Lester Lim | Architecture Portfolio III by Lester Lim

PORTFOLIO LESTER LIM 2018-2021 SELECTED WORKS

LESTER LIM AR CHITECTURE SINGAPORE

UNDER GR A D U A TE

UNIVERSITY

TE C H N OL OGY

A N D

D E SI GN

BIOGRAPHY H e l l o ! I ’ m a 2 5 year -o ld Ar ch itectur e un der gr aduate f r o m Sin ga p ore. My int erest in a rc hi te c ture was spar ked f r o m my love f or sketch in g an d cr eat ing sp a c es t ha t will help i mp ro v e t he lives o f oth er s o r evo ke emotio n s. M y studies an d work ex p erienc e ha s sha p ed my i nte re s t in h uman istic an d social ar ch itectur e. I also believe t ha t m od ern d ev elop m ent s s ho u l d s t i l l r etain ch ar acter , wh ilst dr iven by eco -sustain ability , et hic a l v a lu es a nd i mp l e me nti ng n ew mater ials an d tech n ologies to pr ovide a bet t er q u a lit y of lif e f or p eop le. My i nt e re s t i n ar t, music an d fi lms dr ive my appr eciation f o r dif f erent c u lt u res a nd a lt erna t iv e a p p ro a c he s to design , in fluen cin g th e way I th in k abo ut ar ch ite c t u re.

C U RRIC U L U M

A p t b lk 43 8 A S e n g k a n g W e s t A v e #0 4- 3 3 9 S in g a p o r e 7 9 1 43 8

VI TAE

+65 81825754

LESTER LIM EXPERIENCE

le s t e r _ lim @ m y m a il. s u t d . e d u . s g @ le s lim s t u d io ( in s t a g r a m )

LEADERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES

JUNIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

Designer & Graduate Helper

WY-TO Architects | May 2019 - Aug 2019

Asst Prof. Jackson Tan, MCCY | Youth-Topia Nov 2020 - April 2021

Proj e ct L is t:

D e s i g n e d a n d C o - c o o rd i n a t e d t h e f a b ri c a t i o n o f t h e “ S t o m p i n g G r o u n d ” i ns t a l l a t i o n h e l d a t t h e S c a p e Y o u t h P a rk . L i a i s e d w i t h g r a f fi t i a r t i s t s t o c o l l a b o ra t e w i t h u s o n t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n , a s p a rt o f t h e p r o je c t ’ s vi s i o n .

L e Faub ou r g C i toy en (Mi x ed- u s e Re s i d e n t i a l ) N Parks S e e dba n k (g a l l er y i n ter i or s / e x h i b t i o n ) ilig h t 2 019 pr opos a l (In s ta l l a ti on ) R e sp on sib i l i ti es : Worke d clo s el y wi th th e m a n a g i n g d i r e c t o r t o p r o d u c e d e s i g n p rop osals a n d dev el opmen t, on top o f p r o d u c i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n d rawin g s a n d g r a ph i c s . Ga i n ed v a l u a b l e m a n a g i n g e x p e r i e n c e th roug h meeti n g s w i th clients, contractors and man ufactu r er s both i n Fr a n c e a nd S i n g a p o r e , a s w e l l a s ov e rse e in g th e fa br i c a ti on a n d i n s ta l l a t i o n o f g a l l e r y f e a t u r e s .

Graduate Helper Asst Prof. Peter Ortner | HDB ‘future of living’ virtual exhibit | Sep 2020 C o o r d i n a t i n g 3 D m o d e l s a c ro s s s t u d i o s a n d c re a t i n g m a s t e r p l a n r e n d e ri n gs f o r t h e vi ru t a l e x h i b i t

Teaching Assistant ARCHITECTURAL INTERN

Core Studio III | Jan 2021 - April 2021

Spark Architects | Sep 2020 - April 2021

P r e p a r a t i o n o f t e a c h i n g m a t e ri a l s , c o n d u c t i n g l e c t u re s a n d g i v i n g d e s i gn c o n s u l t a t i o n f o r s t u d e n t s t u d i o

Proj e ct Ty p ol og i es : Comme rcia l / Mi x ed- U s e, H os pi ta l i ty , R e t a i l , A d a p t i v e R e u s e ,

Teaching Assistant Digital Design and Fabrication | Jan 2020 - April 2020

Maste rp lan n i n g R e sp on sib i l i ti es : Worke d wi th a n i n ter n a ti on a l tea m , c o v e r i n g r e s e a r c h , con ce p tual a n d s c h ema ti c des i g n s a s w e l l a s m o d e l - m a k i n g for p roj e cts of m u l ti pl e ty pol og i es . T h i s i n c l u d e d m i x e d - u s e , h osp itality, c om mer c i a l , a da pti v e r e - u s e a n d s p o r t s c o m p l e x p roj e cts ac r os s As i a .

