Architecture Portfolio - OXC

UNDERGRADUATE

PORTFOLIO OW XUN CONG TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUILDING & DESIGN BSc. Arch 2019’

Ow Xun Cong

Taylors University Bsc (Hons) Architecture Undergraduate email: owlcong@gmail.com phone: +60 16 5958995

“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” ― Winston S Churchill My approach to projects lies within the attitude that to make great places, I must first understand the needs of the present, the stakes in the future, while also paying respects to the past. I believe a building is nothing without its inhabitants, thus it is important that I allow myself to be open-minded to understand through the people, what is the question, and not jumping straight to the ‘answer’. Not only that, a building is a fragment of its environment, it only makes sense that it reflects and compliments the contemporary life of where it sits. I believe only through such understandings of people, place and architecture comes successful spatial planning, informed design directions and well-deserved immersive experience to its users and community.

Contents Education Experience 2017 - 2019

BSc (Hons) in Architecture Taylor’s University | Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia Unit

2016 - 2017

02/ Phoenix of Kajang | Art Centre Art Centre | Kajang Year 3 Sem 1

Foundation in Natural & Built Environment Taylor’s University

Professional Experience Sep 2020 Sep 2021

Part 1 Architect | Unit One Design + Heavily participated in detailed design & tender drawing documentations for high rise project. + Involved in design process & construction drawing documentations for bungalow project. + General project management: liaised with consultants, prepared submission documents, chaired supplier meetings + Schematic proposal for bungalow project ; general layout, moodboard & 3d models + Produced 1:1 physical mock-ups for sculptural installations + On-site installation & inspection works for low-rise project.

Dec 2018 Mar 2019

Architectural Internship | Pentas Reka Architects Assisted in drawing documentations & model iterations of residential & large scale projects.

2020 - 2021

Freelancing | BTA Architects Design & render works for exteriors of bungalows, affordable apartments & institutional projects

Achievements 2020

2020 Taylors University Graduates Exhibition Distinguished Work.

2019

Asia Young Designer Awards 2019 | Nippon Paint Faculty Representation.

Extracurricular 2020 2020 2019 2017

Home 2020 Typologies | archoutloud Melbourne Affordable Housing Challenge | beebreeders Hustlehub Youth Housing | uni-xyz Taman Tugu Greenovation Design Competition Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM)

01/ Marketplace of Ideas | City Lobby Heritage Town, Johor Bahru Year 3 Sem 2

Language English, Cantonese, Chinese, Malay

Skills Sketchup, Autocad, Lumion, Photoshop, Indesign, Office Suites

03/ Zeal | Co-living House Competitions ZiL, Moscow 04/ Crossroads | Single-Parent Family Community Centre Fairpark, Ipoh Year 2 Sem 2 05/ Professional Works Bangsar Rising Serviced Apartment, Kuala Lumpur Chelagi 7 Bungalow, Kuala Lumpur

Marketplace of Ideas, a view from the bustling Bazaar Karat of Jalan Segget.

Heritage Town Johor Bahru

01 MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS Year 3 Sem 2

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2019

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12 Weeks

The heritage town of Johor Bahru (day/night)

City Lobby: This project calls for the design of a city lobby - a gathering point where it offers the needs of the people in the city as well as opportunities for cultural exchange. It should positively impact the public, to engage people to stay and connect, and make the place more humane.

The proposal celebrates and promotes the traditional food ,artisanal and craftwork cultures of Heritage Town. It aims to play into the strengths of the site by uniting and reviving the cultural aspects of Johor Bahru, thus providing meaningful interactions between people of the city.

Unite. Preserve. Prosper.

Preliminary Studies

Marketplace of Ideas

Site Analysis

01/ The Marketplace of Ideas

City of Trades

Cultural Enclave

Tourism by Foot

Day & Night Commerce

Johor Bahru, a coastal city at the Straits of Malacca, is characterised by receiving heavy economic and social influence from Singapore.

The heritage town of Johor Bahru is an enclave in midst of the city’s progressively developing central business district.

The site is located at the heart of the heritage town. Access here however is mainly by foot, passing through the Segget River from CBD.

The site has strong food culture & patronage during the day. At night, streets are converting into spaces for the Bazaar Karat.

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Establishing a Node 1

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The Johor Bahru heritage town is the raw embodiment of a Johorean identity. Sitting opposite the life-giving Segget River, it nurtures century-old traditions in food, art, and artisanal skills. However, just as Segget River, the township is gradually claimed by creeping modernization. Marketplace of Ideas aims to utilise commerce, conversations and technology to reconcile the place.

