Paying it Forward Report (Core Studies)

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia (MASSA) Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture) ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN (ARC 1413/1412)

______________________________________________________________________ “Paying It Forward” Project Report

Name

Student ID

Email

Cheah Ee Von

0308719

94vonne@gmail.com

Kristine Yong

0311297

kristineblue0810@gmail.com

Gennieve Lee

0311622

genn_lee@y7mail.com

Chuah Wei Hong

0310900

whongchuah@gmail.com

Yap Zhi Jun

0310738

zhijun218@hotmail.com

Yap Zhong Lin

0310557

yapzhonglin218@gmail.com

Toh Chee Cheng

0311122

qingcheng143@gmail.com

Chew Woan Chyin

0310797

woanchyin@gmail.com

Yeo Kai Xin

0317446

kaixinds94@gmail.com

Lee Yuan June

0311128

June19942010@hotmail.com

Organization Name: Good Hearty Charity Association Contact Person: Jess Soong (+6013 5058128) Venue: Destiny Starting Point 2 Address: No 1, Solok Mempat, Taman Selatan, 41100 Klang.

1

1. Outline the environmental/community issues faced by your case study?

According to UN statistics, there are 410,000 orphans, presumably only those with no parents, in Malaysia. As for children who are abandoned by their parents, we believe the statistics are far beyond 410,000. Set up in 2005

by Pastor Stephan Samuel and his wife Graceline, It is a home for troubled children and neglected teenagers as well as orphans that range from the age of few months old infants till 18 years old teens. Normally, when parents and school authorities have difficulties in stilling discipline into the child, the child will also then be send to this home. They will then be confine in this home and carry out various types of chores according to the schedule given by the person in charge. The purpose of this is to train the children on being independent and responsible as well as instilling the attitude of discipline.

The home’s aim is to restore back the lives of these children and teenagers that have been lured by undesirable elements and rebuilding them to become a healthy and productive generation. Their objective is also to rescue these young people from their misguided life, restoring their identity as a responsible and upright person as well as to reconcile them with their families and the community.

There are around 15 children. All of them are of Christian Indian ethnicity. About 50% of the children were born without birth certificates so they are not able to attend school. Hence, the community issue we want to address is the importance of education among underprivileged children. These children have a right to have a proper education and living environment regardless of their background and age. Therefore, through this project, not only do we hope to educate and instil awareness into the children but also into the community today as well. We also hope to touch the hearts of children and the society today through this project and campaign of “Paying it forward”.

2. Describe the exact need that you propose to fill.

What they are lacking now in Destiny Starting Point 2 are proper facilities and furniture for their study and living environment. We, as architecture students wish to use our creativity and practical ability to build and repair furniture for the children in Destiny Starting Point 2. By using the skills we have learnt in Taylor’s, we plan to build and repair new tables, chairs, bookshelves, drawers etc. Besides, we also organized various types of activities for the children in this home like planting cactus plants into recycled tin cans, playing games, hand painting, and etc.

While carrying out these activities, we hope to instil awareness of preserving and conserving environment through the little acts in life into the children as these can make a difference in saving the environment. It is vital to educate young generations today about the environment and how to save it before it is too late. Helping and teaching children to understand such issues at a young age can create a better future for the world just like planting new seeds on the ground, so as in the hearts of the little ones, hoping that one day the seeds we have planted in them will bud and grow into a strong and beautiful tree. They will then be able to pass it down to their children and spread the awareness to those people around them too. It is through this little act in the community that we might be able to help sustain the environment and help society today as well to learn and help one another as well as to appreciate what they have in life.

3. Why are you choosing this particular environmental/community project?

Orphans and troubled teenagers are one of the most neglected groups in the society. They are often looked down by most people and consider them hopeless. Hence, we would like to show compassion towards these children and bring improvement in their lives when all hope is gone. We want to let them know that they have potential within them, to rise up and stand out of the crowd even when circumstances are gloom. We also want 2

to share responsibility and burden of the person in charge by providing a good living environment for the children.

