NUS | BA.Arch Year 1 Semester 1 - Compilation of Works

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN PORTFOLIO Y1S1 Over a span of fourteen weeks, I felt ike a sheep being thrown into a lions’ den.

Furthur so, I had been thrown several times. The result? I felt that I became a more resilient and craft-y sheep equipped with more knowledge and skill. During this period, we were made to explore many topics, ones which we have neither experience doing it nor prior knowledge on. With the mentality of just enjoying the process and doing it to the best of my ability, I found this journey rewarding. At the end of the day, I found that I earnedmore than just honourable mentions, I managed a craft - craft of making and thinking.

This portfolio is a documentation of a selection of my works over the first semester in architecture school, in National University of Singapore. It records my exploration and thinking throughout the design process, from inception to the final design proposal. In addition to the documentation of my process, it records the challenges I faced and the limitation of my final design. Over the first semester, we were given a total of thirteen projects, each of a different topic. This portfolio serves to plot my progress over this period of thirteen weeks (1) Technical Skillsets (2) Design Process

01

PLAY ∙ NET, TIONG BAHRU ESTATE Community Mapping Week 2

02

NO. 85 SULTAN GATE Sense of Scale Part 1 Week 6

03

FIELD TRIP: CLAN JETTIES, PENANG Sense of Scale Part 2 Week 7

04

9SG ELOK HOUSE Topological Transformation Week 8

05

THROUGH MY EYES Constructing the Intangible City Week 10

06

SPACE BRIDGE//ROOF Geometry and Composition in Structure Week 12

07

NEO-TROPICAL VERNACULAR Tropical Paradigm Week 13

01 PLAY∙NET A site analysis was conducted at Tiong Bahru Court, an established HDB estate with the purpose of the following. (1) To gain a better understanding of the relationship between community bonding and the built environment (2) To study the actual usage of the environment and the activities that residents are interested in, to determine the spaces required by residents. (3) Understand the conditions that are conducive for community interaction and positive encounters amongst residents and visitors in the public realm, and the design principles that are crucial to facilitate positive encounters and active interaction.

Upon the site analysis, the design brief calls for a design intervention.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

PLAY∙NET | SITE ANALYSIS SITE ANALYSIS The first thing in our design process was to conduct a site analysis of Tiong Bahru Court, Prominent Buildings/Spaces in Vicinity: We looked at the map, and marked out the different buildings in different colours base on the usage of the space. Office, Recreational, Educational or Commercial.

Catchment Areas: In the site analysis map that we drew, we drew the catchment area, 5 minute walking radius to 15 minutes walking radius so to understand where could our user be coming from, since there is low possibility of users walking furthus than that, that will frequent Tiong Bahru Court.

Human Circulation: We marked our the prominent routes that is used by the users to get to the various spots in the vicinity.

Traffic Circulation: As Tiong Bahru Court lies along a main road, and has a MRT station and bus stop in close proximity, we need to understand where could the main traffic be coming from. This led us to studying the bus routes and MRT connection which allow us to come to realisation that the observation of many student in this area, was due to the bus routes.

Various Users: There were people have various ages, but mainly elderly, which might due to Tiong Bahru being a mature estate. Much primary school students and kindergarten children could be observed in the area due to the existence of Zhonghua Primary School and a kindergarten.

Perculiar Activities: Elderlies having their regular coffee sessions in the morning, caretakers fetching their kids to and from school, old uncles having their beer in the late night, children playing at the playground, old people playing cards in the pavillion.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

PLAY∙NET | SITE ANALYSIS TENANCY TYPE Upon the site analysis conducted, we dissected the given site - Tiong Bahru Court, into the different storeys and tenancy types. This is so to understand the human flow and usage of the space better. The floorplan were dissected into various colours to indicate the different space type. Sevices, Eductional and Eateries.

Family Social Centre Tuition Centres / Kindergarten Services: Clinics, Car Rental Coffee Shop / Bakery

SECTION SCALE 1:200

Public from a distance would not be able to view the ground level due to drop in height - 2 metres. The building’s ground level is hosts to the main activities (Coffee shop, bakery) however due to the drop in height, the users will not notice the activities.

ELEVATION SCALE 1:200

The portion of the building under the road level cannot be seen from across the road.

