Synopsis 4 towards a critical regionalism -GYN

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2016) [10 MARKS]
NAME: GOH YEN NEE ID: 0315551
LECTURER: DR. NO HAYATI TUTORIAL TIME: 2-4PM
SYNOPSIS NO: 4 READER TITLE: TOWARDS A CRITICAL REGIONALISM
AUTHOR: KENNETH FRAMPTON
Based on the article that I have read, the “Towards a Critical Regionalism” written by Kenneth
Frampton, I get to know that the author had concerned on the issues regarding to the architecture
resistance which is coming from the impact of critical regionalism where elements derived indirectly
from the uniqueness of a specific place. Besides, Frampton also mentioned in the statement based on
resistance of the place form related with the physical space of region and the place where the
communication between people are not the same things. He clarified that spaces may create by
enclosing however its boundaries should be the beginning of the place during stage of designing and
characteristics of place cannot be comprised of a building.
From the statements clarified by the author, I would totally agree it and we have to study and analyse
the contextual elements before we start to design a building. Through the study taken, we shall
consider of applying the idea of critical regionalism into our building design which allows the physical
spaces to not consist by the similar form from the site but create a spacious identity of the place through
the materials used. The spatial quality of a building designed should be explained through relation in
between the exterior qualification of place such as the circulation path, entrance on where we should
be come from and exits selected to move out from the building so it could bring the specific essence
of the space experience to the user. For example, each of the shop house in Petaling Street,
Chinatown are the historical elements which remained the quality of history without demolished from
the city while telling the story behind their site as well as the region where they belong to. This could
attract the intensity of tourists to visit the Petaling Street as it occupied the Malaysia’s story of history.
To be concluded that we shall not resist our design based on the place form but consider on adding
the critical regionalism that directly from the nature of surrounding which brings the essence of the
past in the area as nowadays most of the buildings are built in a similar appearances which could be
found in anywhere else. Create a building with some critical regionalism brings the aesthetics of the
place that could keep the history of the site area just like the shop house in Petaling Street.
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2. Key points (2.5)
Appropriateness of
Terminologies (2.5)
Clarity in Opinions and
Reactions (2.5)
Logical Progression (2.5)
DATE: TOTAL MARK & GRADE
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