design provides the additional challenge of limited space when designing a residential building, thus the criteria and requirements of a house must be carefully considered and prioritised. What makes a house a house? What makes a house a home? The shortage of space will necessitate a compromise of traditional housing values, but certainly not a sacrifice of comfort. The brief constraints of a small house lead to design innovations in storage, lighting, material selection and space allotment, and all in all, result in more effective and efficient design.
Why create small houses? Smaller houses are obviously less expensive to build and maintain than larger houses. With the rising property values, and mortgage rates, the economic benefit of the smaller house has an obvious appeal to first home buyers. Not only is there less material required for building, there is less manual labour needed, and less property required to build on. Thus the affordability of small homes is a major factor in the growing popularity of tiny houses. “Homeowners, with the assistance of talented architects, are realising their dream of owning a home, even on a budget.”
Secondly, the reduced energy consumption of smaller houses means they have a smaller ecological footprint, and are thus more ecologically sustainable than larger houses. Small houses offer reduced consumption of energy simply by the fact that they are smaller in size. Even without recourse to new construction technologies or special environmentally friendly design techniques, simply building a small home is a legitimate way strategy save energy. Superinsulation, ventilation, solar orientation, air locks, eave design and sun control strategies can all contribute to the mitigation of heating and cooling cost, but the simplest and most effective way to cut down energy consumption is to reduce the volume of air which is to be treated/.The small house contains less volume of air to be cooled in summer and warmed in winter. Also, the external surface area of a small home is less than that of a large home, thus less heat is allowed to pass through the walls. Due to the low energy needs of small houses, they can be easily heated by alternative methods, such as solar energy systems, or woodstoves. This energy efficiency of small houses greatly reduces the cost of occupancy on a long-term basis.
Due to the fact that small houses consume less land, raw materials and labour for construction and after for maintenance, the ecological footprint of the small home is considerably reduced. This environmental sustainability is yet another benefit of designing and building small homes. “Just as smaller, more fuel-efficient cars helped reduce our nation’s (the U.S.A’s) energy appetite, modest mansions are an essential component of the sustainable society of the future.”
The social changes over the past few decades have also warranted the need for a decline in grand housing, and a turn towards the smaller, smarter, more efficient home design. The declining birth rate, as well as the growing numbers of divorce resulting in an increase in single-parent families has seen the notion of a traditionally large family become a thing of the past. Also, there has a been a greater number of senior citizens who have either chosen to live independently, or have been neglected by family thus being forced into living on their own. A combination of all of these factors has resulted in an increasing need for smaller houses in Australia, as well as around the world.
There are many reasons for building small rather than large, apart from the obvious economic benefits. The limiting of size for some represents an aesthetic choice.
The move from the concept of a large and spacious dwelling to that of a small house
The success of most small houses is dependant on one primary theme, or an intrinsic design feature which shapes and defines the house, informing most other aspects. This one important idea may be the notion of a special room, or a view which dictates the character of the atmosphere created. It could be a staircase, a wall, or the use of various levels. In any case, the design concept must be prominent enough to shape the way the details of the house are developed in order to create the harmony and unity of efficient design.
“To reduce its size and maintain its desirability, the small house must be a thoughtfully designed, thoroughly efficient building, containing the appointments and amenities that foster pride in ownership. The only way to achieve this end is via the use of talented architects”
“A good designer must have deep understanding of human comfort and communication, and be on the same wavelength abut these issues with his clients.” Integral to the design process is the Architect or Designer’s ability to understand and communicate with the client. The Architect must have a very clear insight as to the lifestyle needs and personal preferences of the client in regards to comfort, privacy, and aesthetic. The nature of small housing is such that the definitions and distinctions between private and public are challenged, and the notion of comfort is thoroughly explored. Comfort need not be largely empty, yet spacious room with a huge, pillow covered day-bed. Comfort can be something as primitive and simple as an inviting chair and an engrossing novel. The notion of a communal space would probably be more effective in promoting social behaviour if the area was smaller rather than larger. As long as free circulation is possible, a smaller room will succeed in bringing people closer together, without intruding on personal space.
