Sami's Sketchbook

M+ Museum seems to its end part of construction in West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD). The entire WKCD district, sited on a reclaimed land from harbour and schemed as specialized cultural zone, went through a fabulous masterplan competetion when I arrived Hoing Kong as an urban design student. Obviously it caught much of my attention, and predominantly when three giant architecture offices…

Weekends are passed in exploring watercolour. This time two quick drawings just in seating room.

Our red Chinese calligraphy mug stars again. 

  And a bunch of flowers at the corner of the room.

Lunchtime at Science Park

Lunchtime at Science Park

Watercolour has always amused me! From very beginning I have been a good sketcher in pencil and later pen n ink. Long before studying architecture, I can confidently express my observations and design thoughts into various lines of pen and pencil. But it was the mystery of watercolour, the the blend, tranquillity and bleed of colour in this media that is magical. Traditional Chinese ink washes or…

It’s no more new fact that Hong Kong is a tightly knitted city. Both the presence of people and buildings are strongly suggestive to this idea.

This close-knitted built form on one hand is subject to discussion in urbanism, but on other hand provides lots of interesting frames in daily experience.

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I have grown up in a small but busy riverine town very close to the capital city of Bangladesh. The township Narayanganj, by location and size is almost like a suburb of megacity Dhaka, but it has it’s own strong trait of economy and development; in some cases it even overpowers the capital.

Narayanganj’s settlement got significance much before Dhaka started its central role under the Mughals.…

Those invincible lines

  Anf few more doodles

Old Sketchbook: A Break a Cube

At the very first year of my study in architecture school, second half spent negotiating three dimensional composition and understanding of 3D forms.

On process we got a very interesting project: ‘To Break a Cube’; how we interpret this platonic solid (a 9x9x9 inch3), in terms of breaking it; media or material were free to think. The output among our classmates were interesting and diverse:…

It was to my young mind’s term an ‘ideal city’, with least knowledge of urban design and planning theories.

Without much knowing, it intended to few design and planning approaches: zoning, transportation artery, city centre, CBD, landmarks etc.

The imaginary town can seen grew-up flanking a major highway/express-way. The two parts are connected by overpass or underpasses. A elevated rail-line  cut through it with two stations: minor one at residential block and major one aside business district, unsure of it is a lightrail or transit one. Natural or man-made  lakes works as the edge and buffer between different districts. While the whole town has been edged by a secondary avenue on right (east? or north?), the rail track on left, and minor road and few service buildings on both top and bottom for future extension.

Much of my fun now I discover there were five sectors in this imaginary city (or rather call a town), although never heard of Corbusier: – An entertainment district with stadium, museum, amusement park, library, shopping mall, town-centre and most probably a mini-zoo. – A residential neighbourhood, along with a central mosque, Eidgah-cum-playground (strangely with an electric-plant). – A central business district, with offices highrises. – A so-called posh residential area with bunglows (was real-strategies in mind?). – The fifth sector is a bit mixed and confused: a central bus terminus,  a college campus, courthouse and tv station.

Residential District

Business District

Leisure & Anciliary District

Being crazy I planned to model each of the buildings for that board game. Remember, it was far before I entered architecture school or much away urban design.

How it would be now to look at this master-plan, with me as an architect and urban designer? Let’s see very quick: – Zoning must be mixed; but academic (college) should be closer to residential and bundled with institutional zone (museum, library etc.) – There should be distinctive express train and feeder light-rail; an central station for long-distant transit and connected to feeder light-rail track; – Multimodal station / transporation-interchange. Bus terminus, light-rail and transit train are grouped. – The highway/expressway shouldn’t pierce the town in middle costing its integrety, rather on one edge with business district on front.- A little bit more density (say 3/4 storey) for the residential block to serve better infrastructure. – Electrical plant relocated. – Need of a robust, identical town square. – ?

Few peek and sneak in urban texture and scenario in Hong Kong

SketchDaily : “It’s Rainy in Hong Kong”

An imaginary street-scape, but mostly representative; drawn in one rainy afternoon, in playing watercolour with my four and half year old boy:

One week later, retuned few details with pen.

Meanwhile, my boy Aanas’s works :)

“Rectangle TV with dots” – Aanas

“Birthday Cake with Ten Candles” – Aanas

“The Five Colour Flower” -Aanas