Divergence of the Buddhist Experience

Divergence of the Buddhist Experience

For long, Buddhism has spread and materialize its ideology and teachings through the experience created by architecture and ceremonies that the Buddhist perceive in order to plant and manifest the idea into ones mind. Divergence of Buddhist Experience is a virtual space that allows the user to illustrate and materialize their envisagement of the experience that they desire to enhance the Buddhist practices and ceremonies according to the individual preference. Each contribution from the user will then be used to form a creative network platform that act as an archive to store all the designed virtual spaces that can be shared and accessed by every user. The constructed virtual space must be used to house virtual 16 meters tall Phra Sri San Phet, the same as what the Grand Hall used to function. Each space will then be used for Buddhist practices and ceremonies, accessible by the people onsite and online.

The user who is on the real physical site of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet Grand Hall will be granted access to the design interface via the creative virtual headset consisting of a virtual ocular device with a camera attachment to record the surroundings, a hand gesture recognition device, and a built in open back headphone, allowing them to see, hear, and manipulate the virtual elements respectively, of both the design interface and the constructed virtual space. Only the user onsite will be able to construct the virtual space as they will be able to perceive and scrutinize the context, ambient atmosphere, and variables of the physical site. The user will be given the constructed virtual grammar that act as a foundation where they will be constructing upon. Every architectural design element must be placed on the same existing layout of the ruin.

The design interface aids the user by enabling the new perception through transition of reality such as the ability to see sound, enhancing the creativity and as well as truly understand every single choice and element that they choose. Each choice being made will be shown to the user instantly so that they may experience their creation in real time to achieve the desired effects. They will interact with the design interface through physical body contact with the virtual elements which will response with the user for every certain body gesture. Once the virtual space has been constructed, it will be stored in the online archive of each individual account. It is an interactive platform where different users can access and experience every virtual space through the same medium of the virtual headset and a 3d scanner to record their body and transform that into digital format into the online network. This network allows the Buddhist society from all around the world to form a new community through virtual space that doesn’t just give the user conventional spaces but a holistic archive where contribution creates the network itself. The users are able to interact with other online and onsite user who chooses the same space to perform the practices and ceremonies together.

This interactive network is designed to blur the demarcation of ideology on how Buddhist practices and ceremonies should be experience. Being a core of the space, the Buddha image act as a portal in which the user is able to materialize and manifest their thoughts of the new space should be. This space embraces different perspectives from both Buddhist and non-Buddhist user, creating a divergence to enhance the experience.   

the interior of Divergence of Buddhist Experience

Virtual Grammar

The original Grand Hall design will be use as a default virtual space where both the user onsite and online can come a use this same main channel of Divergence of the Buddhist experience. The space must be use to house a virtual 16 meters tall golden Buddha image. They will be carrying out Buddhist practices and ceremonies in front of the Buddha image.

The user can create their own roof, wall, column, and floor based on the same layout of the Grand Hall ruin. Each element will be a simple mass of architecture. However, the user can manipulate and tweak the surface of each element according to their own desire such as increasing the height of the wall and ceiling. They an add or subtract from all the surface of the elements.

The user can select all natural material to be applied to every architectural elements of their design. The feature was made to embrace the user who is also non Buddhist but choose to contribute to this virtual platform by the individual knowledge of his or her own religion. They can also apply the material to a specific point of the surface, creating a new pattern and atmosphere for the user of the space.

Candles will be the main artificial light source and one of the offerings the user will have. During the Wan Kao Pansa period the user will be able to manipulate the surface an form of the candle at will to create and mould for aesthetic quality. This candle will then be offered to the Buddha Image as the Tawaii Tian ceremony and a way of making merits. Candles can also be placed anywhere in the space to engulf the user with new arrangement of lighting.

