Hello world,
I have a website now..It's www.studioalvasondakh.com.
It's still under development, though, hehehehe....
Just wait for it, world.
Cheers.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wale Wenny is on the way...
Hello world,
Remember the last post? The one that mentions about the advertisement I put on the local newspaper? Yes, I got one hit!!!
Well, actually there were 4 hits, but the other three didn't work very well.
One of the three was a potential project to design a restaurant complex complete with its landscape and interior design, but that didn't go through, because the owner couldn''t cope with the design fee I ask. Am I too expensive? Well, I think not, compared to his one shopping Mall, one hotel and resort...I think he's just too cheap. But, only God knows what will happen next.
The BIG HIT is a project to design a house in Tomohon. The client is a businessman, selling Cloves(?) to cigarette companies (at least that the impression I get when I went to his house, we never really talked about it anyway). It's a medium sized house, only 4 bedrooms (1 is for their housemaid). We signed an agreement earlier this week, but he still not make the first payment to start off the project.
I want to post some images, but let's just wait until the official date to start the project, OK!...
Just wait for it world,
Cheers,
Alva
PS. By the way, the project is called Wale Wenny...
Remember the last post? The one that mentions about the advertisement I put on the local newspaper? Yes, I got one hit!!!
Well, actually there were 4 hits, but the other three didn't work very well.
One of the three was a potential project to design a restaurant complex complete with its landscape and interior design, but that didn't go through, because the owner couldn''t cope with the design fee I ask. Am I too expensive? Well, I think not, compared to his one shopping Mall, one hotel and resort...I think he's just too cheap. But, only God knows what will happen next.
The BIG HIT is a project to design a house in Tomohon. The client is a businessman, selling Cloves(?) to cigarette companies (at least that the impression I get when I went to his house, we never really talked about it anyway). It's a medium sized house, only 4 bedrooms (1 is for their housemaid). We signed an agreement earlier this week, but he still not make the first payment to start off the project.
I want to post some images, but let's just wait until the official date to start the project, OK!...
Just wait for it world,
Cheers,
Alva
PS. By the way, the project is called Wale Wenny...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
ruang will be ruang13
Hello world,
It's kinda weird to have a url of "ruang13", but having "ruang" as its title. So, I'm changing the title to "ruang13" instead. I hope it will last.
O yes, if you're wondering what the hell am I doing right now, well, I currently in the process of beginning a work on constructing a Waste Water Garden System in TP Resort. That's right, I'm constructing...That will be a new experience for me, to build...
One more thing, I now have a legal Architects Office, it's called CV. STUDIO ALVA SONDAKH. And you wonder where did I get the name for it, hahaha...I already made an advertisement in a local newspaper, I hope people will start to take notice on me, and more projects coming in..Let's hope for the best.
More news to come.
Cheers,
Alva
It's kinda weird to have a url of "ruang13", but having "ruang" as its title. So, I'm changing the title to "ruang13" instead. I hope it will last.
O yes, if you're wondering what the hell am I doing right now, well, I currently in the process of beginning a work on constructing a Waste Water Garden System in TP Resort. That's right, I'm constructing...That will be a new experience for me, to build...
One more thing, I now have a legal Architects Office, it's called CV. STUDIO ALVA SONDAKH. And you wonder where did I get the name for it, hahaha...I already made an advertisement in a local newspaper, I hope people will start to take notice on me, and more projects coming in..Let's hope for the best.
More news to come.
Cheers,
Alva
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Wale Ni Apo - After a While....
Hello world,
I had a pleasant surprise last week. I met a man, a long-time-no-see friend. He's the supervising manager for a building project which I designed a few years ago. The surprise came to me when he told me that the building I designed is scheduled to be inaugurated in April 12th...O woow!! I just couldn't believe what I was hearing...Really?!?...
"You should go there before the inauguration", he said...
So, I went there the day after we met. I brought my cameras and took some pictures.
This was taken in front of it at the entrance road,
Ladies and gentlemen of the world, meet "Wale Ni Apo". This is a Church for the "GMIM Sion Perak Sorong" Congregation. "Wale Ni Apo" itself is a Minahasan for "House of God".