EDUCATION AND AWARDS

P r o v i d i n g d e s i gn f e e d b a c k a n d a d vi c e f o r t h e ju n i o r p ro je c t s , a s w e l l a s h e l p w i t h s u p e rvi s i o n o f w o rk s h o p e q u i p ment

Design Team Prof. Michael Buidig | MapleTree February 2020 - May 2020

D e s i g n i n g a b e n c h w i t h re c yc l e d w o o d a n d c a rb o n fib re f o r M a p l e T r e e H o l d i n gs

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Design Committee

Architecture and Sustainable Design

2018 Chinatown Chinese New Year Street Light-Up | Jan 2020

Singapore University of Technology and Design | May 2017 - Aug 2020

I n v o l v e d i n t h e c re a t i o n a n d d e ve l o p m e n t o f d e c o ra t i o n s f o r t h e e n t i r e S o u t h B ri d ge R o a d i n C h i n a t o w n

S ch olarsh ips a n d Awa r ds : S UTD H on ou r s Li s t 20 1 9/ 20 20 AS D Core D es i g n Cer ti fi c a te of Mer i t 2 0 2 0 Kwan I m Th on g H ood Ch o Templ e S c h o l a r s h i p 2 0 2 0 BCA I n te rna ti on a l B u i l di g n D es i g n C o m p e t i t i o n 2 0 2 0 ( m e r i t ) TAK S tud y Awa r d 20 1 9 H istory Th e or y a n d C u l tu r e Stu dy Tr i p A w a r d 2 0 1 9

PRESIDENT SUTD Climbers | Nov 2017 - Nov 2018 • S c h e d u l i n g T ra i n i n g a n d M a n a gi n g T e a m M o ra l e • O r g a n i s e d i n t e r- u n i ve rs i t y c o m p e t i t i o n s a n d C o m m u n i t y I n v o l v e m e n t P ro gra m m e s • C o a c h C o n t ra c t s + re l a t i o n s • C l i m b i n g W a l l M a i n t e n a n c e a n d w o rk i n g w i t h m a n a ge -

Volunteer Refugee Rescue | Jun 2018 - Jul 2018

GRADUATE Serangoon Junior College | Feb 2013 - Dec 2014 ‘A’ L e v e ls

SOFTWARE SKILLS

P r o v i d e d hu m a n i t a ri a n a i d f o r re f u ge e s e n t e ri n g G re e c e f r o m T u r k e y. D u t i e s i n c l u d e d l o gi s t i c s , d i n gh y- s p o t t i n g, d i s t ri b u t i o n o f s u p p l i e s , e c o - p ro je c t s ( c l e a n i n g u p a n d u p c yc l i n g u s e d

INTERESTS

Rhino

Autodesk Flow

Architecture

Graphic Design

Grasshopper

OpenFOAM

Automobile Design

Music

Sketchup

Illustrator

Rock Climbing

Films

Autocad

Photoshop

Film Photography

Sketching

Archicad

Indesign

Unreal Engine

Enscape

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Vray

Twinmotion

ENGLISH

MANDARIN

CONTENTS

ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS

GOSEONG FILM STRIP THE VESSEL COMMUNE-NICATE STOMPING GROUND

DESIGN PROJECTS

UNDULATE AAI PUBLICATION

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

SKETCHING AND PHOTOGRAPHY

GOSEONG FILM STRIP REDEFINING TOURISM AND CROSS-BORDER RELATIONS Tourism New Deal Location: Gangwon Province, South Korea Instructor: Calvin Chua Partner: Lucas Ngiam Summer 2021 Option Studio III 14 weeks

The purpose of this studio was to rethink and redefine the future of tourism industry as a sustainable practice. One that moves away from a consumption model towards a contribution model, where tourism sustains and strengthens existing social, political and environmental conditions. In partnership with the Gangwon Development Initiative, exhibiting at the Venice Biennale 2021 Korean Pavilion, we will envision the future of post-pandemic tourism through the context of Gangwon, a divided province on the Korean peninsula for the past 70 years. Despite its division, Gangwon province has also been the site of experimentation for diplomatic reproachment since the late 1990s. Tourism was used as the tool for this experimentation, where dedicated resorts were built for South Korean tourists to visit Northern Gangwon province. However, the experiment has been stalled due to wider geopolitical tensions. As noted by several analysts, one reason for these failures can be attributed to the focus on centrally planned large-

scale tourism zones and infrastructure projects that are acutely exposed to the pressures of domestic politics and international geopolitics. A new model of development is sorely needed, one that relies on smaller scale, decentralised urban interventions that enables exchanges and dialogues between visitors. Therefore, the central interest of this studio is to design new forms of tourism architecture. Can tourism be the stimulus for post-pandemic economy recovery and a diplomatic restart for a troubled region? How do we design smallerscale tourism infrastructure for dialogues and exchanges for peacebuilding? This proposal is inspired by the prevalence of television and film in the culture of both North and South Koreas, using this as a medium to flirt with the boundaries and transparency between the two sides. Ultimately, Goseong Film strip is a project that reimagines the border between North and South Korea.

