Wong Siong Min Architecture Portfolio - Undergraduate

PORTFOLIO Selected Student Works | 2020 - 2022

Wong Siong Min B.Sc Architecture and Sustainable Design (Year 4) Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) siongmin_wong@mymail.sutd.edu.sg

CONTENTS

stewards of the forest

bukit timah family baths

museum of trash

design fabrication

tensegrity

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hexa-garden

the watercube

MoMA satellite

a thousand cottages

26 zaysan shelter

STEWARDS OF THE FOREST Core Studio 3

Group - 6 Weeks Individual - 8 Weeks Forest Stewardship is an uncommon concept in Singapore, considering that it is mostly a dense urban built-environment.

The Dover Forest presents a rare and unique opportunity to live near a lush forest. Hence, this project envisions what it is like to create a living space that instills in residents, a common ecological motivation for forest care and ownership amongst the community via an effective system of caretaking, establishing nature as an asset worth caring for.

The housing units and community spaces are interconnected with the forest through both digital and hands-on means, leveraging smart technology that eases the onboarding process for residents who are new to this lifestyle. The project hopes to educate and foster stewardship over the rich biodiverisity of Dover Forest. Through this, residents can discover collective opportunities to enrich their daily experiences with nature.

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Arranged in a regular grid with a unit size of 10m by 10m, the orientation of each 2-bedroom unit ensures that each window is outward-facing, allowing natural light to enter each room. This also allows for each room to have a view of the greenery outside, with smart technology and digital overlays embedded in the housing unit to help residents stay connected to the forest.

I explored 4 different cluster configurations and arranged them within the grid to optimise the view from each unit, while ensuring sufficient privacy for residents provided by the green buffers and pocket spaces interspersed within the building.

This optimised arrangement of units is aggregated upwards, ensuring both horizontal and vertical porosity through shifting operations. This results in a highly-dense agglomeration of units, which can then be made more porous by carving out void spaces to allow for more sunlight or improve ventilation, or to inject programmes that can engage and foster a more vibrant community.

The scaffolding nature of the superstructure and method of increasing porosity allow for a fluid building design that can accommodate the forest as it continues to grow and change over time.

UNIT CLUSTER CONFIGURATIONS

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STEWARDS OF THE FOREST The porous nature of the building allows for sufficient sunlight to penetrate the structure, allowing trees and other hanging plants to thrive. Wherever they are, residents can enjoy a full view of the forest, always creating a visual connection to the lush greenery around them, augmented with digital displays embedded throughout the building.

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COLLAGE

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BUKIT TIMAH FAMILY BATHS Sustainable Design Option Studio 1 Individual - 6 Weeks

A cosy and intimate space for a fun day out with one’s family in the heart of Bukit Timah - this proposal to redesign and revitalize the unused spaces beneath the Farrer Road x Dunearn Road Flyover is not only a flood mitigation measure in Bukit Timah’s high floodrisk zone, but also promotes intergenerational bonding within families through rest, relaxation and play suitable for all ages. The baths bring life to the once dull and monotonous space beneath the flyover, embracing the darkness it provides.

The flyover takes on an interesting role as the interface between the residential and commercial zones in this area. The baths aim to encompass this nuanced dynamic between private and public zones, by responding to both sides to create an intimate experience in a seemingly open and public space for users to enjoy.

The circular baths symbolise togetherness and a sense of community and are oriented to capture the scenic beauty of the site, organised by programmes that respond to the public and private sides of the flyover accordingly. This creates a strong juxtaposition between darker, more intimate spaces tucked beneath the flyover and the open water play areas outside.

EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC 8

Stormwater Management Strategies As the site is highly susceptible to frequent flash floods that affect residents and business owners in the area, the introduction of a stormwater detention tank underground and permeable paving can facilitate drainage on days with heavy rainfall. Natural and advanced technological methods for rainwater purification are incorporated into the drainage system, ensuring that the water for the baths is clean and safe to use.