Before this building, there was an older church standing on the site. The client, which was represented by the Head Committee for Development, asked me to design a new building which can accommodate more people, about 500 people from the existing 300 people capacity.
To accommodate that many people the space of the church needed to be enlarge 2 meters sideways. That enlargement created an almost square floor shape, which was a problem if the design incorporated two towers as in the old building. But if no towers incorporated, how could you create a feeling of grandeur to a church? So, I came up with a design with a high pitch roof. I'm not sure in what degree of pitch, but the top of the roof stands almost 22 metres for the ground. I once stood on top of it, and believe me it is HIGH!!
Another problem came with that design. It is too bulky! Even if I wanted to create a grandeur posture for the church but I just didn't and don't like any bulkiness. So I sunk in the roof in between the roof trusses.
Like this (this is the initial rendering of the building),
Okay, you probably wonder how empty the space in that building is...Well, don't worry, I designed something that will, well, surprise you. I designed a series of concrete trusses to fill in that empty space beneath the roof. What?!? Concrete trusses...Yeah, you read it right..
It's like this (rendered image),
and like this (almost 180 degrees shot),
Actually, no photography can describe the quality of space of this building...Man, you should come and feel the sensation.
But anyway, I made this design back in 2003, when I was in my fifth year in school. I was very fortunate to have a client that trusted me so dearly. They had a very strong confident in a very very green Architecture student...(if you all wonder how strong that structure is, well, not to worry, I've done my homework by hiring a Structural Engineer to design all its structure, hehehe)
The client also had a very flexible budget. Because obviously, the budget was not in the hand of one person or one consortium, but it was in the hand of a congregation of 500-750 people. They had a special "donation box" every week for every donation for this building.
Isn't wonderful how Architecture is build by a community? Up to this day I never involved in any similar project again...
I also had a very strong and deep involvement in this building. After the design was approved, the construction began in 2004. I was involved in its construction from the day the first foundation stone was laid to the ground. I nurtured this building in almost daily basis (because I had to go to school, remember?). I watched the concrete trusses formed, and I even climbed up to the highest spot of this building...
Man, what an experience...
By the way, during the design phase, the client wanted a tower for the building. O wow! It gave me quite a headache that time. Where do I put a tower in that already designed concrete trusses? I had an inspiration from some of the churches in Manado which use a very light steel tower but have a strong appearance to it. So I made it, I designed a very light chromed pipe tower, and resulted in a strong balance for the bulky building under it.
In 2005, the construction process went into hiatus time due to the internal matter among the commitee member which I don't really care anyway. At that time, the main structure of the building was completed, all the walls were standing, the roof was completed, but without any windows, any doors, and any interior apparatus (no ceiling, no lighting, etc)...
I felt satisified at that time, feeling proud that a "I-couldn't-believe-that-this-is-buildable" Architecture has finally had its existence.
I left that project during that hiatus time, finishing my Architectural degree, and went all over the place doing architecture. During that time, I heard the news that in 2007 they started again, finishing what once started. As a passer by, I witnessed that building got its color, got its accesories, while always worried everytime an earthquake shook Manado (hehehe, it's humane I think)...
So, here it is now in 2009, 6 years after its inception, finally it is standing on its own, proud to serve its users to worship the creator of all things...
360 degrees panoramic view
Google Earth Location
Regards,
Alva
I had a pleasant surprise last week. I met a man, a long-time-no-see friend. He's the supervising manager for a building project which I designed a few years ago. The surprise came to me when he told me that the building I designed is scheduled to be inaugurated in April 12th...O woow!! I just couldn't believe what I was hearing...Really?!?...
"You should go there before the inauguration", he said...
So, I went there the day after we met. I brought my cameras and took some pictures.
This was taken in front of it at the entrance road,
Ladies and gentlemen of the world, meet "Wale Ni Apo". This is a Church for the "GMIM Sion Perak Sorong" Congregation. "Wale Ni Apo" itself is a Minahasan for "House of God".
Before this building, there was an older church standing on the site. The client, which was represented by the Head Committee for Development, asked me to design a new building which can accommodate more people, about 500 people from the existing 300 people capacity.
