Introduction
Living around the area which is full of pressure is one of the choices that someone has to do it, no matter it will give the happiness or unhappiness, but through the year and through the time one society will adapt with everything surrounding them. Realized it or not, inside their mind there is still something or space where they save some dream to have a better life or everything. Some of them will feel not happy and do something not in their mood.
All of these are effect of routine daily activity and ritual that they did, some of them who are accepted this they can do it better, but who are against it, sometimes will feel desperate.
Landscape as an area which are people usually passing bay everyday before they are going work or doing their activity have a big influence, direct or indirectly in giving nuance that effect the mood of a person.
Singapore which are very restricted in an area of land, build their environment vertically as attentive reason of land use. Human living are in Singapore consist of the area of landed property and un-landed property, which means like HDB, apartment, and condominium.
Some of the un-landed property, like HDB block, lack of the facilities for their inhabitants compare with apartment and condominium.
Purpose of doing this research are achieving the definition of meditative area and implant the idea to the site specific, by hoping people who are living inside the HBD block can experience the quality of meditative space.
Area of site specific
HDB is one of housing whereas 50%-90% of Singapore’s population are currently living in HDB flats, with high density housing being a solution to the problem of overcrowding.
HDB block as an area of living for society, which in a big area, there are consists of several blocks in one area, and enclosed by the facilities, like playground, multi-purpose hall, field, and place for sitting.
The HDB is located in the area of commonwealth close, near the MRT commonwealth. (Explain within using images, explain surrounding).
The covered area of this site is about 25% covered area and 75% uncovered area. These 75% consist of circulation, green area, facility such as building parking, maintenance area, garden, playground, multi purposed hall, field, and barbeque area.
Site analyses
1. Activity
The area of this HDB is very large, the site specific is considered in the selected area which is in the yellow border shown in the image.
There are some areas provided for the human inhabitants here are multi purpose hall, playground, gathering area, amphitheatre, and entrance area. Landscape as the part of the environment is important for the dwellers as an extended space from their block and as the place for the social interaction. Some area that provided here mostly used as the way their purposed by the dwellers in a particular time.
From the overall analyse in the site, the amphitheatre is an interesting area, whereas this area should be used for a performance activity, but this place become the most silent area of all. Based on the analyse and conversation with some inhabitants, in this area there are not much people going in, some reasons are because of the circulation is uncommon for the one who is first time coming to this block, it is quite enclosed by the blocks and lied in the middle of the slope, and the last it lacked of facility as a performance area.
Because the lack of activity happening here, therefore this place some of the time like morning and night using as a place practised tai chi and some people sitting down there for just spent their time alone overwhelming with inside his mind.
There are some places for activity provided in this Block area:
2. Circulation (people coming in and going out)
The passages around here are mostly linear, and link from one activity to another activity within the monotone and static form of linear. Not much an attractive activity for the inhabitant inside, where they want to have some pleasure. The used of material is lack.
3. Lack and strength of activity
The block and the landscape here are standing one by one, where the design is not connected one and another, in the way they link out.
In a 24 hours circle time, some places are usually used as an activity area but, in the other hand this place are also silent.
RESEARCH
Explanation about the purusha and prakriti
Purusha and prakriti is one of the philosophies coming from Hinduism concept. The purpose of these philosophies is actually explaining the manifestation of the world as a macrocosm, and also describe microcosm. The purpose of these concepts is to retrace back to the subtle element of Purusha, as the ending objective of our live. The process of Self-realization is one of attention reversing the process of manifestation to its source.
We are familiar with the process by which our mind has a memory arise, which triggers emotion, causing chains of thoughts to emerge from that, and to then further emerge into actions and speech. Each of these is a process of one level of functioning emerging or evolving out of the previous, while each of those levels still exists on its own. In this way, the action and speech (which emerge from mind) still coexist with the whole of the conscious mind; all of these coexist, while one leads to the next, with the grosser emerging from the subtler. So it is with all the levels of Prakriti. Prakriti is infused with pure consciousness, which is called Purusha. It is not just describing about the evolutes of chains of thought and emotions, but also the evolutes of the instrument by which we think and emote. This is taking us to the core of our being.
Experiencing consciousness is important is that the process of enlightenment or awakening is one of the reversing the process, of tracing our way back through the stages of evolutes, which is the meditation process withdrawing consciousness from the evolutes. To achieve these purpose the very much need place is a place where someone could spent time knowing about self, including inner space (mind and physiological) and outer space (constructed space).