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PLAY∙NET | ETHNOGRAPHY ETHNOGRAPHY

PERSONAS

Ethnography is the systematic study of people and cultures. It is designed to explore cultural phenomena where the researcher observes society from the point of view of the subject of the study. An ethnography is a means to represent graphically and in writing the culture of a group. The resulting field study or a case report reflects the knowledge and the system of meanings in the lives of a cultural group.

By understanding the personas, it allows for a better design of user experience (user-centered). Personas are fictional characters created to represent the different user types that might use the space/area. Personas are useful in considering the needs and wants of user and help guide decisions about the design.

The typical ethnography is a holistic study and so includes a brief history, and an analysis of the terrain, the climate, and the environment. In all cases it should be reflexive, make a substantial contribution toward the understanding of the social life of humans, have an aesthetic impact on the reader, and express a credible reality. An ethnography records all observed behaviour and describes all symbol-meaning relations, using concepts that avoid causal explanations.

Kindergarten Children

Primary/ Secondary Students

Age:

Age:

4-6 years old Interest Drawing Running Art and Crafts Playground breaks Main Activitites at Tiong Bahru Court Kindergarten sessions Breakfast at coffeee shop

7-16 years old Interest Playing at the playground Playing computer games Sports Performing arts Shopping Hanging out with friends Main Activitites at Tiong Bahru Court Buy food Eat at the coffee shop Tuition

Office Personnels

Retirees/ Housewives/ Elderly

Age:

Age: 25 - 50 years old

Interest

Interest Adventure Overseas trip Recreational activities Cafe hopping Shopping

Main Activitites at Tiong Bahru Court Meal breaks at coffee shop Dinner with family Visit hair saloon/ manicure

Care Takers/ Domestic Helpers

MAPPING OF PERSONAS Mapping of personas with time and space allow us to better understand and see the convergence of human flow within the different personas.

In addition, it allows us to know at which hour does it have the most users. More importantly, this information will allow us to recognise which space/area has the most potential for a design intervention (for community interaction).

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

30 - 80 years old

Age: 25 - 50 years old Interest Music Shopping Hanging out with friends Main Activitites at Tiong Bahru Court Send child to kindergarten/ tuition Eats at the coffee shop Going to the bakery

Coffee breaks Hanging out with friends Birds watching Main Activitites at Tiong Bahru Court Send grandchildren to kindergarten Meals at coffee shop Visits the bakery Haircut at the hair salom

PLAY∙NET | DESIGN ISSUES AND CONCEPT DESIGN ISSUES

EXISTING DESIGN

Existing spaces is not condusive for a meaningful conversation. Most spaces are exposed to sun in the humid weather

PROPOSE INTERVENTION

A very functional space for services, meals and basic neccessity, does not allow for meaningful interaction Space does not allow for users to cultivate hobbies/interest Community bonding, should not only consider human to human interaction but interaction with the place

Existing spaces is solely just commercial spaces. Space to include recreational To interperse commercial space with recreational/landscape space for a heightened space to allow cultivation of hobbies and interest at observe in the personas study. user experience

In the existing design, users congregate/gather mainly at the coffeeshop, the design intervention will look at how it could utilise the landscape space before the coffeeshop. It could allow for spillout.

Under the tropical climate, it is observed that in the midday, spaces without shade are not utilise. The design intervention will have some form of shade to fully utilise space in all times of the day.

Due to the drop in height between the road level and ground level,the public from across the street will not know about the activities happening at the ground level.

Resulting in a visually dead space.

Due to abrupt drop in height from the road level to the ground level, the users were not able to flow into the space freely. A detour is needed to go to the ground level.

The design intervention looks to create a alternative path for the users, to bring in the main flow of human cirvulation from the walk path.

In the existing design, the main entrance to the building is unclear. The design intervention looks to accentuate the entrance with the built form.

DESIGN CONCEPT Provide a form of shade to the users at Tiong Bahru Court, at ground level Promotes interaction between both users and place Space to include recreational space to allow cultivation of hobbies and interest at observe in the personas study

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

PLAY∙NET | DESIGN INTERVENTION Slides and swings incoporated into structure, provides seats for the existing program (coffee shop) Play areas/structures interpersed with existing commercial areas A preforated thin film under the structure to provide for a shaded space more condusive for the users. Colours on the thin film to allow for a vibrant and bright space.

