Hongmin Liu
When preparing for the graduation project of the final year, I reviewed two works that had a profound impact on my works from freshman year to junior year:
The first is the TEC+AUG project, the Y3 project. In the process of research, I understand that the application of high-tech elements can make space’s function become more diversified. The application of technology stuff can improve people’s working efficiency in the space and make people more comfortable and convenient. It is very funny to consider add technology in an area, making this space attractive.
Secondly, SMALL SPECIALIST SHOP is a very interesting project as well. This is a retail project in the second year of my study at the Glasgow School of Art. Through analyzed some theoretical approaches to retail and explored how as designers our consideration of the users can influence how we design, I realized that the advantage of a retail store over online shopping is that it can actually interact with human activity. Shopping online indeed very convenient, but it also makes people reluctant to go outside. In this project, I noticed that as an interior designer, it is a good choice to create a retail store by applying some interaction of human senses, such as a sense of touching, smelling, tasting, and so on.
Therefore, how can I create an interior that applies intelligent technology to space and making a positive impact on people’s lives has become the topic I want to explore and study in the final year.
GREEN HOUSE- A Retail of Tomorrow
GREEN HOUSE- Functional Division
When I was working on this project, Glasgow was affected by Covid-19, and many people were locked into their homes, feeling unhappy or frustrated. So I got to thinking: when do people feel better at home? ”
Humans have a close relationship with nature, and so integrating the natural world into indoor space could effectively increase people’s engagement with nature, and this, in turn, may benefit their health and comfort. Indoor plants have also been shown to have an indirect unconscious psychological effect on task performance, health, and levels of stress. Indoor plants can act as indoor air purifiers, they are an effective way to reduce pollutants indoors to reduce human exposure, and have been widely studied in this regard. Indoor plants have potential applications in people’s health and comfort. Making full use of various effects in plants benefits human health and comfort.” After talking to my friends and research, I came to the conclusion that seeing plants makes people feel lighter. I think it is essential to do some plant research. So I went online and collected some information about houseplants. From https://www.thompson-morgan.com/houseplants, I understand that different plants have different needs for the environment. There are lots of types of indoor plants. I divided the plants into four types: light-loving type, hanging type, semi-shade-loving type, and shade-loving type. Using this website as a standard, I imagine that the GREENHOUSE will display about 79 kinds of plants. Through development, I think the keyword [climate] can be used as a highlight of the indoor zoning. Different plants need different environments. There is 4 display area in the space. I think the cloud would be a good starting point. It is worth mentioning that citizens can feel the area changing when people walking in the space.
Technology has played a big role in shaping the current society and its surroundings. It has affected every aspect of human life and one of them is space in the field of architecture and interior design. As technology changes, so do the practice of architecture and interior design. Previously, without technology, the value of architecture lies in the process of crafting experience in a space. But, nowadays, with the technology, the value has changed into privileging the visual aesthetics of the space or described as visual architecture. Technology opens the door to the future. It is one of the main essences that shape and change the way society behaves, as well as transcends the surrounding to suit the way society lives. Nowadays, the effect of technology has reached almost every level of society, and one of them is modern building technology. It has great implications in the creation of space in both architecture and interior design. The forms, materials, tools, and functions of the architecture evolve because of the resources that are available in the environment. The need for stronger materials to create shelter and suitable types of materials to craft the atmosphere for different functions has pushed the tool and building technology to an advanced level too. With the application of advanced materials and technologies, humans are able to generate unique experiences which would enrich the physical and psychological experience in architecture.
GREEN HOUSE- Intro
This project will seek to create a harmony between nature and technology, two categories that conventionally are usually thought of as being opposites. Yet, it is also arguable that people require both to be properly connected and also to have good physical and mental health so that they can prosper. Today, there is much talk of ‘green therapy’ and having access to natural foliage and flowers is therefore arguably a crucial part of the mix for successful modern living.
In my view, it will be very interesting that exploring the relationship between high-tech elements with people and space, considering how I make the combination between technology and natural elements in a space.
GREEN HOUSE- Journal
GREEN HOUSE- Portfolio
GREEN HOUSE- PORTFOLIO
GREEN HOUSE is a plant retail store, located in Glasgow's city center. In this project, I focus on analyzing the customers’ walking experience in the space. The design concept of Green House is to provide a green space where customers feel relaxed while visiting flowers or plants, relieving the fatigue caused by walking pressure in the merchant city.
GREEN HOUSE- Site Research: Cafe Nero
As for the site, I did a bit of research on the Internet and finally settled on a small cafe in the center of Glasgow. This personal project is a remodeling project. When I decided that the project would be about the concept of technology, I thought it would be interesting to choose some old buildings and try to see how the new elements of technology in the interior would contrast with the original elements of the building. From the preliminary research of this project, I understand that the building is a Neo-Gothic style building brought by Victorian architects. Previously, the building housed offices on the second floor, and the ground floor was used as a ticket office and entrance to the subway station. The subway first opened in 1896. It is a small, historic A-list building. The original Enoch subway ticket office is one of the most beautiful and iconic buildings in Glasgow. Externally, it is a standalone building on Enoch Square. The building is square in shape, with windows on all four sides and a sloping roof. The distinctive feature of the building is a distinctive cylinder at each corner, supported by the feature of the building is a distinctive cylinder at each corner, supported by slotted pilaster bars. As for the material, the use of red-brown polished stone as the decorative wall looks very comfortable, unified, and elegant. The most important reason for me to choose this place is the process of structural change of the building. As can be seen from Figure 3, the ground floor can go straight to the underground. With the development of technology, the ticket office of the subway was gradually moved from the underground, the opening of the first floor was filled in, and the building was abandoned and now turned into a coffee shop. I think this historical background is related to the technology theme of my project which both of them have relationships with the development of technology, so I choose this place.
