e d u c a t i o n
s k i l l s
2016-present | Bachelor of Arts (Architecture), National University of Singapore
3D Modelling AutoCAD Rhinoceros 3D SketchUp
2018 | Student Exchange Programme, Hanyang University ERICA
Physical model-making Photography
2014-2015 | GSCE ‘A’ Levels, Anderson Junior College
2D post-processing Photoshop Lightroom Illustrator InDesign V-ray
s c h o o l i n v o lv e m e n t s
w o r k e x p e r i e n c e
Jan-May 2019 | Kallang YDC Salvation Army Centre renovation project
Apr-Jul 2019 | Architectural Intern @ Freight Architects LLP
Jan-Aug 2019| Project Ignis Construction project in Dong Nai, Vietnam
Jul-Aug 2018 | Photographer @ CulinaryOn Studio
GOH ZHI YU +65 97780311 gzhiyu311@gmail.com
Others MS Word, Powerpoint, Excel
May-Aug 2018 | Ah Ma Drink Stall Project Construction project in Pulau Ubin, Singapore
Jun-Aug 2017 | Intern @ non-profit organisation Solutions to End Poverty (STEP) https://www.stepasia.org/
May-Jun 2018 | Project Masaya Construction project in Batangas, Philippines
Jan-Mar 2016 | United Overseas Bank (UOB) Ltd. Inbound Call Centre Customer Service Agent
May-Jun 2017 | NUS SMILE Village Construction project in Phnom Penh, Cambodia Jul 2017 | CityEx: Archipelago Exhibition by NUS Architecture Jul-Oct 2017 | CapitaLand Young Architect Program Mentorship program for Secondary School students
c o n t e n t p a g e
2
1 Mullae-dong Makerspace
3
Second Sitting -
Rethinking secondhand furniture retail
4 Through the Portal: URA My Idea for Public Spaces Competition 2017
3D-printing: Structural Facade
5
Construction Project Masaya 2018 (PH)
6
Construction Pulau Ubin Ah Ma Drink Stall
7 Photography works
01
2018 Year 3 Semester 1
MULLAE MAKERSPACE
Creating shared working environments HANYANG University ERICA Tutor: Prof. So Young Kim
PIECING AXONOMETRIC CUT-OUTS OF MOMENTS SEEN IN SEOUL | COLLABORATIVE DRAWING
The Mullae Makerspace reimagines the use of prime land in Mullae-dong’s industrial centre. Drawing on Mullae-dong’s existing arts culture and industrial history, the Mullae Makerspace aims to vitalise the streets, and introduce a more integrated and efficient sharing of common interests and spaces.
The final form of the Makerspace and its internal spaces remain indeterminate—until they are defined by the artists/steel factory workers. The highly flexible steel framework structure allows artists and steel workers, albeit with different spatial needs and working styles, to be able to come together to configure the space that they need.
The Mullae Makerspace aims to address the problems of lack of space: storage, workspace and social space, and at the same time adds to the evergrowing current arts scene by celebrating the process of art making, rather than merely exhibiting it.
The fluid nature of how the Makerspace is conceived with its internal programs embodies the creative and adaptable spirit of the local steel workers and artists.
SITE Mullae-dong is one of Seoul’s last remaining industrial sites and is home to a unique urban community of steel workers and artists. Since the 2000s, artists have relocated their studios from the Hongdae district to Mullae-dong, where the rental is cheaper, spontaneously establishing the Mullae Arts Village in the heart of the steel manufacturing industrial area.
The general typology of the site consists mainly of low-rise single and double story terrace units, with the ground floor spaces open to steel retail, and the upper floors occupied by administration offices, artists’ studios, or residential homes.
INDUSTRY PROCESSES As the Mullae Arts Village grew in the midst of the high concentration of steel factories, a new dynamic network is created between the artists and steel industry. Artists have begun taking inspiration from the steel processing industry. They have since designed and paid tribute to the Mullae steel industry through curated exhibitions and permanent artworks. With their designs, they place custom orders and are quoted lower prices due to reduction in transport costs.