SITE CONTEXT The shaping of the project started out by an initial study of the various tourist attractions within the DMZ, and those that lay near the border. These attraction hold mainly 5 main types of programs - observatory, park, museum, village or Military installation. Most of these peace attractions promote reunification and hopes for peace among both Koreas, but never seem to really facilitate conversation between the people from both sides. Rather, they all act as standalone islands, repeating the same message of hope to those who visit them while portraying North Korea as a form of entertainment through their lens. Gangwon Province alone has at least 12 of these peace attractions. Understandably, their intended purpose could be limited due to the present geopolitical climate. Thus, this project aims to start a conversation of what more these peace parks could bring.

Existing Site condition - Goseong DMZ museum as a standalone “island” of attraction

The individuality of these peace attractions really stands out especially when we looked at the attractions at Goseong. While travelling towards the 3 peace attractions, we are able to see and feel the organic growth of a nearby town along the road networks. Contrasting to that, we then feel the strong presence of isolation through the controlled placements of each of these attractions when one were to arrive at their destinations.

LEFT Composite Urban Artifact drawing, representing the existing site conditions and attractions, as well as the Donghae-Bukbu rail line that connects North Korea (Kosung Station) to South Korea (Jejin Station)

DMZ Museum

Unification Observatory Tower

Korean War Exhibition Hall

Unification Observatory Deck

Study of existing everyday elements - stairs, ramps etc, as compared to the monuments to which they support

Study of non-monumental everyday spaces in South Korea, which evolved from “Pimatgols”, which were side streets used by the commoners to avoid bowing to the noble-class back in the feudal era.

So far, these peace attractions so far have just been marketing the idea of reunification – and not used as spaces to bring both countries together. This project explores the possibility of moving past this passive approach through these peace attractions, and question: what if it was more active, by bringing some disorder, a little life, into these peace parks in the name of peace. Goseong Film strip is envisioned as a production studio for film and TV shows with both the South and the North Koreans becoming the cast and crew of the media, working and participating together through inter-Korean projects. What is common between the media of both Koreas, are its everyday streetscape – the backdrop to the various scenes in their own creative content. Furthermoresuch a proposal has the potential to appease both sides: by providing more locations for filming to SK’s burgeoning film industry, and possibly for the NK government to satisfy the public’s desire for South Korean content. When looking at where the dmz museum is located, visitors are forced to only experience what is found within the museum and around its periphery. The experience itself, by nature, will lean heavily towards a South Korean identity. But we find that one can remove himself out of that narrative, in generic places such as commercial spaces, Or among public spaces and public infrastructure. Thus we envision that while filming within Goseong film strip, it will not emphasize much of the peace attractions themselves, but the public spaces and elements. We want to transform these symbols of hierarchy, into filming spaces where the appreciation/understanding of these peace park facilities are no longer understood as landmarks, but in their most distilled elements as stairs, ramps etc

The immediate benefit of Goseong Film strip applies to the interKorean production cast and crew, providing at least 1000 jobs and the required facilities for their production to take place. In addition, there is the knock-on effect of bringing more tourists into the site as they become fans of the programs. As a result, both North and South Korea will enjoy the increased revenue that is brought in by these recreational tourists, Koreans and International. These peace attractions and the area that they occupy become much more active and vibrant through Goseong Film Strip.

In order to facilitate the different layers of tourism, various programs are needed to support this new ecosystem such as accommodations, commercial and recreational spaces, offices for post productions So, the difference between a traditional studio set and Goseong Film strip is how the various production facilities, amenities and accommodation are placed next to one another. These transitions between programs, or realities, are made possible with the ring of infrastructure that supports the exterior façades and holds the internal programs. the infrastructure now becomes the threshold between the internal and external activities.

Masterplan Each “island” of attractions will serve as a base for the “film strip” developments, catering to different outdoor set themes for different filming needs. For this project, we focused on developing the DMZ museum cluster.

INTERCHANGEABLE INTERNALS

Sound Stages The primary Program of a film production studio, Goseong Film Strip features several sound stages of various sies at each of its three locations. Tehse sound stages can be adapted based on the eneds of the production crew, ranging from the creation of smaller interior sets, to a combination of green screens and practical sets. APart fromt eh circulation,the structural gridframe infrastructure provides additional spaces for supporting programs such as equipment storage, costume wardrobe and changing rooms.

Recreational Facilities Introduction of recreational spaces and green spaces are meant to amplify the contrasting and juxtaposing realities within the film strips. With the traditional filmsets being intensely urban by nature, natural spaces that are hidden by the external facades create a surreal contradiction when inhabitants enter into these spaces. Functionally, recreational facilities of various scales are programmed within some of the lots to provide infromal spaces for both production crew members and tourists to enjoy.

