Linfeng Chen

"Grandfather's Old House"

Section MS1, Ariel Caine

Keywords: book, writing

This project was a cherishing and reconstruction of family history and memories. My grandfather's old house was once an important part of our family, an old house that has witnessed countless precious memories and stories. However, with the passage of time, the old house has been demolished. My parents told me that I lived with them in the old house for a while when I was a baby, but I was too young to remember anything about it. The old house exists only in my family's memories, and stories of what happened in the old house, both happy and sad, are still brought up from time to time in casual conversations.

In order to preserve this family history, I decided to embark on this project: reconstructing the old house in a book through conversations with my grandfather. It's not just a simple writing, I plan to make the book a three-dimensional book, which can record both the words and the structure of the old house at the same time.

Through in-depth conversations with my grandfather, I gathered details about the old house: the structure of the house, the layout of the house, the purpose of the rooms, the origin of the house, the materials of the house, and other details, as well as about my grandfather's life. These details not only make up the outline of the house, but are also part of the house that is full of emotions and life.

During the construction process, I not only endeavoured to recreate the appearance and layout of the house, but also tried to give life to these words through my grandfather's memories. Each brick and each window is an epiphany during the reconstruction process, taking me into the world of my grandfather's memories.

This project is not only a technical challenge, but also an emotional attachment. Through this model, I hope to pass on the family history and bring a precious gift to my family so that we can always remember and cherish the cosy house we once shared.