The new artist tenents and the steel workers co-exist amiably, albeit the interactions have been minimal due to a lack of common space for social interactions. One of the pressing issues on site is the lack of storage and workspace. Evident during the day, the steel factories spill out onto the streets with their tools, machines and materials, creating congestion. The Artists’ exhibitions visitation rates are also devastated as visitors are intimidated from entering the site due to a large amount of industrial work during the day.
CONCEPT To accommodate the everchanging demands of the local users, a flexible steel frame is employed. A 9m*9m*9m steel frame (400mm*400mm) forms the primary grid and can be built upon the rootops of existing buildings. An internal frame (150mm*150mm) subdivides the space into an alternating 1.5m/3m lengths. A basic assembly of parts provides the stairs, flooring, ceiling, exterior cladding, integrated seating and shelves. Hoists and pulleys that are used frequently by the steel factoriesare also incorporated into the gridframe
CONCEPT The Makerspace exists as a network of shared workshops and storage spaces, rather than a singular block of architecture. Clusters that gradually expand and connect to one another throughout the site provides ease of access to storage areas for the steel factories. This way, art studios, galleries, and social spaces can also perpetuate the site
PROGRAM A Makerspace Cluster builds upon the currently unutilised rooftops of the buildings, and extends upwards, or into open spaces. A main circulation core with a cargo lift connects the floors, while isolated spiral stairs connect the internal programs. The ground floor adopts an open floor plan, with movable partition panels for pop-up flea events, or galleries, to stimulate public interest and visitor volume.
CLUSTER A singular cluster in the Makerspace can have a basic internal network: the pre-existing steel workshops carrying out processing work, with easy access to ASRS storage systems that are expandable; shared workshop spaces as prototyping labs for collaborative learning and independent artists who are unable to afford machines by themselves can pool money together to co-own machines.
02
2019 Year 3 Semester 1
SECOND SITTING Celebrating craftsmenship and rethinking secondhand furniture retail National University of Singapore Tutor: Prof. Cheah Kok Meng
Second Sitting envisions a hub that celebrates craftsmenship to encourage the retail consumption of refurnished preloved furniture. Second Sitting operates with craftsmen and artisan tenants, whose tinkering and repair work in their workshops form the face of the shop and the main visitor attractor. We honour the act of repair - a typically hidden backend work - and reveal the craftsmen’s skills through the Master Towers that form the forefront of the architecture. Aiming to change Singaporeans’ disdain and their refrain from shopping at second hand furniture stores, Second Sitting also proposes retail and storage solutions which,
unlike conventional operational systems of bringing out hidden back end stock to the retail showrooms, are visually connected and offer visitors a full view of the furniture on the shelves. The project site sits disjointed from its surroundings: fenced off from the residential neibourhood by Yin Foh Kuan Hakka temple and cemetery, and its position in between 2 busy MRT stations - Buona Vista and Commonweath - and bus stops, thus giving visitors little reason to pass by the area. To respond to both the issue of lack of second hand furniture consumption and lack of footfall, the proposal is built upon the visual impact at seeing the simple joys of creation, and the delight of witnessing skilled fingers work their magic to revive furniture.
CONCEPT The gaps in between the Master Towers give visitors multiple entrances to filter into the social space, and as they course though the Towers, they witness upclose the artisans’ and craftsmen’s work. As they reach the central social spine, they are able to look up to see levels of shelves of catalogued and displayed goods. The social spine also contains the expansion of boundaries from the cafes and retail shops, whose seating is made up of the second hand furniture collected. As visitor participation is highly valued, within the social atrium, the Master Towers can spill over to expand and contain seminars conducted by workshop masters. The expense of space can also be transformed to host exhibitions of works of the Masters.
