Architecture Portfolio - 02

THE MANY GROUNDS OF PASIR PANJANG

AR3101 Booklet HASSELL Studio Unit LITTORAL STUDIO - THE MANY GROUNDS OF PASIR PANJANG Singapore, a city of many grounds Cities – like all complex systems – are more than the sum of their parts.

We approached the fine-tuning of our studio brief from a point of honest concern with the conflation of two academic proclivities: the objective urban mapping through data interpretation and the subjective urban reading through empirical observation.

White the former is arguably the arena of urban scientists, accurately and methodically transforming facts into data-sets, the latter is most definitely the strength of architects, parsing the data gathered through a rich filter of humanistic concerns and aesthetic aspirations, finally allowing it to become generative in the most unexpected yet extraordinary of ways.

Ever since Le Corbusier first published his Maison Domino diagram a century ago, a decade later to be embodied in the most famous built manifestation of his five points of architecture – Villa Savoye at Poissy – the relationship of architecture to the land has changed forever. Once we have disestablished the land as ground, just as Rem Koolhaas demonstrated in his “Delirious New York” illustration of the 1909 theorem , modern construction and modern buildings are creating with each new level the promise of a completely virgin site, a new ground to plan and design.

Le Corbusier, Maison Dom-Ino 1914, Plan FLC

Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye Villa Savoye, A manifesto for Modernity, accessed 17 November 2017, <https://www.spacesxplaces.com/ villa-savoye-poissy-le-corbusier/>.

In Singapore’s case, since its first reclamation works began in 1822 the land area has expanded by almost 25%, from 58,150 to 71,910 hectares – so land of all things seems to be just as notional as its ever-expanding boundary.

What is “true ground” or “true land” after all in our context?

Rem Koolhaas, 1909 theorem from “Delirious New York”, Pg 83.

Map of Singapore and the areas of land reclaimation Map source: https://blogs.ntu.edu.sg/hp3312014-10/?page_id=7

Learning from examples, engaging with the site Step 1: In groups, the students studied several urban planning approaches, from the paradigm-shifting mapping of public space continuum in the 1748 Rome by Giambattista Nolli to the recent West Kowloon Cultural district competition eventually won by Rocco Design Architects.

The exercise was not about regurgitating facts, but about engaging at a deeper level with the concept of each approach framed by the context of its times. Each approach was then interpreted through a diagrammatic model, a way to physicalise in three dimensions the intangible qualities of the historic approach.

Step 2: Learning from precedents, the groups had to apply a similar conceptual analytical filter to the broader Pasir Panjang area, testing whether through abstract mapping and concrete data gathering, any visible patterns would emerge.

The wealth of filters: from connections, demographics, to colours and political layers, once juxtaposed did generate a surprising amount of readings of the site, some of which conflicting, yet all valid in their intricacy and paradoxes.

The urban insertion project This precise point is the beginning of the generative design journey. Each project had to address a unique threshold on the site – an uncomfortable clash of conditions, whether physical, historical, programmatic, social or ecological, amongst others.

By drawing knowledge from the many maps generated during the first few weeks of the studio, and ensuring their individual concerns are somewhat different yet complementary, the goal was to create a soft emerging masterplan that underpins a variety of conditions, works together as a whole, yet reads aerated enough to allow comfortable room for future growth.

Let’s face it: the site is an amalgam of unique uses – many of which industrial and off-limits to everyday citizens – bound at the North by a major highway, at the South by water, at the East by a steep hill and at the West by the Port and more industrial parks. This is not a conducive site for first-time planners, and the urban clues are few and far between. We understood early on that the agency of each design had to be exercised carefully and with maturity of intent.

While there is a broad variety of locations and approaches, the projects can be read as a journey through the site, from the peri-urban interface, to the industrial infrastructure, the PowerStation itself, the coast and eventually up the hill, completing a master planning loop that seeks to probe the capacity of each micro-site to deal with the themes of this semester: Urbanism, Density and Publicness.