The design intervention converges commercial space and recreational space. Usage is dependable on the users

FLOORPLAN SCALE 1:200

The PlayNet is a alternative walkway that connects to the sheltered walkway at road level to the building, its intention is to capture

PLAY∙NET Aligning to the lifestyle of the existing users in Tiong Bahru Court, the design intervention serves to

SECTION A-A

SCALE 1:200 ` The PlayNet will act as a form of seating for the users waiting for the buses.

SECTION B-B SCALE 1:200

The PlayNet would accentuate the entrance to the building, inviting human flow.

(1) Shape a condusive space that users would want to linger within (2) Create a space that provides an identity to Tiong Bahru Court (3) Design a space that brings together the various personas - Play-Net The indefinite function of Play-Net allow for flexible usage, that brings the community together to play, experience and discover together.

Ultimately, the Play-Net is a celebration

ELEVATION SCALE 1:200

The PlayNet would allow the building activities to be notice from afar hinting the public of the happenings in the building. As a result, attracts the public into the space.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

PLAY∙NET | PHYSICAL MODEL SITE MODEL

FURTHER EXPLORATION

This is the site model for Tiong Bahru Court. This model is first built to allow for the studying of the massing and the built form. It allow us to see the complication of the drop from the road level to the ground level of the building.

We proceed with further exploration of the form with the wire mesh. Instead of a creating connections horizontally, we look to connect vertically. Provide alternative connections from upper storeys to the coffee shop. Something insightful to the project, was that the built form could actually hint movement, and could induce human circulation.

DESIGN INTERVENTION This is upon the design intervention. We explored with wire mesh as it would allow us to freely carve the spaces. We tried bending to create concave and convex curves to create different type of spaces, to accentuate certain spaces, to connect various areas. We also played with some form of colours, to create some form of light play under the wire mesh to create visual interest. With the PlayNet, it allows hint of activities to be seen across the street.

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02 NO. 85 SULTAN GATE This assignment calls for the documentation of No. 85 Sultan Gate. The purpose of this assignment was to allow us to sense and recognise the application of scale in architecture and deploy architectural drawing conventions by recording and documenting buildings, streetscape and urban neighbourhoods and sidewalk activities in Singapore. Through drawing and observation, we were made to recognise type and model in architecture and distinguish this from style. This train us in ways of seeing, reading, distinguishing, and representing/drawing form, volume, surfaces, spaces and architectural features. The element I found most useful in this assignment, was the learning of orthographic projection to produce the plans, sections, elevation.

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no. 85 sultan gate | Perspective NO.85 SULTAN GATE A1

Commissioned by Sultan Hussein’s eldest son, Sultan Ali Iskandar Shah of the Johor Riau–Lingga Empire in 1835. It was built on the site of the original building between 1836 and 1843. The new two-storey palace is believed to have been designed by colonial architect George Drumgoole Coleman, as some of its architectural features are similar to those of other buildings Coleman designed such as the Old Parliament House and the Armenian Church. Its design is a combination of the Palladian style, which was then popular in England, with traditional Malay motifs. The extensive compound of the Istana was enclosed by a perimeter wall, and small kampung-style houses were built around it for the Sultan’s kin, servants and artisans.

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no. 85 sultan gate | site plan and floorplans

SITE PLAN SCALE 1:100, A2

Built 160 years ago by Sultan Ali, the son of Sultan Hussein Shah, Istana Kampong Glam was once the royal seat of the Malay sultans in Singapore. The building lies along an axis, explaining its importance during its hay-days. The buildings around it observe this axis too. Before the building is a garden, hosting a large fountain and lush greeneries.

FLOORPLANS SCALE 1:100, A2

Floorplans is designed to be symmetrical and balanced. With numerous floor to ceiling height windows and doors, it allows for large amount of sunlight into the building for natural day lighting in the day. In addition, it makes the building very pervious for natural ventilation. The floors uses long wooden planks, creating a warm ambience within the building and allows for the fusion of the lush greeneires and nature in the outdoor garden with the indoors.

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no. 85 sultan gate | SECTIONS AND ELEVATIONS

SECTIONS SCALE 1:100, A2

The initial Istana Kampong Glam was originally a timber structure built on stilts. Its upper level was known as the ‘panggung’, or the main living and sleeping quarters of the house.

At the ground level, the ‘kolong’ was used as storage, work or service areas, or even a children’s play area.

The Centre honours the original layout.