PROGRAM After the interlude of the social and exhibition spine, the retail and warehouse blocks allow visitors to experience shopping for the furniture on shelves like one would browse through bookshelves. The width of the warehouse deck spans 2.5m, to give the impression of a slim display shelf from a vantage point from the temple and cemetery entrance. A cargo lift is also attached to the warehouse storage deck, to retrieve and unload goods, where forklifts can access via the service lane, to the lorries at the loading bay. The service lane links to the backend of cafes and retail shops, for an efficient loading and unloading of goods.
PROGRAM The entrance from the temple and cemetery opens up access to the rest of the residential neighbourhood, and its facade is an expense of displayed furniture on the storage deck. The back entrance gradually connects to the quiet temple with subtle integration of landscape, thereby connecting the whole site, from the main entrance at the busy roads, to the key heritage of Commonwealth.
In the spirit of craft and furniture reuse, a bar stool has been constructed from abandoned chairs and metal table stands found in the discarded piles from the renovating studios, and has served well as a model stand during the final presentation.
Entrance
03
2017 Year 2 Semester 1
3D PRINTING: STRUCTURAL FACADES
Experimenting with possiblities of 3D printing National University of Singapore Tutor: Quek Li En
This project explores the adaptation of industrial offices by retrofitting the facade with the possibilities of current 3D printing technology. The design of the facades involved a consideration of the dimensions and the replicability of each module, such that the whole facade is printable on site. The facade also aims to improve daylighting and ventilation, to create a new and sustainable method of construction with high performance. The final module includes varying apertures to simulate the venturi effect, thus increasing the exchange of air in the interior spaces. The slanting planes of the module serve as light shelves to provide interior offices with diffused lighting, enhancing work productivity of the users and reduced direct solar glare to protect the factory machinery.
A secondary module is also designed as a sculptural column that continues the diagonal design language, to transfer the load of the facade to the ground.
04
2017 Year 1 Semester 2
THROUGH THE PORTAL
Activating void decks; creating flexible shared spaces Competition entry for URA OurFavePlace CompetitionMy Ideas for Public Spaces: Pop-ups (2017) National University of Singapore Tutor: Zdravko Trivic
The design approach looks at the unused ornamental openings of the Singapore HDB flat void decks. These openings provide a brief look into what lies beyond the walls, but the unassuming and mundane view that we usually get makes us not think twice about its potential usage, other than just a opening for viewing.
The capsule in its hibernation mode has a width of 1.2m, enough to cater for 2 reclining adults, or 4 seated adults. This configuration would be able to provide a resting node for void deck users, such as a group of elderly friends who has had a morning of Taichi exercise, or construction workers seeking a short afternoon snooze.
The geometry is essentially the highlight of these openings, thus in order to fully utilise these features, the shapes and sizes are extracted and related to human proportion and activities: Curved bottom for reclining and relaxing; flat-top surfaces for lying down and sitting; high and small openings for climbing and shooting hoops/play ball; jumping or walking over low openings as shortcuts.
In its active mode, the capsule can expand up to 3.5m, suitable for small gatherings, or a pop-up outdoor classroom for void deck kindergarden centres.
05-CONSTRUCTION
MAY - JUN 2018
PROJECT MASAYA CHILDRENS’ PLAYGROUND National University of Singapore X Arceo Legacy Eco Village X Capitaland-Ascott Gawad Kalinga Eco Village Tutor: Prof. Tan Beng Kiang
Partnering with NGO Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines, the team did a project on the design and construction of a playground that catered to children and youth of Gawad Kalinga Arceo Legacy Eco Village and CapitaLand-Ascott Gawad Kalinga Eco Village in Batangas City, the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga (GK), whose name means ‘to give care’, is a Philippine poverty alleviation non-profit organization. At the heart of GK’s community transformation is restoring dignity, and giving back the poor’s capacity to dream and work towards the fulfillment of their dreams. As a community project, the participatory approach was adopted, to enhance their sense of ownership, and contribute to the sustainability and maintenance of the playground.