Accommodations There are situations whereby the cast and crew members are required to stay on site within the film strips in order to stay close to the schedules. A range o faccommodations are thus placed within the strips to provide a temporary place for rest and privacy. Common spaces within, such as the lobby and commissary, help facilitate inter-korean interactions, as well as the ring of strucural gridframe infrastructure that supports the external facade. Some of the accommodations can also be used by various tourists that would come and visit the set although priority will be given to production crew in the event there is a surge inn filming projects.

GOSEONG FILM STRIP SECTION PERSPECTIVE

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INTERACTION The recreation of the pitmagol and its associated vibrant life is done through the combination of the production facilities and recreational programs with the various façade. Through this vibrancy and shared experience, conversation between Koreans can happen without any association to either the south or north – just Korean. Expanding from the fabricated reality of the street, the façade ring that wraps around the various facilities can support the activities that are happening along the pitmagols such as space to deploy film equipment at various vantage points, and also support the activities that are happening internally, becoming circulation spaces and areas that facilitate chance encounters. There is this Juxtaposition of the fabricated reality of the street and the actual reality of the internal facilities. The main element of our project is this 2-4m wide inhabitable structural gridframe, that on one hand allows the exterior set facades to be cladded, and on the other hand, serve as an in-between space for sets and facilities. Thus, the most important aspect of the building is not what’s inside or outside. But rather what’s in between – the space that will be used by all. Through this project we hope it starts a conversation among those who visit, to be active in the decision for reunification .

On the micro level, the infrastructure for the Outdoor sets forms this inbetween space that enables conversation through informal, passive every-day interactions between both sides- something as simple as the act of borrowing a lighter, or sharing a smoke together. As the inhabitants from the both sides pass each other through the daily use of this threshold, it breeds a familiarity with one another, even if it’s unspoken. We envision the film strip to spur active conversation and interaction among the inhabitants - north or south. Their thoughts of each other shouldn’t be led by a certain narrative, but rather be done actively by the individual.

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THE VESSEL LEISURE | DRONES | NATURE Location: St John’s Island Instructor: Peter Ortner Partner: Lucas Ngiam Fall 2019 Option Studio 1 14 weeks

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The vessel was primarily designed to explore how drones, leisure activities by the beach and nature could co-exist and 3 C connect with each other, without ill-effects. It does so by enabling users to come as close as they can to all three via a D bringing users 4 1:250 as the point of leisure, with circulation café-bar closer to see and experience both nature and drones. E

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The motivation behind this was due to the fact that as we were F walking around saint john island, we noticed that there have been efforts in letting visitors learn more about the ecology 1:500 of the island – with boards and maps with information on the flora and fauna of the island. However, we find that the common visitor to the island would more than likely be bored on the island due to the lack of activities on the island – especially if they are not prepared to barbeque or swim on the beach. 1:50000

aid for pilots in the scen drones. Graphics also e users take, subtly creat move from the entrance gallery. Hence, circulati with these graphics to a users to experience, im process and system of

Furthermore, as we were doing our research during the earlier stages of our studio, we found the activities and mechanics of autonomous drones to be potentially engaging for people to observe in person, especially those who are unexposed to such technologies.

We started with the aim to create something that has a lower footprint on the beach itself, considering the limited land area. This is why our model sits out into the water, with a boardwalk connecting the beach and the port. The landing areas were then brought out into the waters as well so that the flight of volocopters and drones in the beach area will be less intrusive.

FORM FINDING The Vessel is designed to faciliate the activation of the beach of Saint John Island through the connection between nature, humans and drones. The form was developed primarily through a combination of two typologies: firstly, was the use of a “periscope” opening typology to allow the ease of navigation of the delivery drones to their destination. Secondly, a bowl form was developed to shield beach users from any draft produced by the landing of the Volocopter. A beach bar and a circulation that directs users to the gallery spaces helps bring users closer to both nature and drones through visual and spatial connection. Studies were done on how delivery drones’ flight vectors are influenced by the periscopic entry. The geometric form was modified based on the ease of approach of the delivery drones onto the determined landing platform. With each iteration, the changes were primarily focused on the angle and dimensions of the opening; initially starting out as a narrow and steep approach with little room to maneuver - to accomodating a large array of flight vectors and allowing a gentler approach.

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DELIVERY DRONE PRIMARY FLIGHT PATH VOLOCOPTER PRIMARY FLIGHT PATH

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MAPPING FLIGHTS With the emphasis on bringing visitors into Saint John Island, calculation of the flight paths taken by both delivery drones and Volocopter is required. These paths represents the most direct route to Saint John Island that the drones and the Volocopter could take within the free flight zone; an area that allows deviation or alternate flight plans for both drones and Volocopter. Designed to be the primary space for users to gather and interact, the beach bar is placed as the first program that users will enter in. The parcel station is strategically placed at the bar, allowing users to conveniently retrieve their package, and with openings to allow users to view the technology within that goes behind the delivery system. The circulation is meant to be intuitive, circling from the bar up into the various spaces above, such as the waiting area and viewing gallery. Thoughout the circulation, users have visual connections to both the natural ecology and landscape of Saint John Island and the approaching drones.

