Ryan Low | SUTD ASD Architecture Portfolio (BSc Selected Works 2021-2024)
Ryan Low Architecture Portfolio
BSc (Architecture + Sustainable Design)
2021 - 2024
Selected Works
Architectural Design
REGENESIS ABOUT ME { }
ACTIVE ACRES CLEMENTI COLLECTIVES OF CIRCULARITY
Ryan Low
Mobile
+65 9833 2546
Email
ryan_low@mymail.sutd.edu.sg
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/ designbyryanlow
Nationality / Race
Singaporean Chinese
ABOUT ME
I am currently a Master of Architecture student at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
I have always been fascinated by the multifaceted nature of architecture, by how the fields of arts and science can blend together to form meaningful spaces for people. Architecture is also a dynamic discipline that evolves quickly and closely to technological changes around us. The challenge to use my creativity and the constant pursuit to learn new ways of designing experiences for people have inspired me to take up architecture.
Besides academics, I frequently involve myself in performing and visual arts as an active member in the school’s Chinese Orchestra and architecture club. I also enjoy playing the piano, building with Minecraft and LEGO, and photography.
EDUCATION
Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) | Singapore May2024-May2025
Master of Architecture Programme
Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) | Singapore Sep2020-May2024
Bachelor of Science (Architecture and Sustainable Design)
Graduated Honours with Highest Distinction Cumulative GPA 4.58 / 5.00
University of California (UC), Berkeley | United States of America
Jun2023-Aug2023
Berkeley Summer Sessions 2023
Courses in Environmental Studies and Sustainability
Cumulative GPA 4.00 / 4.00
WORK EXPERIENCE
ONG&ONG | Architectural Intern May2024-Aug2024
Carried out various design studies for an infrastructural project and a public housing competition, and prepared detail drawings, tender documents, and authority submissions for public housing, institutional, and MRT projects.
SAA Architects | Architectural Intern Aug2022-Dec2022
Prepared tender documents for a nursing home project and condominium project, performed façade studies and computation for BCA Green Mark certification and building code compliance, and conducted various design studies in the design development phase of a public housing project.
Software:AutoCAD,SketchUp,Revit,Photoshop,PremierePro,InDesign, Microsoft 365
AWARDS
The Ngee Ann Kongsi Distinguished Graduating Student (for Class of 2024) May2024
SUTD ASD Core Design Certificate of Merit
Jan 2024
SUTD Honours List (for Freshmore, Sophomore, Junior, Senior Years) 2022-2024
RenewFibre Asia Architecture Science & Technology Award
May2022
LEADERSHIP
SUTD Architecture & Sustainable Design (ASD) Student Committee | Finance Director (Class of 2024)
Feb 2022 - Present
Managed expenses and income for the ASD student body for FY22-24, planned and facilitated various events for the ASD community, and communicated between students and management on financial matters.
SUTD Chinese Orchestra | President & Winds Section Leader (2021 - 2022), Vice-President (2022 - 2024)
Mar 2021 - Feb 2024
Planned and executed online and physical events to promote the appreciation of Chinese music to students and staff, as well as to contribute to a vibrant arts scene and campus life. Trained members to develop their technical proficiency in playing musical instruments and empower them with essential performing skills.
WORKSHOPS + COMPETITIONS
2021
Archifest: ArchiCRAFT 2021 | Organising Committee Member
Architecture Outreach Programme (ATOP) with Raffles Institution | Facilitator
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Microsoft 365
Fabrication / Physical Production
3D Printing, Laser Cutting, Zund Cutting, Waterjet, CNC Router, Model Making, Sketching
ACTIVE ACRES CLEMENTI 01
Redevelopment of Clementi Sport Centre
Course
Option Studio II (Spring 2024) 14 weeks
Group work - with Danesh Ajith and Chua Ming Yuan
Instructor
Daniel Whittaker
Site
Clementi Planning Area, Singapore
Clementi is a mature township that is anticipating growth in its population and urban development in the near future. However, the clearing of nearby green areas such as the Dover Forest has also meant the loss of spaces where its residents may visit for recreation and overall wellbeing.
