SERENDIPITY ARTS FOUNDATION LIVE MUSEUM - NEW DELHI, INDIA

CRAB STUDIO - LONDON, UK

Project type

New-build Art and Cultural Centre

Area

3.17 ha / 30,756 sqm

Participation

2021 - 2023

RIBA Stage 0 - 3/ 4

Client

Serendipity Arts Foundation

Local Executive Architect C P Kukreja Architects (CPKA)

Local Landscape Architect

Integral Design

Architectural Design Consultant

CRAB Studio

Civil & Structural Engineer

Webb Yates Engineers

MEP & Sustainability Consultant

Max Fordham

Theatre Consultant

ARUP

Fire Consultant

Anthony Yuen and Associates

The Serendipity Arts Foundation Live Museum is a new-build cultural complex of 30,756 sqm at Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India. The complex will support the Serendipity Arts Foundation vision in facilitating arts and culture to reach further from India to the world. The masterplan includes a/ an museum, gallery, theatre, art academy, artisanal village, residency, and public open space. In the future, the complex will be the main location for the annual Serendipity Arts Festival, welcoming local and international artists, and visitors.

CRAB Studio, the Architectural Design Consultant, was responsible for the concept design for the whole scheme, from architecture, landscape to interior, as well as the artistic supervision at later stages. Under the artistic supervision scope, CRAB reviewed the local architects’ materials, and provided comments to maintain design integrity. CRAB was also required to work with local architect on the local planning application, statutory submissions and incorporate consultants’ inputs into tendering and construction documents.

I was on the project at the very beginning of Stage 1, until lately at Stage 3/ 4. I was initially responsible for the preparation of presentation reports, such as plans, diagrams and sketch models. With my experience on the Hong Kong KTSP project, I was considered the best person to take on a more forefront liaison role during the design development process, e.g. discussion with the client and consultants regarding the design development, secretarial and liaison work. Being actively engaged in the design coordination process and with a better understanding of the project, I was able to effectively facilitate the team to deliver a well-developed design that satisfied the clients’ brief, while fulfilling the consultants’ requirements and local building regulations.

After the sign-off of the masterplan concept, I was appointed to take on a leading role for the Theatre Design for the architectural concept design stage. With buildings and spaces of distinct functions and requirements within the complex, it was considered that separate design coordination processes would be required for individual buildings and spaces. I worked closely with ARUP, the Theatre and Performance Consultant, and CPKA, the Local Executive Architect, to deliver a theatre design, albeit the complexity of the restrictions and technical requirements, that satisfied the local building codes. I was also able to consolidate all the consultants’ inputs, and propose suitable solutions throughout the design stage. In addition, to make sure every party shared the same understanding during the process, I had proactively produced summary to update design changes after meetings. At the developed design handover stage, I was one of the CRAB’s delegates sent to New Delhi for the design coordination workshops to help resolve outstanding issues.

KAI TAK SPORTS PARK - HONG KONG, CHINA

CRAB STUDIO - LONDON, UK

Project type

Mixed-use venues, Stadiums

Area

28 ha

Participation

2020 - 2021

RIBA Stage 2 - 4

Client

KTSPL

Contractor

Hip Hing Engineering

Being the main point of contact of CRAB Studio on site, entrusted with the responsibility to liaise with other consultants in the design team. My responsibilities were, but not limited to:

• Responsible for the liaison and design coordination with the design team and contractor

• Design presentation to the employer and client including HAB and senior management of KTSPL

• Developed design of CRAB’s AOM elements from concept to developed / technical design stage

• Main liaison for client communications, and reporting to London office

• Review consultant’s drawings when necessary

Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) is a redevelopment project of the former Kai Tak Airport site in Hong Kong with an area of around 28 hectares. It shall become an urban oasis integrating high-quality sports venues with retail, wellness, recreational and community spaces. KTSP is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion by 2024.

Within the Artistic Overlay Masterplan (AOM) implementation plan, CRAB identified strategic locations within the Sports Park that would form places of attraction and enhance public enjoyment, such as the Precision Approach Radar (PAR) and Children’s Playground Area (CPA).

Precision Approach Radar (PAR)

An existing derelict Precision Approach Radar structure, the last remaining piece of the prior airport that sits upon KTSP. Although the PAR is not listed as heritage, it has significant meaning to the airport’s heritage. CRAB proposed to preserve PAR at its original location, and to establish an experience learning opportunity as a direct link to the past. The PAR structure shall be the key artefact of the experience, with other airport artefacts gathered around the shelter of the PAR. The proposed canopy in the design further acts as an instrument to elevate the visitors’ experience and orientate themselves to the past.

Children’s Play Area (CPA)

CPA is one of the special areas of interest. It is a large playscape of approximately 5,800 sqm, composed of a field of moguls inhabited with play elements. CRAB’s CPA design is a mixture of landscape, architectural and structural elements. Therefore, it is considerably more complex as compared to ADI’s original design with landscape elements only, which requires coordination among various design team members –POP, ADI, ARUP and SKA.

2 TRAFALGAR WAY - LONDON, UK

APT - LONDON, UK

Project type

Student residential-led mixed-use scheme

Area 720,377 sqft (GEA)

Participation 2019 - 2020

RIBA Stage 1 - 2

Client Urbanest UK Ltd

• Developed concept design through building massing and layout studies and analysis of site context and clients’ needs

• Production of plans and presentation reports for the planning application

• Engagement with Fire Services Officials for fire regulations compliance

• Liaised with the Landscape Architect to develop the public open space design

• Responsible for 2D drawings, 3D BIM modelling, visuals, and massing models

2 Trafalgar Way is set to be the largest Passivhaus student accommodation scheme in Europe. The project is a student residential-led mixed-use scheme, with three towers of 28, 36 and 46 storeys providing 1,672 student beds and 80 residential apartments and a four-storey podium that includes 41,000 sq. ft. commercial office space, as well as ancillary residential, indoor soft play-space for children and retail.

The commercial office space will be capable of supporting a number of university departments and also flexible and affordable working space, including space for startup ventures that will enjoy cross fertilisation with academia. The intention is to create an environment like the successfully delivered BaseKX in St Pancras with University College London.

In addition to providing high-quality accommodation, the project aims to achieve exemplar sustainability credentials, targeting both BREEAM Outstanding and Passivhaus certifications, which once achieved, will make it the largest Passivhaus development in Europe.