Designed to be the primary space for users to gather and interact, the beach bar is placed as the first program that users will enter in. The parcel station is strategically placed at the bar, allowing users to conveniently retrieve their package, and with openings to allow users to view the technology within that goes behind the delivery system. The circulation is meant to be intuitive, circling from the bar up into the various spaces above, such as the waiting area and viewing gallery. Thoughout the circulation, users have visual connections to both the natural ecology and landscape of Saint John Island and the approaching drones.

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FORM ITERATIONS AND ERGONOMICS

1. Initial ‘bowl’ helped channel wind generated by the volocopter away from the beach, but restrcited flight paths

2. Pulled lip of Upper Shell to increase the range of possible flight paths for drones

3. Widen the gap between lips of shells to increase amount of space for drones to enter

4. Sliced the sides of both shells for easier entry into spaces within, for both Volocopter and users

5. Stretched the shells to provide better fight range for drones and more space for users

6. Blended bowls together into a singular, continuous form

SUPER GRAPHICS The graphics designed in this project, inspired by ‘Super Graphics’, are essential in establishing connection between the drones, users and the building itself. Markers depict zones where the drones will approach to warn users of their flight and also to entice them to view the process. It is also a form of aid for pilots in the scenario of manual control of the drones. Graphics also extends along the path that users take, subtly creating a guide for the users to move from the entrance, to the top of the viewing gallery. Hence, circulation spaces are supplemented with these graphics to allow visual connections for users to experience, immersing users to the natural process and system of the site and drones.

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FABRICATION METHOD AND MATERIALS Model: Sanded down 3D Print (PLA) Wood Filler to blend the gaps and joints Paint + Primer finish Site: Bristol Board MDF base Plexiglass

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COMMUNE-NICATE HOUSING AS A REHABILITATIVE MACHINE Location: Polder Island off Singapore’s East Coast Instructor: Christine Yogiarman Collaborators: Benedict Tan (Planning and Concept phase) Spring 2020 Core Studio III 4 weeks on Masterplan, 8 weeks on Housing Proposal

In coordination with HDB’s 60th anniversary SUTD’s Core III Architecture studio is exploring the future of housing, asking how we will live in the next hundred years. The studio builds a vision of the future of housing based on an understanding of the past, with one key historical fact driving our investigation: Singapore has been and will be a highdensity nation. The vision we create will be a next step in a bigger history of over-coming the difficulties of high-density urbanism to create thriving, vibrant, livable homes. This studio also recognises the importance of urban context and neighborhood to the success of housing. A master-planning exercise has allowed us to imagine the neighborhood of the future, in the East of Singapore. Our site is on a proposed artificial polder island to the south of East Coast Park, within a larger masterplan developed by the ONG&ONG Architect in Residence Team led by Andrew Lee. Each studio is allocated a sub-precinct, with its own masterplan and studio projects.

Our studio’s masterplan is set on largely unfettered land with nature trails, allowing natural habitats to thrive. Main circulation would be on an elevated pedestrian network. Housing Narrative: By 2070, the continuation of meritocracy continues to be the fuel for a intensively competitve society. Coupled with the conformist nature of asian society, there are expectations that society places on every individual. Overwhelmed by these social expectations, they might reclude back to their homes as a protective mechanism against society. This project aims to be a rehabilitative tool that passively assimilates the individual back into society through food production. Food is a basic neccessity that one needs to survive and is also a common social acitivty. It is in a way something that brings people together. The architecture hopes that through these activities, confidence towards social activity is formed by becoming a valued member of society through interdependence of resources.

VARYING DEGREES OF SOCIAL INTERACTION The rehabilitative process is incremental, and it is understood that this occurs at different paces for different indivduals. Thus, different scales of urban farming- from individual to estate-level collective will require varying levels of social interaction, directly corresponding to the stages of rehabilitation. These urban farming areas would go from private-unit garden yards to shared public spaces, according to the scale of farming and interaction. STAGE I: Gardening alone. STAGE II: Shared garden with next-door neighbour and progresses to opening adjoining kitchens to have enhanced connections. STAGE III: Connecting across cluster of 4-6 units for a larger community. STAGE IV: Moving out into the 3D Public space, joining the productive urban agricultural process as a block STAGE V: Distribution and sharing of these produce with the wider sub-precinct + giving back even further by facilitating the rehabilitation process for others.