ELEVATIONS SCALE 1:100, A2

NO.85 Sultan Gate, Malay Heritage Centre, was designed with numerous door and window opening to allow for natural daylighting and ventilation purposes. Around the doors and window in included some malay motifs that gives the building a tinge of flamboyance. The building is topped with a beautiful clay tiles roof.

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no. 85 sultan gate | axometric drawings

AXOMETRIC DRAWINGS SCALE 1:100, A2

These orthographic projections, axometric drawings have the purpose to portray the scale and space of the building. It allows one to view the elements of the design in isolation and aid in visualising the space.

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03 CLAN JETTIES, PENANG A sense of scale is indispensable in understanding architecture and drawing. When we say a space is ‘tight’, ‘cosy’, or ‘oversized’ or overwhelming for a particular purpose, we are referring to a sense of ‘human scale’ or the measure of space required for human activity. The fine-scale measure of space and form for bodily movements for various tasks requires familiarity with the domain of study named anthropometry.

An awareness of the human body’s dimensions also serves as a measure for estimation. A sense for proportion refers to dimensions of parts in relation to the whole and is essential in visual estimation when documenting what you see. Familiarity with different scales and the required level of details of construction is also fundamental to architectural drawing.

This was a field trip assignment. This assignment calls for the documentation of architecture and spaces of Penang in three scalar levels (1) Neighbourhood scale: Mapping the city fabric (2) Building scale: elements and features (3) Streetfront details and human scale: Anthropometry and thresholds.

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PLAY∙NET | SITE ANALYSIS

CITIES SHOULD BE DESIGN BY PLANNERS IN COLLABORATION WITH ITS USERS The structured layout by early British town planners were orderly with clear divisions of space. However, over time they began to break down to meet people’s needs. For example, the size of different communities or the need for certain religious buildings would need differently sized blocks or lots and did not fit in the original grid.

The organic layout of the clan jetties is intriguing to study as they show how city layouts would really look like if people were left alone. Irregular and haphazard to meet people’s wants and needs.

This means city planners cannot simply lay down an arbitrary plan. Georgetown’s growing out of the grid showed that the original plans and the people’s needs differed. The clan jetties’ irregular nature shows just how varied people’s wants and needs can be which city planners would need people’s input in order to plan for them.

Hence, for lasting city plans, city planners have to plan cities for people, with people.

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CLAN JETTIES, PENANG | CITY SCALE URBAN MORPHOLOGY OF GEORGETOWN,

1807

1883

2015 (TODAY)

In 1960s, due to the construction of a new ferry terminal for Penang, in the cureent location of LEE’s Jetty, forced its occupants to relocate. The new LEE’s Jetty was later rebuilt under stringent government regulation resulting in a linear jetty with neatly arranged lots which is similar to NEW Jetty which was built in the late 1960s. The original location of LEE Jetty is now dominated by the Penang Ferry Terminal.

This city plan shows the beginning of a sprawl beyond the original grid as the population began to grow very quickly. While the original grid still somewhat guides the city layout, they are less rigid, and the size of the blocks are larger. Already, there are hints of an evolution beyond the strict grid layout to meet people’s needs.

In this city plan, the grid clearly breaks down further away from the original grid with a less regular layout, and blocks of different sizes and shapes. The structure of the grid layout had overtime evolved to something that better suited people’s needs.

1807

1883

2015 (TODAY)

The clan jetties were yet to be built. They were only built after the land reclamation of the shallow shoreline in 1882. however, there exists some form og temporary structure built by the colonialist for the transport ofgoods and people - ghauts.

In this city plan, the clan jetties are of irregular rectilinear, haphazard arrangment. At the time, clan members preferred to build their homes closer to their own relatives and were known to do so. This resulted in a clustering of homes and the irregular nature of the clan jetties. However, they weren’t completely unstructured as the jetties themselves were closely aligned with the main roads that lead to the city centre (town) which helped facilitate the flow of goods and cargo to and from the jetties.

