NUS DoA M.Arch1 Options Studio - Form Follows System (2020/2021)

YEAR 4 OPTIONS STUDIO COMPILATION OF SELECTED WORKS

2020/2021 M.ARCH 1 STUDIO CHEAH KOK MING

FORM FOLLOWS SYSTEM

IMAGE CREDIT: CLARENCE CREDENSA TAN

MASTERS DESIGN PROJECTS INTERESTS Masters Design Projects include those explored in two Options Design Research Studios (M.Arch 1), the Advanced Architecture Studio and the Thesis project in M.Arch 2. All studios may explore issues relevant to the interests of the Research Clusters, adjunct teachers and professors in practice. Students are encouraged to capitalise on faculty expertise in widening the scope of investigations which collectively strengthen the Thesis Project in M.Arch 2.

Essential and Elective modules are useful in underpinning your Masters studio investigations.

Although Options Design Research studios may be varied in content and method, students are advised to be selective and to use them as ‘learning runways’ to identify a Thesis topic and to apply accumulated knowledge there. The Advanced Architecture Studio preceding the Thesis may be used to explore thesis drivers in greater detail and focus.

It is expected that the Thesis project will be the most comprehensive and extensive study of all the Masters Design Projects. _______________________________________________________________________________________

DESIGN AS INQUIRY Masters projects can be research investigations where design forms a principal mode of inquiry.

Methods can be heuristic or empirical or in mixed modes of inquiry.

There are a number of research methods in design investigations leading to different outcomes but they are by no means exhaustive: • • • • •

textual/graphic analysis of theoretical concepts with investigations drawn from critical discourse using text references, works of art/representation quantitative analysis to verify qualitative hypotheses with simulation, physical experiment, prototype testing and mixed methods scenario-driven speculative design to suggest solutions to emergent need. The process in itself is a new way of seeing/thinking which generates many solutions. One version of a solution may be articulated spatially and in full materiality new research knowledge is interpreted in architecture as a new way of thinking/making/ experiencing existing practices, processes or existing technologies are applied to design and which produce ‘unprecedented’ outcomes

PROJECT ATTRIBUTES A good Masters project is one where: • • • •

the research process informs design strategy which can be followed through a coherent sequential process of explorations or iterations the research generates an underlying order giving rise to a number of architectural or urban propositions the research or issues engaged with, give rise to new solutions through design, some of which are singular, permutable or recombinant it addresses the contextual specificities of site, material, spatial, culture and program

and all of the above are communicated through architectural drawings, well-crafted models and annotations which curate a design process and outcome(s) that can be understood without a verbal presentation by the author Beyond a commitment to individual academic portfolios, Masters projects play an important role in characterising the discursive ethos of a design school. It is important that you do your best. _______________________________________________________________________________________

RESEARCH CLUSTERS RESEARCH FOCUS At DOA, our advanced research delves into critical issues of architecture today and tomorrow.

In particular, we anticipate and observe new demands and novel forms of buildings, cities, environments, and nature that are emergingthroughout Asia and the equatorial region. DOA research clusters coalesce creative practice, technology, urbanism, landscape, preservation, and the specific expertise of our faculty members into a productive synergy and alignment between teaching and research.

The following five clusters drive the M Arch I Design Research Studio Options sequence, the M Arch II Design Thesis and the graduate level elective offering across our Master of Architecture programme. These are nonetheless included in the BA Arch programme booklet so that students may understand the various research interests of their faculty. _______________________________________________________________________________________

I. RESEARCH BY DESIGN The Research by Design (RxD) cluster develops translational research approaches through creative practice. It emphasises the importance of rigorously engaging critical and creative practice in making, writing, and thinking in architecture. RxD strives for innovation and influence in the built environment through its research outcomes. To date, a number of these outcomes have won awards and made considerable impact.

RxD focuses on design in Asia and around the equator, and on research into contemporary concerns as well as the identification of speculative future directions. Members work in a range of design modes from sole authorships to collaborative and interdisciplinary configurations.

As a group, RxD leverages its combined creative expertise, teaching within design studios and graduate elective modules. Research outcomes include leading buildings, texts, exhibitions, installations, films, drawings, photographs, and object-making, alongside design monographs, edited volumes, and research papers. RxD’s commitment towards integrative and translational creative practices empowers design research with intellectual and critical bearings, for a discipline in transformation.

II. HISTORY, THEORY AND CRITICISM The History, Theory and Criticism cluster develops critical capacities to examine questions of built environmental production and consumption within the historical and contemporary milieu.

Taking architecture and urbanism in Asia as a primary focus, members work in interdisciplinary and transnational modes. Our members conduct research into a wide range of topics against the context of colonial/postcolonial and modern/postmodern Asian contexts, teaching these with the aim of encouraging historical literacy and consciousness in students, to enable them to understand how the present is historically sedimented. Besides teaching, members also publish widely and in diverse forms, organise and participate in major conferences and workshops, curate key exhibitions, and advise both governmental and non-governmental organisations in related fields around the world.