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Paired Gardens and Kitchens within unit

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Flood Tank empties nutrient rich water into growing beds

Irrigation pipes snakes across units to maximise water usage

Soil filters the impurities and the clean water is channeled into the aquaculture farm

5 Nutrient-rich water is pumped back into flood tank

4 Fish produces waste that are full of nutrients for crops

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TOP LEFT Axonometric LEFT Sustainable water irrigation and aquaponics system

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LIVING UNITS The floorplan shown above is a typical cluster of 4 units, with a mix of 3 different apartment typologies for greater integration amongst neighbours of different socio-economic background. The loft units feature bedrooms on the upper levels for privacy since the yard on the lower level would be shared between the 4 units in the event that they are rehabilitated. PLAY ON PROPORTIONS

ABOVE Unit Cluster Plans TOP LEFT Unit section perspective BOTTOM LEFT Unit Section Perspective

The balcony planting area is relatively large as compared to the interior area, because we want to encourage residents to spend more time outside to facilitate in the rehabilitation process. The kitchens were designed to smaller so as to encourage the residents to open their kitchens up to one another and share their resources, thereby increasing social interaction and possibly fostering greater bond between neighbours.

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STAGE IV to V - COMMUNE: The space primarily involves double level green bridge that connects the shared garden yards to form a larger community garden that serves both productive and leisure purposes on each level. It will puncture the blocks, creating a vertical relationship between share spaces. These bridges connect with the split space in the blocks to create loops, which will drive the productive cycle of rehabilitative farming within the community. This production line will ultimately exit at the ground level, to the pavillion where the produce will be shared with the community via farmer’s markets and farm-to-table eateries. The end result represents the end of the rehabilitation process of the residents, where they finally touch-base with the widerprecinct.

Harvesting

Sorting + Packaging/ Cooking + Eating

Trading/ bartering of produce

Composting: Mealworm sorting + Chitin Processing

Recreational spaces

Recreational spaces Farmer’s market @ Multi-Purpose Pavillion

PRODUCTION LOOP EXAMPLE

SECTION PERSPECTIVE Number of Units: 240 Levels: 11-12

STOMPING GROUND REDEFINING PUBLIC SPACE Location: SCAPE Youth Park Instructor: Jackson Tan and Alex Sun Organisations: NYC, MCCY Partner: Grace Sim Summer 2020 Option Studio II 14 weeks

The project’s vision is to create the “streets” for the youths, instead of keeping them off. Through discovering and understanding the site’s character and culture in the past, Stomping Ground seeks to revive the cultural essence of Singapore’s urban art scene and the other subcultures that revolve around it. The term “stomping ground” refers to a place that is a favourite/habitual haunt for a group of people, which is what we envision for our project for the creatives who are involved in the urban scene. This will in turn create a thriving creative environment that will naturally attract the public to come and discover this space, learning and understanding about these alternative art forms that are often misunderstood as taboo culture. Coincidentally, Stompin’ Ground is the name of a pioneer hardcore band in Singapore from the 90s, who are also closely tied to the underground scene in Singapore.

“Stomping Ground” was done as part of Studio Youth-Topia, one of the Sustainable Design Option Studio 2 from SUTD/ ASD Pillar, done in collaboration with the National youth Council (NYC) and Ministry of Culture , Community and Youth (MCCY) as part of the extension scheme to revitalise Singapore’s Orchard Road, called the Somerset Belt It seeks to explore multi-dimensional issues of sustainable design through a variety of lenses and at diverse temporal and spatial scales. Issues of resource efficiency, resilience, material and typological innovation, micro-climatic and site affordances, life-cycles and metabolism, and many other critical issues will serve as the projective context in which students will develop critical design solutions for small, medium and large scale architectures and urban interventions. In Youth-Topia, students were tasked to speculate the possibilities of placemaking at Somerset Youth Park; with the

EXPERIENCING THE SITE Sensory The sensorial experience – sights and sounds which accompany the site, are varied; from brightly lit malls and live music, to the humble streetlamps and buzz of traffic, each contributing to the textures that give the Somerset area its character. Gathering of Millenials The SCAPE is the centre heart of the millennials’ gathering space which youth activities conducted throughout the years. The events include dance performances, music events, e-sports activities/training camp, which are popular among the millennials. Beside it, Cineleisure cater activities mostly for youth as well. Attractors 313@somerset, 111@somerset act as the various crowd attractor with commercial and retails. Majority of the crowd includes adults (21 and above), both Singaporeans and tourists, while a handful of them are youth( 21 and above). The design intention is to divert the secured crowd at those malls to the Youth-park. Potential The site can be the gateway between commercial district and Youth-oriented district. With surrounding Youth oriented programmes and crowd attracting nodes, it is vital to introduce unique system that embodied youth culture and divert crowd to the site to rejuvenate the neglected area

2020 SUTD ASD Option Studio 2/3: Youth-Topia_Stage 02 Site Analysis

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This is a mapping of the features that stand out in the site, thereby forming the character of the place. They also appeal to certain senses more than the other, creating a multi-sensorial experience around the site.