4. What duties does the case study/client want/need you to perform?

(A) Repair the bookshelf The existing bookshelf lacked of proper space to organize books and stationary. Besides, the bookshelf is not very stable as it is originally a clothing cabinet reused as a bookshelf. So we added some partition to the bookshelf to provide more spaces and repainted it to make it look nicer and last long.

Process of Repairing Bookshelf

1. Clear the bookshelf We took out all the books and other stuff and wipe the dust off. As there are a lot of books needed to be moved out. To save our time, we did it as a team.

2. Problem found We realized that the bookshelf was buckling and bended due to load formed by the huge amount of books. We decided to design a support for it instead of eliminating it.

3. Measurement When the books are removed, we start to do the measurement.

To have an accurate measurement, we made sure that our meter ruler is straight and tight. We roughly sketched out a bookshelf and jot down all the measurement.

3

Sketch of the design 4. Design of the add-ons We discuss about how to add and design the support or partitions about it to get a best solution. So we concluded with this design because it allows more spaces to put more things. Besides that, the more partitions we add the more tough the bookshelf will be.

Partition A

Partition C

Partition B

4

Construction Process The above figures are the design of our partitions and support. There are two different dimensions for the partitions because the bookshelf does not have an equal size. We made four pieces for vertical support and two horizontal pieces in the middle of each two support. The dimension of Partition A for horizontal is 1752 x 28.mm (LxW) and for vertical is 582 x 282mm (HxW). Partition B for horizontal is 1752 x 28.mm (LxW) and for vertical is 579 x 282mm (HxW). Partition C has three pieces to slot in at the side. The dimension is 320 x 282mm. (LxW).

We used plywood with 15mm thickness.

Construction details:

Interlocking We used interlocking for the partition which can be separated and fixed anytime anywhere. It is more convenient for us to bring to the site and assemble it on spot. Besides that, it is more stable because if one of the partitions has been cut into two pieces using nail or screw to fix it, it will not be durable because it will be loose or the wood would crack easily.

Screw

Support of the partitions To sustain and support the whole structure, we added another piece of wood under the partitions at each side instead of just screwing in from the side into the partitions to support it.

5

Finishing We painted the bookshelf before repairing it. When it dries, we slot in the interlocking partition. Then we paint the remaining parts. We chose this colour because we are placing it in a dark area. So we chose a lighter colour to make it look spacious.

Finished product This is the bookshelf that we repaired. It looks neater than before and offers more space for book organisation.

(B) Reuse rejected furniture: cabinet

The reused cabinet replacing their old cabinet for clothing storage When we went into their room, we found that they do not have a proper cabinet to keep their clothes. So, we decided to replace the old cabinet with a better cabinet. We went to some factory to look for cabinet which is suitable for them. Finally, we found an enclosure cabinet at Seri Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd (Melaka branch). The person in charge agreed to sponsor the cabinet to us after we explained our project to them. The enclosure cabinet provides a proper space for them to keep their clothes. Besides, the enclosure cabinet makes the room looks neat and tidy and provides a better environment for the kids to rest. The new cabinet is made up of a lot of drawers, so they can have their own space to keep their clothes.

6

(C) Reuse rejected furniture: table & chairs The tables and chairs come from Seri Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd (Johor branch). The person in charge agreed to sponsor the cabinet to us after we explained our project to them.

Process of Assembling Tables and Chairs

1.

2.

Unwrapping the tables & chairs

3.

Setting up parts

4.

Screwing parts together

Fixing parts

5.

6.