III. TECHNOLOGIES The Technologies cluster investigates environmentally performative or sustainable building forms and systems, and generative-evaluative processes for designing liveable environments.

It employs traditional and emerging technologies that contribute to a new understanding of the human ecosystem, and emerging computational methods and techniques for discovering the relationships betweenform and performance.

Members investigate the relationship between human and natural landscapes, at every scale, from the building component scale to the urban scale. Special emphasis is placed on the examination of high-density Asian cities, and on application of design and building technologies in a tropical context.

IV. URBANISM The Urbanism cluster aims to contribute towards development of sustainable resilient models and innovative advanced urban strategies to cope with various environmental, social, economic and technological challenges facing Asian cities today and in the future. The starting point for this research is a comprehensive understanding of the complexity and distinctive characters of emerging urbanism in the region. Against this backdrop, members investigate emergent urban design issues related to community and participation; conservation and regeneration; ageing and healthcare; well-being and built form; modelling and big data; and resilience and informality.

These issues are examined from multiple perspectives and through both inter-disciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations, in order to question conventional norms and conceptions and establish new visions for a progressive and human-centric sustainable urban future.

V. LANDSCAPE STUDIES The Landscape Studies cluster undertakes research to generate new knowledge of landscapes as socio-ecological systems, and promotes the use of knowledge in governance systems and landscape design to improve the well-being of humans and enhance the ecological integrity of the environment. The geographic focus is primarily high-density urban regions in Asia; however members of the cluster also work in the transitional zones within the rural-urban continuum, where urban regions are expanding at a rapid rate and encroaching into rural landscapes.

The overall research approach is both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. The cluster looks not only at advancing theoretical concepts and knowledge, but also applying the knowledge in practice and public policy, to shape the environment. Areas of research span a wide spectrum of the socioecological dimensions of landscape: from landscape science and landscape management, to design research and sociobehavioural studies.

STUDIO CHEAH KOK MING

FORM FOLLOWS SYSTEM The goal of Green is to create responsible buildings. But a Green building, no matter how well intentioned, looks inwards within boundaries of site and shell, and seeks to benefit mainly the occupant and owner. Despite the rush to build Green in Asia, the region as a whole has seen staggering systemic losses, such as the degradation of natural areas, rivers and water bodies.

Buildings are embedded within wider systems such as energy and water grids, biodiversity and habitat networks, public and social space.

This system-of-systems is a complex living network that can be improved or degraded by every insertion, every new development.

The challenge is to design buildings in a positive relationship with urban and natural ecosystems, creating ripples of goodness that spread beyond site and shell.

What would happen if buildings – even the ones that are privately owned or profit-making – were designed to connect or repair the systems in which they are embedded? What if a shopping centre becomes a node in a biodiversity network? What if a condominium is also a community farm, accessed by the neighbourhood? What if an office building is part of an urban flood protection system?

The objective of this studio is to craft an approach for a new kind of development, one that is generous, restorative and net-positive.

As such, students are expected to select two buildings in close proximity within 5 different prescribed 5x5km sites and to redesign the buildings so as to engage all five systems, focusing on typology and site layout, as well as a demonstration of spatial and programmatic logic. Students are also expected to demonstrate technical considerations for integrating the various systems.

The studio adopts a Design Enquiry-based pedagogy to facilitate students acquiring skill

and mind sets for a systemic approach to architectural design. The enquiry is about how design process and architectural typology will change if buildings are not just self-serving but also contributing to the larger natural and manmade ecology. There are 3 major milestones of learning: Stage I is about establishing an understanding of the 5 key systems in our built environment.

This is established by identifying them and mapping them in the larger context as well as observing their interactions with other site features. These 5 systems become the lens to analyse a selection of case studies to better appreciate their impact on architectural and urban design. (Understand, Apply, Analyse) Stage 2 is about asking what if building are redesigned by considering the 5 key systems. Students will go through an enquiry and evaluation process to determine the additional roles building need to perform for contributing net positively (ecopuncture) to its adjacency and its larger context. The creation of a design outcome will serve to generate critical discussion about the design process and typological transformation for greater benefits. (Evaluation, Create) Stage 3 is a summation of your learning journey by reflecting on your process and reviewing your peer’s work. It is also the sense-making of your personal development in architectural education. (Evaluation) Cheah Kok Ming

INTEGRATING FOOD SYSTEMS IAN TAY ZHE JUN

Site 2: Punggol Integrating Food Systems by Ian Tay Zhe Jun and Atul Garg Food as we all know, is a valuable resource in the context of singapore. With minimal farming land, 90% of singapore’s food is imported. The agenda of this scheme is to alleviate this challenge by addressing the needs and opportunities in the given site through systemic thinking in the form of architecture interventions. This compels for the need to rethink the existing typology of buildings, to create generous architecture with meaningful programmatic functions.