GENIUS LOCI

This is a mapping of the experiential journey from common circulations routes to the site. It is by no means an absolute representation of what ABOVE LEFT one might see through the journey. The path was referenced from the Sound Mapping andmain Streetaccess Vitalityand linkages of the site. study on ABOVE RIGHT Sensorial mapping of the Somerset Belt 25M

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This is a mapping of the experiential journey from common circulations routes to the site. It is by no means an absolute representation of what one might see through the journey. The path was referenced from the RIGHT study on main access and linkages of the site. Collage of visual journeys to the site

THE GRAFFITI STORY Dissolving Culture The origins of graffiti started in the 1990s and quickly gained popularity and attention among many youths in the past. Graffiti was amongst other popular youth gathering activities like dancing, skateboarding, eating, jamming, and painting. Sometimes, weekly gigs and events are initiated by the youths themselves. The Youth Park was a popular spot for holding these activities throughout the years, including a significant milestone when youths were allowed to paint on the Red Box building. It was unfortunate that there were several graffiti-related incidents which sparked political tensions around the topic of vandalism. The dissolving graffiti culture is evident in recent years as more youths today had turned to digital cultures and social media for expression. There are potential benefits in reviving this art culture, even integrated with augmented reality, to allow youths to come together.

MASTERPLAN Graffiti Belt Within the site, there is a graffiti trail guiding them to a wide range of graffiti types. This trail has a strong potential to be further extended and developed to cultivate a strong youth scene in the Somerset region as it is strategically located between Scape and Somerset Skate Park which are popular spots for youth events, gatherings, and activities. The project hopes to adopt a bottom-up approach culture with the youths as the starting point, providing them with a space to boldly be creative, and meet like-minded people. Complementing subcultures such as food, music, and sports would be integrated seamlessly to create a more diverse experience. The combination of profitgenerating and free public programs creates a self-sustaining system, complementing one another, economically and socially.

Layered History Layers of graffiti on the walls of the Scape Youth Park

SITE RESPONSE + GRAFFITI TRIAL These programs come together, strategically allocated at different regions mirroring and responding to its immediate surrounding contexts. The site thus absorbs programmatic energies externally and extends them towards itself, offering itself as a centralization space bridging multiple themes and forming interactions within and beyond the site.

a graffiti hub, and offers different ways for people to express creativity and share their stories. It breaks down graffiti art into various types such as stencils, blockbusters, stickers, and murals. Each of these graffiti types could interest people differently. Interesting riffs off traditonal graffiti include Up-cycling Paint Art, which involves painting over old unwanted material, and the Augmented Reality graffti experience, where the public Stomping Ground aims to bring out a holistic and all- can view their graffiti projected onto the surface of the rounded experience of the graffiti culture, similar to Red Bus via an AR application on their phones

ARCHITECTURAL SPLINES ENERGY WAVES A series of splines arrayed across the site with varying heights and spatial qualities was designed architecturally which visually portray a hint of changes in energy and intensities at the site. Each of these splines was uniquely designed to cater to specific programs and then placed adjacent to one another, spanning across the site displaying a landscape of overlapping layers similar to the imagery of waves in an energy field.

GNETTES

M6 Nut and Bolt with rubber gasket 3mm thk Perspex Water-Prooﬁng Layer sealed with sillicone Lock-in Joint with spring-loaded pins

5mm thk Perforated Aluminium Panels with shift-lock tabs LED Strips with Diffuser Case

50mm Hollow Square ALuminium frame with 60mm x 8 mm openings Modular Shelving Unit

18mm thk perforated Marine-Grade Plywood

Artiﬁcial Turf Square Long Neck Floor Flange for 50mm Square Tubing 18mm thk Marine-Grade Plywood

CONSTRUCTION Standard, modular structural modular elements were used in the module construction for easy procurement. The ergonomically sized components feature lock-in joints, making it convenient to assemble the modules by hand, without the need for high manpower and machinery.

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Writer’s Alley Bar where many youths, be it skaters, dancers or graffiti artists would hang out weekly and find out about local gigs/ events.

Jamming Studio & Stage jamming studio by day, stage by night, the flexible space is fronted by a ‘flooding ground’ of landscaped steps, where crowds can sit and watch the show.

Mural Alley an homage to the OG graffiti wall where many local artists honed their craft, ground planes fold up like waves, forming new, taller surfaces for the artists to paint on.

Graffiti Ledges and AR Canvas graffiti ledges double up as standing tables for visitors to the Redbus café, which also serves as a surface for visitors to project graffiti into it via AR.

Open Lawn & Bouldering Zone a public garden next to open workshop modules which give the public a peek into the graffiti process, with bouldering walls on its outer surface.

Sustainable Art Display a space for community powered activations like “trash to art” programs, where discarded waste can be reused as a canvas for graffiti works, and displayed.

PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE

After the term, the project was chosen to have a physical prototype of it built for the public to test it out at the Scape Youth Park. We collaborated with local graffiti artist SlacSatu, founder of Blackbook studio and ZNC crew to paint the installations, as part of the proposal’s concept.

DESIGN PROJECTS

UNDULATE AAI PUBLICATION

UNDULATE PLYWOOD CANOPY Location: SUTD Instructor: Sam Conrad Joyce and Stylianos Dritsas Group members: Thet Naung Oo, Lucas Ngiam, Naomi Wong Fall 2019 Architectural Structures and Enclosure Design + Digital Design and Fabrication 4 weeks

Undulate was concieved with the concept of bending wood to keep it in a tensile state. In order for us to do so, extensive research and experimentation had to be done to test the properties of bent plywood. We discovered that the tensile state contributes greatly to the structural strength of the entire form. For our concieved shape, the deeper part of the module has greater vertical resistance which makes it suitable as the cantilever support. On top of that, it was an exploration on fabrication methods that are lightweight, efficient and fairly simple to put together, given the tight timeframe for fabrication. Ultimately, we decided that the most optimal way of production involves two flat pieces of plywood with part of their edges tied together, while the rest of them are overlapping each other. The overlapped areas are then held together with cable tie to keep the wood in that tensile state. To allow the plywood to flex in such a dynamic way, it had to be soaked in hot water for 30 minutes to soften the fibres.

DETAILS Grasshopper - Dimensions

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DETAILS Karamba - Utilization and Displcement Analysis Single module

Two modules with connecting piece

Entire canopy

Max utilization : 6.7% Max displacement : 0.03 cm

Max utilization : 17.2% Max displacement : 0.23 cm

Max utilization : 26.3% Max displacement : 0.47 cm

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Materials: - 5mm 3-ply plywood - 18mm Plywood - 3x150mm cable ties Steaming Process: Larger Unit: 40 min Smaller Unit: 10 min CnC wood cutting: 30 min prep time per file 30 min per plywood sheet Assembling: Large unit - 15 min Smaller unit - 10 min

AAI PUBLICATION A NARRATIVE FOR THE AI FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE Instructor: Immanuel Koh Partner: Thet Naung Oo Summer 2020 Artifical Intelligence in Architectural Design 4 weeks

This project was based on pre-reading on “An Evolutionary Architecure” by John Frazer, which explores on themes of Artificial intelligence for the future of Architectural Design. It talks about machine learning, datasets and automated machines/computers to perform laborious tasks for Architects and designers. Similarly, in our “publication”, we crafted a narrative where the future of AI-infused architectural design is so well-integrated in our everyday lives that it does not manifest itself as one big computer, but cleverly concealed in our everyday appliances. This makes the brings us back to a more natural process of design, where we can sketch/build models and the computer scans and churns out the relevant 3d models and drawings for us. By performing the laborious tasks for us, it clears up the designer’s mind to focus on cognitive processes, rather than laborious, repetitive ones. At the end of the publication is a satirical graphic series depicting the usage of these machines and the humourous output it can result in, where we end up in an age with computers so advanced that even a cat can become a highly lauded architect. Each scene in the graphic montage was inspired by shots from different films, like Her(2013) and In the Mood For Love(2000).

NARRATIVE CRAFTING In John Frazer’s Evolutionary Architecture, he theorizes an architectural machine that can help the architects to develop the concepts and ideas of architects into finished architectural products with the mundane processes such as drafting and modelling being wholly automated. In his book, he also suggest that the role of architects will be changed in the way he works with the rise of new architceture machine. However, he did not give details how it will be. We decided to take on this thought exercise while looking through the lens of design, interface and also critique. We offer glimpses into the future roles of architect by imagining the architecture offices and how they will transform with the rise in prevalent usage of AI technology in the near future. This will be presented as a series of speculated AI integrated products, imagining how they fit into the future architecture office and their implications on architecture domain.

Her (2013), by Spike Jonze

The technology of the future is one that is muted and embedded into everyday products, sophistication in design has evolved beyond sleek devices that stands out from the surrounding. Instead seemingly normal appliances will be made ‘smart’ by integrating IOT technology and cloud based AI capabilities. With the embedded technology, the products are capable of doing much more than what it seems.

In The Mood For Love (2000), by Wong Kar Wai

ABOVE Inspiration from film scenes RIGHT Storyboarding LEFT “Product Catalogue”

Before

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HOBBIES AND INTERESTS SKETCHING AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Study on Singaporean Shophouses. Ink on paper

Perspective sketch of Bronx, NYC. Ink on paper

Live sketch of a street in Lesvos, Greece. Ink on paper

Mt. Ama Dablam, en route to Everest Base camp. Captured on an analog film SLR camera

Prayer flags in Dingboche,Nepal. Captured on an SLR film Camera

Industrial building in Santorini Greece, on an Iphone camera

Subway in Athens Greece, on an Iphone camera

FIN