Virtual Headset

The virtual glasses will be projecting the image from the world camera to enable the vision of the surrounding. The image of the virtual interface will be overlaid on top of the surrounding image and is interactive through the creative third eye on the top. On top is the creative third eye device is the leap motion sensor that tracks and recognizes the motion and hand gesture to enable the interaction between the user and the virtual interface. Each hand gesture will trigger the stimulation and response of the virtual space. The dual world camera is small in size and is mounted on to the virtual headset as devices for scanning the visual data the user is looking and sent the acquired data to the virtual glasses to be projected to the user. Because this real time virtual interface requires a lot of body movement, the tri lock system will ensure that the virtual headset is properly fasten to the users head without creating any discomfort to the user while carrying out the Buddhist practices and ceremonies. Gilded Thai ornaments are carefully designed onto the virtual headset as a symbol of human according to the pattern of Thai art. Each ornament on different part of the headset is derived from the costume pattern of the human in the Thai pattern, specifically the headwear part.

Final Reasearch: The Grand Hall of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet

   The Grand Hall or Grand Vihara is once used to place the 16 meter tall Golden Buddha called Phra Sri Sanphet.  The is the hall that the Royals used to carry out and perform religious Buddhist ceremonies for the City of Ayutthaya. The plan of the Grand Hall has a strong axis that leads the people towards the Gigantic Buddha Image which was latter destroy by the Burmese army. Most part of the Grand Hall was destroyed in the fire due to the use of wood framing which causes the whole structure to collaspe. Only the walls and parts of colums was left to be seen at the current state so most of the part is a flat plane that is not often visited by the user.

However the left over part was enough to let the viewer envisage the space of what it would look like and how it is used during the period fo Krung Sri Ayutthaya. The transparent Vihara is the state of the Grand Hall before it was destroyed. The image is being overlayed onto the ruin which shares the same layout. The form and material is based on the layout and materiality of the ruin as well as the architectural style of Ayutthaya. The size of the grand hall is the biggest structure in Wat Phra Sri Sanphet because it must house the 16 meters tall golden Buddha Image as well as signifying the absolute power of the monarchy over Krung Sri Ayutthaya.

Most tourists is usually observing the ruin from a distant because most of the part is left open and visible to the eye therefore there is no need for the people to walk inside and observe the ruin. The common type of tourist is foreigners who travel in group tour so that they may understand what it is. The Grand is surrounded by four other ruins which is smaller in size and is used to carry out Buddhist ceremonies by local people during the period of Krung Sri Ayutthaya. The most visited ruin among the five is the Wihan PhraTri Lokanat because it is located before the entrance. The most common point of observation is the front part of the ruin which is the most significant view. Here the user can observe almost every architectural element of the ruin as well as sharing the same sequence of how the space is used before during the period of Ayutthaya. Another common point of observation is from the Chedi Phra Sri Sanphet which enables the user to see the Grand Hall ruin from above. Because the Chedi Phra Sri Sanpet is the most visited ruin in the area, this causes the Grand Hall to be observed as much as well.

The ruin of the Wat Phra SRi Sanphet Grand Hall

the stand of Phra Sri Sanphet were left intacted to the ruin

Virtual Headset Update

Animation of Reading Complexity / Project Thesis Update

                   

voice over test

Divergence of the Buddhist Experience

Creative Platform of Experience Manifestation

For long, Buddhism has spread and materialize its ideology and teachings through the experience created by architecture and ceremonies that the Buddhist perceive in order to plant and manifest the idea into ones mind. Religions have always use tangible matters to create a designated experiences for the users and believer as a method of implanting the teachings. Things like architecture, murals, and, ornaments are a tool to portray and deliver the message through the perception of the viewer. Divergence of the Buddhist Experience is a virtual space that allows the user to illustrate and materialize their envisagement of the experience that they desire to enhance the Buddhist practices and ceremonies according to the individual preference. Each contribution from the user will then be used to form a creative network platform that act as an archive to store all the designed virtual spaces that can be shared and accessed by every user. The virtual space accessible both online and onsite. The constructed virtual space will be used to house virtual 16 meters tall Phra Sri San Phet, the same as what the Grand Hall used to function. Each space will then be used for Buddhist practices and ceremonies, accessible by the people onsite and online.

By analyzing the elements in religious places or spaces, one will find that every single element is designed with a specific grammar in order to create a desired effect. At Wat Leng Nei Yi II in Nonthaburi, many elements such as Buddha image and ornaments that contain this ethereal quality, acting as a portal of mind that brings people to other place within their inner consciousness which is a place they themselves created.

