Second Life: Final Design

Sun rise changes colour of the floor. Walls and door remain glowing.


Photo of an image used to inspire my office design, hung on the wall.


Sun set may be enjoyed when sitting on the chair as it faces the West. Door on the far right opens and closes when touched, using the script provided from Second Life Wiki.


Texture used on chair, office table and bench was from one of the photographs found in the Arquitectura Y Urbanismo journal researched before. It enhances the idea of movement with its repetition of parallel vertical lines. Laptop on office table shows the front page of my Second Life blog. The website will be revealed when the avatar touches the laptop.


Walls extend into the mountain, obtaining support from it. My office design stands out in the dark.

Second Life: Process

Decided to vary the texture and transparency of the walls. Still keeping with the geometric shapes - mostly triangles.


Finally made some furnitures. The curved bench gives a sense of movement. Journals displayed.


Added script. When an avatar touches the journals, they will be prompted to load the URL of their individual blog entry.


Made desk and chair. The desk really draws the eye along its vertices. Desk is facing the West, where the sun sets.

Second Life: Textures

Made a wall to try out some textures. Texture 1 didn't work out as well as I hoped. I wanted it to blend it more with the base.

Much better. It has the geometric detail that I wanted. Some parts are transparent, which will allow visitors to enjoy views.

Second Life: Base

Made a base for my office. Liking how the base twists and creates geometric patterns. The texture makes the base look like it's a cloud surrounding the peak. This is enhance the idea of floating in midair. I like how the peak "breaks" through the base and contrasts with the clear texture, but not sure what to with it.

Second Life: Views

These are snapshots of views from my office throughout the day.

Sunrise

Midday

Sunset

Night

Second Life: Regional Studies

Vol 39, No. 9 2005

Regional Studies is a leading international journal in theoretical development, empirical analysis and policy debate in the multi- and inter-disciplinary field of regional studies. The journal invites established and upcoming scholars to submit agenda-setting work focusing on economic, environmental, political and social change aspects of regional (subnational) development and policy-making. Regional Studies is a central forum for debating the most recent results from research on regional development and policy-making from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Regional Studies

Like Indoor and Built Environment, all Regional Studies journals are also article-based, with rarely any images. I found a website with all the articles of Regional Studies online.

The Futures of the City Region

I looked through the list of articles and the majority are about growth of population, development, etc. This article caught my attention - The Futures of the City Region, as it is more relevant to me. It talks about the growth in urbanisation.

To incorporate Regional Studies into my office design, I would like to use patterns and textures that shows movement to show growth in my office. This would go well with the geometric detail idea from the first journal.

Second Life: Indoor and Built Environment

Vol 15, Issue 4 2006

In contrast to my first journal, all issues of the Indoor and Built Environment journals are filled with articles and rarely any images. Its articles are more on the technical side of architecture with concerns about human health, climate change, sustainability, safety, etc.




I found the latest issue, June 2010, Volume 19, No. 3, online and was very interested in the article titled Lessons Learnt from Natural Disasters - Shelters and the Built Environment.

Lessons Learnt from Natural Disasters - Shelters and the Built Environment -- Yu et al. 19 (3): 307 -- Indoor and Built Environment

This article lists the major natural disasters of the past ten years. They were mostly because the infrastructures were inadequate to withstand the damages caused.

With my office being on the peak of a mountain, there will be more wind pressure and it might be fragile in the event of an earthquake due to the small thickness at the mountain peak. Hence I will be extra cautious to make sure my office will be strong to withhold any live loads and have a strong structural support system.

Second Life: Arquitectura Y Urbanismo

No. 1 2003

Arquitectura Y Urbanismo includes works on subjects of the different scales from design: territorial, urban, architectonic, industrial and graphical, as well as on the relations between the visual arts and the constructed atmosphere.

It dedicates special attention to the results of investigations related to the problems of habitat, the recovery of the built patrimony and the atmosphere constructed in the developing countries.

The magazine publishes resulting articles of works of investigation, critical valuations or reflections about projects and of the constructed reality. Also journalistic works are included: reviews of trips, projects, of exhibitions, information on professional events and other academic events, and other information related to the profile of the magazine. In addition, opinions are received (and they can be published) on the published materials or any aspect that stimulate the compatible development of the thought in the urban-architectonic field and branches.

NewJour

I went to look for my journals in the Architecture Library and collected the latest ones they have on the shelves. The content of Arquitectura Y Urbanismo is all in Spanish. The title translates to 'architecture and urbanism'.

The index, the only page with English on it, caught my attention. This journal contains some interesting article topics, such as:

1. Trinidad and the Valle de Ios Ingenios. An outline of sustainable hadling in places of small scale
2. San Isidro de Ios Destiladeros. Site revealing the past
3. Caibarien. Domestic architecture and identity
4. Rural housing in Cuba. Reflections and solutions

I believe that a big office doesn't necessarily equal a good office. Big is not beautiful. Therefore I would like to incorporate my personal minimalistic style and design a small office which also fits its purpose well.

Taringa! - Revistas de Arquitectura (actualizado 19 de Mayo 2010)

I found more recent journal covers ranged from May to August 2007. I decided to look through the May issue.

Page 13

Page 24

Page 32

Page 35

Page 49

Page 51

Those photos caught my attention. I was drawn to all the amazing geometric details of the structures.





As I looked for more images relating to Arquitectura Y Urbanismo, the images had a common theme. It might have just been a coincidence, but all of the structures shown had very similar yet unique geometric detailing as the photos found in the May issue.

It is interesting how some geometric details have an orderly pattern, whilst others are just random. But yet both style are equally powerful.

Second Life: Journals

The office I design will also function to educate my colleagues about 3 journals from the Architecture Library. I have been allocated with Arquitectura Y Urbanismo, Indoor and Built Environment and Regional Studies.

Second Life: Location

I decided to build my office at the peak of the mountain so visitors will be able to enjoy panoramic view of the island, with minimal obstructions. When visiting my office, visitors will also be able to experience the feeling of floating in mid air.