Key to elegant and efficient small house design, is the reconsideration of the traditional roles and functions of the rooms in a house, and the relationships between them. The departments which make up the traditional house consist of the public (the living room, dining room, entry), the private (sleeping quarters and their dependencies), the service areas (laundry, kitchen), the means of circulation and communication (hallways, stairways, doors, corridors) storage areas, and the outdoors (verandahs, garden, patio). Small house design requires the blurring of boundaries between eating, sleeping, cooking, washing and entertaining areas. Can one room serve more than one function? Can it serve more than two? Which function maintains priority over the others, and exactly how flexible can the room be to accommodate for these changing needs? The fundamental concept that Form follows Function will thus dictate the design and character of that room, and consequently, the entire house. This type of planning is crucial for efficient small house design.
This idea of flexibility and the opportunities for change mentioned above are critical when designing a small house. A good house must accommodate for evolving priorities and changing human needs. The notion of multifunction rooms just discussed is one way of accommodating for change. The use of temporary or moveable walls, separations or partitions is another way in which space can be defined and then redefined without damaging the primary building fabric of the house.
For an Architect or Designer to be able to design houses with rooms which juggle multiple functions, they must have taken time to understand and experience the client’s daily life patterns, routines, likes and dislikes, cultural backgrounds and ideologies. Without such insight, there cannot be a successful marriage of functions within rooms which will greatly impact the client’s day to day experience of the house.
How have other Architects successfully resolved the constraints posed by designing in a small space ??
Precedent One
Japan is at the forefront of this small house trend, due to its obvious need for small houses, and its eclectic architectural atmosphere. There is an obsession with small houses evident in Japanese media, with television programs being broadcast weekly, numerous new book titles appearing, and most significantly, the emergence of an entire sector in the press specialising in small-house ideas and trends. The extensive coverage of small-housing ideas in the Japanese popular press has resulted in a tremendous momentum in the small-house movement, to such an extent that the definition of good design has been redefined for an entire generation of architects, builders and architectural admirers alike. No longer is the saying “the bigger the better” valid, the new respectability for small housing sees a change in the perception of good design sense.
Kazuyo Sejuma’s Small House is a miniature tower located in a short cul-de-sac in Tokyo’s Aoyama district. The building’s contact with the ground covers a mere 36 square metres, and the building’s entire floors pace measures up to 77 square metres. The house bulges in the middle section, tapering down towards the entrance and in towards to roof. The inward slope at the entrance accommodates for the client’s vehicle (to the centimetre) and the vertical pavilion almost touches the neighbouring house. The house has been tightly wedged into the site, touching its parameters on all sides.
The building structure consists of galvanized steel and opalescent glass, its structural integrity relying on the open steel shaft which houses the inner spiral stairs inside. The use of spiral stairs is a very effective space saver in this particular case. The steel shaft and the spiral stairs are both painted white, to create the illusion of a larger and more open space. The use reflective nature of the white surface is also an attempt to maximise the reflection of light in the stairwell, striving for a feeling of airiness and openness.
Each floor of the Small House sprouts from this spiral staircase trunk, and rests on slanted thin steel tubes. The outer skin of the building is quite simple, it is just an envelope which clads this structural cage.
The planning of the house is divided into four distinct elements. The parent’s room and their tiny lavoratory are located on the semi-basement level. Space has been maximised by recessing the storage under the clerestory fenestration. The tallest and broadest space is the piano nobile, which consists of the kitchen, dining and living rooms. They are not separated; rather, the one room performs all three functions. On the top floor is a comparatively large grand bathroom, and a roof terrace which is enclosed to shield it from the elements.