PLAN

SECTION A-A’

The ‘floating’ family baths available for rent on the mezzanine not only offers additional privacy for families or groups who wish to enjoy the relaxing baths away from the crowds, the floating structures contribute to the visual labyrinth of the space, giving the illusion of a more enclosed space that is comfortable for a dip in the spa. For those who enjoy their personal space, the columns of the flyover also serve as solo sauna pods.

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MUSEUM OF TRASH Core Studio 2

Individual - 14 Weeks The studio is a world-building exercise that challenges the definition of the “artefect” and “archive”. I was tasked to address how a physical and virtual memory is displayed and stored as well as how memory can be converged into a collective record of a civilisation.

Based in the year 2200, the Museum of Trash is situated on one of thousands of landfills that are causing extreme pollution, to which humans remain nonchalent about. As one walks along the path that circulates down the layers of the landfill, the familiar sights of the surroundings are coupled with the virtual experience of looking inside the landfill.

The museum exhibits our history in the form of the overwhelming garbage that is generated over the years, displayed in chronological layers. It aims to project the scale of the concealed, forgotten trash that humans habitually put out of sight and out of mind, as well as to reconcile humanity’s separation from their waste.

As one browses through the individual trash objects embedded in the virtual walls of the landfill, one can learn about its orgins, lifespan and environmental footprint. The object types of each time period are also telling of the historical context of that time.

Using Unreal Engine, I designed both the physical museum space (top right) and the virtual landfill (bottom right) that come together to create an experience that is both informative and emotional when confronted with the reality of our actions.

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FORM GENERATION

pulling out to create platforms

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pushing in to create interior spaces

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pushing in to create walls

sheltered spaces cutting into landfill

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MUSEUM OF TRASH

UNREAL ENGINE RENDERS

VIRTUAL SPACE

Year 2200

Year 2000

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COLLAGES World-building: “More Than Meets The Eye” (far left) Museum Concept: “Impending Doom” (left)

PHYSICAL MODEL 42 x 42 x 42cm Lasercut Site Model - 2mm Greyboard (far left) Lasercut Massing Model - 2mm Bristol Board (left) 13

DESIGN FABRICATION PROJECTS Digital Design and Fabrication 14 Weeks

3D PRINTING / PLASTER CASTING - Group of 2

CNC MILLING- Group of 2

LASERCUTTING - Individual

We designed a volume with a star-like geometry that was able to tessellate in 3D. This singular positive volume was 3D-printed before using it to fabricate a negative mould using silicone. This allowed us to produce multiple parts made with plaster using the same reusuable mould and assemble a design arrangement with the plaster models. The plaster was also able to replicate the details of the initial 3D print on its surface, such as the texture of the 3D print surface that was imprinted in the silicone mould.

Considering the advantages of subtractive CNC manufacturing, we were tasked to use computational design to create an object that is not possible to fabricate by hand. We chose to capture the microscopic details and intricacies of a human fingerprint, magnified onto a high density polyurethane foam block.

Using Python and Grasshopper, I created a generative design made from overlapping circles and curves, inspired by human iris patterns. The assignment demands critical analysis of the material properties of a clear acrylic sheet, as well as the potential of programmable geometry and lasercutting machinery.

The pattern engraved onto the acrylic sheet not only created grooves of varying depths on the material, but also casted interesting shadows as a result.

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WATERJET CUTTING - Group of 2

WOODWORKING - Group of 4

We were challenged to resolve a spatial joint that comprises four beam elements meeting at a node at different angles, using aluminium sheets cut with a waterjet, which only allows vertical cuts in the Z-axis. This constraint limits our design to only have parts that interface orthogonally, while achieving compound axial rotations of each beam. We adjusted the angles of the slots between two components and connected all of them to a central, planar ring.

The components were flushed against one another and locked in place using aluminium pins.

We designed and built a bridge spanning 3m using timber dowels, joined by nodes made with plywood. The objective was to fuse concepts from joinery design, computer aided manufacturing, with computational analysis and simulation of structures to design a bridge that could hold a weight of at least 50kg with minimum deflection in actual scale. We used a structural analysis and simulation programme in Grasshopper called Karamba to aid in the designing of a structurally sound bridge. The bridge is derived from two catenary arches and is held by compression forces.

