15-minute accessibility through a vibrant town centre
2024
an east london cultural and creative regeneration development
2025
transforming an unused viaduct space into an urban community playground
2023
participatory design of a recreational container park in atlanta
2022
a knowledge-sharing 3-30-300 guide to a green merton
2025
returning back to nature in a reimagination of a community food centre
2023
modular aggregation for residential architecture
the collaborative placemaking project under professor matthew carmona began with a comprehensive spatial, graphic and diagrammatic analysis of the perceptual, temporal, morphological, visual, social and functional dimensions of urban design, in relation to barking riverside, a regeneration housing development in east london. the lack of access to amenities such as healthcare services, supermarkets and other retail outlets was a striking issue despite the progress in housing delivery. it faced the risk of becoming a dormitory town, given the sparse provision of community spaces for social gatherings in the growing neighbourhoods. my team planned a scheme for a town centre situated around the overground station, designed to meet the daily needs of residents in barking riverside, through facilities and infrastructure for retail, recreation, leisure, arts and culture, and natural green spaces. the masterplan was rendered by a teammate. on the following pages are my collages of how public streets and squares can be activated through water features, street furniture and lighting, active frontage, and landscaping, to enrich the social experience of the local community.
september 2024 – december 2024
15-minute accessibility through a vibrant town centre | collaborative academic project
accessible third places
The town centre provides a variety of spaces where people can unwind between work and home. The immediate one for commuters returning via the Overground station is the Riverside Square, which accommodates crowds of different sizes.
Groups are free to gather and socialise without the pressure to pay for a space to do so.
Residents of Barking Riverside can conveniently access these third places within walking distance of their homes instead of solely relying on the nightlife in Central London.
designing for the human scale
Assorted, movable street furniture allows people to customise their environment and in doing so, make their experience of the public space more comfortable (Whyte, 1980).
Large squares can be subtly organised into different areas through simple design features like paving, to avoid overwhelming the individual or creating a monotonous visual landscape.
activating spaces
Formal and informal design features can denote the type of human interaction that takes place in a public space. Architectural and landscape design help to activate the public space by encouraging interaction with and between the built and natural environment. Water features invite people of all ages to pause and spend more time in the public square, thereby adding to the liveliness of the space.
RIVERSI DE AR CA DE
enjoyable walking journeys
Storefront displays that interact with the surrounding street and engage with pedestrians make for more vibrant streets.
safe streets
Street lamps are spaced closely such that their lighting ranges overlap, minimising the chances of pedestrians having to pass a dark length of a street. Street furniture should balance both functionality and the visual experience to create places that feel human instead of sterile.
in this masterplan, west silvertown is reimagined as an emerging creative and culturally rich district of east london with 3120 new homes for families and creative entrepreneurs of all ages. through the design of a hierarchical street network, distinctive character areas, varied green public spaces, and diverse mixed-use neighbourhoods, the proposal aims to:
amplify the arts and culture scene and nurture the creative entrepreneurial presence in east london.
1. extend and enhance the trail of event venues by building vibrant cultural and creative districts around key transport links in west silvertown.
2. attract young and independent creative firms and foster collaboration through flexible rent schemes and shared spaces.
activate the riverfront and enrich the living experience near blue infrastructure in the metropolis.
1. designate three sections of the riverside for local markets, public exhibitions and recreation.
2. encourage a variety of stimulating and peaceful interactions with the water through public space design and landscaping.
accentuate the industrial heritage and character of west silvertown through its existing landmarks
1. preserve and repurpose original industrial buildings for light industrial use by creatives while keeping them open to local residents for recreational enrichment.
2. embrace the existing low-rise buildings as the inspiration for similar typologies of the surrounding new creative and residential communities january 2025 – march 2025
primary street : main channel for cars, cyclists and pedestrians through the length of the site
secondary street : side road for unloading and discreet angled parking
secondary street : shared-use path for cars and cyclists along linear parks
tertiary street : wide pedestrian boulevard with flexible space for activities
west silvertown creative district
An exciting riverfront experience with closer-than-ever recreational and leisure spaces on the water. A re im a gin a tio n of Silvertown
creative pursuits of the future.