The separate floors of Sejima’s Small House, which seem quite inconsistent when examined individually, are brought together through the strong conceptual nature of her design process. “In Sejima’s work, the envelope becomes the fabric stretching between differently sized (concrete) slabs”
The success of Sejima’s small house design rests on the simplification of rooms, and the way in which the functions have been stripped back to the bare essentials. The sharing of a room for several purposes and functions allows this simple approach to house planning. In order for this to work, the traditional definitions and boundaries of eating, living and dining areas must be questioned and challenged. The architect must ask the question, how much space does one REALLY need to live?
Precedent Two
Alchemy Architects is an Architectural Firm in the U.S, comprising of a collaboration of innovative architects, whose “mission is to make stimulating, engaging and efficient design accessible and affordable for a wide audience” The firm has created a series of prefabricated mini house or “WeeHouse” modules, which can be customized to suit the client and the site, and are brought on to the site by truck, ready to live in. The streamlined design and prefabricated nature of the WeeHouse results in significantly reduced building costs, both in raw materials and construction.
“The WeeHouse prefab system is based on a modern aesthetic, efficient use of space, and intelligent adaptation of building technology.” Due to modern technology, the space that would have once been occupied by countless records, audio cassettes, video cassettes, CD’s, photo albums and books, can now be replaced by a simple laptop or ipod. Tiny living no longer requires deprivation, and this is precisely the notion that is emphasised and flaunted by the WeeHouse design. The WeeHouse modules satisfy the bare essential requirements, and buyers can customize as they desire. Variable options include porches, stairs, roof, windows, siding, flooring, cabinetry, heating, AC, hot water heater and plumbing fixtures. The possibilities are endless as the tiny module units can be mixed and matched to the buyer’s needs.
The WeeHouses are simple and compact, with a major emphasis placed on fenestration and the connection to the outside. Floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors give the illusion of greater space, as they draw on the exterior surroundings of the building to detract attention from the small confines of the prefabricated unit. Some modules have separate living/dining and sleeping areas, whereas others make use of small partition walls to signify separation of space without actually dissecting the small interior. Another module makes use of the positioning of the bathroom as a separation technique between public and private. In this WeeHouse module, the only door inside is the door to the bathroom, a privacy necessity.
Thinking even further outside the square, Alchemy Architects have synthesised a WeeCommunity on the basis of the assembly of several repeated WeeHouse module units. These mini houses may not be architecturally brilliant, but it is a fascinating notion that industrial and mass production technology in today’s society has evolved to such an extent that even housing can now be mass produced as prefabricated units which can be brought on site and installed for a fraction of the fee of a normal building construction.
What are some design principals that can be taken away from our research in regards to designing small residences ??
When planning and creating a small house, the Architect or Designer cannot afford to neglect details in order to focus on the greater architectural scheme. The success of small houses is dependant on the unity and harmony of well designed and innovative details. Thus the designer must take into consideration all of the following; the importance of light, views, choice of materiality, methods of circulation concentration and space division, as well as storage opportunities and privacy issues.
“By definition, space is the most difficult dilemma in the small house. A fundamental distinction must be made between perceived and real square footage.” A very critical aspect of designing small houses is the notion of creating the illusion of more rather than less. This idea will be a reoccurring theme in the next few paragraphs, because it is important to make the most of the opportunities offered by the tiny spaces of a small house.
Fenestration plays an intrinsic role in small house design – the size and placement of windows not only reduce the energy consumption requirements of the small house through the manipulation of ventilation, but also act as visual aids to create the illusion of larger space. Varying the scale of windows from extremely large to extremely small, creates a rich sense of contrast, and enhance the individual qualities of the openings. Strategic positioning and placement of openings to take advantage of high and low air pressure points is useful in creating cross-ventilation in the house, to be used as a cooling method in summer. The placement of openings should also take into consideration the views which they invite into the space, the amount of lighting admitted, and any need for solar control.
