Kampong Ubin / Understanding Site

Design 03 / Final Project Undergraduate Year 2 / 2014 Department of Architecture / National University of Singapore

KAMPONG UBIN An Architectural Site Analysis

ed. Adrian Lai Cheong Yong En Grace Gur Simran Kaur Lin Derong Lin Jingyi Jean Jasmine Neo Bryan Ng Pan Bin Sng Chong Yi John Olivia Teng Ye Baogen Josiah Ye Luman Zhang Hanfei

Understanding Site

Prologue Understanding Kampong Ubin through descriptive and analytical drawings, we realize the instrumentality of both built and unbuilt form in crystallizing the character of a place. We mapped quantitative information through empirical observation of climate, material differentiation, dimensions and proportions. We then analyzed the relationships between these different quantifiable parameters that created the qualitative phenomena that we either intuitively understand or that stirred some other physiological, emotive or intellectual response. We also related these to antecedent studies and created variants of Nolli maps, identified Lynch Elements and Vantage Points and found ways to relate vegetation to the built forms as constituent parts that form our understanding of site. Doing so, we started to create Analytical Drawings of these relationships that could then become the bases for relevant projective futures.

Studies of Site and Context reveal progression through time. Analyses of maps and their verification through empirical observation allow us to understand the relationship between ritual, forms and phenomena. Beginning with our oversea journey into Pulau Ubin,circulation spaces were mapped to understand flow and materiality. Descriptive drawings of circulation spaces, locations of different types of activities and the intensity of such use then formed the bases on which we started to understand the relationship between rituals and forms. We could then begin to analyse how these geographic and time-based patterns of use could open up a deeper and specific understanding of the island’s demographics, it’s communities and lifestyles and how these were informed by or influenced the land forms that remain. Specifically, our understanding of landmarks took off from observations of the discrepancy between landmarks that are defined by their visibility but are of little significance; and landmarks that are obscure or concealed but are nodal destinations in specific itineraries or agendas.

Pulau Ubin - An Overview

Targeted Sequential Walthrough of Locations

The site walk became a profound experience for our understanding of Kampong Ubin but it also tells us how to analyse the built and the unbuilt that give different places their character.

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Sequential Flashthrough A

The journey - and what makes a path and gives it wayfinding cues - and the things - be they built or unbuilt forms - we notice left their mark on us and are recorded through this series of photos.

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Sequential Flashthrough A

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Sequential Flashthrough B

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Sequential Flashthrough B

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Sequential Flashthrough B

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Land Forms

It was clear to us that Kampong Ubin had a different atmosphere to the highly built-up environment we were more accustomed to on the main island. We began to understand this atmosphere as a rurality where the proportion of built to unbuilt forms was different and required further analyses.

Site Levels was the foundational factor in our walk as we experienced the undulation of the land as rolling pathways but also seeing the levels as backdrops in longer sightlines.

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Built Forms Buildings are distributed along or line the existing paths. We continued our analyses of Site by looking at the extent of built forms in Kampong Ubin. We begin by breaking down the building sizes by footprint

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Building Height Building heights have the potential to form datums against which we understand Kampong Ubin,depending on factors like density and proximity, overall bulk and relationship with their immediate and larger surrounding levels. We described these differences as another breakdown of the extent of existing height differences.

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Building Height

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Building Height

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Building Height

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Building Sizes

The density of built structures is noticeably less than the urban environments experienced in the main island. The size of buildings is here consolidated as a Longitudinal Site Elevation showing the relatively sparse distribution of Built Forms as well as the slight bulk compared to unbuilt forms.

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Building Levels

Recomposing the Longitudinal Site Elevation as the Built Levels, it is clear that the Tree Canopy levels, the tall ‘walls’ of continuous foliage and the undulations of the ground exerted a greater influence on how we perceived the Site.

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Vegetation Density

Grass Shrubs & Trees (Below 2m) Trees (Above 2m) Beach (High Tide) Beach (Low Tide)

Grass

Rocks

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Soft Landscape

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Landscape by Materials

The previous documentations and analysis leads us to probe the material details of the site - how it leads to spatial characterisation and experiences.