To address these issues, Active Acres imagines the transformation of the existing Clementi Sport Centre to be a central green node in the heart of Clementi, forming vital connections to various residential zones while being integrated naturally into the existing landscape. Beyond just an active lifestyle hub, the greenifying of the sports centre would also provide a natural breathing space for users in the increasingly developed neighbourhood.
Our team’s proposed redevelopment of the Sports Centre adopts a holistic strategy which envisions its long-term usage and sustainability, as well as improves connectivity and accessibility of its facilities based on feedback and findings gathered from interviews with stakeholders and studies conducted periodically on site. It was observed that the sports hall and swimming complex on the eastern wing, coupled with the stadium on the western wing, make up the most prominent nodes of activity. While the facilities are well-used, connectivity across both wings is hampered by inadequate infrastructure crossing the Ayer Rajah Expressway, which separates the facilities. Moreover, the internal organisation of programs could be improved to be more welcoming, accessible, and intuitive for users.
To minimise environmental impact on the construction and operation of the sports centre, the primary strategy taken was the adaptive reuse of its existing structures and groundwork This involved the selective process of retaining these structures while reconfiguring the internal spaces. The addition of a green canopy over the sports centre was another strategy used to replace vegetation lost from the buildings’ footprint and serves as a green lung for the town.
Proposed Annexe at Stadium, Views from Ayer Rajah Expressway Exterior Renders
The green canopy is an added structure streching over both wings of the sports centre, forming essential pedestrian connections to key nodes of activity across the area. The continuous undulating canopy, planted with trees, shrubs, and foliage, blends seamlessly into the overall site topography and urban fabric and also softens the visual presence of the added structures of the redeveloped sports centre at the ground level.
Complementing the functions of the existing stadium, an elevated running loop extends from both ends of the stadium ring to the second and third (roof) levels of the new annexe. This new track encircles the periphery of the annexe, giving users various vantage points to catch a glimpse of other activities happening around the vicinity, as well as views of Clementi town amidst a comfortable, lush environment.
Adaptive Reuse of Swimming Complex and Indoor Multi-Sport Courts Interior Renders
On the eastern wing, the existing structure of the indoor sports hall and ground structure of the swimming complex is almost fully retained, with some additional parking provisions for cars and bicycles and ramps for wheelchair accessibility.
The new floor above the eastern wing expands the facilities of the indoor sports hall, featuring several sheltered multisport courts with a retractable netting system that facilitates the reconfiguration of the spaces for different programmatic purposes. The sheltering of the courts and pools beneath allow for convenient usage of these spaces regardless of weather. The old children’s pool was converted into a playground for a new childcare centre integrated within the vicinity, while an active health lab and study areas were added to cater towards a wider demographic and changing user needs and lifestyles.
Environmental simulations were carried out to study the varying amount of direct sunlight incident on the building surfaces across the year, and subsequently inform the appropriate design interventions to mitigate solar heat gain.
To mitigate sunlight striking the lateral surfaces of the sports centre, a continuous façade formed of a band of modulated louvres which respond to the dynamic sun conditions in the day. Moreover, the sunlight incident on the canopy is managed by the planting of trees and foliage which provide passive cooling for the building and alleviate solar heat gain. The canopy over the sports centre also incorporates solar roofs comprising photovoltaic panels integrated within ETFE skylights, capturing solar energy while still allowing daylight to permeate the interior spaces.
The incorporation of these design features collectively minimise energy required to brighten and cool the spaces within the sports centre, ensuring the sustainable operation and usage of the sports facilities in the long run.
Summer Solstice (SE, NW)
Winter Solstice (SE, NW)
Physical Model
Link Bridge Over AYE with Modulated Louvres Exterior Render
COLLECTIVES OF CIRCULARITY 02
Reimagining Sustainable Housing
Course
Core Studio III (Fall 2023)
14 weeks
Pair work - with Aretha Low Jing Yan
Instructor Christine Yogiaman
Site
Miltonia, Yishun Planning Area, Singapore
Collectives of Circularity aims to unite urban communities of high-density housing developments towards incorporating circular practices into daily life and fostering a harmonious balance of social, financial, and environmental sustainability.