Landscape as apart of the building has a big effort in supporting the environment. It is here that the human dwellers can literally retreat into themselves. The realization of a landscape design vision is a process. The aim is to incorporate the awareness or cognition of these aspects in a playful manner that will stimulates the desire to conquer and to take possession of the space.
Experience of Meditative areas
A. 
Some images that also explain more about the experiences of meditative are, where this area is involved within a personal area.
1. Space constructed by Architect Tadao Ando
The space constructed by Architect Tadao Ando in Kyomji Temple in Japan.
This building is created by architect Tadao Ando in japan, ando wanted to create a building that would return to the origins of wooden architecture, a single structure made up of multiple parts, each full of tension. The sequences of the wood oriented in one direction, it managed people concentration. The repetition and rhythm of these area become very much strictly the one to concentrate with what they see in front, it adjust and create our vision to see something or vista. It is also induced someone to concentrate and release.
2. Chapel Building by Architect Peter Zumthor
The image is a religious monolith. The work of architect Peter Zumthor raises the question of ideal outer beauty, the proportion of things, and the poetics of detail. Atmosphere in his oeuvre as an aesthetic; it envelopes us when we visit his buildings. Upon entering his works, we are brought to a level of emotional timelessness. Upon entering his works, we are brought to a level of emotional timelessness. Instead of confusion and distraction, the space articulate strength, balance, and peace. The prayer room allows for an amazing sense of concentration and privacy. Enveloped by the walls, the space embraces and holds us. The traces of light draw the eyes slowly towards the sky. The silent in the chapel allows one to hear one’s to hear own breath and heartbeat. All senses awaken to experience the very small, oval-shaped interior space. The essence of burnt wood lingers in the air and is a reminder of our origins.
3. Artwork by Richard Sera
Artworks by Richard Serra, Nasher Sclupture Centre, Dalas
This artwork is by Richard Serra where the feeling when firstly coming to this area is feeling a little bit unsettling where it shocking the mind first and then fill up the mind with the direction.
It shows that someone running between the two giant steel plates, and from this picture shows how outside light and the gray sky and green of the grass penetrates and illuminates the spaces.
It curves seem to lean precariously and carve unexpected shifts in volume and depth, making the experience of walking between the plates a bit unsettling. The sculptures define space and transform its surroundings. Walking between the halves of this sculpture was an illuminating, isolating, and liberating experience – a way to escape the city for a few seconds. The material of metal with a slightly slanted form, make people inside feels the gravity and like entering a cave. Here, the feeling of unsettling is produced through the wall constructed, another constructed that perhaps give the feeling of unsettling is the constructed of floor, where the texture is created in a wavy form.
4. Images of the reflection in the mirror
The reflections of the candles in the mirror are repeated in unlimited way, and guide a person in one direction. Because of the never ending of the shadow, and it also make a little space looks bigger because of these reflection, it is induced someone become in a one vision through the reflection.
How to connect it with the constructed space where this combination material will help us to release our mind and induced it slowly to the one direction of concentration, and it will become a very supportive way transport to another level of consciousness.
Enclosed area awareness slowly induced concentration personal space silent.
The meditative aura or nuances shaped in our mind regarding the cooperation with the material that captured by our senses before it informed into mind.
Enclosed place is a very much place where it developed our sense of privacy of personal space, enclosed in constructed and enclosed our inner space of mind when we concentration in one thing.
The sequences of order constructed spaces surrounded which induced our perception of a place or space to the next direction, the artwork of using a huge metal in a way to guide our awareness when passing this area, the awareness because of different feeling in uncomforted way made us realized about inner’s.
Reflective material like mirror gives us the shadow or the reflection on it, which means of the
B. Meditative area are a place which is enclosed space, it gives a perception and definition about place which is should be silent and quiet as the requirement, but in the other hand meditative is not merely rely on the space but mostly in our mind. Therefore whether the place which is crowded by people still has an aura of meditative become one thing that should be noticed.
Some of the images below showing about the meditative area in a crowd area:
The installation, free to the public, allowed the hall to become a gathering place, a space for what Benjamin calls, in a 1926 essay on his beloved collection of children’s books, “pure, imaginative contemplation,” a practice familiar to children when they play with soap bubbles, watercolours, magic lantern projectors – games where colours are transparent. “Their magic lies not in the colour object or in the mere dead colour, but in the colour glow, the colour brilliance, the ray of colour light.” This brilliance, colour, and reflective glow returns in Benjamin’s fiery neon pool.
