UNDERGRADUATE
PORTFOLIO OW XUN CONG TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUILDING & DESIGN BSc. Arch 2019’
Ow Xun Cong
Taylors University Bsc (Hons) Architecture Undergraduate email: owlcong@gmail.com phone: +60 16 5958995
“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” ― Winston S Churchill My approach to projects lies within the attitude that to make great places, I must first understand the needs of the present, the stakes in the future, while also paying respects to the past. I believe a building is nothing without its inhabitants, thus it is important that I allow myself to be open-minded to understand through the people, what is the question, and not jumping straight to the ‘answer’. Not only that, a building is a fragment of its environment, it only makes sense that it reflects and compliments the contemporary life of where it sits. I believe only through such understandings of people, place and architecture comes successful spatial planning, informed design directions and well-deserved immersive experience to its users and community.
Contents Education Experience 2017 - 2019
BSc (Hons) in Architecture Taylor’s University | Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia Unit
2016 - 2017
02/ Phoenix of Kajang | Art Centre Art Centre | Kajang Year 3 Sem 1
Foundation in Natural & Built Environment Taylor’s University
Professional Experience Sep 2020 Sep 2021
Part 1 Architect | Unit One Design + Heavily participated in detailed design & tender drawing documentations for high rise project. + Involved in design process & construction drawing documentations for bungalow project. + General project management: liaised with consultants, prepared submission documents, chaired supplier meetings + Schematic proposal for bungalow project ; general layout, moodboard & 3d models + Produced 1:1 physical mock-ups for sculptural installations + On-site installation & inspection works for low-rise project.
Dec 2018 Mar 2019
Architectural Internship | Pentas Reka Architects Assisted in drawing documentations & model iterations of residential & large scale projects.
2020 - 2021
Freelancing | BTA Architects Design & render works for exteriors of bungalows, affordable apartments & institutional projects
Achievements 2020
2020 Taylors University Graduates Exhibition Distinguished Work.
2019
Asia Young Designer Awards 2019 | Nippon Paint Faculty Representation.
Extracurricular 2020 2020 2019 2017
Home 2020 Typologies | archoutloud Melbourne Affordable Housing Challenge | beebreeders Hustlehub Youth Housing | uni-xyz Taman Tugu Greenovation Design Competition Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM)
01/ Marketplace of Ideas | City Lobby Heritage Town, Johor Bahru Year 3 Sem 2
Language English, Cantonese, Chinese, Malay
Skills Sketchup, Autocad, Lumion, Photoshop, Indesign, Office Suites
03/ Zeal | Co-living House Competitions ZiL, Moscow 04/ Crossroads | Single-Parent Family Community Centre Fairpark, Ipoh Year 2 Sem 2 05/ Professional Works Bangsar Rising Serviced Apartment, Kuala Lumpur Chelagi 7 Bungalow, Kuala Lumpur
Marketplace of Ideas, a view from the bustling Bazaar Karat of Jalan Segget.
Heritage Town Johor Bahru
01 MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS Year 3 Sem 2
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2019
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12 Weeks
The heritage town of Johor Bahru (day/night)
City Lobby: This project calls for the design of a city lobby - a gathering point where it offers the needs of the people in the city as well as opportunities for cultural exchange. It should positively impact the public, to engage people to stay and connect, and make the place more humane. The proposal celebrates and promotes the traditional food ,artisanal and craftwork cultures of Heritage Town. It aims to play into the strengths of the site by uniting and reviving the cultural aspects of Johor Bahru, thus providing meaningful interactions between people of the city.
Unite. Preserve. Prosper.
Preliminary Studies
Marketplace of Ideas
Site Analysis
01/ The Marketplace of Ideas
City of Trades
Cultural Enclave
Tourism by Foot
Day & Night Commerce
Johor Bahru, a coastal city at the Straits of Malacca, is characterised by receiving heavy economic and social influence from Singapore.
The heritage town of Johor Bahru is an enclave in midst of the city’s progressively developing central business district.
The site is located at the heart of the heritage town. Access here however is mainly by foot, passing through the Segget River from CBD.
The site has strong food culture & patronage during the day. At night, streets are converting into spaces for the Bazaar Karat.
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Establishing a Node 1
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The Johor Bahru heritage town is the raw embodiment of a Johorean identity. Sitting opposite the life-giving Segget River, it nurtures century-old traditions in food, art, and artisanal skills. However, just as Segget River, the township is gradually claimed by creeping modernization. Marketplace of Ideas aims to utilise commerce, conversations and technology to reconcile the place.