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Site

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Visits 24 Festive Drums

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2.Bazaar Karat 3.Chinese Busking 4.Street Food 9.Salehuddin Bakery 10.Chinese Heritage Museum

Mural Arts

trickles not of receiving audience justice

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Bazaar Karat 1.Malay Busking 8.Let’s Eat Cafe

Visits

5.Hiap Joo Bakery 11.24 Festive Drums Cafe

6.Masjid India 12.Hua Mui Restaurant

7.Replacements Cafe 13.Hua Jin Cafe

The night bazaar has a liminal quality due to absence of prominent nodes throughout its stretch. The site lacks comfortable public realms to entice day patrons to stay after fulfilling their purpose. The site sits at vantage position to establish a collector node for visitors both day & night.

Bazaar Karat Night patronages The Bazaar Karat night market is famous for cheap second hand goods. Despite its success, the locals refuses to participate or visit due to lack of authenticity of the local products sold in the market.

Traditional bakery

Sculptural Art

Hua Mui Kopitiam

Arts & Craft Trickles of audience

Eateries Day patronages

The prominence of arts & craft in heritage town shout Johorean identity. However, they are dispersed far apart & lacks a collective platform to market themselves.

Both locals & tourists pay visit to authentic local cuisines eateries.

However, eateries closes as soon the market sets up by evening, avoiding engagement with bazaar visitors during night time.

Design Strategies

Marketplace of Ideas

Design Development

Ground Floor Plan

Form Development

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Imitative massing.

Datum

Johor Bahru Skyline.

Connecting day & night pedestrian circulations.

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1950s 2

1

3

Homaging the past.

Relinquishing Space

Heritage Town Delta.

Providing public realm space for stay, rest & interact.

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Bazaar 1.

AR Johor sculptural lounge 2.

Cultural food hub 3.

Think-City operations 4.

Performance/pitching stage 5.

Stepping garden 6.

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Articulated structures.

Context Replication

Stilted Structures of Segget River.

Sharing elements to harmonise with context.

Second Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Multiply and form units.

Complementing Functions

Sungai Segget Trading Hub.

Establishing programs to resonate/compliment with contextual businesses & individual

1

Artisan workshop. 1.

Artisans accommodation. 2.

Artisan retail. 3.

Library/Co-working space 4.

Viewing deck. 5.

2

Black box. 1.

Rooftop lounge 2.

Pre-function space 3.

Multipurpose hall 4.

Side Elevation

The marketplace of ideas.

Bifurcation into Programs Allocation of openings & programs spaces according to pedestrian heatmap through the day.

Johorean fig.

Sectional Study Diagram

Marketplace of Ideas

Structural detail of ‘tree’ roof Steel truss

Column detail of ‘tree’ roof with connector node

Joint detail of ‘tree’ roof

50mm hollow steel frame Tension cable

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Cultural food hub 1.

Bazaar 2.

AR Johor sculptural lounge 3.

Artisan retail space 4.

Artisan workshop 5.

Black box 6.

Visualizations

View of cultural food hub beside Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.

Marketplace of Ideas

Visualizations

Marketplace of Ideas, a view of the in-house cultural bazaar at ground floor level.

Marketplace of Ideas

Scenes of Kajang.

Phoenix of Kajang from Jalan Tukang.

Kajang, Selangor

02 PHOENIX OF KAJANG Year 3 Sem 1

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2019

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12 Weeks

Kajang, once an important tin-mining river-trade center, recessed into the backdrop together with tin-demand. The townhood, although rich with traditional dance culture, craftsmanship, and olden-businesses has remained placid through the times … Now, the locals are aged, the successors to their legacies moved out for ‘better’ opportunities.

They are disgruntled, desperate, how do we ensure their legacies are kept alive for just a little longer?

Performing Arts Centre : The proposal aims to integrate and bond the ‘leftovers’ (aging local populace, uninherited cultural businesses, partisan skills), by providing exposure to the transient bypassers/new blood in Kajang’s youth schools. It plans to be the ‘phase-1’ stage at revitalising the culturally rich town through architectural intervention that identifies with the distinctiveness of place.

A revival of local spirit.

Conceptual Studies

Developmental Sketches

People of Kajang 12

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Phoenix of Kajang

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am pm Time spent in Kajang Oldtown

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Locale

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Elders

Labourers

Students

Visitors/ Families

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Returning the ground floor to the public realm.