Views are important in creating the character or atmosphere of the room, or indeed the house in its entirety. The views may not necessarily have to be panoramic to create the illusion of openness. Carefully placed openings may focus on a tree in the distance, or a patch of sky, or another part of the house. Horizontal windows will give an impression of width and vertical ones that of height. The framed view, in addition to the language of the window will serve as a visual stimulant, and divert focus from the small internal area, to the more open and spacious exterior. “With movement through space, some modulation of light, a carefully framed view or two, a clear sense of where people can be together and where they may be alone, a natural hierarchy of space will develop.”
Fenestration is also vital because the placement and design of openings determine the amount of natural light entering the spaces of the house. The lighting of the small house is incredibly important, as it creates the mood of the setting, whatever that mood may be. In general, light creates a feeling of spaciousness and openness, thus the spaces inside the small house should be well lit by natural sunlight, since it “activates and energises the house”. Small houses are generally disadvantaged by their narrow and overshadowed sites, so the roof and interior spaces should be arranged and designed in order to allow the maximum amount of natural light in – skylights are usually a good solution to this problem. However, natural light must be modulated and solar control should still be a major consideration in the design process. Shoji screens, tailored shades, shutters, simple floor lengths drapes and vertical blinds aren’t particularly intrusive on one’s perception of space, and are thus good for spatial illusions.
Artificial lighting presents the Architect or Designer with many possibilities. The use and positioning of various types of lamps and light bulbs can assist in creating the illusions of wider rooms, higher ceilings, more dramatic corners. Lighting should be arranged so that it reflects off walls, ceilings and corners. Spotlights or track lighting can be used to separate the functions of a single room by creating different zones within the room.
The materiality and choice of colour for interior are major contributors to the quality of the interior spaces, and the atmosphere within. The colours of the walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, drapes and upholstery have a major impact on the way the space is perceived. Warm colours create the illusion of a smaller space, while cool colours make the walls seem to recede, this giving the illusion of a larger area. Intense colours generally create feelings of claustrophobia, or a very tight space, and can be used sparsely for effect. However, most of the walls should be painted in white or light pastel colours. White or cream walls result in the maximum reflection of light, giving the illusion of openness and a larger area. The use of a monochromatic scheme allows the eye to uninterruptedly wander throughout the space, making it seem larger.
In keeping with the idea of a monochromatic scheme, light colours floors – whether it be carpet, ceramic, vinyl, painted wood or marble – are ideal for enhancing the visual space of a small interior. Polished wooden floors are also effective for this purpose.
The structural building system of small houses tends to be based on thin metal sections, or light wooden frames, which give the Architect or Designer more interior space to play around with, and a vital flexibility which is critical to many small house schemes. The development of modern technologies have allowed architects to replace thick, heavy, space consuming building fabric with very thin, and lightweight materials, which are effective in providing shelter and insulation, thus making the design of small housing much easier. “There are thin metal sections that serve as structural systems, plywood systems that provide the final finish for surfaces, and very dense, very thin materials that provide thermal and acoustic insulation. In this respect, today’s architect, supported by technology and current needs, can produce a high quality, efficient structure. This is reflected in spaces that do not sacrifice a large dose of creativity and design sophistication to their minimal size.”
Mirrors are an ideal way to improve the visual spaciousness of a small room, as they create the optimum optical illusion. They double the visual space, and enhance the reflection of light around a room. The use of mirrors in corridors, bathrooms and living rooms, in conjunction with windows and other openings can be really effective in creating the illusion of openness and spaciousness. The use of colour-backed glass and laminated cupboards in the kitchen have the same effect, due to the reflective surface properties of the materials.
The small house Architect or Designer must be very efficient in maximising the use of the very little space that the small house offers. This means that very clever and innovative ways of storage are crucial to effective space management. Inbuilt storage areas wherever possible are a great idea – they make the most of the space available. Wall to wall storage units appear to widen the space, and are effective in concealing any of the client’s rubble, mess or belongings. Storage opportunities are also present under roof pitches, staircases and in beds.