Thames Yard
A thriving riverbank with spaces for performances and pop-up art markets
Silvertown Creative Quarter
A hub of cultural landmarks such as galleries, museums and theatres
Dockside Canvas
A celebration of local and international artists through temporary and permanent exhibitions and events
Silver Meadow
A serene riverside park for family-oriented leisure and recreation
's
al herit a ge as the h ea rt of A strategic genius loci of Silvertown strengthening social connections across neighbouring communities.
Dockside Square
A bustling and diverse concentration of commercial and retail options among residential streets
A vibrant neighbourhood with workshop spaces to channel creative industries into the economic core of west silvertown
Silvertown Village Sugar Terrace
industrial buildings surrounding the Tate & Lyle Sugar Factory slated for future creative repurposing.
the urban playground is a shortlisted competition proposal for the unused space beneath the soon-to-be decommissioned viaducts near the tanah merah train station in singapore. it situates itself as a medium among the surrounding residential, commercial and industrial areas, bringing a place of respite and refreshment to the local community.
the park unfolds upon a series of soft grass mounds, with embedded elements that morph between fun play areas and gathering spaces for visitors of all ages. suspended from the viaducts is a fabric installation that creates beautiful visuals from the wind it receives. on the walking and cycling trail, visitors meander through the undulating landscape, enveloped by the lush greenery. intersecting the main route is a bamboo trail inviting visitors on an intimate tactile journey along the pebble path. the bamboo leaves compose a symphony from the wind, creating a breezy atmosphere for leisure walks. in addition, shallow artificial rivers weave through the park, where children and adults can splash about, and enjoy the cool water against the warm weather.
december 2023
tumbling through the hills
amphitheatre
seating area
the medium is an art and food park located in english avenue, an underserved community in atlanta. through the mediums of painting, sculpture, cooking, music, and graffiti, the project aims to revitalise the community’s art scene and provide a sanctuary for artists to flourish. the shapes of the paths and mounds are inspired by graffiti and street art, while the shipping containers act as anchors for the landscape.
visitors enter the site through the alley along the historic st. mark’s church, where floor murals and hanging art act as a threshold and invite visitors to the central courtyards. in the park, five shipping containers serve as incubator kitchens for small vendors from the community to grow their businesses in a dedicated space.
down the alley, the path opens to a larger sloping green space where the community can gather, create, and connect. they will also enjoy the view of the double-height art gallery, adjacent to the vibrant open-air gallery. behind the galleries lies the graffiti tunnel, where visitors to the medium can showcase their unique art on the walls. the tunnel leads to a secondary arts courtyard, which acts as an outdoor extension of the art gallery.
the core features were designed by a pair of students in the earlier stages of the competition within the studio. together with one additional team member, and the input of community members and stakeholders, i supported the pair in refining the initial scheme and illustrating the ideas through a perspective drawing of the vending courtyard. the other works are credited to the three aforementioned team members.
august 2022 – december 2022
participatory design of a recreational container park in atlanta | collaborative academic project
arts courtyard and art gallery
vending courtyard and shallow mound
merton is often celebrated as one of london’s greenest borough, a leader in tree canopy cover with abundant green spaces. however, there is a sharp disparity in tree canopy cover and access to green spaces across different neighbourhoods in merton, indicating inequitable access to greenery across households. merton is also covered in an overwhelming amount of impermeable ground surfaces such as asphalt and concrete which contribute greatly to urban heat and surface flooding.
london borough of nature: green, living merton is a proposed extension of merton’s 2030 net zero goal, primarily championing depaving, rewilding and planting in opportunity streets and underutilised spaces, with a consistent and effective community engagement framework comprising accessible communication platforms to reach underrepresented groups and knowledge sharing among grassroots organisations. this vision and framework is an adaptation of the 3-30-300 urban forestry rule by Cecil Konijnendijk in accordance to the urban landscape of merton, proposing a series of actionable steps through 3 goals:
1. at least 3 trees around each home and school
2. at least 30% green coverage in every neighbourhood
3. quality green spaces within 300m of every home
london borough of nature: green, living merton
a knowledge-sharing 3-30-300 guide to a green merton | academic project
sheldrick close
1. tree planting on lawns
brangwyn crescent
1. parking lot depaving
2. tree planting
2. sidewalk depaving 1 2
3 trees around each home and school
plant new and diverse tree species on lawns and streets, and even the disparity in tree canopy cover across neighbourhoods.
launch tree planting partnership programs with schools and councils
1.residents may submit requests to merton council for new trees at no cost, inspired by district of saanich’s partnership tree planting program.