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Site
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Visits 24 Festive Drums
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2.Bazaar Karat 3.Chinese Busking 4.Street Food 9.Salehuddin Bakery 10.Chinese Heritage Museum
Mural Arts
trickles not of receiving audience justice
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Bazaar Karat 1.Malay Busking 8.Let’s Eat Cafe
Visits
5.Hiap Joo Bakery 11.24 Festive Drums Cafe
6.Masjid India 12.Hua Mui Restaurant
7.Replacements Cafe 13.Hua Jin Cafe
The night bazaar has a liminal quality due to absence of prominent nodes throughout its stretch. The site lacks comfortable public realms to entice day patrons to stay after fulfilling their purpose. The site sits at vantage position to establish a collector node for visitors both day & night.
Bazaar Karat Night patronages The Bazaar Karat night market is famous for cheap second hand goods. Despite its success, the locals refuses to participate or visit due to lack of authenticity of the local products sold in the market.
Traditional bakery
Sculptural Art
Hua Mui Kopitiam
Arts & Craft Trickles of audience
Eateries Day patronages
The prominence of arts & craft in heritage town shout Johorean identity. However, they are dispersed far apart & lacks a collective platform to market themselves.
Both locals & tourists pay visit to authentic local cuisines eateries. However, eateries closes as soon the market sets up by evening, avoiding engagement with bazaar visitors during night time.
Design Strategies
Marketplace of Ideas
Design Development
Ground Floor Plan
Form Development
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Imitative massing. Datum
Johor Bahru Skyline.
Connecting day & night pedestrian circulations. 4
1950s 2
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Homaging the past. Relinquishing Space
Heritage Town Delta.
Providing public realm space for stay, rest & interact.
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Bazaar 1. AR Johor sculptural lounge 2. Cultural food hub 3. Think-City operations 4. Performance/pitching stage 5. Stepping garden 6.
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Articulated structures. Context Replication
Stilted Structures of Segget River.
Sharing elements to harmonise with context.
Second Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Multiply and form units. Complementing Functions
Sungai Segget Trading Hub.
Establishing programs to resonate/compliment with contextual businesses & individual
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Artisan workshop. 1. Artisans accommodation. 2. Artisan retail. 3. Library/Co-working space 4. Viewing deck. 5.
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Black box. 1. Rooftop lounge 2. Pre-function space 3. Multipurpose hall 4.
Side Elevation
The marketplace of ideas. Bifurcation into Programs Allocation of openings & programs spaces according to pedestrian heatmap through the day.
Johorean fig.
Sectional Study Diagram
Marketplace of Ideas
Structural detail of ‘tree’ roof Steel truss
Column detail of ‘tree’ roof with connector node
Joint detail of ‘tree’ roof
50mm hollow steel frame Tension cable
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Cultural food hub 1. Bazaar 2. AR Johor sculptural lounge 3.
Artisan retail space 4. Artisan workshop 5. Black box 6.
Visualizations
View of cultural food hub beside Jalan Tan Hiok Nee.
Marketplace of Ideas
Visualizations
Marketplace of Ideas, a view of the in-house cultural bazaar at ground floor level.
Marketplace of Ideas
Scenes of Kajang.
Phoenix of Kajang from Jalan Tukang.
Kajang, Selangor
02 PHOENIX OF KAJANG Year 3 Sem 1
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2019
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12 Weeks
Kajang, once an important tin-mining river-trade center, recessed into the backdrop together with tin-demand. The townhood, although rich with traditional dance culture, craftsmanship, and olden-businesses has remained placid through the times … Now, the locals are aged, the successors to their legacies moved out for ‘better’ opportunities. They are disgruntled, desperate, how do we ensure their legacies are kept alive for just a little longer? Performing Arts Centre : The proposal aims to integrate and bond the ‘leftovers’ (aging local populace, uninherited cultural businesses, partisan skills), by providing exposure to the transient bypassers/new blood in Kajang’s youth schools. It plans to be the ‘phase-1’ stage at revitalising the culturally rich town through architectural intervention that identifies with the distinctiveness of place. A revival of local spirit.
Conceptual Studies
Developmental Sketches
People of Kajang 12
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Phoenix of Kajang
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am pm Time spent in Kajang Oldtown
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Locale
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Elders
Labourers
Students
Visitors/ Families
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Returning the ground floor to the public realm.