In this new reality of compact living, residents enjoy an uncompromised quality of life while championing sustainability and maintaining a symbiotic relationship with natural ecology. Dwelling units are optimised for efficiency and intertwined with vibrant shared spaces, including communal kitchens, inviting living spaces, urban farming plots, and activity rooms catered towards various interests. Housing blocks are organised into clusters which allow for communities to be formed and enable circular activities to take place at different scales.
Within this tapestry, residents are empowered to actively participate in a circular economy through ostering urban agriculture and resource-sharing among neighbours, reinforcing community bonds in the process.
In recent years, there has been an increasing environmental awareness and motivation for sustainable living. One of the most effective and extensive ways to incorporate practices championing circularity and sustainability into everyday life is through high-density housing, where large communities reside and interact on a regular basis. However, current local housing typologies do not adequately incorporate systems encouraging sustainable practices
In this project, sustainable programmes are envisioned to take place across various scales. This begins at the unit level with 1-3 residents, the cluster level comprising a small sub-community of residents, the block level which involves the residents of a particular block, and finally at the community level across different blocks. Additionally, products are continously being reused and recycled instead of disposed through the exchange of secondhand items.
The housing development is comprised of square tower blocks of varying heights, arranged in a orthogonal grid oriented in the north-northeast direction to take advantage of the prevailing winds for natural ventilation and passive cooling. The towers are connected by a public deck that spans across the allocated site parcel and extends radially towards neighbouring points of interest.
Programme Hierarchy
Project Data
Lower Seletar Reservoir
Bioretention
Massing Strategy
Every tower is comprised of a stack of 3-storey housing clusters, with each housing cluster mirrored, rotated, and offset to create a staggered helical form. The clusters are then terraced and hollowed to further optimise the availability of functional spaces.
The final massing offers a variety of daylighting and shading conditions across different spaces throughout the tower and public space throughout the day, of which the aforementioned programmes can be appropriately organised within the cluster for optimal performative value.
Spatial Programming
Isometric
Upon stacking the ring-like housing clusters, a large, vertical void that runs through the entirety of the tower is formed. This resultant open space presents an opportunity for access and circulation strategies that promote intercluster interactions among residents within the same tower.
The Community Core communal space which is established by arranging stepped floors and staircases which mirror the helical expression on the tower exterior. These stepped floors are punctuated with seats and voids, providing moments of chance encounters and informal interactions for the exchanging of goods crops and secondhand items across the entire residential block.
Found beneath the residential clusters and adjacent to the public deck, the Libraries allow for the storage, display, and trading of secondhand items across different towers. The libraries, designed to be open and oriented towards the exterior, maintain access to the public deck nearby towers to easily find items they need.
To facilitate logistical processes and pedestrian movement, road access to the towers is tucked under the public deck, restricted to vehicles carrying goods in and out of the development. Used items which are beyond their serviceable state will be transported for recycling, or to waste-to-energy incineration plants.
Typical Cluster Organisation Floor Plans
A typical 3-storey housing cluster contains a mix of housing units interspersed with communal living spaces, urban farms, and upcycling corners to promote circular lifestyles. Although the units are compact in size, the wide variety of communal spaces offered provide residents with everyday needs and promote community bonding and interaction, without compromising on the quality of life
Upper Floor
Middle Floor
Lower Floor
Used Item Library, Public Deck & Vehicular Deck
Interior Render
Bio-Retention Gardens
Exterior Render
REGENESIS 03
The Museum of Memories
Course
Core Studio II (Summer 2022)
14 weeks
Individual work
Instructor
Dicle Uzunyayla
Site
Speculative
This project builds upon a speculative, fictional narrative to explore how physical and virtual memories are displayed and stored, as well as how memories can converge into a collective record of a civilisation.
The museum exhibits feature various modes of interaction, utilising physical, augmented, and virtual realities in the delivery of information, as well as spatial and temporal experiences.
Project Video bit.ly/projectregenesis
It is the year 2200. Over the past two centuries, industrialisation driven by capitalistic greed had continued to ramp up at alarming rates, despite warnings by the scientific community of its dreadful environmental ramifications. By 2150, the culmination of industrial excess triggered an artificially-induced GREAT FLOOD, arriving swifter than most of humankind could react to it. The great cities of the Anthropocene have now been engulfed by the ocean, with the human population dwindling shortly after.