In 1960s, due to the construction of a new ferry terminal for Penang, in the cureent location of LEE’s Jetty, forced its occupants to relocate. The new LEE’s Jetty was later rebuilt under stringent government regulation resulting in a linear jetty with neatly arranged lots which is similar to NEW Jetty which was built in the late 1960s. The original location of LEE Jetty is now dominated by the Penang Ferry Terminal

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

clan jetties, penang | CITY scale ELEVATION (LEFT) FLOORPLAN (RIGHT) A2

This is a very typical clan jetty house, with a front porch. The house has a very narrow front but built in depth. The construction of the house is mostly with timber with a zinc sheet roof (originally a atap leaves roof). The house is propped on stilts which is extended upwards to support the roof. The roof of the house cantilevers a significant length to provide shade for the tropical setting. Due to the construction of the house with timber, it has a natural cooling effect.

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clan jetties, penang | building scale AXOMETRIC OF STILT SYSTEM A3

A typical clan jetty house is propped on stilts, with at least three layers of stilts to ensure the load is distributed evenly.

TYPICAL CLAN JETTY HOUSE’S SECTION SCALE 1:100, A2

A typical clan jetty house is constrcuted with timber. Due to the air gap above and beneath the house is allows for the natural flow of air through the house. The house is also intentionally built with the walls not attached to the roof, to allow for a gap within the house. Though making the rooms not sound proof, it allows for a natural cooling effect. The house is built in depth with bedrooms lined along its length. At the end of the house, it is the individual unit’s access to sea, which theycould attached their boat to or fish for daily meals

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clan jetties, penang | human scale

CHEW’S CLAN JETTY SITE PLAN SCALE 1:1000, A2

Chew’s Clan Jetty takes on a haphazard and spontaneous layout. Houses are built without prior planning of the arrangement, and most were built base on proximity from family and relatives. Houses are closely knitted together, as the span of the jetty is limited by the depth of the sea, construction of stilts at deeper ends of the sea would be very challenging and costly. As a result, all the houses have a very narrow front but built with depth

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CLAN JETTIES, PENANG | human scale

1

2

3

4

CHEW’S CLAN JETTIES SKETCHES A4 (1) (2) (3) (4)

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View from house’s back deck Aunties using corridoor space for daily chores Common cooridoors - Motorbikes buzzing through Aunties congregating at front porch

clan jetties, penang | human scale

5

6

7

8

CHEW’S CLAN JETTY SKETCHES A4

(5) Gap between units (6) Uncles using daylight from door opening to read (7) Clan jetty houses propped on stilts (8) Uncle fishing on clan jetty’s deck

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04 9SG ELOK HOUSE This assignment calls for the exploration of topology – space in terms of relationship. Since topology does not consider distance, angle or size of a shape, “space” can be purely understood through relations. This can be done through method of translating space into graph. Specifically for this assignment we were to dissect how a family structure changes according to time. Given a site of 10m by 10m with a height limit of 10m, having three sides surrounded by neighbours, the brief calls for a design for a house of a family through different phases – showing transformation.

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9SG ELOK HOUSE | CASE STUDY AND DESIGN CONCEPT CASE STUDY: ELOK HOUSE BY CHANG ARCHITECTS

ELEMENTS/CONCEPT EXTRACTED FROM CASE STUDY LEGEND

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1

FRONT PORCH

NODES: INDIVIDUAL ROOMS/SPACES

2

DINING AREA

EDGES: CIRCULATION SPACES/ GREEN SPACES

3

WATER CLOSET

4

KITCHEN

5

BEDROOM (COUPLE)

6

BEDROOM (CHILD 1)

7

BEDROOM (CHILD 2)

8

BEDROOM (CHILD 3)

1 - ROOMS ARE CONNECTED VIA A MULTI-LINEAR RELATIONSHIP 2 - ROOMS HAVE INDIVIDUAL OUTDOOR SPACES 3 - ROOMS ARE CONNECTED VIA A SAME ROUTE (THRESHOLD SPACE), BUT DOES NOT COMPROMISE PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUAL ROOMS

9SG ELOK HOUSE | TOPOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION - SPATIAL TRANSLATION PHASE 1 (SCALE 1:100)

PHASE 2 (SCALE 1:100)

PHASE 3 (SCALE 1:100)

1ST STOREY

1ST STOREY

1ST STOREY

2ND STOREY

2ND STOREY

2ND STOREY

ROOF LEVEL

3RD STOREY

3RD STOREY

LEGEND

LEGEND

LEGEND

1

FRONT PORCH

1

FRONT PORCH

1

FRONT PORCH

2

WATER CLOSET

2

WATER CLOSET

2

WATER CLOSET

3

KITCHEN

3

KITCHEN

3

KITCHEN

4

BEDROOM (CHILD)