To accommodate that many people the space of the church needed to be enlarge 2 meters sideways. That enlargement created an almost square floor shape, which was a problem if the design incorporated two towers as in the old building. But if no towers incorporated, how could you create a feeling of grandeur to a church? So, I came up with a design with a high pitch roof. I'm not sure in what degree of pitch, but the top of the roof stands almost 22 metres for the ground. I once stood on top of it, and believe me it is HIGH!!
Another problem came with that design. It is too bulky! Even if I wanted to create a grandeur posture for the church but I just didn't and don't like any bulkiness. So I sunk in the roof in between the roof trusses.
Like this (this is the initial rendering of the building),
Okay, you probably wonder how empty the space in that building is...Well, don't worry, I designed something that will, well, surprise you. I designed a series of concrete trusses to fill in that empty space beneath the roof. What?!? Concrete trusses...Yeah, you read it right..
It's like this (rendered image),
and like this (almost 180 degrees shot),
Actually, no photography can describe the quality of space of this building...Man, you should come and feel the sensation.
But anyway, I made this design back in 2003, when I was in my fifth year in school. I was very fortunate to have a client that trusted me so dearly. They had a very strong confident in a very very green Architecture student...(if you all wonder how strong that structure is, well, not to worry, I've done my homework by hiring a Structural Engineer to design all its structure, hehehe)
The client also had a very flexible budget. Because obviously, the budget was not in the hand of one person or one consortium, but it was in the hand of a congregation of 500-750 people. They had a special "donation box" every week for every donation for this building.
Isn't wonderful how Architecture is build by a community? Up to this day I never involved in any similar project again...
I also had a very strong and deep involvement in this building. After the design was approved, the construction began in 2004. I was involved in its construction from the day the first foundation stone was laid to the ground. I nurtured this building in almost daily basis (because I had to go to school, remember?). I watched the concrete trusses formed, and I even climbed up to the highest spot of this building...
Man, what an experience...
By the way, during the design phase, the client wanted a tower for the building. O wow! It gave me quite a headache that time. Where do I put a tower in that already designed concrete trusses? I had an inspiration from some of the churches in Manado which use a very light steel tower but have a strong appearance to it. So I made it, I designed a very light chromed pipe tower, and resulted in a strong balance for the bulky building under it.
In 2005, the construction process went into hiatus time due to the internal matter among the commitee member which I don't really care anyway. At that time, the main structure of the building was completed, all the walls were standing, the roof was completed, but without any windows, any doors, and any interior apparatus (no ceiling, no lighting, etc)...
I felt satisified at that time, feeling proud that a "I-couldn't-believe-that-this-is-buildable" Architecture has finally had its existence.
I left that project during that hiatus time, finishing my Architectural degree, and went all over the place doing architecture. During that time, I heard the news that in 2007 they started again, finishing what once started. As a passer by, I witnessed that building got its color, got its accesories, while always worried everytime an earthquake shook Manado (hehehe, it's humane I think)...
So, here it is now in 2009, 6 years after its inception, finally it is standing on its own, proud to serve its users to worship the creator of all things...
360 degrees panoramic view
Google Earth LocationRegards,
Alva
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Bleaching the Architecture
Hello world,
These are Photographic Criticism about Manado and Architecture in general. They started with a question "What will happen if you Bleach the Architecture?"
Manado Town Square
Mega Mall Manado and Megamas Business Area
These are Photographic Criticism about Manado and Architecture in general. They started with a question "What will happen if you Bleach the Architecture?"
Manado Town Square
Mega Mall Manado and Megamas Business AreaRoland Barthes once wrote about The Death of The Author, and for these photographic criticism I will be the author and cease to speak or write a textual criticism.
I will hand it over to you world, so please contribute your Textual Criticism as a complement to these images.
And here's the deal, you can use these images in any publications of your Textual Criticism, and in return, I will use your text as complementary to any publications of these images.
With your name and mine acknowledged of course. All copyrights remain solely to you and me.
If you feel like to contribute, please email me, or directly give comments for this posting, and I will post your comment in a new posting.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Alva
PS. This post first appears in tinutuan-manado.blogspot.com with the same content as this one..
