Personal Statement A
rchitecture is art for everyone. It is an artwork to be interpreted by the community. Architecture should be designed in accordance with the contextual background and details of the city so that each structure has an identity of its own. In Malaysia, we always strive to catch up with the newest trends of design. As we chase after these new trends, we push ourselves to try new technologies that ease the work of construction very often though leave out the connections between the building and its surroundings. This may cause the design to lose its potential to communicate with the context and community. In keeping with the ‘3rd World Aesthetic’ movement promoted by ‘Ng Seksan’, I strongly agree that architectural design should not be seen as an upper class privilege but enjoyed by all classes of people. The main priority of the design should circulate around the idea of providing better living conditions to the community instead of being overly focused on the materials. It is a philosophy of life on how we can simplify our life and make it sustainable in this world, therefore the designs shouldn’t be restricted by self-centered concerns but form connections within the community. During my practice in architecture, I adopted these thoughts into some of my projects, which are the Visitor Interpretive Centre, the urban infill marketplace (The C.C.C Park) and the Restoration House. Throughout the development of these designs, I prioritized the impact of the buildings on the communities, making sure that they will promote a positive message to the community. Daniel Libeskind once mentioned that drawing, house, museum, neighborhood and city, often considered as separate entities, but actually co-exist in the same world.
“Well architecture is a public art, it’s not something done in private for private reasons, it has to reach the public, and part of the art of architecture is also language.” - Daniel Libeskind
Table of Contents 01. Visitor Interpretive Centre
- Labrador Natural Reserve, Singapore
02. C.C.C park (cultural, creative, cafe)
- Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
03. Restoration House
- Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
04. Other works
an institution for dissemination of knowledge of natural or cultural heritage.
an urban infill marketplace for culture, creativity & coffee lovers.
a home & an empowerment centre for post-rehab people.
01. Visitor Interpretive Centre Labrador Natural Reserve, Singapore.
CONCEPT ART
an institution for dissemination of knowledge of natural or cultural heritage.
DESIGN PROCESS
S I T E A N A L Y S I S // LABRADOR NATURE RESERVE / SITE PLAN (SCALE 1:500)
/ BRIEF Also known as Labrador Park, it is located at the southern part of mainland Singapore. This nature reserve is home to the only rocky sea-cliff on the mainland. Besides, this park is also rich in history and showcases many remnants or war relics left by the British dated back to the WWII. Initially, this park was a defensive fort against the Japanese as guns and fences were built but however, much equipment was put to waste as the great defense strategy causes absence of enemies. Later on, the function of this park was later focused on nature rather being defensive as to preserve the flora and fauna. For example, the rocky shore and coral reef which are dominant along the coastal area.
/ NEIGHBOURING CONTEXT
/ EXISTING STRUCTURES ON SITE 1. Teluk Blangah St. / Pasir Panjang Road / Port Road 2. Carpark Area 3. Labrador Seafood 4. Berlayer Shade 5. Coastal (Site)
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2 5 Clockwise ; 1. Gazebo 2. Gun Post 3. Dragon’s Tooth Gate 4. Red Beacon Bottom ; Obelisk
/ PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION
/ VIEWS (PANAROMIC)
Fast Motion Movement (cycling, jogging) Passerby Movement (leisure walk, fishing) Relaxing / Near-to-stop Movement (pet walking)
/ HUMAN ACTIVITY
/ CLIMATE 1. Temperature fluctuates, lower temperature from morning to mid-day to higher temperature during the noon till evening and gradually drops across the night. Average temperature of 26.7 °C. 2. Relative humidity is lower along this site (coastal area) due to presence of moving air and wind and relatively higher when moving in towards the forest. 3. The month June is recorded as the driest weather while December is recorded the wettest weather. The probability of rainfall in a single day is about 0.5. 4. Wind analysis (right) ; wind can be identified coming from the Southern-East towards the park.
Clockwise ; 1. Leisure Walk 2. Pet Walking 3. Fishing 4. Cycling 5. Jogging
/ VEGETATION Mimosa Pudica ; a touch-sensitive plant that is able to provide coolness with the ability to grow up to 1.5m tall.
/ MATERIALITY Hibiscus ; a bright-coloured plant that provides beauty to site and able to attract humming birds and insects for its nectar. Magnifiera Indica ; a tree bearing the largest fruit in the world that provides shading to site.
/ ORIENTATION (SUN PATH)
Adenanthera Pavonina ; a non-climbing species useful for nitrogen fixation which affects oxygen production to counter heat. 5. Annual sun path analysis (left). Sun path based on the location. From left to right ; 0730, 1200, 1830.
02. THE C.C.C PARK (CULTURAL, CAFE, CREATIVITY)
CHOW KIT, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA.
DESIGN PROCESS
CONCEPT ART
an urban infill marketplace for culture, creativity & coffee lovers.
SITE ANALYSIS //CHOW KIT
03. THE RESTORATION HOUSE
PUDU, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA.
a home & an empowerment centre for post-rehab people.
DESIGN PROCESS
SITE ANALYSIS // PUDU Pudu or ‘Poon San Pah’ in Cantonese is a semi developed urban forest where the citizens eat, live, work and trade according to their rule of law. The core of Pudu, often eclipsed by the rapidly growing Bukit Bintang is a complex maze of alleyways punctuated by hawker spaces, giving us a glimpse into the shadowy past of Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur suffered from a number of fires as the houses were made of wood and attap. In 1882, Sir Frank Swettenham, the first Resident General of the Federated Malay States, ordered Kuala Lumpur to be rebuilt with wider streets and buildings of brick and tile. The rebuilding program lasted about five years. Swettenham also initiated the construction of a railway line between Klang and Kuala Lumpur, opened in 1886, which increased accessibility to Kuala Lumpur and spurred the rapid growth of the town. The population grew from 4,500 in 1884 to 20,000 in 1890. As majority of Kuala Lumpur were composed of Chinese tin miners, they were relocated to the outskirts of the city. This resulted in Pudu being a more dense Chinese area. Fast-forward to today, Jalan Pudu runs from the The Puduraya bus terminal (now renamed to Pudu Sentral) all the way up to Jalan Cheras. The area is no longer the detached from its surroundings, but ethnically diverse. In fact, Pudu has become a magnet for contemporary migrants to seek refuge in as it is one of Kuala Lumpur’s cheaper places. Over time, majority of the Chinese have moved out of the region due to job opportunities. Instead of working there, they have obtained the revenue to hire foreign workers to work around the area. This explains the relatively high percentage of foreign workers in Pudu – mainly of Burmese origins. Pudu is a mixed development with a wide variety of districts – these include residential, educational, commercial and so on. For the purpose of this site analysis, Pudu was divided into 3 different socially polarized zones.
DEMOGRAPHY // PUDU
04. THE OTHER WORK SHAPE GRAMMAR
COMPUTER APPLICATION
SOLOK YORK
INTERNSHIP //BYG ARCHITECT
GLENEAGLES, MY TOAST
FREELANCE 3D MODELING