4

RECREATIONAL ROOM

4

BEDROOM (TENANT)

5

BEDROOM (COUPLE)

5

BEDROOM (COUPLE)

5

BEDROOM (OLD COUPLE)

6

BEDROOM (CHILD 1)

6

RECREATIONAL ROOM

7

BEDROOM (CHILD 2)

7

BEDROOM (YOUNG COUPLE)

8

BEDROOM (CHILD 3)

8

BEDROOM (CHILD)

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9SG ELOK HOUSE | TOPOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION - GRAPHICAL TRANSLATION PHASE 1:

1 COUPLE + 1 CHILD LEGEND

PHASE 2:

1

FRONT PORCH

2

WATER CLOSET

3

KITCHEN

4

BEDROOM (CHILD)

5

BEDROOM (COUPLE)

1 COUPLE + 3 CHILDREN LEGEND

PHASE 3:

1

FRONT PORCH

2

WATER CLOSET

3

KITCHEN

4

RECREATIONAL ROOM

5

BEDROOM (COUPLE)

6

BEDROOM (CHILD 1)

7

BEDROOM (CHILD 2)

8

BEDROOM (CHILD 3)

1 OLD COUPLE + 1 YOUNG COUPLE + 1 CHILD + 1 TENANT LEGEND

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

1

FRONT PORCH

2

WATER CLOSET

3

KITCHEN

4

BEDROOM (TENANT)

5

BEDROOM (OLD COUPLE)

6

RECREATIONAL ROOM

7

BEDROOM (YOUNG COUPLE)

8

BEDROOM (CHILD)

9SG ELOK HOUSE | PHYSICAL MODEL SHADOWS GIVING CHARACTER TO SPACE SCALE 1:50

Vertical elements are carefully position to mark respective threshold spaces. Threshold spaces will not only look different but feels different due to the shadow casted. As a result, the individual threshold spaces will have their distinct character.

PHYSICAL MODELS OF RESPECTIVE PHASES SCALE 1 : 50

Vertical elements are place to mark respective threshold spaces. Threshold spaces would not just look different but feel different due to the shadows casted.

Each individual threshold space would have a distinct character. All spaces and rooms are designed around the courtyard space.

COURTYARD SPACE, LIGHTWELL SCALE 1 : 50

The lightwell is a distinct element of the design. All the spaces are designed around the courtyard space sharing the lightwell, though the private spaces does not intersect each other, nor have any direct relationship, they maintain the relationship as a unified whole via nature, the courtyard. They share view of the same space.

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05 THROUGH MY EYES This assignment calls for the use of both a camera and spoken word, as a tool, to reveal and construct the intangible qualities of the city with images and narratives.

Like an emotional storytelling that allow us to go beyond time and space. With a camera, we are to explore and experience the city, taking careful consideration to the vantage point and framing. Photography has the capacity to affect how we see things, and to defamiliarize our everyday lives and surroundings. Photography is an analytical tool to frame how we observe the city and people, in order to reveal intangible and hidden dimensions of our city life. Spoken word is a poetry of expression.

With spoken word, you can intuitively express the feelings, experiences, stories, and emotions of people through presence and sensibility.

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THROUGH MY EYES | PHOTOGRAPHY

POINTS, LINES, PLANES Through my eyes.

The individual units, Like points on a plane Through my eyes The buildings, Like points extruded from the ground Through my eyes The city scape Formed by many lines abutted together Through my eyes, This place, Is more than just four walls and a roof.

Through my eyes, This city It is the symbiosis Of points, lines and planes.

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THROUGH MY EYES | PHOTOGRAPHY

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06 SPACE BRIDGE//ROOF “I don’t want to undress architecture. I want to enrich it and add layers to it. Basically like in a Gothic cathedral, where the ornament and the structure form an alliance.”

Cecil Balmond “When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.” R. Buckminster Fuller The assignment calls for the design of a bridge and roof that above meeting the structural requirements, it has to consider the aesthetics, creativity of structure, integrity of geometry and composition in design.

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SPACE BRIDGE // PLAY∙NET | SITE ANALYSIS SPACE BRIDGE (PERSPECTIVE) The structure of the design, allows for a unique shadow to be casted on the ground, due to its permeable nature. The visual gaps allows light to permeates and shadow casted giving it a character.