Layering from public to private.
2 Traditional Trade-shops
Modern Services
Bus-stops & MRT Stations
Schools & Tuition
Banks
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Transiting ti
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Activity
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Trade-works
Yumcha (Leisure Meals)
Fast Food
Satay
Public Transport
Learning
A flow-chart of activities for elders, labourers, students and visitors indicating a key lack of interaction and interest to the intellectual heritage of the elderly generation of Kajang.
Heritage Dance Class
Function vs pre-function
Expository vs Informative spaces
Initial 2D conceptual sketches for Phoenix of Kajang.
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Design Strategies
Phoenix of Kajang
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2 2 2 Legend 1.Informatory Reception 2.Gallery of Artisans 3.Confectionary Workshop 4.Practice Workshop 5.Satay Workshop 6.Open Bazaar
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Ground Floor Plan
Rebirth,Reborn Re-manifesting skills of the old artisans
Circulation Control Child safety through controlled circulations
Third Space Activation Stay and linger
Legend 1.Cafe 2.Kitchen 3.Practice Studios 4.Changing Rooms
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First Floor Plan
Levels of Interest Attracting views through transparency and protrusions
Directional Planes Visual anchor
Layers of Purpose Transient / youths behaviour-oriented circulation
Design Strategies
Program Considerations
Phoenix of Kajang
Space use
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Performance Semi-public Public
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Semi-secured floor. Controlled group access.
Library Elderly: Afternoon reading / Chilling Youth: After-class studies Co-working Creation Space Elderly: Sharing traditional skills & knowledge Youth: Picking up extracurricular skills
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Secured floor, dedicated to performers and locals.
Open-air Lounge Performers: Performance pre-function, practicing space Locals: Chilling, busking (non-performing times) 3
Co-working Creation Space Elderly: Sharing traditional skills & knowledge Young: Picking up extracurricular skills
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Performing Props Gallery Displays trophy/props/memorabilia of past performances
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Semi-secured floor. Youth dancers & eating patrons
Cafe Locals: Eating. Chilling. People watching. Transients: Eating. Legend 1.Balcony 2.Library 3.Co-working Creation Space
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Third Floor Plan
Practice Studios Partitions movable to facilitate more users. Performers: Dance practice
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Public floor. Encourage all to access.
Heritage Workshops Locals work-promoting heritage. Transients experiencing culture. Indoor Gallery Expounds Kajang art & crafts works. Relaxing space.
Nature of Activities Introverted/extroverted programs
Interlevel Interaction Local/transients visual interactions
Planar Voids Stimulation through viewing un-identical activities
Open-air Bazaar Locals & Immigrants: Merchantry (crafts).
01/ Transients Place Extended public area for the bus-waiting transients and locals. 02/ Rebirth, Reborn Public space of monumental scale contrasted with contextual shallow, sidewalks. 03/ Cultural Prop Gallery Display of historically significant dance props of Kajangs’ glorious cultural dance heritage. 04/ Heritage Workshop Workshop promoting fading artisanal skills to youth, which overlooks Kajang town.
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Birds Eye View over Zeal.
ZiL District, Moscow
03 ZEAL LIVING HUB Competition |
2019
|
12 Weeks
Zeal caters for self - propelling youths aged 20-35, who needs a conducive living/working environment that leaves enough headspace to elevate their life/career to the next level. In Zeal, the energy and excitement of collaboration is treasured. In present Moscow, the working class is chasing wearily at different wants of life from the stay of their tiny box apartment. Community Housing : The proposal attempts to extract the ups of the collaborative scale of past ZiL into living, by reintroducing the energy of collaboration into the design, setting up common denominators like inexclusive libraries, permaculture farms and ground markets that allow all to work, live and cooperate under the same roof.
A haven for hustlers of tomorrow.
Design Strategies
Zeal Moscow
` Massing Against Urban Grid
Low Shadow Casting
Single Loaded Corridors
Sense of Enclosure
Connecting via Collaborative Spaces
Redefining Outdoor Space
PV Facade as Energy Source
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Living Module Zeal collects rental payment on 3,6,12 and 24 months policy. Faster circulating 3 / 6 months payment units are located in closer proximity with public spaces for security. Besides money, people can contribute resources (time/expertise,etc) for the improvement of the building or community to cover up to a certain percentage of rental payment. There is motivation to go out and contribute to the ‘community’
Shared space Private space
kitchen pantry unit bedroom
shared work space
living space
heater toilet
Single unit
2 person-share unit
Zeal Market
4 person-share unit
Exploded axonometric of Zeal
Rainwater Harvesting
Nature
Town
Crossroads
City
Cross-Roads as viewed from Jalan Fairpark.