Both the Bussabok and the 9/11 Memorial shares the same logic in which its physical quality was designed to with similar qualities to the designated ethereal space, either through shapes, form, or the experience that they give off. They all have a specific language that once analyzed, can be extract and rearrange, introducing a sequence or diversity, a way these object can be perceive to better experience and understand it. Once a rearranged, a virtual grammar is formed, leading to the construction of the virtual pavilion, in this case Portal of the Inner Conciousness. It is a space that brings the analysis of the two objects together and take the advantage of the spatial quality to, forming a new sequence of perception and comparison between the two. By being in the space, people may be able to scrutinize and experience the quality of these objects.

With this same core concept, Divergence of the Buddhist Experience enables the user to manifest and illustrate their inner consciousness, the way how they envisage the space through the existing Phra Sri San Phet virtual Buddha Image. The Thai Buddhist ceremonies was analyzed to see how each one is carried out and what elements are essential to create the necessary experience of each ceremony. After extracting all the essential elements, the virtual grammar is created, acting as a tool for the user to construct their own virtual space. Here in the virtual space, the grammar are the choices and scope of the design that the user will be dealing with, contributing a new diversity for the existing Buddhist practice.  

The user who is on the real physical site of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet Grand Hall will be granted access to the design interface via the creative virtual headset consisting of a virtual ocular device with a camera attachment to record the surroundings, a hand gesture recognition device, and a built in open back headphone, allowing them to see, hear, and manipulate the virtual elements respectively, of both the design interface and the constructed virtual space. Only the user onsite will be able to construct the virtual space as they will be able to perceive and scrutinize the context, ambient atmosphere, and variables of the physical site. The user will be given the constructed virtual grammar that act as a foundation where they will be constructing upon. Every architectural design element will be placed on the same existing layout of the ruin.

The design interface aids the user by enabling the new perception through transition of reality such as the ability to see sound, enhancing the creativity and as well as truly understand every single choice and element that they choose.

Each choice being made will be shown to the user instantly so that they may experience their creation in real time to achieve the desired effects. They will interact with the design interface through physical body contact with the virtual elements which will response with the user for every certain body gesture. Once the virtual space has been constructed, it will be stored in the online archive of each individual account. It is an interactive platform where different users can access and experience every virtual space through the same medium of the virtual headset and a 3d scanner to record their body and transform that into digital format into the online network. This network allows the Buddhist society from all around the world to form a new community through virtual space that doesn’t just give the user conventional spaces but a holistic archive where contribution creates the network itself. The users are able to interact with other online and onsite user who chooses the same space to perform the practices and ceremonies together.

This interactive network is designed to blur the demarcation of ideology on how Buddhist practices and ceremonies should be experience. Being a core of the space, the Buddha image act as a portal in which the user is able to materialize and manifest their thoughts of the new space should be. This space embraces different perspectives from both Buddhist and non-Buddhist user, creating a divergence to enhance the experience.   

Medium: Technology of Virtual Space / Project Thesis

Divergence of Buddhist Experience

Creative Platform of Experience Manifestation

For long, Buddhism has spread and materialize its ideology and teachings through the experience created by architecture and ceremonies that the Buddhist perceive in order to plant and manifest the idea into ones mind. Divergence of Buddhist Experience is a virtual space that allows the user to illustrate and materialize their envisagement of the experience that they desire to enhance the Buddhist practices and ceremonies according to the individual preference. Each contribution from the user will then be used to form a creative network platform that act as an archive to store all the designed virtual spaces that can be shared and accessed by every user. The constructed virtual space must be used to house virtual 16 meters tall Phra Sri San Phet, the same as what the Grand Hall used to function. Each space will then be used for Buddhist practices and ceremonies, accessible by the people onsite and online.

The user who is on the real physical site of Wat Phra Sri Sanphet Grand Hall will be granted access to the design interface via the creative virtual headset consisting of a virtual ocular device with a camera attachment to record the surroundings, a hand gesture recognition device, and a built in open back headphone, allowing them to see, hear, and manipulate the virtual elements respectively, of both the design interface and the constructed virtual space. Only the user onsite will be able to construct the virtual space as they will be able to perceive and scrutinize the context, ambient atmosphere, and variables of the physical site. The user will be given the constructed virtual grammar that act as a foundation where they will be constructing upon. Every architectural design element must be placed on the same existing layout of the ruin.