Screwed and fixed chair details

Finished chair structure without seats on

(D) Repaint wall and Mural Art Prestart Checklist 

Time: From 4 to 8 hours for a 2700mm x 3000mm (height) wall



Tools: Brushes, rollers, putty knife, ladder, extension pole, tray



Skills: Using brushes and rollers



Prep: Prep and prime surface as necessary



Materials: Colourland Paint (Eco Care Series)

7

Properties: 

Stainless with PTFE non-stick agent mild sheen finish:



Antibacterial low sheen finish



Low odour/ Low high sheen finish



Washable matt finish



Low odour wood and metal care



Low VOC



Fungus and mould resistant



Specially formulated to provide a high degree of surface water shedding (so-called beading effect) that can repel any waterborne stains.



The slip effect makes the stain easy to clean without spoiled the paint film.



Provides healthier environment and hygiene with mould/fungus resistance formula.



High durability, tough and scrub able, tested and proven with more than 10,000 scrubs with Sheen Wet Abrasion Scrub Tester.



Formulated with non-harmful chemicals and able to give good hiding power and better coverage.

Procedure: Surface Preparation Carefully inspect walls for surface imperfections before painting. Use a putty knife to fill and repair any holes or imperfections, then remove any excess spackling with the putty knife and allow the area to dry completely.

Remove excess with putty knife 8

Painting

Stir paint evenly

Pour a layer of paint into the tray

Start to paint the wall

Acquire paint with roller

Before any painting job, stir paint evenly with a stick or stirrer. It is advisable to repeat this step if you leave your paint sitting for an extended period of time. Then, pour a small amount of paint into the tray and start painting using the roller. Generally two coats of finish coat are required to get the desired finish and colour. Each coat must be completely dry before applying the next layer.

We decided to repaint the wall to make the space airy and look neater.

9

Handprints Mural We created a mural using hand prints in acrylic paint. This was a teamwork effort and the kids at Destiny Starting Point to demonstrate their collaborative skills and creativity during this lesson. Each child laid handprints with different colors, one at a time, washing their hands in between. After the mural was complete, the children have to write their name with bright color markers and add some interesting patterns. To a child, handprint craft offers the chance to be creative, and an excuse to get messy. The simplest handprint activities can produce the most charming keepsakes, while providing your child with hours of fun. All the kids covered their hands with paint and we spent a fun afternoon laying handprints on the wall.

This mural aims to leave an impact to the orphanage and also inspire creativity among the kids. Not only we managed to set up a fun learning environment for the kids but we engaged the kids with the project. We created the mural in hopes of the kids would remember what we’ve done for them during for the rest of their lives. We also hope that this project would inspire the children to do the same thing in the future to help others in need.

Let the kids choose the colour and helped to paint their palms.

Help them to put their handprints on the wall with signature under it. Then, guide them to wash their hands properly.

10

(D) Cactus Planting and Reusing Aluminium Cans Cactus is the most suitable plant for children to take care indoors, because less water and maintenance is needed. The cactus symbolizes endurance as it is a plant that can really stand up to the test of time and lack of water. This motivates the children to be like a cactus in life. We face a lot of challenges every day, so we taught them to be strong like a cactus whenever challenges arise.

Reusing aluminum cans as vases for cactus

Final product of the cactus & vase

5. What will be your duration/timeline of service/project? (e.g. 2 hours, twice a week for 2 months; single event)

11

6. Where is the venue/site for you to provide this service?

The venue or site of which we would be providing our service is Destiny Starting Point 2, which is located at No. 1, Solok Mempat, Taman Selatan 41100, Klang.

Below is the list of the names of the Management Board in Destiny Starting Point 2: 

Founder/ President : Rev. Stephan Samuel Vice-President : Rev. Moses Jayaseelan



Secretary : Graceline M. Stephan Treasurer : Josphine Julian



Committee Members : Julian Amaarjeet , John Gopal , Richard Santhanakumar , Kavery Samy Veloo , Selvakumar Muniandy

7. Who will benefit from your work?

All the activities that we do will benefit the children and teenagers in Destiny Starting Point 2. There are total of 15 orphans in this house, which ranges from the age of few months old infants to 18 years old. Most of these children come from broken families that have single parents or when their parents do not have the ability to raise them up. Some of these children, unlike others, are not able to attend school due to not having proper birth certificates, as some parents are immigrants from India.

