Name: Xiaoming Dai

Atelier: Architecture & Adaptive Reuse

Undergraduate: Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (BUCEA)

Work Experience: Assistant Architect at Architectural Design & Research Institute of BUCEA
Intern Architect at Beijing Institute of Residential Building Design & Research
Intern Architect at Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Planning and Design Institute (THUPDI)

Skills: Rhino, Sketchup, AutoCAD, Adobe Suite, Lumion

Interested in: Model making, Photography & Traveling

Day 1 (Morning) - Introduction

This morning we gathered and got to know each other at first. After a brief introduction to the project and an exploration of similar projects from previous years, we discussed and presented each other in groups using our own childhood play experiences as a starting point, and then the master students guided the group in hand-drawing each individual's understanding of sense of play on a poster.

Day 1 (Afternoon) - Site Visit

In the afternoon, March student Jasmine gave us an introductory talk about the playground and some of the precedents, inspiring us to think about the different kinds of precedents and design opportunities. After which we had a site visit to the Trinity House, where Jane Bramley, the CEO of the Trinity House, gave us an introduction to the site and the site users, also described their needs and issues that needed special attention, giving us with a better sense and understanding of the site.

Day2 - Initial Design

This morning, the master students guided the group in various tasks, the main goal being to develop a site model and sketch suggestions for the playground design in their own way, such as basic zoning, playground equipment placement, etc. In the afternoon, the MLA students studied and explored with the landscaping of the playground area. Meanwhile, some of our BA students have been conducting preliminary study on materials and structures, with the goal of designing facilities such as shelters that are better appropriate for the site and users. Also, Master students have been researching and discussing previous year's publications, and have started to make a draft layout and description of the public presentation.

Day 3 - Design Development

This morning, the Year 5 students guided the group to develop an extended design of yesterday's initial design and encouraged them to express their ideas in various ways, such as basic zoning, playground intentions and plant choices. In the afternoon, the Master students combined and laid out the existing outcomes, adding some of the context content in preparation for tomorrow's presentation to the client.

Day 4 - Interim Presentation

Today the group was organised by the Masters students to give a presentation to our client from Trinity House about the work done by the students from BA1/BA2/MLA over the week, including site analysis, design intention, site model, plant selection and other elements. The client was very pleased with the initial design we had worked on and gave us some further suggestions.

Day 5 - Final Design

Today the group worked on the final design of the project based on the feedback given by the client, group members came up with three different plans for the field & track and discussed them. Meanwhile, we also discussed details and material choices for the physical model to be made. At lunchtime, we went to the Lego store to assemble our own Lego Minifigures to represent the children in the physical model.

Day 6 - Model Making

Today the group members met at the MTC to start making the physical models. In the morning we worked on the building elevations for the background of the playground, and after lunch, more BA/MLA students joined us to work together on the colourful playground boundary wall. Meanwhile the MArch students modelled the terrain of the playground and demonstrated how to use Grasshopper.

Day 7 - Final Model

The group returned to the MTC today to continue working on the physical model. As the base plate and building façades were completed yesterday, the main focus of the day was on the play equipment and landscape of the site. Everyone got creative and used a variety of materials such as spray paint, wooden sticks and steel wire to make the facilities, wall graffiti and landscape bumps that we needed. The finished models were perfect and everyone had a fun day.

Day 8 - Final Outcome

In the morning, the BA/MLA students were divided into two groups led by MArch/MA+AR students to work. One group went to B.15 to take photographs of the final physical model, while the other group stayed at MTC to work on the final outcome. In the afternoon, the students learned and experimented with stop-motion animation making by using models and Lego Minifigs.

Day 8 -Layout & Submission

Today Year 5 students layout and submit our final outcomes. Meanwhile, we have written reviews for the BA/MLA students who participated in this project, giving an objective and fair assessment of their participation and contributions over the two weeks. We have also uploaded the stop-motion animation to Youtube, here is the link:
https://youtu.be/uslrkAp-AEE
Thank you to everyone who participated for two weeks and more, see you!!!