Layering from public to private.

2 Traditional Trade-shops

Modern Services

Bus-stops & MRT Stations

Schools & Tuition

Banks

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Transiting ti

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Activity

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Trade-works

Yumcha (Leisure Meals)

Fast Food

Satay

Public Transport

Learning

A flow-chart of activities for elders, labourers, students and visitors indicating a key lack of interaction and interest to the intellectual heritage of the elderly generation of Kajang.

Heritage Dance Class

Function vs pre-function

Expository vs Informative spaces

Initial 2D conceptual sketches for Phoenix of Kajang.

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Design Strategies

Phoenix of Kajang

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2 2 2 Legend 1.Informatory Reception 2.Gallery of Artisans 3.Confectionary Workshop 4.Practice Workshop 5.Satay Workshop 6.Open Bazaar

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Ground Floor Plan

Rebirth,Reborn Re-manifesting skills of the old artisans

Circulation Control Child safety through controlled circulations

Third Space Activation Stay and linger

Legend 1.Cafe 2.Kitchen 3.Practice Studios 4.Changing Rooms

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First Floor Plan

Levels of Interest Attracting views through transparency and protrusions

Directional Planes Visual anchor

Layers of Purpose Transient / youths behaviour-oriented circulation

Design Strategies

Program Considerations

Phoenix of Kajang

Space use

3

Performance Semi-public Public

4

Semi-secured floor. Controlled group access.

Library Elderly: Afternoon reading / Chilling Youth: After-class studies Co-working Creation Space Elderly: Sharing traditional skills & knowledge Youth: Picking up extracurricular skills

3

Secured floor, dedicated to performers and locals.

Open-air Lounge Performers: Performance pre-function, practicing space Locals: Chilling, busking (non-performing times) 3

Co-working Creation Space Elderly: Sharing traditional skills & knowledge Young: Picking up extracurricular skills

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Performing Props Gallery Displays trophy/props/memorabilia of past performances

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Semi-secured floor. Youth dancers & eating patrons

Cafe Locals: Eating. Chilling. People watching.

Transients: Eating.

Legend 1.Balcony 2.Library 3.Co-working Creation Space

10

Third Floor Plan

Practice Studios Partitions movable to facilitate more users.

Performers: Dance practice

1

Public floor. Encourage all to access.

Heritage Workshops Locals work-promoting heritage. Transients experiencing culture.

Indoor Gallery Expounds Kajang art & crafts works. Relaxing space.

Nature of Activities Introverted/extroverted programs

Interlevel Interaction Local/transients visual interactions

Planar Voids Stimulation through viewing un-identical activities

Open-air Bazaar Locals & Immigrants: Merchantry (crafts).

01/ Transients Place Extended public area for the bus-waiting transients and locals.

02/ Rebirth, Reborn Public space of monumental scale contrasted with contextual shallow, sidewalks.

03/ Cultural Prop Gallery Display of historically significant dance props of Kajangs’ glorious cultural dance heritage.

04/ Heritage Workshop Workshop promoting fading artisanal skills to youth, which overlooks Kajang town.

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Birds Eye View over Zeal.

ZiL District, Moscow

03 ZEAL LIVING HUB Competition |

2019

|

12 Weeks

Zeal caters for self - propelling youths aged 20-35, who needs a conducive living/working environment that leaves enough headspace to elevate their life/career to the next level. In Zeal, the energy and excitement of collaboration is treasured. In present Moscow, the working class is chasing wearily at different wants of life from the stay of their tiny box apartment.

Community Housing : The proposal attempts to extract the ups of the collaborative scale of past ZiL into living, by reintroducing the energy of collaboration into the design, setting up common denominators like inexclusive libraries, permaculture farms and ground markets that allow all to work, live and cooperate under the same roof.

A haven for hustlers of tomorrow.

Design Strategies

Zeal Moscow

` Massing Against Urban Grid

Low Shadow Casting

Single Loaded Corridors

Sense of Enclosure

Connecting via Collaborative Spaces

Redefining Outdoor Space

PV Facade as Energy Source

`

Living Module Zeal collects rental payment on 3,6,12 and 24 months policy. Faster circulating 3 / 6 months payment units are located in closer proximity with public spaces for security.