The design interface aids the user by enabling the new perception through transition of reality such as the ability to see sound, enhancing the creativity and as well as truly understand every single choice and element that they choose. Each choice being made will be shown to the user instantly so that they may experience their creation in real time to achieve the desired effects. They will interact with the design interface through physical body contact with the virtual elements which will response with the user for every certain body gesture. Once the virtual space has been constructed, it will be stored in the online archive of each individual account. It is an interactive platform where different users can access and experience every virtual space through the same medium of the virtual headset and a 3d scanner to record their body and transform that into digital format into the online network. This network allows the Buddhist society from all around the world to form a new community through virtual space that doesn’t just give the user conventional spaces but a holistic archive where contribution creates the network itself. The users are able to interact with other online and onsite user who chooses the same space to perform the practices and ceremonies together.

This interactive network is designed to blur the demarcation of ideology on how Buddhist practices and ceremonies should be experience. Being a core of the space, the Buddha image act as a portal in which the user is able to materialize and manifest their thoughts of the new space should be. This space embraces different perspectives from both Buddhist and non-Buddhist user, creating a divergence to enhance the experience.   

FINAL PRESENTATION STORYBOARD

Further Research on Buddhist Ceremonies

Wan Kao Pansa / Wan Awk Pansa

During the first day of Wan Kao Pasa, meaning the monks must stay remain inside the temple for 3 months, people will give candles and light bubls to the monks as offering because they believe that light source symbolizes wisdom. They also offer a special clothe to the monk so that they can use during this rainy season. At the end of the Pansa (Wan Awk Pansa) religious places will place buddhist flags in front of their buildings. There will also be a big ceremony called Tak Baht Tevo which involves placing a Buddha image on a cart inside a bussabok with a big alm infront. Then the monks will walk in rows after the cart downtown so that the people may give offereings (food) to the monk, symbolising the day Buddha himself descend fromt he heaven.

Progress on Buddhist Ceremonies / Project Description

Diagram explaining how the ceremonies carried out during the lunar regulated ceremonies.

Growth of Buddhism through Experience

Growth of Buddhism is a creative platform and a virtual network that allows the user to create a new experience based on their personal perspective towards the Buddhist ceremonies and activities. Once the space has been created, it will be saved into the channel of that creator’s account where the other users can access and experience that virtual space. The user will perceive the space through glasses and headphones to see and hear the created and desired experience when they carry out Buddhist activities such as light, chanting etc…

Only people on the site may be able to create the virtual space as the design interface will be done in real time to let the user really explore their selections. Here they will be controlling the light and sound via the simple mass of architecture, all of which will be shared online. This creative network platform doesn’t only just design for Buddhist community, but to also embrace other perspectives of the non Buddhist who may have complete different backgrounds so that they may contribute something which was never done before in the record of Buddhism, hence creating the Growth of Buddhism.

Site Isometric Update / Proposal Mindmap (Envisagement of Ceremonial Experience)

Site Isometric Update

The site has been rendered to give the maximum shadow quality and the adjacent ruins have been re-scaled for more accuracy. The image was also re-positioned to focus more on the Grand Hall and not too much of the surrounding elements. Grass and ruins have been made more subtle to make the Grand hall stand out visually. Lines of circulation of the tourist have been removed as it was just a rough approximation. The most anticipated viewscapes have been re-illustrate for more clarity as shown with the blue lines. Natural lighting has been added to show its position. Texts are located next to each of its own elements to give a brief information.

Project Mindmap

Creative Plateform for Ceremonial Experience - it is a virtual network for the Buddhist Community as well as people who are non buddhist that allows them to design their own experience that they desire to carry out Buddhist activities and ceremonies such as mediation. Here the people on site can really experiment and experience how each variables can effect the experience inside the Grand Hall consisting of light, sound, smell, and materials that is related to the activites. 

Designing Interface (onsite): Visitors onsite will be allowed to create the virtual space to that creates different experiences through simple architecture massing such as roof that has a skylight creating an ocular natural lighting effect. They will be designing it real time meaning that every selections they make will be shown on the site immediately and virtually. Once they are done, the designed virtual space will be save into their own account channel where other users both onsite and online will be able to access and experience it.