Therefore, through this project, we hope that we could at least contribute into the lives of these children by providing a better a living and study environment, where they can have proper home schooling. By providing a better study environment, we plan on designing and building new tables, chairs and even bookshelves for their home. By applying the knowledge and practical skills that we have learnt from our study in Taylor’s, we hope to carry out the task successfully.

Apart from benefiting the lives of children and teenagers in Destiny Starting Point 2, we hope that our campaign on “Paying it forward” and contribution can instill an act of awareness among the society today and benefit those people around us.

12

8. What is estimated cost of your project?/Who is the sponsor for your project?

Agenda

Estimated cost

Furniture amendments (wood, nails etc)

RM500 + partial is sponsored from Yeo Aik Wood

Paints, brushes

RM100 + partial sponsored from Seri Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd

Transportation

RM300

Activities

RM200 Total RM1,100

Profit and Lost Statement of Charity for Destiny Starting Point for the period ended 20th May 2014 RM

RM

Revenue Add : Donation

1158.00

Adjusted Gross Profit

1158.00

Less: Expenses Transportation

270.00

Maintenance Expenses

190.00

Furniture

400.00

Activities Expenses

298.00

1158.00 0.00

Net Profit

0.00

Profit and Lost Statement of Charity for Destiny Starting Point for the period ended 20th May 2014 RM

RM

Revenue Add : Donation

1158.00

Adjusted Gross Profit

1158.00

Less: Expenses Transportation

270.00

Maintenance Expenses

190.00

Furniture

400.00

Activities Expenses

298.00

1158.00 0.00

13

Net Profit

0.00

Statement Account of Charity for Destiny Starting Point for the period ended 20th May 2014 Date

No.

Description

Amount (RM)

Payment (RM)

Remaining (RM)

22/04/2014

Donation

254.00

254.00

23/04/2014

Donation

175.70

429.70

29/04/2014

Generation X Trucking Services

30/04/2014

Donation

30/04/2014

270.00 83.50

2550 Sanway Hardware Trading

159.70 243.20

90.00

06/05/2014

Donation

13/05/2014

Mc Donald - Lunch for orphans

14/05/2014

Donation

225.50

350.10

15/05/2014

Donation

225.70

575.80

16/05/2014

Seri Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd

16/05/2014

Donation

16/05/2014

2131 Tropicana Nursery - Cactus

16/05/2014

Yeo Aik Wood

17/05/2014

Daiso - A3 Photo Frame

141.40

153.20 294.60

170.00

100.00 52.20

124.60

475.80 528.00

40.00

488.00

400.00

88.00

10.00

78.00 78.00

14

9. What are the environmental/sustainable strategies adopted in your project?

In our project, we used 3 types of environmental strategies which are repair & reuse furniture, cactus planting and recycling aluminum cans. i)

Repair and reuse furniture

Manufacturing process of furniture

6. Receiving of timber

5. Cutting & molding

4. Component fabrication

1. Delivery

2. Finishing & packing

3. Assembly

a) Phase 1 (Receiving of Timber) -

Timber taken from our storage area will be checked and measure to ensure sizes and moisture content is within requirements.

-

Each bundle is documented and release to production floor for processing.

b) Phase 2 (Cutting & Molding) -

Selecting from the received timber bundle, each piece of timber is carefully cross cut into lengths required.

-

Cut timber is then bundled on pallets, which is then processed at our molding section to achieve the shapes and sizes required.

-

Documentation and identification of each bundle is properly done here to ensure chain of custody procedure is followed.

c) Phase 3 (Component Fabrication) -

Molded timber is processes by different machines depending on its shape and design to acquire its features.