The individual joints account for the respective angles of each dowel and is made with lasercut layers of plywood glued together and drilled. The bridge is also symmetrical along both axes, simplifying the design process significantly.

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TENSEGRITY Architecture Outreach Programme (ATOP) Logistics Team & Programme Facilitator

I participated in the planning and organising of ATOP 2020 and 2021, an annual architecture workshop for pre-university students, held by the Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD) Pillar in SUTD. Led by Professor Kenneth Tracy, we prepared lessons and activities for the participants to explore “Elastic Architecture” through hands-on kit-building of tensegrity structures, digital modelling and computational design.

Participants can design their own models using the prepared kit, which includes nylon spandex fabric with lasercut slits for the wooden struts to hook onto. The fabric membrane and a series of linear compressive struts work in tandem to create an elastic shell in equilibrium. Partcipants are encouraged to think creatively and explore different strut patterns to produce different designs.

1:10 PAVILION MODEL 16

1:1 PAVILION STRUCTURE

TENSEGRITY TOWER 17

HEXA-GARDEN Introduction to Design Computation Individual - 3 Weeks

The assignment explores daylighting as a key design tool, through the study of the role of the roof in modulating light. I was tasked to develop a roof canopy that provides solar shading while allowing daylight to pass through strategically.

With ample sunlight penetrating the honeycomb-like roof, the space is conducive for gardens and nurseries. The structure uses sunlight to project an array of hexagons and diamonds, creating an eye-catching checkerboard effect. Specific parts of the roof are designed to provide more shade, creating distinct zones suitable for a cosy, outdoor cafe that invites people to relax and enjoy the greenery comfortably.

The canopy was generated parametrically using Grasshopper and Python. A simple sinusoidal surface was segmented into quads before arraying the hexogonal modules across the surface. The circular zones with extra shade are generated from selected points on the canopy.

I was also able to study the solar exposure of the canopy and visualise the shadows casted using Grasshopper.

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9 AM

12 PM

3 PM

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THE WATER CUBE Introduction to Design Computation Group - 3 Weeks

Members: Benjamin Lim, Joshua Ng, Yap Yi Tong, Wong Siong Min

My group was tasked to study PTW Architects and Arup’s Watercube as a precedent and recreate it by reverse generation using Grasshopper and Python. We analysed the computational approach to the Watercube, which was inspired by the natural formation of soap bubbles.

Despite the illusion of randomness in the structure’s organic design, the geometry is a highly repetitive and buildable one.

We studied and emulated the original design approach,which begins with generating a Weaire-Phelan polyhedral array, formed by repeating 12-sided and 14-sided polyhedrons. To achieve the look of an irregular pattern, the array is rotated before being sliced by a box the size of the structure. The intersecting edges are extracted to become a skeletal steel frame to affix ETFE (ethyl tetrafluoroethylene), creating the iconic bubblelike facade.

14-SIDED POLYHEDRON

MIRRORED UNIT

BASIC 6-UNIT CLUSTER

ROTATED ARRAY

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INTERSECTION EDGES AS FRAME

PATCHED ETFE SURFACES

VARYING ROTATION ANGLES

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Section A

A THOUSAND COTTAGES Core Studio 1

Individual - 3 Weeks +0.50

Based on Pezo von Ellrichshausen’s Porto Academy workshop “A Thousand Cottages”, this exercise involves resolving a cottage through the geometric encounter of a square, a circular and triangular form.

Based on essay and error, together with a study of the combinatorial analysis with multiple forms of how to solve the building, I experimented with different arrangements of the same three shapes, varying in position, scale and operation.

Using basic geometric operations , such as additive, subtractive or both, I explored various strategies to address circulation, visual continuity with the site, different levels of privacy, accessibility and transitions.

The project expanded from a single-storey, conceptual organisation of space to a two-storey cottage that demarcates ample space for various programmes, both indoors and outdoors.

I also considered the articulation of the landscape to create a feeling of being in a protected, cosy and peaceful retreat.