Online: The users online can access any virtual space created by others or themselves and be able to leave comments and feed back. They can also interact with other users who are accessing the same virtual spaces as well as the people own site. Each virtual spaces will be ranked based on the no. of entries.

Medias both for onsite and online: glasses and headphones are required for the user to experience the created virtual space through their sensory organs. 

Aside from the daily Buddhist practice, these are the significant ceremonies that I am researching on which has a big potential to drive the virtual space, hence crating the Virtual Grammar.

This is the image of a potential virtual space when it is being design by a non Buddhist user. It can result in the new emergence of ceremonial experience, hence the growth of Buddhism.

Camera Tracking and Project Proposal

Camera Tracking Test from nawat wongwan on Vimeo.

Grand Hall (Wat Phra Sri San Phet) ISO update / Virtual Space Proposal

GRAND HALL ISO DRAWING

The ruin is being overlayed by the Grand Hall during the time of Ayutthaya before it was destroyed. The surround elements is the current state of the context. On the drawing is the tourist on site of the present day where their circulation paths are being shown with the yellow trail. The people highlighted in purple are the one that stands on the spot where most tourist choose to view and observe the ruin from these specific points.

VIRTUAL SPACE PROPOSAL

The proposal is the creative network which act as an archive allowing the people to illustrate and build the space they envisage. The space they are going to design is will act as a house for 16m tall Buddha Image as a core element just like in the past. But now they get to experiment with redesigning the space virtually that will later on serve as a space to carrying out Buddhist activities and ceremonies. Here they will be dealing with the layout of the space to the materials that they desire and believe that will provide the best atmosphere. The design interface will be real time so that they can really experience how each of their choices in design contribute and performs in real world. What each user build will be stored it there own channel of this interactive platform network where other people can explore it themselves both onsite and online. Each virtual space will be ranked base on the number of entries with comments and feed back to further improve the design.

Grand Vihara : ISO drawing progress

 I'm working together with  Nammon to make the whole 3d model of past and present of the Grand Vihara.This is the in progress ISO drawing of the Grand Vihara before it was destroyed, while Nammon is doing ruin model. I have base the past appearance of this structure from the book 'THE ART AND MEANING OF WAT PHRA SI SANPHET REPRESENTATION OF WAT IN ROYAL GRAND PALACE' by Wanchai Kaewsaisoon

Grand Hall (Vihara Luang)

North Elevation 

South Elevation

These are the series of photograph attached together to form a single elevation which can be applied as a bitmap to the 3d ruins.

                                                                                                     

This is the process of the ruin of the Grand hall. I tried applying 

the bitmap which is quite hard to calibrate with the 3d model.

There is also a render to test the vray displacement, creating the 

texture of the ruin. I also work in collaboration with Cat for 3d modelling of the site, as i am doing the ruin while Cat is doing the grand hall before it was destroyed.

Grand Hall (Wat Phra Sri San Phet, Ayutthaya ) Virtual Space Proposal

The historic site is the Grand Hall or Vihara Luang which is a place used to house a golden Buddha image with a height of 16 meters. It was built in 1499 as a place for the Royal to carry out ceremonial activities for Ayutthaya. Later the Buddha image was burnt by the Burmese to take the gold and built it as Shwedagon stupa, one of their most popular landmark today.

Virtual Space proposal

This virtual space can be used as a place to carry Buddhist activites such as meditation and praying as well as being an archive of interpretation both the past and the future. The space itself was designed for mass congregation which have a clear axis leading towards the gigantic golden Buddha image where the user can perceive the statue and envisage the image of his qualities. The yellow yantras are the qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha which are all his teachings being symbolised as the Khmer syllables. On the floor will be the historical image, myth and legends of Ayutthaya while the roof is the different versions of astrology of Ayutthaya. The actions of the royals will determine the fate of the city due to the rule of Karma. This place was designed as a place to make merits so that only the good will come for the future of the city. It has the ability to alter the course of people's thought and actions, hence the future.