-

These components are then carefully sanded to round all sharp edges and smoothen out all surfaces.

15

d) Phase 4 (Assembly) -

Each components will be assembled accordingly to form the part of the intended furniture.

-

Joints are glued together to form a strong bond. Assembled parts are then stacked together and labeled for traceability.

e) Phase 5 (Finishing & Packing) -

Assembled parts are dipped in teak oil and wiped dry to achieve the brown/teak finishing.

-

Teak oil acts as repellent of wood destroying insects, fungicide, as well as providing some weather and UV resistant to the wood.

-

These parts are left for a period of time for the teak oil to cure and dry. They are inspected again before being packed into carton boxes.

f)

Phase 6 (Delivery)

-

Finished products will be loaded into containers according to customer's order.

-

These containers are then shipped out to our customers from all around the world.

Embodied energy of hardwood = 2.0 MJ/kg Activities We reuse the existing bookshelf in the orphanage and repair it by adding more plywood partition to create more spaces for storage. The action of repair and reuse benefits the environment and community. Besides, we also reuse those rejected tables and chairs to create a study area for the orphanage.

Benefits:-

Conserving natural resources Because fewer raw materials are used, remanufacturing conserves energy and natural resources. Furniture recycling extends the lives of resources already in circulation such as wood, plastics and fiber, using them over and over to the fullest extent possible. 

Industry experts estimate that :1

pound natural resources remanufacturing = 5 – 9 pounds original materials are conserved

-

Solid waste stream reduction By recycling old furniture, the products as well as the natural resources are diverted from the solid waste stream. For example, fabrics in panel systems tend to wear out and the colors become outdated. By remanufacturing, the fabrics can be replaced and the office furniture returned to the market for a second life. Recycling results in fewer products filling up limited landfill space. 

Environmental Protection Agency estimate that :Approximately 3 million tons of office furniture are discarded each year 16

-

Energy conservation Reuse and repair bookshelf conserves labor and manufacturing energy. And, since much of the product has already been manufactured, remanufacturing saves the enormous amounts of energy required for production, especially when metals are kept out of the re-melting process. 

Amount of labor and energy required to alter an existing product during remanufacturing is 85 to 95 percent less than that required to manufacture a new product.

-

Air pollution Recycling reduces the pollution caused by the manufacturing process. Carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrous oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter are all reduced by recycling office furniture. By reducing the amounts of these contaminants, global warming, acid rain, photochemical smog, and other forms of air pollution are also reduced.

ii)

Planting of cactus This planting activity was executed because the orphanage lacks of greeneries. The home has a dense population; they have poor air ventilation, so greeneries are necessary to improve air quality.

Benefits:-

Environmental benefits Indoor plants help to improve air quality. Indoor air has Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitting from plastics, in furniture, fittings, computers, printers and more, cause loss of concentration, headaches, eye, nose and throat problems and also Carbon dioxide, CO 2 (us breathing) that causes drowsiness, heavy-head, lowered concentration. University of Technology Sydney (UTS) research stated that house plant can absorb unhealthy air by pulling contaminants into soil, where root zone microorganisms convert VOCs into food for the plant. 

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

-

Can reduce by over 80% to below 100 ppb

-

Works day and night 

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

-

Reduce by 10-25%

-

Exchanged for equal amount of O2 (oxygen) 

-

Carbon monoxide (CO)

Reduce up to 90%

17

Besides improving air quality, house plants can reduce air temperature and increase humidity of the house. As part of the photosynthetic and respiratory processes, plants release moisture vapor, which increases humidity of the air around them. Plants release roughly 97 percent of the water they take in. Place several plants together, and you can increase the humidity of a room, which helps keeps respiratory distresses at bay. Studies at the Agricultural University of Norway document that using plants in interior spaces decreases the incidence of dry skin, colds, sore throats and dry coughs. As a conclusion, house plant is important for the orphanage house to improve their life quality. Planting cactus is the best house plant for them because it is easy to take care, plus children can be trained to handle their respective plant properly. iii)

Recycling aluminum cans Aluminum can manufacturing process There are three steps to manufacture aluminum cans, which are refining, shaping and shipping. a) Refining The first step in the process of making aluminum cans is the mining and refining of aluminum.