2.merton council and sustainable merton to lead tree species and site selection in the community, inspired by wornington trees’ street posters on tree species voting.
3.sustainable merton to work with schools to launch educational programmes with the planting of new trees, inspired by wandsworth tree wardens’ fruit trees in schools project.
30% green coverage in every
create a green pavement network through depaving low-traffic streets and parking
launch educational campaigns and community
1.merton garden streets and merton council to train education on depaving techniques, costs and benefits.
2.merton council to sponsor costs and resources depaving initiatives on streets in different neighbourhoods, expertise and toolkits from lambeth council’s previous partnership depaving.
3.merton garden streets to monitor impacts on drainage, growth, and expand successful models on neighbouring
runnymede
1. consolidating parking lanes
2. sidewalk and road depaving
3. street tree planting
every neighbourhood
through neighbourhoods by parking lots.
community depaving events train local volunteers in advocacy and benefits.
for communities to launch pilot neighbourhoods, learning from the previous resident and council
transform underused and forgotten spaces into accessible green recreational spaces for communities
empower communities through skills and knowledge acquisition
1.sustainable merton to source for local sponsorships, inspired by merton garden streets’ partnership with local cafes for used coffee grounds to use as compost.
2.sustainable merton to organise enrichment sessions to educate residents on depaving and gardening techniques to start independent projects, inspired by depave portland’s provision of technical support for disenfranchised communities.
scale
up planting interventions
1.small-scale interventions include bioswales, and large-scale interventions include conversion of parking lots into community gardens and pocket parks, inspired by sustainable merton‘s transformation of derelict land into mitcham community orchard and gardens.
2.sustainable merton to organise planting events with low-commitment roles for resident volunteers and partnerships with local schools, inspired by merton garden street’s community planting days.
london borough of nature: green, living merton
in this semester-long architecture project, a series of three gardens is envisioned as a replacement for an existing community food centre in singapore. the design approach began from a desire to enhance the ordinary experience of the usual visitors, which shaped the development of eight various program spaces.
the site is situated in a quiet neighbourhood where time seems to pass slowly – a reality the residents have accepted. consequently, this project embraces the languid days and serves the needs of the people who are left. in a deeper exploration of the theme of time, the design of the program spaces caters to different paces of visitors, allowing for three spatial interactions: lounging, moving and participating. the respite garden is designed to match the pace of the environment, inspiring leisure and introspection.
the sloping terrain of the site presented an opportunity for a fluid flow of movement and views throughout the building, inspiring a design focused on shaping the landscape for a stimulating experience.
january 2023 – april 2023
returning back to nature in a reimagination of a community food centre | academic project
growing garden garden give us just a moment
meandering through the valley
meandering through the valley is an architecture project developed from the simple house-shaped pentagon. the aggregation of the pentagonal module began with the exploration of geometrical possibilities of living spaces within the module and the communal corridor attached to each module. site-specific factors such as views and privacy set the criteria and boundaries of the aggregation process, shaping a feasible yet dynamic topography within the structure. by honouring and expressing the natural slope of the module, a cascading building complex was composed to accommodate a residential community.
situated in a site surrounded by developing and mature business districts, the cascading structure is designed to forge a sense of groundedness and harmony with the land and low-rise structures close to nature. the diverging routes around the units and levels are interspersed with private and public gardens, enveloping residents in a lush oasis as they begin their strolls.
august 2021 – november 2021
meandering through the valley
cluster permutations: common ground level
a g g i i j j h h a a i i j j g g a a i i j j h h a a i i j j a a g g i i j j a a g g i i j j h h a a i i j j h j k h j k g h k g h k h k b h k b i g b i g b b g i b g i g h j g h j h k c h k c h c j h c j d i g d i g d h k d h k g h i g h i g h j g h j d g j d g j g i j g i j
a g g i i j j a a g g i i j j a a i i h h j j
g g i i j j b b h h i i j j b b g g i i j j b b h h c c i i j j g g i i j j c c g g i i j j c c i i h h j j c c g g i i j j c c h h a a i i j j h h a a i i j j h h a a i i j j a a g g i i j j