AXOMETRIC OF JOINERY SCALE 1:2

For the central module, a joinery was derived to allow for the inclinition of the structure at ten degrees.

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SPACE BRIDGE // ELEMENTS OF SPACE BRIDGE SCALE 1 : 2

This were the basic elements of what is used to formed the bridge.

The three legged element forms the main body of the structure while the rest braces it together. The main design concept was for the structure to not only be light but visually light too. Thus only the most essential part of the structure is kept and the rest trimmed.

BASIC MODULES SCALE 1:2

On the left it is the basic module that forms the body of the structure. On the right it is a typical bracing module that connects the basic modules.

TOP ELEVATION SCALE 1:5

FRONT ELEVATION SCALE 1:5

SIDE ELEVATION SCALE 1:5

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SECTION A-A SCALE 1:5

SECTION B-B SCALE 1:5

// SPACE ROOF

SPACE ROOF (PERSPECTIVE)

` The structure of the design, allows for a unique shadow to be casted on the ground, due to its permeable nature. The visual gaps allows light to permeates and shadow casted giving it a character.

AXOMETRIC OF JOINERY SCALE 1:2

For the central module, a joinery was derived to allow for the inclinition of the structure at ten degrees.

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// SPACE ROOF PLAY∙NET | SITE ANALYSIS

SIDE ELEVATION SCALE 1:5

TOP ELEVATION SCALE 1:5

SECTION A-A SCALE 1:5

FRONT ELEVATION SCALE 1:5

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

SECTION B-B SCALE 1:5

SPACE BRIDGE // SPACE ROOF | PHYSICAL MODEL SPACE BRIDGE MODEL SCALE 1:1

The structure of the design, allows for a unique shadow to be casted on the ground, due to its permeable nature. The visual gaps allows light to permeates and shadow casted giving it a character.

SPACE ROOF MODEL SCALE 1:!

The structure of the design, allows for a unique shadow to be casted on the ground, due to its permeable nature. The visual gaps allows light to permeates and shadow casted giving it a character.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

07 NEO-TROPICAL VERNACULAR This project started with a debate, in positions on tropicality in architectural design

by Tay Kheng Soon and Chan Soo Khian.

“Are those involved aware that they have perhaps unwittingly legitimised the primacy of the cube and the surface plane as the language of form and space applied to the problem of tropical aesthetics notwithstanding the physics of tropical design?” Tay Kheng Soon “Neo-tropicality’ had the motive not only to restore but also to challenge the current status of tropicality. We are, in no way, claiming higher or a totally new ground. However, it is timely to challenge certain comfortable notions of the all-important issue of identity usually tied to the vernacular. What is Singapore’s vernacular anyway?”

Chan Soo Khian Upon that, we are to define and develop their own statement on topicality in architecture and the city. Based on the statement, the design brief calls for an envelope that encloses a square void of 600 mm x 600 mm, or a circle of 600 mm diameter.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

neo-tropical vernacular OUR STATEMENT ON TROPICALITY We derive with our statement on tropicality base on Chan Sook Khian. His statement was a basis to ours even though we did not fully agree with his perspective on tropicality. Our aim with this statement, was to explore if tropicality was not viewed to be vernacular, but a possibility of developing into a architectural language.

CONDITIONS OF TROPICALITY 1. Sun - Due to the frequent hot weather, a form of shade/ shelter is needed to protect the users from the heat 2. Rainfall - The occassional downpour meant that it would require a form of shelter to hide the users from the rain 3. Wind - Due to the hot and humid weather, making use of the natural wind becomes a neccessity.

OUR RESPONSES We decide to keep with a cuboid intervention with four walls and a roof. In order to build upon our statement, we explored four different ways of countereacting tropicality, four ways for four walls. Ideally, upon doing that we might be able an architectural language (style) for tropicality.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

neo tropical vernacular | THE PROCESS PROCESS MODELS P1 With two main goals in mind, to block out the sunlight at 60 degrees, and maximise natural wind flow, and the statement we derived with some process models. These process models provided us with the basis solution to tropicality, it is porous and the horizontal planes acts as sunshades and were able to block out the sun at 60 degrees.