With this paradigm shift, this scheme proposes a school-residential design prototype, whereby it not only aims to ‘fill the gaps’ in the site through a systemic approach but to also serve as a commons by synergising both buildings.

Integrating the notion of food systems with the public realm, this prototype intends to cater to the food demands of the site, create social and educational spaces while complementing a larger entity of systems within the surrounding context, and more significantly, extend the notion of ‘generosity’ beyond the site.

IMAGE CREDIT: IAN TAY ZHE JUN AND ATUL GARG

BASE SITE PLAN

FOOD

PUBLIC

WATER

ENERGY

GREEN

STITCHING COMMUNITIES CLARENCE CREDENSA TAN

Site 3: East Coast Stitching Communities by Clarence Credensa Tan and Gordon Leong The Food Hub attempts to address the lack of food production in a tight-knitted urban fabric enriched in history and culture by creating a resilient food system in Geylang Serai-Joo Chiat area through vertical green and fish farming aimed at encouraging communal participation. Former Geylang Serai Market will integrate aquaculture and fish farming, while Joo Chiat Complex produces high quality leafy greens. The development of the food hub will integrate various systems as the two buildings work in synergy, creating a productive area infused with green public spaces. The project aims to achieve a closed loop food system where food is grown locally, and supplied to the neighbourhood, supplemented with solar energy harvesting, rainwater collection and automation. A farmer’s market connecting the redesigned Geylang Serai Market and Joo Chiat complex serves as a pedestrian bridge and a meeting point for communities in the neighbourhood. It is also a food exchange as fish and vegetables are supplied to both buildings. Secondly, The Food Hub attempts to ease the fragmentation of public areas in the neighbourhood, as public spaces and circulation networks are fragmented at smaller scales. The masterplan envisions to bridge the gaps in public spaces by reconnecting an existing pedestrian network, Haig Walk, to ease the transition from East Coast Park, to Katong, Joo Chiat, Geylang Serai and concluding the journey at Paya Lebar Integrated Hub. The project proposes the pedestrianisation of Joo Chiat Road as means to rejuvenate the “linear corridor”, by activating the street to incorporate vibrant, cultural activities that brings back a range street activities such as outdoor theatre and performance. The Food Hub speculates the possibility of a new typology of mix-use development that integrates productive and leisure activities within a tight-knitted urban environment. As Singapore aims to achieve its 30 by 30 food sufficiency goal, it is time to look at how food production could be integrated into our daily activities. Through participatory design, increased awareness in food sustainability, and engaging human and social capital, food production could promote better social cohesion, foster communal identity and safeguard our food security.

IMAGE CREDIT: CLARENCE CREDENSA TAN AND GORDON LEONG

BASE SITE PLAN

FRAGMENTATION IN PUBLIC SPACES

FRAGMENTATION OF SPACES

SITE 03| EAST COAST

FOOD

GEYLANG SERAI | JOO

ENERGY 02

ENERGY SYSTEM

SITE 03| EAST COAST

GREEN

03 | BLUE & GREEN SYSTEMS

GREEN + WATER

GEYLANG SERAI | JOO CHIAT

STAGE II

STAGE II

03 | BIODIVERSITY

Linear roadside planting trees used as “vegetated passageways" by birds. Diverse plant species at different heights and girths. Fruits & flowers attracts birds & butterflies SITE 03| EAST COAST

GEYLANG SERAI | JOO CHIAT

SITE 03| EAST COAST

GEYLANG SERAI | JOO CHIAT

BRIDGING BIODIVERSITY MUHAMMAD SYUKI BIN MATSUNI

Site 4: West Coast BRIDGING BIODIVERSITY by Muhammad Syukri Bin Matsuni & Wang Yisang Situated in the intersection of an industrial and residential area, the Japanese schools and Tanglin Secondary School aim to strengthen and bridge the Green and Blue systems. They seek to enhance existing connections and activate the site to encourage synergy between human and nature as a driver for interaction between communities.

The site’s central location between two large bodies of biodiversity at West Coast Park and the mangrove area near Pandan Reservoir help act as a stopover, bridging the biodiversity and encouraging them to thrive.

Parked at the border of a private residential area and a bigger public housing development, the school also aims to bridge the two through the introduction of a time share sports facility. This will be done through the activation of school sport facilities for public use during the inactive hours of the schools.

Supplementary to the exisiting park connector that cuts through the area, running alongside the schools , the schools also aim to direct the public into a newly introduced linear park within the schools where both the public and the biodiversity and the public come together.

IMAGE CREDIT: MUHAMMAD SYUKRI BIN MATSUNI AND WANG YISANG

YEAR 4 OPTIONS STUDIO COMPILATION OF SELECTED WORKS

2020/2021 M.ARCH 1 STUDIO CHEAH KOK MING

IMAGE CREDIT: MUHAMMAD SYUKI BIN MATSUNI