Portal of the Inner Consciousness

This space is designed to visualize the world constructed within the viewers mind who interact with both the Thing and the Counter Thing. The space shows the gradation of both the timeline using gradient and reality using transparency. The only thing that has the most realistic quality are the thing and counter thing themselves which act as a gateway allowing the user to enter the space that no longer exist and the metaphysical world that still exist within our inner consciousness so that the user can explore it in detail. For the part of the thing, the user will witness the meta physical world of Thai cosmology portrayed through the glowing translucent material while the counter thing will show the transition of the World Trade Center through the gradient of time. Both forming the world of reality and the world of inner consciousness that coexist.

VP Nammon from nawat wongwan on Vimeo.

Virtual pavilion Update

VirtualSpaceII.3DS from nammon2329 on Sketchfab.

Virtual Pavilion Update

VirtualSpace_Nammon.3DS from nammon2329 on Sketchfab.

Reading Complexity Final Update

READING COMPLEXITY 

This video shows my perception and experience I went through while taking this thoroughfare of the Chinese Temple Wat Leng Nei Yi 2. From my experience I have developed a way of seeing and have come to a conclusion that the richness of the physical form and appearance of an architecture or even a certain object can have a psychological impact to on you, triggering your mind and pull out your memory to be present to your inner consciousness again. Here the blue highlighted objects are the ones that i have my visual focus on which can trigger me to think of another unrelated subject that is shown on another screen on the right, representing my inner thoughts at that specific moment.

Here is the drawing of my thoroughfare which shows the path I've taken from the starting point to the ending point. The blue glowing line shows the specific route I took during the walk. The blue cones represent the glances I've taken which i didn't really put enough attention to call it a visual focus. The green cones are the view scape that I and a high attention on. the highlighted dark blue objects are the ones that I have my highest visual focus. The elements with only lines are the area that have not been observe by my eyes yet my mind tend to create and fulfill the undiscovered space on its own due to the pure symmetry and continouse repitition of the design.

Thing Final Update

THING & COUNTERTHING

Thing: Bussabok (Relic Shrine)

Counter Thing: September 11 Memorial

The purpose of this diagram is to show the quality of both Thing and Counter Thing as a portal, meaning that the object itself has ability to trigger the viewer’s mind into thinking to create a space within their own head. The Thing is a Relic Shrine that keeps the bone of the Son of King Rama II where the design of the Relic Shrine itself was based on the concept of Thai cosmology there for the people with basic background of this will have an image inside their head, a space where the owner of this shrine resides which is Mount Meru. It is the static object made with the sole purpose of displaying to the viewer the remains of Phra Chao Yukantorn.

The counter thing which is the September 11 Memorial was made with a similar purpose therefore shares the same similarity. The names of the victim were inscribed onto the black marble of the memorial which is the imprint of the Twin Tower.

Virtual Space Draft

The diagram starts off with the small room which contains the thing which act as a gateway that lead the viewer to another different space. on the outer layer is the matter of facts about the object such as materials, construction etc.... The next part is the historical aspect (transition of ornaments) which is the key element gives the thing a portal quality. The next part is the portal space that was being formed when the viewers eye look at the thing. it is the mount Meru that is the core idea of the design of Bussabok. The second layer from the top of Mount Meru is the origin of Phra Chao Yukantorn name therefore it will be the main space that will exhibit the information of sociopolitics. under the Thing is the counterthing that is upsidedown. It is another different vertical axis that leads tot he counter thing that triggers the creation of the future world.

Thing Drawing Update

Here is my update of the Thing and Counter Thing drawing. This drawing was designed to show that the richness of ones design, in this case the ornaments were designed based on Thai cosmology, triggering the viewers mind to create an image within them. It's acting as a portal that creates and open up a new space based on the viewers background and beliefs. The thing itself may be perceive in various ways like in this drawing, comparing the 2 different types of viewers between traditional Thai people and a modern contemporary foreigners who have to basic background of the Thai cosmology. The first may think about the divine space that this owner of the relic lives while the later can owner refers to the Thai pagoda that share the same design basis. The counter thing which is the cryonic machine may also act as  the portal that triggers the viewer to think and create the world in the future of what it would be like to be reanimate into this unforeseen world that doesn't really exist yet.