Aluminum is found naturally in a mineral known as bauxite. When bauxite is refined to remove impurities, alumina or aluminum oxide is made, and it takes the form of a simple white powder.

Running a continuous electric current through this powder removes the oxygen and melts the aluminum. Other materials are added in small amounts to help the aluminum resist corrosion and to add strength to it. Then the molten metal is cast into ingots, which are rolled into sheets of aluminum.

Diagram above show refining process of aluminum cans. b) Shaping 18

Aluminum cans are formed from these aluminum sheets, which are unrolled, lubricated, and fed into a machine on a conveyor belt. A cupping press cuts out circles from the aluminum sheet and forms them into shallow cups. The cups are then drawn through a series of iron rings, which lengthens them, making them look like cans without tops. The tops of the cans are then cut to ensure that they're all the same height. Once these steps have been taken, the basic part of the can is formed, and it is washed and cleaned before moving onto the next part of the process.

Diagram above shows shaping process of aluminum cans. c) Finishing The can next goes to a label press, where it is painted and given a clear coat to protect the paint. The can is then placed inside an oven where the paint and coating are baked on to prevent damage. Once it's cooled, the inside of the can is sprayed with a coating to stop the materials of the can from leaching into the contents. The can is then baked again to seal this second coating. The bottom of the can is re-formed into a dome to add strength, and the uppermost part is narrowed so that the top may be placed on it at a later time. Then all the cans are tested for leaks, put on pallets, and shipped to soft drink companies. The lids are cut, molded, and shipped separately and are applied after the soft drink is inside the can, sealing the beverage inside.

Embodied energy of aluminum = 170.0 MJ/kg

19

Activity We recycle those used aluminum cans like can drinks to use as flower pot for cactus. We cut the aluminum into half to fit the height of the cactus. When cactus is insert into the aluminum cans, soil is added to cover the empty space in the cans. Recycling of aluminum cans bring a lot of benefits.

Benefits:-

Energy savings According to Steve Larkin, president of the Aluminum Association, recycling old cans into new ones uses 95 percent less energy and produces 95 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than producing new cans entirely from scratch. In fact, the recovered aluminum processed in a typical year saves the energy equivalent of 1.3 billion gallons of gasoline.

-

Environmental savings Recycling aluminum prevents more than 90 million tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year. Recycling 1 tons of aluminum avoids the emission of about 9 tons of CO2 emissions. 

1 tons of CO2 is equivalent to driving nearly 3,000 miles.



One aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours.

Recycling aluminum reduces the use of natural resources and chemicals (caustic soda, aluminum fluoride and lime) and eliminates the need for bauxite ore to be mined.

20

Job description of each member 

Everyone is also involved in collecting donations, sponsoring & building of furniture

Name Cheah Ee Von Chew Woan Chyin Yap Zhi Jun Yeo Kai Xin Chuah Wei Hong Kristine Yong Gennieve Lee Yap Zhong Lin Toh Chee Cheng Lee Yuan June

Job description  Project planning & coordination  Team leader/ Secretary  Graphic designer  Treasurer  Sponsoring leader (donation)  Graphic designer  Sponsoring leader (donation)  Logistics leader  Main sponsor (furniture & logistics)  Cabinet builder  Cameraman  Video director  Bookshelf builder  Bookshelf builder/designer  Donation executive  Cameraman  Cabinet builder/designer  Table/chair builder/designer  Logistics  Table/chair builder/designer  Donation executive  Cabinet builder  Logistics  Marketing executive (Facebook)

21

Poster design

22

Donation collection picture

Facebook page

23