I will hand it over to you world, so please contribute your Textual Criticism as a complement to these images.
And here's the deal, you can use these images in any publications of your Textual Criticism, and in return, I will use your text as complementary to any publications of these images.
With your name and mine acknowledged of course. All copyrights remain solely to you and me.
If you feel like to contribute, please email me, or directly give comments for this posting, and I will post your comment in a new posting.
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Alva
PS. This post first appears in tinutuan-manado.blogspot.com with the same content as this one..
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Asrama Mahasiswa Sulut in Malang
Hello world,
Here it is, the surprise project I told you about before, "Asrama Mahasiswa Sulut in Malang", or roughly translated as "North Sulawesi Student Dormatory in Malang". It is formally a project for the Government of North Sulawesi. But, you can't find any formal recognition for me as the architect for this project. This is due to the bureaucracy of the Government which I should not write about here...SSHhh, it's government secret..
OK, the brief for the project was, "We need 30 bedrooms, 1 hall, and some supporting rooms. We need them to be 2 storeys on a 1200m2 plot of land. We want them to be in Minimalist style. We want them to use alumunium, natural stones, and we want them in Grey. We have 5billion rupiahs ($420000) for them, but it should only cost 3billion rupiahs ($250000), the rest is for...."
SAY WHAT!!!
So here is my response to the brief (and I don't even have an existing map of the context)..
Basically, what I was trying to do is to break down the ought to be single large building mass into 3 smaller masses. And I broke the 2 main masses even more into 4 smaller masses. This resulted into a lighter building appearance..Also, if you notice, I slightly rotated (since I cannot moved it due to the lack of space of the site) one of the 2 main masses to create an "air space" between the masses...
For the facade, I opted to use minimalist ornamentation in the form of grided alumunium. I think it works anyway...It was quite hard to think where to put the natural stones for the facade, but I made it..That, I don't know whether it works or not, hehehe...
It's quite being a habit for me to use simple single pitch roof..Easier to draw, easier to build...
Well, that's it for now...
Let me get back to you when I have something to tell you more about this project...
Cheers,
Alva
Here it is, the surprise project I told you about before, "Asrama Mahasiswa Sulut in Malang", or roughly translated as "North Sulawesi Student Dormatory in Malang". It is formally a project for the Government of North Sulawesi. But, you can't find any formal recognition for me as the architect for this project. This is due to the bureaucracy of the Government which I should not write about here...SSHhh, it's government secret..
OK, the brief for the project was, "We need 30 bedrooms, 1 hall, and some supporting rooms. We need them to be 2 storeys on a 1200m2 plot of land. We want them to be in Minimalist style. We want them to use alumunium, natural stones, and we want them in Grey. We have 5billion rupiahs ($420000) for them, but it should only cost 3billion rupiahs ($250000), the rest is for...."
SAY WHAT!!!
So here is my response to the brief (and I don't even have an existing map of the context)..
Basically, what I was trying to do is to break down the ought to be single large building mass into 3 smaller masses. And I broke the 2 main masses even more into 4 smaller masses. This resulted into a lighter building appearance..Also, if you notice, I slightly rotated (since I cannot moved it due to the lack of space of the site) one of the 2 main masses to create an "air space" between the masses...
For the facade, I opted to use minimalist ornamentation in the form of grided alumunium. I think it works anyway...It was quite hard to think where to put the natural stones for the facade, but I made it..That, I don't know whether it works or not, hehehe...
It's quite being a habit for me to use simple single pitch roof..Easier to draw, easier to build...
Well, that's it for now...
Let me get back to you when I have something to tell you more about this project...
Cheers,
Alva
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Surprise Project...
Hello world,
While wait for the third phase to start for the TPResort, I have a surprise project. I was called by a friend to work for a design of a Guest House in Malang for an undisclosed client. It's an unofficial work, which means that I won't be credited for it. I'll post some images later..
Cheers,
Alva
While wait for the third phase to start for the TPResort, I have a surprise project. I was called by a friend to work for a design of a Guest House in Malang for an undisclosed client. It's an unofficial work, which means that I won't be credited for it. I'll post some images later..
Cheers,
Alva
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