The Anthropocene is now a distant memory, with the survivors — climate refugees displaced by the floods — seeking dry land in a world transformed by their own actions. A group of them have gathered in search for the last few existing pockets of dry land scattered around the globe. From this endless ocean, a group of prehistoric rock formations emerge: a haven offering the perfect conditions to settle and rebuild civilisation. The abundance of freshwater from natural pools, mineral-rich deposits in the soil and rocks, and shelter from the unrelenting ocean provide them a clean slate for humanity to start anew.
Decades after the Great Flood, a new settlement has been established atop the islands. Reflecting on how nature has provided for them, the islanders set out plans to restore Earth’s now-decimated ecosystems. Through scientific advancements, they developed a method to geoengineer fertile rocks to reclaim and rehabilitate land on a large scale. The islanders embark on a thousand-year extensive land reclamation and rehabilitation program, named REGENESIS, dedicating the island’s resources to restore the land-based ecosystems on Earth. With the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, the islanders pledge to avoid the mistakes of their ancestors, aspiring to usher in a new era where mankind can once again coexist harmoniously with nature.
Vision
The REGENESIS MUSEUM is designed to enable users to learn about the delicate interdependent relationship between Man and Nature, and how REGENESIS will help to restore this relationship to its previously harmonious state. From discovering the potential of the island’s rich resources and how they can be used to their full potential for the Program, visitors of the museum will be reminded of how the fate of their existence will depend on their concerted effort of protecting and cherishing nature in the years to come.
Site Typology
The site of which the museum is to be built upon is a semi-submerged geological formation, with the terrain characterised by a series of raised, bulbous rock formations emerging from the ocean. The island itself is scattered with freshwater springs which provide the necessary nutrients and resources for habitation and rebuilding.
Site Analysis
Topographical + Hydrological Studies
In this project, site analysis is conducted in two parts to inform the circulation and arrangement of programs of the museum with respect to the topographical features of the site.
SURFACE RUNOFF » CIRCULATION
MUSEUM CIRCULATION
SURFACE RUNOFF
TOPOGRAPHY
SITE FEATURES » PROGRAMMING
FRESHWATER POOLS
OUTCROPS
An elongated hexagon is used as a base unit for the museum massing.
Section
The geometry is then tessellated to form a hexagonal array.
The hexagonal distorted in response the topographical of the
hexagonal array is response to topographical conditions site.
04 OFFSET + LOFT
Various degrees of offset are applied to the hexagonal units depending on the space required for the museum’s programs.
The lofted surfaces are extruded to form volumes of spaces, with selected voids converted into courtyards for the museum.
Museum Overview
EXHIBITION 2
EXHIBITION 3
EXHIBITION 1
OBSERVATION DECK
ARCHIVE ATRIUM
Physical Model
Site + Massing Overlay, 1 : 200
Spatial Programming
Experiential Diagram
The museum is divided into three main exhibition spaces surrounding a central atrium. These three exhibitions follow a chronological sequence, transitioning from physical to virtual space as the narratives traverse from the past to the speculative.
View Museum Experience Here bit.ly/projectregenesis
TEKAPO HOUSE 04
Net-Zero Embodied Carbon (NZEC) Shelter
Course
Architecture Science & Technology (Spring 2022)
14 weeks
Group work - with Phua Rui Yi Sarah, Kong Mei Jia, and Liew Yu Xin Joy
Instructor Michael Budig
Site Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
This project calls for the construction of a net-zero embodied carbon (NZEC) shelter in a rural area, through the exploration of various construction techniques and material choices in response to the physical conditions of the site.
Our team is tasked to design a small shelter for short-term stay in Lake Tekapo, a region classified as a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) zone. Through research and analysis, our team designed a carbon negative shelter using locally-sourced construction materials, such as pine and sheep wool, to meet the structural and thermal requirements of the shelter.
