Grace Ong Yan

Architectural Historian | Educator | Designer

SITE + GAMES

Grace Ong Yan taught sophomore design studio at the university at buffalo which was focused on the problem of site & activity. For site to become a generative tool for design its qualities must be interpretable. One way to interpret the site is by engaging it through tools. This suggests a system of rules, represented by the tool, that are mapped onto the site. Students engaged in representational forms of mapping the plan, site plan and site model. The architectural program was a games facility. The choices were as follows: Archery Club, Crew/Sculling Club, Equestrian Club, Golf Club, Skateboarding Club

Games are events that engage and reshape the landscape. They inscribe themselves onto a site through their rules of play. In addition they use unique tools (bows, arrows, targets, oars, boats, reins, horses, clubs, boards etc.) that enhance and extend the human body’s capabilities. Students explored the different relationships between the body, tools and landscape through drawings, tools and models. Based upon these investigations a site-specific facility for the game was designed.

SITE + GAMES, SOPHOMORE STUDIO

Grace Ong Yan taught sophomore design studio to SUNY at Buffalo B.Arch. students. This studio focused on the problem of site and how architecture is shaped by activity. students engaged in forms of mapping the plan, site plan, and site model as representations. Games are events that engage and reshape the landscape. They inscribe themselves into a site through rules of play. Tools are used- bows, arrows, targets, oars, boats, reins, horses, etc. Tools that enhance and extend the human body's capabilities. students explored the different relationships between the body, tools, and landscape through drawings, tools, and models. based upon these investigations, a site-specific facility for the game was designed. Here, we see projects based on rowing and Archery.

Project 1: Student project based on rowing, resulting in a rowing facility as the final architectural intervention.

Proejct 1: Analysis of rowing tools and human body relationship with rowing.

Project 1: Conceptual Plexiglas model of rowing facility

Project 2: Analytical drawing of archery tools

Project 2: Analysis of human movements while performing archery

Mixed media drawing of early design for a human catapult device

Project 2: Mixed media drawing of measurements of archery demonstration

Project 2: Final model of archery facility

Project 3: Drawing of facility based on archery

Project 3: Analytical study model based on archery