Besides money, people can contribute resources (time/expertise,etc) for the improvement of the building or community to cover up to a certain percentage of rental payment. There is motivation to go out and contribute to the ‘community’

Shared space Private space

kitchen pantry unit bedroom

shared work space

living space

heater toilet

Single unit

2 person-share unit

Zeal Market

4 person-share unit

Exploded axonometric of Zeal

Rainwater Harvesting

Nature

Town

Crossroads

City

Cross-Roads as viewed from Jalan Fairpark.

The site is at the intersection of man vs nature, urban vs suburban.

Fairpark, Ipoh

04 CROSS-ROADS COMMUNITY CENTRE FOR SINGLE PARENTS Year 2 Sem 2

Built

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2018 |

12 Weeks

The stagnation of development on Ipoh town brought about a multitude of socio-economic issues to communities, especially marginalised groups. Large number of children raised by single women are lodged in economic hardships. Set in Fairpark, Ipoh, the local neighbourhood faces internal problems of social disintegration as communal trust is at an all-time low.

Single-Parent Community Centre : The proposal forms mutual relations by providing support and care to the single parent families while regenerating neighbouring communities through introduced programs, spatial design, and intersection with nature.

Cross Path. Build Trust.

Design Strategies

Crossroad Community Centre

Crafting workshops

Rooftop garden

Visitors lobby

Dancing Studio

Office

Cafe

Crafts Retail

Section

Spaces dedicated for Single-Parent families.

Spaces for Fairpark community regeneration.

Single-parent families, mostly mother-child pairs suffering from certain social stigmas, are offered a place of support and empowerment in the tranquil heart of Ipoh.

Their routine here involve daycare/mommy & me classes, life-skill workshops and leisure gardens for the pair during day work-times.

However, when support is needed, they could visit the community engagement hall/library, and general support rooms. The design is aimed at integrating and normalizing single parent families with the local community.

Designing for user needs and resolving contextual issues

Intersecting volumes Respecting context and frame viewpoints

Height play Accommodate users of varying nature

Bridging roofs Emphasizing upper floor activities

Fairpark community, in the lack of defensible spaces comes an aging and declining local population.

The project returns a much needed communal gathering space to play and bond. Meanwhile also serving as a place of fostering understanding and support for a vulnerable group of mother and children.

Types of SPF-Visitor Interaction Face to face Indirect SPF specific

Revolving Circulation Establishes the courtyard as focal point of inter-level interaction

Floor Operation GF Visitor operation 1 Shared operation 2 SPF-specific operation

Design Strategies

Crossroad Community Centre

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LEGEND

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Ground Floor Plan

1.Crafts Retail 2.Cafe 3.Dance Studio 4.Office 5.Main Lobby 6.Central Courtyard 7.Parent-Children Interactive Hall

LEGEND 1.Terrace Garden 2.Stairwell Reading Space 3.Library 10

First Floor Plan

Spaces of interaction

Spaces for Fairpark community regeneration.

West Elevation

Spaces of interaction

Spaces dedicated for Single-Parent families.

Spaces for Fairpark community regeneration.

Spaces dedicated for Single-Parent families.

Front Elevation

Design Strategies

Crossroad Community Centre

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Focal point of main space at the courtyard.

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LEGEND 1. Classrooms 2.Lounge Room 3.Counselling 4.Roof Garden 5.Arts & Crafts Workshop

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Second Floor Plan The cafe intersects with nature.

Spaces of interaction

Spaces for Fairpark community regeneration.

Spaces dedicated for Single-Parent families.

East Elevation

Lobby maintain view over workshop and gardens.

Bangsar Rising Serviced Apartment

Professional Work 01/ Bangsar Rising Serviced Apartment

Dec 2020 - Sep 2021

Apartment Unit

Detail drawings

Common Facilities

Key Responsibilities | Detailed design | Tender stage drawings production | Client-consultant liaising | Conducting supplier meetings | Authority drawings & planning submissions

Chelagi 7 Bungalow Renovation

Professional Work 02/ Chelagi 7 Bungalow Renovation

Sep 2020 - Dec 2020

Key Responsibilities | Detailed design | Construction drawings production | Client-contractor liaising | | Site-Inspection and Measuring |

Roof Detail

Feature Sliding Door Sectional Detail

Part Full Section

Feature Sliding Door Sectional Detail

Other Works

5

Acoustic studies

Landscape design proposal @ bukit bintang

4

Cheng Hoon Teng Measured Drawings

2.5

Commmunity service initiative

Proposed industrialised building system apartment design

5

Bus-stop design & structural studies

3

Architectural research absorbable elements of japanese vernacular design onto earthquake resistive designs

4