KEN WONG CHUN THIM | 0315534 COMMUNITY SERVICE INITIATIVE JOURNAL The activities and work I have done throughout this project: 1.0
Site analysis
2.0
Research, ideas and precedent studies
3.0
Design exploration
4.0
Board layout & rendering
1.0
Site analysis
At first we decided the site to be on the back alley along the end of Petaling Street where there are not many activities. However after many considerations such as safety and space issues, we changed our site to the alley where Pasar Karat is held. Pasar Karat is a flea market where people come to sell vintage items and pretty much any other items. It starts early at around 5am to 6am and ends before 10am. There are many people that go there to seek interesting items and it is considered a tourist attraction.
What we noticed about the site was the vendors were selling their items on a cloth spread across the floor and the vendors were sitting on the floor. We thought maybe we could perhaps help these vendors have a more comfortable selling situation. Then we could also have a kind of installation where it could attract more people to this alley as after the Pasar Karat is over, the alley becomes quite dead and shady to walk in. So the question became how we could provide activities after the flea market ends to liven up the area.
The back alley can become quite shady at times and perhaps finding a way to liven up the area.
We also noticed homeless people around the site so perhaps what we do could provide a temporary place for them to rest as well.
Then since it is the back alley, some of the activities from restaurants in Petaling Street leak over to this space. We can see people sitting at the back alley chit chatting and enjoying their food and drinks. We thought we could perhaps enliven the space make it more aesthetically pleasing as well maybe provide seatings and tables for these people as well. What really caught our inspiration was the stacked plastic crates at the back alley. We thought we could use these unused materials to rejuvenate this area. Therefore, I was tasked to conduct some precedent studies and research on how plastic crates could be used.
2.0
Research, ideas and precedent studies
Crate link-shelves
(Source: http://shanelindsay.com/furniture/crate-link-shelving/)
The use of these metal brackets that link together different crates is interesting as it can form interesting shapes and can have many variety of configurations to suit different needs. However, to attain the metal links is something very hard to do for us students so this idea had to be put aside. But the idea of having many different configurations is very good. BOXEL (experimental pavilion)
(Source: http://www.archdaily.com/73173/boxel-students-of-detmolder-schule) This idea of creating a pavilion out of the crates is interesting as well as it can attract a crowd to come visit and experience it. It can become a tourist attraction to liven up the area behind our back alley. However one of the draw backs is in the back alley, a pavilion would be blocking the services passingby (rubbish collection, fire truck, etc).
The functional use of crates is limitless – from lighting, chairs, tables, shelves, storage. There are many uses of these seemingly unused material. Most importantly is the crates can be used as sittings and tables for the customers in the back alley and storage for the vendors to store their items as they are selling. The use of cable ties just to link the crates together is also a cheap and efficient joint to create various forms with these crates.
It can also be an art installation where people can take pictures and liven up the area by becoming a space where people want to stay.
3.0 – 4.0
Design exploration / Board layout & rendering
After studying these precedents, I was in charge of thinking about how to design this and generating ideas to enliven the space with the design. Therefore, I thought of how we could have perhaps modular components which can be easily placed in the back alley without hindering the services and taking much space while being able to be flexible enough to change its form to suit the users at the site.
Some preliminary sketches of the modules and how to change their form.
Then came the idea of Tetris like shapes which can be stacked upon each other to form various shapes which provide functionality that help with what we envision the space to be.
Also perhaps the crates can be linked in such a way that they can be folded to provide different function and save space. Challenges & Simplification However the act of folding requires a lot of strength and it becomes bulky and low structural strength when only tied on one end so we decided this idea was not to be used. We decided to go with stacking and interlocking as by designing a few modular components, the interplay of arrangement between these components can provide different forms for the users.
To prevent confusion and complexity we decided with these 6 modules in different colours to be placed at the site to allow the users there to easily identify the shape and which component to use.
Greenery
(Image source: Hong Sangwon) The white crate is a single crate where one can easily use as a simple table or chair. We also propose to use this single crate as a planting box to provide more greenery to the otherwise dull space. Since it is a single box it is easily movable and small to be placed anywhere.
Customers & Vendors
(Image source: Hong Sangwon) The various configuration of the modular crate units provide different users value. For the customers eating at the restaurant they can sit on these crates with tables and enjoy the crowd along the Pasar Karat. As for the vendors, it provides a colourful storefront which attract customers to come buy their items and it also provides them seats as opposed to sitting on the floor.
Vision In the future, I envisioned the community to learn how to use these modular crates and innovate their own configurations and modules by themselves to suit their needs.
A rendering I did to show the community enjoying the space by using the modular crates and innovation by the community according to their needs.
A pavilion could even be erected when there is a special event which allow people to have shade and communicate with each other and can become a bazaar like situation independent from the existing market of Petaling Street. This could potentially bring more tourists as well to experience the colourful installations along this street.
A rendering I did to show how the crates can be stacked and be unobtrusive.
Since the dimensions of the crates are small, they can be stacked and set aside when unused to save space and not block the way in case of services and other activities going on in the back alley. Conclusion To conclude, this project has provided me an insight into helping the community via architectural means of creating a space where it could provide value to the users in a sustainable and simple manner. My members were helpful throughout the project and provided many inputs and helped a lot during the duration of this assignment.