PROJECT 1 - INDIVIDUAL E-JOURNAL
Community Service Initiative module (CSI) is a compulsory MPU4 subject, in which students are required to pass in order to graduate. In School of Architecture, Building and Design, CSI will continue the traditional teaching and learning method in Architectures, that is learning by integrating theories with design practice. Students are required to incorporate the theory they have learned at school into real life environment and problems. The intention is to reveal the students to the real community and work together as a team for architectural, culture and environmental enhancing activities in the communities of different social economic status and social groups.
Week 1 - Grouping, Site Visit
The first week is about letting us to know the things that we need to do, the budget, time management, commitment and so on. Based on a group of 8, we chose Tan Yang from our group as a leader, the rest of us are Jyia Whey, Zhi Chang, Wen Han, Ching Wern, Jia Min and Xuan Hui. Besides, we chose DiverseCity Project and our site will be at Sri Tioman 1, Taman Melawati.
After we did our time arrangement, we went to the site on 31 march to have on-site observation and a few of interviews about what they need. From there, we saw some graffiti with indecent graphics and words, unhygienic surrounding because of littering, lack of clotheshorse for them to hang their clothes, lack of wayfinding to let newcomer know the direction, lack of doorplate to indicate their identity, lack of place to have proper leisure activities and so on.
Week 2 - Pegboard, Interview
After we did our on-site observation, we believed that environment can affect one’s feelings, emotions and decisions that we make. We were thinking that we need to improve the environment of site to improve their life and give them a bright future.
On 7 April, part of our group members went there to measure the site, look for potential site to improve, install the pegboard to let them express their feelings through drawing, as well as interact with children. After we went back, we had a small discussion and we made some questions for them to interview.
On 8 April, part of our group members went there and had some interviews with the aunties and children at there. Besides, we also shared some ideas with the community to let them know about our feelings toward the site. It was quite a wonderful day to have some interaction with kind aunties and cute children.
Week 3 - Discussion, Thinking Concept
After the third site visit, part of our group members went to Tommy Le Baker with some main members of PPR, ZLG Design and Datin to have a discussion at there.
After my group mates came back, we tried to convey and exchange our own feelings toward the site and tried to use the feelings to do some meaningful proposals for the community to improve their life. From the interview, the aunties told us that the children need a place for having leisure activities, so we tried to study the potential to have a playscape at there.
After a few days, we came out with a concept which is a “Modular playscape” to emphasise the leisure can be at everywhere.
Week 4 - 1st Tutorial, Design
During this week, we had our first tutorial and we showed our concept to our own tutor – Ms Lee Sze Ee and she provided us some useful ideas to enhance our concept. Besides, we translated our concept to design and we kept doing our proposal that needed to be shown on 25 April at ZLG Design.
Week 5 - Proposal at ZLG
We hustled to finish a decent proposal to show at ZLG Design. During the proposal meeting, we heard about a lot of interesting, meaningful and wonderful concept from other’s group, some of them tried to do wayfinding, some of them tried to do landscape, it encouraged us to keep working on it and gave us some different inspiration.
Week 6 - Refining Design, Finding Material, Sponsor
We kept on refining our design and we tended to use crate as our material to build the modular playscape. Thus we tried to find sponsors, ways to build it and figured the construction details. Besides, we also did a design proposal for submission.
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Week 7 - Finding Sponsor, Testing Materials
During this week, we submitted our design proposal, kept on finding for sponsorship and used a crate to test the durability and potential of it.
Week 8 - Combining 2 groups, Task Distribution
After our submission, some groups were allocated to other’s group to assist them. Arina’s group was allocated to our group to assist us.
We did a task distribution table to separate each work and minimize the task load of us. Arina, Melisa and I were taking graphic design, the main task of it is about collaging the images, rendering the playscape on site and designing a “cookie” for final review.
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Week 9 - Testing Construction Method
As we could not find sponsor, so we bought some crates and we tried 2 methods of constructing and combining the crates, which are using cable tie to tie it to minimize the work and using bot, nut and steel plate to join it. At the end, we decided to use bot, nut and steel plate to combine it because this is more stable.
Week 10 - Final Presentation, Installation, Removing Brand, Filming
Before the final presentation, we had a small discussion about the tasks that we need to do at the final presentation and we did a “cookie” for expressing our ideas.
At the final presentation, we removed the brand of the crates by scrubbing and clearing. Then after our leader presented, we started constructing the playscape. Besides, we also filmed at there for final video submission.
We removed the brand from crates.
REFLECTION
I am very proud and honored to be a part of this Community Service Initiative (CSI) project. It lets me feel that I am very blessed, let me appreciate the things that I have and let me know that we can’t take things for granted.
Besides, it lets me know about the precious of being simple and pure. The residents at there might not have the quality lifestyle, but they know how to use a positive mind to deal with their life, even the kids do it too. So it is quite an iconic thing for us as we have the sources and keys to be positive and happy, but most of us are negative and struggling in our life.