Vegetation Building Granite Tar Road Gravel Path Dirt Track Beach

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Hard Landscape

An extension to the previous diagram, this shows us the materials of the ground which weaves kampong Ubin’s fabric. Through this documentation, it shows the changes in threshold as one moves through the space.

Tar Gravel Dirt Sand Granite Grass

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Spatial Rhythm Through Nolli Diagram This is the first step in documenting kampong Ubin’s soft qualities. Through mapping a nolli diagram, we have an understanding of public/ private/ semi-public spaces, their patterns and their relationships with its programs.

Legends Private Spaces Semi-Private Spaces Public Spaces

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Spatial Negotiation Through Inverted Nolli Diagram The relationship between the void-solid is further accentuated in this diagram. It shows how one could possibly move around the spaces, in this case, the darken areas and how it would contribute to the site phenomena and its rituals.

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Spatial Negotiation Targeted Sequential Walkthrough of Locations

Pekan Quarry

Assembly Area

Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub

Jetty - Arrival Butterfly Hill

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Spatial Composition Through Lynch Elements We are probing deeper into the details that make up the physical environment. Through quantification of the immediate elements that interacts with us it allowed us a further understanding of the site phenomena.

Interestingly, paths are defined not by its build road, but by building orientation and the edges.

While there are no apparent road signs, there are several physical details which signals to us that we subconsciously follow.

Path Nodes (Points of convergence/ divergence) Landmark Edges Contour Physical Threshold Details

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Spatial Connectivity Through Vantage Points Bringing the previous diagrams forward, this uncovers the vantage points around Kampong Ubin. The view points are found to be connected which create a serial vision.

This is in line with our personal experience when we were on site - the views that the built and unbuilt forms open up to.

Physical Detail Points Zones Views

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Thresholds x Vantage Points

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Spatial Phenomena The Site characteristics begin to reveal themselves via our Analytical Drawings.

The route we took, the views we discovered and how we reacted to them in finding our way around the island, starts to make sense.

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Section A-A

Section B-B

Section C-C

Serial Visions by Sections This series of sections further shows the depth of each vantage points in the previous diagram. We seek to identify what one sees and encounters as one is engulfed through the village through sequential movements. By cutting sections at strategic locations, it unveils the physical scale and various activities/ rituals of Kampong Ubin.

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Section D-D (through the village entrance and plaza)

Section E-E

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Vantage Points and Visibility of Destinations We continued our analyses with a series of drawing describing the view corridors emanating from each Landmark

Visibility - Miscellaneous Observation: These landmarks provide nodes that represent: 1. The beginning of a new space 2. Social Spaces

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Vantage Points and Visibility of Destinations We continued our analyses with a series of drawing describing the view corridors emanating from each Landmark

Visibility - Religious Observation: The Main Temple has low visibility (possibly due to its sacredness). The location of the 3 shrines somewhat coincide with an adjacent structure (tree, temple etc.). The village plaza is a gateway of two religious landmarks.

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Vantage Points and Visibility of Destinations We continued our analyses with a series of drawing describing the view corridors emanating from each Landmark

Visibility - Gov. / Edu. Observation: National Parks Microgrid and Volunteer Hub add modern notions to the western side of Kampong Ubin.

In the east, Nparks nature corner is partially blocked by a generator room while the police post’s visibility is obstructed by foliage.

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Vantage Points and Visibility of Destinations We continued our analyses with a series of drawing describing the view corridors emanating from each Landmark

Visibility - Gov. / Comm.

Observation: Both BTS provide way finding for people as they cover significant area. These structures linger with the visitor from arrival to departure of Kampong Ubin.

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Vantage Points and Visibility of Destinations Built forms work together with the undulation and the existing distribution of different programs to reinforce the zones, identified here as the Inner and Outer Cordon�

Visibility of Landmarks Observation: The Visibility Mapping shows specific places which contain similar colour combination this shows that the outer cordons posses a similar characteristic on the views of the landmarks, whereas, the plaza is dominated by the reference of religious spaces.