PROCESS MODELS P2 We built upon our first round of process models, and came up with a model that is monolithic, repetitive and modular. We found it visually unexciting though it was able to answer to the criterias. We learnt from the limitations of these models, and proceeded to think of ways and methods to use modular horizontal/vertical elements to produce variations to break the modularity of the fascade as a whole.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

neo-tropical vernacular | the process LOUVRE The Louvre is one of our walls. Basically we use horizontal element to block off the sun, and at the same time provide the porosity for the wind. To variate, with wider horizontal element, it meant that we could place it furthur apart, and thinner horizontal elements we have to place it in closer proximity, this naturally create a variation with modular elements.

NEO-PIGEON HOLE Neo-Pigeon hole was another of our wall, it was derive from a pigeon hole. Due to the depth of the pigeon holes it would effectively block out the sun at 60 degrees (as calculated). In addition due to it natural form it allows for obstructed flow of wind. For variation, with bigger squares, it meant that the squares need to be wider, with smaller squares it could be thinner.

‘L’ PERMATATIONS ‘L’ Permuation. It took basis on CSK designs where he would put regular shapes together to permutate to various form, which results in a visually exciting fascade. With this wall we variate by using big ‘L’ and small ‘L’. The big ‘L’ would be able to cover twice the area of small ‘L’ since it is wider.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

neo-tropical vernacular | shadow studies SHADOW STUDIES Even though, shadow studies isn’t part of the design brief. During the exploration process, I came to realisation that the shadow was what gave life to our built form. Therefore while we were exploring with how different forms of sunshades could block out the sun and maximise the amount of wind form, we took note of how the shadow is casted, on the built form itself, in the interiors and the surrounding.

As identified by Leonardo da Vinci, we often encounter three types of shadows: Attached shadow, shading and cast shadow. The attached shadow falls on the body itself – like a cantilever roof causing a shadow on the façade. The second type belongs to bright and dark contrasts, which are inherent to the form and depend only on the source of light, e.g. a ball shaped pavilion, which even under a cast sky shows a darker zone in the lower part. The third, cast shadow, could be the result of a high house generating shadow on the street due to the projection of the building outline.

Something I read more about during the process was Louis Kahn – arguably the master of light in architecture. Kahn´s archetypical forms go back to Greek architecture, which he studied in the 1950s: “Greek architecture taught me that the column is where the light is not, and the space between is where the light is. It is a matter of no-light, light, no-light, light. A column and a column brings light between them. To make a column which grows out of the wall and which makes its own rhythm of no-light, light, no-light, light: that is the marvel of the artist.”

However, light was also a central element in Kahn´s philosophy because he regarded it as a “giver of all presences”: “All material in nature, the mountains and the streams and the air and we, are made of Light which has been spent, and this crumpled mass called material casts a shadow, and the shadow belongs to Light.” For him, light is the maker of material, and material’s purpose is to cast a shadow.

And because Kahn believed that the dark shadow is a natural part of light, Kahn never attempted a pure dark space for a formal effect.

For him, a glimpse of light elucidated the level of darkness: “A plan of a building should be read like a harmony of spaces in light. Even a space intended to be dark should have just enough light from some mysterious opening to tell us how dark it really is. Each space must be defined by its structure and the character of its natural light.” As a result, the light as a source is often hidden behind louvers or secondary walls, thus concentrating attention on the effect of the light and not on its origin.

The “mysteriousness” of shadow was also closely linked to evoking silence and awe. For Kahn, while darkness evokes the uncertainty of not being able to see, of potential dangers, it also inspires deep mystery. It is in the hands of the architect to evoke silence, secret or drama with light and shadow - to create a “treasury of shadows”.

With that said, even though without thorough and deep understanding of shadows, we gave our own interpretation of how shadows can give life to the built form, how different forms of shadows play a part.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

neo-tropical vernacular | light simulations

LIGHT SIMULATION We did formal testing inbetween our exploration. We place spotlight at 60 degrees to make sure no light actually leaks into the box. We test it for all four walls and our results was stunning. All four walls was able to take the ‘tropical conditions’. We also took the chance to play with the light to view the shadow effects that were possible with these fascades.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

neo-tropical vernacular |d-day D-DAY The actual day when we presented to Dr Abel E. Tablada de la Torre, the proffessor that crafted the brief.

Same thing, we place our model under the spotlight, and we invited our classmates to go under the box.

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO

I AM READY FOR THE NEXT LEAP Y1S2

LOW BENG WEE, GAVIN | Y1S1 PORTFOLIO