WEST 8 – Santa Giulia-Italia
Creating of communal gardens within the oval shaped built areas, the park provides links between several urban areas and with its gently undulating and decorative surface, offers a green oasis within the overall development. The enclosed area in the decorative surface gives a simple barrier as a enclosing space of personal when going in.
Picture above are the installation of artwork by artist Anish Kapor in Washington, DC.
The primary shape is a bean nut, made of aluminium which is very huge called cloud gate, because it reflect the surrounding of area. Inside this artwork is more interesting where the ceiling is blur and the shadow reflect in this area become amaze and interesting for the people.
Meditative is also Awareness related with the preparation of a place, of a preparation entering one place. It is related with the link way of the block, how in engaging the block become one in a whole landscape.
DESIGN APPROACH
Based on the site specific and the research related the thesis topic, will be examine further in developing the idea into the site specific. Meditative area which is figure out from the concept of the Hinduism concept and elaborated into the meditative area.
Meditative area which is has a very broad meaning will be implant in a specific manner to solve the problem in the site area.
1. Invite the block as a part of the landscape as an active elements
The building of HDB block and its landscape is actually not well-connected, whereas not the building is very passive within the environment.
How to engage the building become active with the environment is one way in approaching to create unity the environment. To make this building become active is by treat the block as an artwork in the landscape. The building where is very much high enclosed the space inside, from outside is look alike a gate, the perception of gate emerge based on the shape of the huge of this block and human inhabitant always enter and exit through in between area. Therefore it engaged the block as a gate have another of perception as a border entering inside within the different aura and purpose within outer area. The gate itself will be developed in the area of the two blocks as a barrier of entrance or exit, where someone come in they will feel different when whether entering and exit from this space.
2. Circulation inside the block more active as a link way
The passage of the surrounding is very static and stiff, the circulation as a path where people coming in has an impact as a horizontal way. Curve shape of the circulation dominate the whole of circulation it caused a more dynamic link way, the other reason is where the passage dominate with the big distance of passage to the smaller distance of passage is has a purpose to narrow down the view which mean also narrow down the emotion as awareness before entering the space.
3. Amphitheater as the silent space will represent as a meditative area.
Amphitheater as the most silent space should be more activated as a place for meditative in quietness and elaborated this space with the cooperation with material.
The approaches is by adjust this space based on what people doing in here, where some people used this space for tai chi and just sitting down to relaxation.
The material surrounded where the in front of this stage is there are a tall building which is very high and has a form of height will be developed it to become a way where our eyes will captured this.
4. Embrace the space within meditative aura by elaborate the experience of meditative in some activity area.
Another space where it is crowded need to implant the concept of the building where it stills a meditative space whether in crowded space.
CONCLUSION
Meditative and reflective need enclosed place where people coming in and feel they has a private zone.
Enclosed place is a place whether enclose our body and also our mind. And feel some experience of it.
Describing and examining the purpose of the meditative and reflective in this area of landscape. The purpose is meditative, where it is means that someone need personal zone, in every function of this block give one of the meditative experiences. Where each places are not using in a whole 24 hours circle, but sometimes in the late night old people or other people using it, because they want to have a privacy and personal places.
Landscape as the part of the building not merely gives a space that people just joining for a physically pleasure but also intellectual pleasure. The gain of meditative and reflective is not easy to capture by people, it depends of their level of maturates.
Meditative as the way back to retrace our self and our mind, meditative need a place where it enveloped and can embrace them to knowing their self to feel save. Save to relax save in doing anything (awareness). Meditative space is a space where someone can engage their mind to one thing, it not just when they alone, it is possible happen in the crowded area, where their mind is concentrating in one thing like in the IT movie.
Detail some experiences:
- Water with the reflection in the amphitheater.
- Narrow view to the something, where it is inducing our view to get concentration.
- weather of the place where they can enjoyed the space when it is one’s happening (the illuminating of sunset)
- enclosed space by using the sequences of wood or the huge size of material to make unsettling experience before they get the inner of consciousness
- Enclosed place, where some kids or people like to have their personal space like for reading, or everything.
February 29, 2008 at 11:57 am
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