WINNER
RenewFibre Asia Architecture Science & Technology Award
Site Analysis (Terrain, Wind Rose, Sun Path)
Section 20
Section 14
Section 7
Section 1
Wall Section (Option 1)
U-Value = 0.30
GWP (kg CO2eq/m2) = -68.797
Mass/Area (kg/m2) = 52.68
30mm Glulam Panel
100mm Sheep Wool Insulation
40mm Glulam Panel
30mm Pine Wood Panel
Roof Section
U-Value = 0.29
GWP (kg CO2eq/m2) = -65.391
Mass/Area (kg/m2) = 114.51
20mm Slate Plates 20mm Glulam Panel 30mm Air Gap 50mm Sheep Wool Insulation 80mm Radiata Pine Boards
Section 1
Section 7
Section 14
Section 20
03 Construction Materials Detail Isometrics / Sections
Group work - with Phua Rui Yi Sarah, Kong Mei Jia, and Ignatius Lee Si Wei
Instructors
Stylianos Dritsas, Sam Joyce
Site
Siteless
In this project, a table measuring 2400mm (l) × 600mm (w) × 800mm (h) is to be designed for the display of artefacts.
The final design is the result of an iterative exploration and testing of various materials and techniques of fabrication, while incorporating both aesthetics and structural performance to suit functional and contextual requirements.
Product Photograph
Design Overview
The design of the stands is composed of a 3-legged compact modular assembly system, allowing for more freedom in arrangement. The stands could be easily added or removed depending on the length of the table top or its required load capacity. Additionally, the table stands are highly portable, given their lightweight design and separate assembly from the table top. Little material is wasted in the production of the stands, as there are minimal cuts thrown away from the dowel, and additive 3D-printing allows for low waste in creating the central joint.
As part of aesthetic and performative considerations, the steel cables are concealed within the inner faces of the wooden legs, with the turnbuckle on the inside of the 3D print. This reinforces the structural integrity of the design, while maintaining a sleek and elegant look.
Overall, the production process is simple and straightforward, with most of the hours dedicated to 3D-printing the joints.
An extruded shell of 120mm in length and 3mm thickness is created around the midpoint of each timber leg. These shells aligns the force of the load to the centre as the legs tend outwards and down.
Lofted extrusions are added to bridge the three extruded shells together, creating a firm structure that prevents the legs from unfolding. The edges of the extrusions are then filleted to eliminate any sharp corners.
An array of triangular perforations, matching the trihedral design language of the table stand, are added to each face of the rectilinear extrusions to reduce the amount of PLA and printing time, without compromising on structural integrity.
Printing time for each joint ≈ 34 hours
Detail Photograph Closeup of Spatial Joints
Material Usage Planning Component List 6 × Aluminium Ferrules
5 x 2000mm × 50mm × 50mm beams (to be cut into required length)
170g × 3 = 510g white PLA filament
500mm (+ 100mm excess) × 18 ≈ 12000mm of cables
*excess cable for adjustment, cut afterwards
FABRICATION PROCESS
04b Attach Cables + Turnbuckle 04a Slot Beams into Joint
Attach Rubber Pads
End Product
Structural Analysis (Karamba)
Grasshopper Definition
Karamba Simulation Force Visualisation
Component Initialisation
Timber Beam
Material: Hardwood
(D30 Grade, Parallel)
Length: 25.0mm
Breadth: 25.0mm
Height: 923.8mm
Tension Steel Cable
Material: Steel
Diameter: 3.0mm
Length: 41.5mm
Expected Load (Estimated)
Self-Weight of Model: 2kg x 3 sets = 6kg
Table Top: 10kg
Exhibition Artefacts: 30kg (distributed across table top)
Total: ~40kg
The red arrowheads denote the loading points of the model, where the combined weight of the table top and loads are applied to the top end of the wooden beams, at the centre of the cross-sectional area
The red regions indicate internal compressive forces, whereas the blue regions indicate tensile forces.
The bottom end of each leg is set as a fixity point in the model. Due to the twisting nature of our design, rotational forces and motion were taken into account.
Urban Sketching OTHER WORKS
SUTD Virtual Open House 2021
1:1 Replica of Campus Auditorium and Hostel Blocks