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Vantage Points and Visibility of Destinations Such reinforcement of visibility and functions, overlaid with the analysis of the significance of the identified landmarks, reveal a pattern of a possible centre and its periphery.

Landmarks - Visible / Significant Observation: Kampong Ubin can be split into three areas just through observation of landmarks, with government intervention on peripheral spaces, a possible aim to conserve the central spaces.

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Circulation Patterns The characterisation of our experience of Kampong Ubin is inexorably linked with the sequence in which we encounter the different locales. Notwithstanding specific agenda, an itinerary could be analysed based on the sequences of uninitiated visitors - giving us information about what the existing Site compels or seduces us to do.�

Visibility of the next destination or along the path affects how we find our way around. We analyse accessibility as a function of visibility and proximity to access ways and nodes, i.e. Village Plaza.

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Circulation Patterns The characterisation of our experience of Kampong Ubin is inexorably linked with the sequence in which we encounter the different locales. Notwithstanding specific agenda, an itinerary could be analysed based on the sequences of uninitiated visitors - giving us information about what the existing Site compels or seduces us to do.�

Accessibility Observation: Most landmarks possess easy access, a notable landmark of less accessibility would be the main Tua Pek Kong Temple.

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Circulation Patterns The characterisation of our experience of Kampong Ubin is inexorably linked with the sequence in which we encounter the different locales. Notwithstanding specific agenda, an itinerary could be analysed based on the sequences of uninitiated visitors - giving us information about what the existing Site compels or seduces us to do.�

Traffic - Pedestrians, Cyclists, Vehicles Observation: It is noticed that the flow of cyclists and pedestrians are different. There is a greater cyclist flow towards the upper region past the village square

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Circulation Patterns The characterisation of our experience of Kampong Ubin is inexorably linked with the sequence in which we encounter the different locales. Notwithstanding specific agenda, an itinerary could be analysed based on the sequences of uninitiated visitors - giving us information about what the existing Site compels or seduces us to do.�

Kampong Interactions Observation: The point of interactions happen mostly along the edges of circulation. Here, we see shops and coffee houses and is ore apparent in the village square. Transactions are made here and people get to interact with the residents of the island. Gateways are subtle. They mark entry into a new area. eg. Butterfly Hill. Signs blend subtly into the background.

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Circulation Patterns The characterisation of our experience of Kampong Ubin is inexorably linked with the sequence in which we encounter the different locales. Notwithstanding specific agenda, an itinerary could be analysed based on the sequences of uninitiated visitors - giving us information about what the existing Site compels or seduces us to do.�

Visitor Count and Demographics* Observation: Most of Kampong Ubin’s visitors seem to move towards the west, where landmarks like the assembly area provide social spaces. Education spaces are rarely visited. *excludes worshippers who visit the island for religious purpose

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Circulation Patterns The characterisation of our experience of Kampong Ubin is inexorably linked with the sequence in which we encounter the different locales. Notwithstanding specific agenda, an itinerary could be analysed based on the sequences of uninitiated visitors - giving us information about what the existing Site compels or seduces us to do.�

Circulation - Connectivity and Loops Observation: Once one past the main jetty area, we observe that paths seem to loop about the settlement, which prompts exploration and social interaction.

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Notes For Projection from the Site Analysis Built forms work together with the unbuilt forms to compose the atmosphere of rurality at Kampong Ubin. More important than this classification of 'rural', we understood how use patterns and hence, the experience, is shaped. Realising the effects of these quantifiable parameters, we could also start to see how they affect us - our perceptions and our use inclinations/ patterns.

Kampong Ubin We understood how Winston Churchill’s famous quote “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us” anew. Kampong Ubin in its current state is a residue of previous plans and desires in response to natural site forces. Visitors to the place find their way around and experience the current Kampong Ubin in response to this residual state, defining a Site Character for themselves. We speculate a variety of differing futures for this Site, as responses extrapolating from this deeper understanding of the structure of the Site

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