The site is at the intersection of man vs nature, urban vs suburban.
Fairpark, Ipoh
04 CROSS-ROADS COMMUNITY CENTRE FOR SINGLE PARENTS Year 2 Sem 2
Built
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2018 |
12 Weeks
The stagnation of development on Ipoh town brought about a multitude of socio-economic issues to communities, especially marginalised groups. Large number of children raised by single women are lodged in economic hardships. Set in Fairpark, Ipoh, the local neighbourhood faces internal problems of social disintegration as communal trust is at an all-time low. Single-Parent Community Centre : The proposal forms mutual relations by providing support and care to the single parent families while regenerating neighbouring communities through introduced programs, spatial design, and intersection with nature. Cross Path. Build Trust.
Design Strategies
Crossroad Community Centre
Crafting workshops
Rooftop garden
Visitors lobby
Dancing Studio
Office
Cafe
Crafts Retail
Section
Spaces dedicated for Single-Parent families.
Spaces for Fairpark community regeneration. Single-parent families, mostly mother-child pairs suffering from certain social stigmas, are offered a place of support and empowerment in the tranquil heart of Ipoh. Their routine here involve daycare/mommy & me classes, life-skill workshops and leisure gardens for the pair during day work-times. However, when support is needed, they could visit the community engagement hall/library, and general support rooms. The design is aimed at integrating and normalizing single parent families with the local community.
Designing for user needs and resolving contextual issues
Intersecting volumes Respecting context and frame viewpoints
Height play Accommodate users of varying nature
Bridging roofs Emphasizing upper floor activities
Fairpark community, in the lack of defensible spaces comes an aging and declining local population. The project returns a much needed communal gathering space to play and bond. Meanwhile also serving as a place of fostering understanding and support for a vulnerable group of mother and children.
Types of SPF-Visitor Interaction Face to face Indirect SPF specific
Revolving Circulation Establishes the courtyard as focal point of inter-level interaction
Floor Operation GF Visitor operation 1 Shared operation 2 SPF-specific operation
Design Strategies
Crossroad Community Centre
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2 . LEGEND
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Ground Floor Plan
1.Crafts Retail 2.Cafe 3.Dance Studio 4.Office 5.Main Lobby 6.Central Courtyard 7.Parent-Children Interactive Hall
LEGEND 1.Terrace Garden 2.Stairwell Reading Space 3.Library 10
First Floor Plan
Spaces of interaction
Spaces for Fairpark community regeneration.
West Elevation
Spaces of interaction
Spaces dedicated for Single-Parent families.
Spaces for Fairpark community regeneration.
Spaces dedicated for Single-Parent families.
Front Elevation
Design Strategies
Crossroad Community Centre
2 3 . 5 2 . 4
Focal point of main space at the courtyard.
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LEGEND 1. Classrooms 2.Lounge Room 3.Counselling 4.Roof Garden 5.Arts & Crafts Workshop
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Second Floor Plan The cafe intersects with nature. Spaces of interaction
Spaces for Fairpark community regeneration.
Spaces dedicated for Single-Parent families.
East Elevation
Lobby maintain view over workshop and gardens.
Bangsar Rising Serviced Apartment
Professional Work 01/ Bangsar Rising Serviced Apartment
Dec 2020 - Sep 2021
Apartment Unit
Detail drawings
Common Facilities
Key Responsibilities | Detailed design | Tender stage drawings production | Client-consultant liaising | Conducting supplier meetings | Authority drawings & planning submissions
Chelagi 7 Bungalow Renovation
Professional Work 02/ Chelagi 7 Bungalow Renovation
Sep 2020 - Dec 2020
Key Responsibilities | Detailed design | Construction drawings production | Client-contractor liaising | | Site-Inspection and Measuring |
Roof Detail
Feature Sliding Door Sectional Detail
Part Full Section
Feature Sliding Door Sectional Detail
Other Works
5
Acoustic studies
Landscape design proposal @ bukit bintang
4
Cheng Hoon Teng Measured Drawings
2.5
Commmunity service initiative
Proposed industrialised building system apartment design
5
Bus-stop design & structural studies
3
Architectural research absorbable elements of japanese vernacular design onto earthquake resistive designs
4