Mass produced furniture manufacturers and distributers such as IKEA have a wide range of furniture innovations which maximise the use of space by providing storage spaces integrated into the design of general furniture. Examples of this include the self assembly loft bed with the desk and cupboards underneath, and the beds with incorporated storage space. Furniture design like this negates the need for inbuilt architectural details – such as storage spaces, as a client could furnish an entire house with the space saving innovations of IKEA. However, it is the role of the good Architect to design a small house which is a functioning and inhabitable space, efficient in the usage of space and the maximisation of storage capacity.
The small house design must at times exploit unusual shaped and positioned spaces that would otherwise remain vacant or unused. An example is the loft bed design, which creates a great amount of extra space within a room, by raising the bed up off the floor, and making use of the space underneath. Small nooks and crannies can be found in many places where the space is simply left unused, and they can act as private spaces, in which the client can read, sleep, draw, write, think, philosophise, chat on the phone, or indeed any other solitary activity.
“One useful approach to making a space seem larger is to avoid subdividing it except when absolutely necessary”. Strategic placement of flexible partitions can be effective in separating one single space into two, and directing circulation so as to avoid congestion. The possibilities for partitions are endless – they need not be floor to ceiling height, instead they could be mid-height storage units. Openings in full length partition walls create a sense of separation and privacy while still maintaining the feeling of openness so intrinsic to small house design. Moveable partitions allow for a flexibility which could become a vital feature of the room. “Partitions can be used for their geometric character, colour, texture, and light modulation as well.”
Finally, a really important aspect of small house design is the use and exploitation of levels and ceiling height in order to maximise space and create optical illusions of larger space. This is a recurring feature in the design of the Japanese Tatami Houses. Multiple storeys in small houses are quite effective, allowing for greater floor space with a minimal overall footprint. Of course, with the introduction of levels comes the need to stairs, which can be quite space consuming. Spiral staircases are a simple and easy method of reducing the wastage of space, whilst still maintaining access to all levels of the house.
Bibliography
Brown, A.,The Very Small Home: Japanese Ideas for Living Well in Limited Space, Kodansha International Ltd., Tokyo, 2005
Crafti, S., Making the Most of Small Spaces, The Images Publishing Group Pty. Ltd., Australia, 2002
Dickinson, D., The Small House: An Artful Guide to Affordable Residential Design, McGraw-Hill Inc, New York, 1986
