MEDAN PASAR

1. Option A1

This one of the projects that I had on during my stay in MOCA and Quill back in 2004. I was assisting one of the Directors to design a new facade for an existing building. It would be transformed and given a fresh contemporary facade appearance. The interior of the building would also be re-designed to meet new needs.

2. Existing Site Photo

The original intention is to apply similar architecture profile that we had used in other completed building and re-applied it again in different composition. Perhaps, it would create a new look and at the same time, keeping it as an "economical" architecture. Because by using the same profile you could re-produce some unique design shapes without creating a new mould or set of production line to make it.

Personally, I didn't have the opportunity to meet with the client. I simply designed the facade under the directors' supervisions. While assuming that the contemporary style is the theme for the client, I was carrying out several options within design approach.

3. Early design
4. Rendering study

By then, I was assuming that the design I made was the right approach for the client as in the next stage I was instructed to refine the initial design and superimpose the visuals into its existing urban environment photo. This project had pushed my skill up a notch towards advance level in using 3D Vectorworks. Thus, with a little fine-tuning on the design and refining the quality of visuals I believed it would be the ultimate solution for the client.

5. Option B1

6. Option C1

7. Option D1

I was wrong! I didn't know what exactly happened but the next thing I know a totally different approach was introduced. A more traditional approach of post-modernism. This a massive re-design exercise as it didn't adapt any of the previous contemporary design. A clear signal that the client had never intended to change the typical taste for building design but just to refine that typical look.

8. New design option

So, what went wrong here? If we had listened to the client's needs in the first place, the next design development should had only been refining the design not to re-design. Or did the client just change their mind? If the client doesn't really know what they want (usually they do) it is obvious that the project would be a chaotic one when only one design approach (contemporary) is presented for them to choose. These are the crucial questions that we need to ask and seek answers for to indicate whether we are able to lead our client for better or worst.

Perhaps we need to listen to the the story of Piano's unique interview: LINK

I might not had been given the privilege to deal with client during those early years (maybe because of inexperience), but I still had the opportunity to learn something out of it. The most important thing is to be initiative by constantly learning from any resources within our reach even when we could only participate in the project from behind the scenes.