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EXPLORATION

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Section B

SECTION A

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1. VORONOI

MoMASG SATELLITE

Selected Volumes

3. LOFT

Disorient

Mirror

Inspired by contemporary artist Shang Yang, this museum portrays the distortion of the natural landscape caused by industrialization and urbanization. The sharp corners, slanted walls and angled roofs provide visitors with a unsettling experience that distorts their sense of space and ground. This disorientating effect of the museum's design aims to be a sobering and thought-provoking experience that invokes self-reflection on the drastic human impact on our environment.

2. DISTORT

4. MIRROR Merge Faces

Core Studio 1

A

Individual - 6 Weeks

Inspired by contemporary artist Shang Yang, the Museum of Modern Art portrays the distortion of the natural landscape caused by industrialization and urbanization.

The sharp corners, slanted walls and angled roofs provide visitors with an unsettling experience that distorts their sense of space and ground. This disorienting effect of the museum’s design aims to be a sobering and thoughtprovoking experience that invokes self-reflection on the drastic and irreversible human impact on our environment.

Since my concept centres on the environment, I approached the design with the landscape in mind. I experimented with various field conditions using Grasshopper to generate a voronoi field. The resulting form resembles a shattered whole that extends beyond the exhibition spaces to the surrounding landscape, keeping the design language consistent as one enters the park and moves towards and inside the museum.

The singular tree enclosed in the central courtyard, as well as the bordered grass patches outside the museum are symbolic of the increasing scarcity of greenery in our environment today.

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Section A

SECTION A

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SECTION B 25

ZAYSAN SHELTER Architecture Science and Technology Group - 6 Weeks

Members: Serene Huang, Joshua Ng, Janelle Ho, Wong Siong Min

My group designed a Net Zero Embodied Carbon Nature Reserve Shelter located in our chosen site - Zaysan, Kazakhstan. The shelter contains minimal functions and furniture for a short-term stay for leisure or research purposes, and is designed to adapt to the cold, arid climate in Zaysan.

The shelter is embedded in the ground for thermal insulation to combat the cold climate. The concrete walls withstand the external pressure exerted by the ground. We analysed the wind conditions in the area designed the roof to slopes upwards from West to East to counter strong West winds. It is supported by timber frames joining the roof to the East-facing wall to reinforce the structure against strong winds.

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The project progressed from site analysis to envelope design, structural design, material analysis and finally, construction details.

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LONGITUDINAL SECTION

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01. WEATHERING STEEL SHEETS 02. SOLID WOOD (PINE) 03. MINERAL WOOL 04. PLYWOOD 05. HARDWOOD CLADDING (TIMBER) 06. REINFORCED CONCRETE 07. EPS INSULATION 08. PLASTER 09. POROUS BOARDS

10. XSTRAWDINARY BOARD 11. WOODEN BEAM 12. DINING TABLE 13. FOLDABLE CHAIRS 14. HANGING BAR 15. DISHWASHER 16. KITCHEN CABINET 17. STORAGE SPACE 18. SINK

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CROSS SECTION

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TIMBER CLADDING 20mm PLYWOOD 20mm MINERAL WOOL 150mm SOLID WOOD (PINE) 100mm REINFORCED CONCRETE 30mm

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01. WEATHERING STEEL SHEETS 02. SOLID WOOD (PINE) 03. MINERAL WOOL 04. PLYWOOD 05. HARDWOOD CLADDING (TIMBER) 06. REINFORCED CONCRETE 07. EPS INSULATION 08. PLASTER 09. POROUS BOARDS

10. XSTRAWDINARY BOARD 11. WOODEN BEAM 12. DINING TABLE 13. FOLDABLE CHAIRS 14. HANGING BAR 15. DISHWASHER 16. KITCHEN CABINET 17. STORAGE SPACE 18. SINK

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XSTRAWDINARY BOARD 25mm MINERAL WOOL 150mm SOLID WOOD (PINE) 100mm REINFORCED CONCRETE 100mm BENTONITE WATERPROOFING 2mm

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

FLOORPLAN

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Wong Siong Min siongmin_wong@mymail.sutd.edu.sg