Flagg, E., Small Houses; Their Economic Design and Construction, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1921
Metz, D., The Compact House Book, GardenWay Publishing, Charlotte, Vermont, 1983
Pople, N., Small Houses, Laurence King Publishing, London, 2003
Prowler, D., Modest Mansions: Design Ideas for Luxury Living in Less Space, Rodale Press, 1985
RicoRico, Mini House Style, Harper Design International and LOFT Publications, New York, 2004
http://ahboon.net/2007/03/08/narrow-habitation/
http://ahboon.net/2007/03/08/narrow-habitation/
http://alchemyarch.com/
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/02/16/realestate/greathomes/16tiny.html
http://www.greatbuildnigs.com/types/types/small_house.html
http://www.nemetschek.net/news/cases/roessler.php
http://www.resourcesforlife.com/groups/smallhousesociety/
http://www.usefulandagreeable.com/tokyoglobe.html
Wednesday, 25. October 2006, 12:03:10
终于搬了blog，由于实在受不了live了，设计live的人应该去吃屎。でも、这个blog的可操作性和速度（起码从oz来看）也太差了一点，鉴于世事难两全，这也是deconstructivism的特点，所以还是决定搬来这里。
——谨以此作为本blog开通致词。
这个学期的design结束了，拿了个distinction，还比较满意，因为毕竟最后construction model and drawing已经开始乱来了，而且tutor整天当我transparent，不记我attendance。但是，还是十分感谢这个tutor，终于从华工的豆腐设计模式中跳出来了，而且我做的设计他也很欣赏。
在华工的时候，每次设计老师都要百般强调所谓的“可行性”，包括结构上的可行性和经济上的可行性，也就是说，做出来的设计要能找到一个现有的构造体系来支持，并且开支越小越好，所以就有了以前一个师姐说的：“现在的大一学生啊，总是喜欢玻璃，总是想弄一整面的玻璃墙，还恨不得整个立面都是玻璃的，都不知道玻璃有多贵。”空间方面，百般强调要“充分利用空间”，其实从华工的角度讲，应该说成是“要让每一个能塞进人的地方都被填满”。似乎每一个华工的老师的几近狂热地追随modernism，殊不知modernism在以前的时代确实解决了很多问题，但是在当代，已经把建筑和城市规划逼到了无路可走的地步：世界上任何一个城市，以不可思议地高密度，鳞次栉比地竖着高容纳性的建筑物，外表大同小异，除了某些如密斯之类的天才能在空间上玩点花样，全世界的建筑都开始均质化。然而，路易斯-沙利文所说的"form follows function"，大大限制了空间变化的可发展性，就比如魔方玩具变化再多，用排列组合的数学公式最终还是能算出个可变化的模式的数量。我认为，这便是导致安藤忠雄所说的“建筑物巨大化”的根本原因——用排列组合的原理解释，只有增加空间，才能有更多的组合方式。沙利文的一句“form follows function”把单元空间限制在一个很狭隘的范围内。同时，外表上的统一化使得地域建筑失去了地域风格，全部变成工业产物，变成可在工厂中批量生产的产品。这样的建筑已经不能称为architecture，应该叫做building。而我们学习的不是civil engineering，不是以建起的房子能遮风避雨并且不倒塌为目的，architecture应该是一门艺术，单从architecture这个词的定义来讲，也应该让设计具有更丰富的艺术内涵。
在modernism以后出现了post-modernism，希望解决建筑均质化这个问题，所以建筑师开始从本地历史中寻求地域性。我认为，安藤忠雄便是一个post-modernist的代表。从他的设计理念和设计程序中可以深刻地体会到，他处处想到的是如何将建筑与当地的历史以及人文融为一体。然而post-modernism仍然不能解决建筑形式创新上的问题，直到上世纪80年代deconstructivism在建筑设计上被实践。哲学上的deconstructivism强调所谓的“对立二元的解构”，我认为，建筑方面，功能和形式可以构成二元对立，而且在历史上，功能永远占主导地位。建筑上的deconstructivism冲破了功能对形式的限制，强调将非线性元素和非欧几何应用到空间、结构、装饰和室内家具设计上，于是为走头无路的建筑学带来了新的活力。
这个学期首先是想摆脱所谓的conventional concept，所以想做些自己认为美观的造型，作为摆脱华工模式的第一步，暂且矫枉过正地忽略任何功能上的限制因素。然后在faculty的书市上发现了Zaha Hadid的书，并且决定作为本次主要模仿对象。后来上网做deconstruction的research，看到了Rem Koolhaas, Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman等解构主义建筑师的作品，后来又收到Bay师妹传来的矶崎新设计的东西。这些作品都让我深受启发，发现自己本能地就对deconstructivism很感兴趣，就从以前的漫画风格上也可以略窥一二。可惜最后由于技术上的问题，局部模仿Frank Gehry的古根海姆美术馆的想法放弃了。整个设计还算成功，平面上的造型很满意，还有空间上的流线也很好，只是立面上的造型没有仔细斟酌，导致看起来很无聊，而且内部空间布置没有什么突破，没有达成设计家具的野心。下学期开始准备研究更多的解构主义建筑作品，并且要仔细研究设计图纸。
感谢我的tutor，给了我脱离豆腐设计的勇气；当然也感谢华工，虽然局限了设计理念，但带我进入建筑设计的世界，而且练了一手画图和做模型的硬功夫，这些都是那些鬼佬望尘莫及的，如果没有铅笔草稿的痕迹，他们就算把眼睛贴到图纸上还是会以为那些图是电脑上打印出来的。
目前已经基本接受解构主义了，当然我更希望自己本身还能有更好的创新。
WIDGETIZE