Revitalize

by Lee Jeremy Ren Jie Land reclamation is seen as a good way to accommodate the country’s growing population, as well as a way of boosting the economy. Unfortunately, this man-made expansion of land has a serious impact on the environment.

In the case of Pasir Panjang, a Malay fishing village was reclaimed for wharves, almost entirely devoted to containerisation. Moreover, high-rise residential and business evelopments have been proposed to engulf the site, fronting the sea.

With the effects of climate change. Singapore like all other countries around the world are at risk of rising sea level. In the site such as Pasir Panjang is prone to this danger in the coming future. In a way, nature is trying to reclaim what they have lost cause by land reclamation and industrialisation.

Allowing nature to take back the site nature from Labrador overflow into the site.

While the rising sea level in the future will flood the site. The intervention is to help rehabilitate the site and allowing people to adapt to the changing conditions and at the same time a providing sanctuary where can go to after a long day at work.

Connecting the future community around the site.

8

Studio Title

Site Plan

Zones

Circulation

High Tide

Water & Landscape

Low Tide

Studio Title

9

Plan

10

Studio Title

A

B

A

B

Section AA

Section BB

Studio Title

11

North West Isometric

North East Isometric

ZONES

1. Ampitheatre 2. COVE 3. WATERSPORTS CENTRE 4. PARK

Cove

Park

One Community @ Ulu Pandan

Site : Ulu Pandan

In current times most elderly who stays at home would feel neglected and isolated from the outside world. Most of their children would be out working or not living with them. This could sometimes be a danger to the elderly living alone. Another important aspect is healthcare for the elderly. These days the senior will sometimes have difficult travelling their medical appointment.

The project aims to create an inclusive community where both student and elderly can provide support for each other. Living together in one open community.it is encourage the student to engage with the elderly more giving the both group a sense of home.The project will also focus in helping the elderly stay active and prevent them from feeling neglected and isolated. At the same time student living in the hostel can make use of the facilities to reconnect with the elderly, teach the elderly new skills, assist the elderly in going through their medical consults and last making use of the open greens to host events to allow the community from the HDB to integrate seamlessly into the building.

Site analysis

The access to the site was an important consideration as the users consist of elderly and students. With a direct and easy access it would allow elderly to get to site in the most convenient way.

Using the current HDB carpark as an access point.

Most of the amenities such as the supermarket are located at the sunset way area.

Which is a contributing factor for the project to be place on the side of the sunset way area

The existing park connector that runs on both side of the river on the Clementi avenue side and Sunset way side.

SUN STUDY (JUNE)

SUN STUDY (DECEMBER)

CONCEPT

Two Circles represent the two groups.

The elderly and student. Circle is use for the overall form. As the circle act as a central focusing point. Which help to draw in the 2 groups including the community that surrounds them.

Initial idea was to have a architecture that comes up from the ground. Allowing it to blend in with the surrounding.

The idea of a converging point which will encourage the two group to meet and thus encourages social interaction.

Breaking down into different blocks to cater to different groups of people. At the same time finding the central point allowing the two groups to converge into one main space.

Creating a valley space for activities to take place. Create a seamless flow from the HDB level to the valley/ PCN level.

Placing the project over the existing Park Connector Network (PCN). Will allow the PCN users to get involve with the activities/events that takes place at that area

Pocket of spaces for multiple activities to take place simultaneously .

At the same time engaging the water front and with the existing nature.

DESIGN

Main plaza which consist of an amphitheatre providing a space for performance and events. At the same time providing a rest point for park connector users and resident that are around the area.

The hostel kitchen is design in such away where the openness allows the events from within the hostel to flow out into the valley. Providing larger space for block events.

The New Valley space overlays the old PCN revitalising the space, providing student to have the opportunity to hold events for the elderlies or vice versa. The space is free for all and also for the community