This playground project was crafted based on findings of a participatory design workshop conducted with the beneficiaries, and a playground for the children were unanimously agreed upon. In Tagalog, ‘Masaya’ means ‘to be happy’, and the naming of the playground is as such in hopes that it will bring happiness in the interactions within the community. The final playground design was altered accordingly following multiple consultations with the locals experienced in construction. The final product thus achieved is a lightweight steel frame with timber platforms of varying heights, and various tyre climbing elements, to cater to children of different age groups.
CONCEPT The Masaya explores an architectural spatial quality that challenges the conventional notion of playground facilities. We aimed at creating a play space that not only engages the children in creative, abstract play, but also to allow for the play area to be a community space where all members of community can gather around, socialize and bond. It does not have a singular function. The platforms can be used as a gathering space for the beneficiaries, while the younger ones frolic through the bamboo forest, tyre stacks and timber platforms.
The materials used are readily available locally, and the type of joinery employed were ones easily replicated by the beneficiaries. This ensures durability, as well as affordability in replacing damaged parts. From the design phase to its execution, our constant dialogue and involvement with the locals ensured the viability and constructability of the playground, as well as the satisfaction and joy at seeing the Masaya Playground being the vessel of the children’s laughter.
06-CONSTRUCTION
MAY - AUG 2018
AH MA DRINK STALL
Timber design and build reconstruction project on Pulau Ubin National University of Singapore x NParks Tutor: Prof. Tan Beng Kiang
Ah Ma Drink Stall Project is a timber design and build reconstruction project on Pulau Ubin, a small island off mainland Singapore. The population dwindled from a thriving community of 5,000 population to about 24 households with the closure of the granite quarries in the 1980s. The remaining islanders continue to adhere to a a kampong lifestyle, a contrast to the lives of residents in mainland Singapore. This project is a collective effort of multiple stakeholders, including NUS Architecture, PH consulting, Singapore Heritage Society, Sea Angel, National Parks Board and Ministry of National Development. Serving as a testbed for building codes and regulations in Pulau Ubin, this pilot aims to ease the future restoration in Ubin.
Although it is not a grand building of great historical significance, it is of important sentimental value to 80 year-old Ah Ma’s family and people who often visit Pulau Ubin. The 25-year-old drink stall was a makeshift construction by Ah Ma’s late husband, but slowly deteriorated due to ground settlement. The reconstruction helps the Ubin resident, Ah Ma, to continue her resilient and independent lifestyle on the island, where she can continue her beverage business under a renewed and welcoming environment. The design was conceived via a participatory process and the construction involved local villagers transferring vernacular construction knowledge of interlocking timber joinery to students.
CONCEPT AND DESIGN The design of the drink stall adopted the local building language of columns and pitched zinc roofs, and its spatial arrangement follows that of the original layout. The drink stall is located next to a river, where seasonal tides would would flood the stall. Raised platform at seat height is incorporated to address this issue. As an important pit stop for kayakers, timber platforms are used in the drink stall for easy maintenance from muddy footprints. A ramp is also included in the circulation as Universal Design inclusivity. The storeroom is centralized in the floor plan as a result of Ah Ma’s feedback on design proposals. Sentimental values embedded in the original drink stall were taken into design consideration. Some original timber planks are reused to reduce the carbon footprint of our construction; signboards written by the late husband are hung on prominent locations.
In Singapore’s context, it is nearly impossible for untrained construction workers to build a permanent structure due to strict rules and regulations in the industry. This project was an excellent opportunity for us as students to realize the design in real life, and apply what we have learnt in school to contribute to the community. Moreover, the on-site construction knowledge we have gained from the locals and contractors were a valuable learning experience.
07 PHOTOGRAPHY
Personal projects / school, work assignments 2013-present
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