Birds on Bulldozer - Reshaping the Ecological Structure of Paya Lebar Air Base

BIRDS ON BULLDOZER

RE-SHAPING THE ECOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF PAYA LEBAR AIR BASE

NUS COLLEGE OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING | DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

LA4702 MLA STUDIO: CITY, 10 JANUARY - 1 MAY 2022

| DONG LIWEI | HU DIE | KWAN YIN MAN JANINA | JIANG YULI | JIN ZHUOYIN | LIN LAN

| LIU KANGSHENG | LIU ZIYUE | NUR SABRINA BINTE SHAFARI

| SHEN YUNNAN | WANG YU | XING ZHIYAN | YE HAN | ZHANG WENTING | ZHANG YUER | CAO NAICHUN | CHAI XIN YI | CHANG WANRUO | CYNTHIA WEE SU YI

| JIANG RUOMIN | MIRWANKAR ANCHITA NITIN | REN JUNYAO | SHI YILAN | WANG LIANGYU | XU RUOZHU | ZHANG YUXI | ZHAO MINGYU | ZHOU SICONG

TUTOR: HWANG YUN HYE, GUO LEHANA

As a studio product which is not censored, this book may contain mistakes or deficiencies. Proposed ideas may not represent the positions of NUS.

Published by Department of Architecture

School of Design and Environment

National University of Singapore

4 Architecture Drive

Singapore 117566

Tel: +65 65163452

Fax: +65 67793078

Copyright © 2022 Hwang Yun Hye and Guo Lehana (ed.)

ISBN: 978-981-18-4626-7

BIRDS ON BULLDOZER

RE-SHAPING THE ECOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF PAYA LEBAR AIR BASE

NUS COLLEGE OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING | DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE LA4702 MLA STUDIO: CITY, 10 JANUARY - 1 MAY 2022

| DONG LIWEI | HU DIE | KWAN YIN MAN JANINA | JIANG YULI | JIN ZHUOYIN | LIN LAN | LIU KANGSHENG | LIU ZIYUE | NUR SABRINA BINTE SHAFARI | SHEN YUNNAN | WANG YU | XING ZHIYAN | YE HAN | ZHANG WENTING | ZHANG YUER | CAO NAICHUN | CHAI XIN YI | CHANG WANRUO | CYNTHIA WEE SU YI | JIANG RUOMIN | MIRWANKAR ANCHITA NITIN | REN JUNYAO | SHI YILAN | WANG LIANGYU | XU RUOZHU | ZHANG YUXI | ZHAO MINGYU | ZHOU SICONG

TUTOR: HWANG YUN HYE, GUO LEHANA

LANDSCAPE FIRST APPROACH FOR PLAB

Guo Lehana

BIRDS ON BULLDOZER studio focuses on the questions of the role of landscape in addressing global challenges. Through landscape-driven scenario-planning and visualizations, the studio aimed to articulate new trajectories for the landscape architecture discipline to guide sustainable city planning.

IN THE STUDIO described in this book, 23 graduate students in the Master of Landscape Architecture programme from the National University of Singapore collaborated to develop landscape planning strategies for the Paya Lebar Air Base future town. The cohort is divided into 2 studios and each studio is tasked to produce 1 overall concept masterplan whilst also working in teams of 2-3 on a given topic. Work included preliminary research into the given topic, site context, field trips to identify opportunities and challenges within the assigned topic, group masterplanning negotiation, and design activities visualizing planning concepts and systems.

MANY THANKS to the following collaborators: NUS PLAB Research team for allowing us to tap on their research and site data required for this studio; Dr Lum Shawn (Nature Society (Singapore) and Dr. Anuj Jain (BirdLife International) who guided the students on their field trip and provided fundamental understanding of the ecology of PLAB; Mr Tan See Nin (URA), Ms Soh Yun Yee (NUS), Ms Ng Abby (NParks), Mr Choo Jeverss (Mao Sheng Construction), and Ms Lim Sheau Miin (DPA) for providing the students insights into various urban planning, development and construction topics related to this studio; Mr Lee Alfred (STX) and Mr Koh Jiann Bin (Coherean Pte Ltd) for providing technical and practical advice to the students; Dr Heng Chye Kiang (NUS), Mr Fung John Chye (NUS), Dr Ong Ghim Ping Raymond, Dr Tan Puay Yok (NUS), Dr Tang Dorothy (NUS), Dr Lin Ervine (NUS), Ms Liu Huei Lyn (PUB), Mr Wright Jason (NParks), Mr Therry Jelle (Ramboll), and Mr Lambreghts Stefaan (Grant Associates) who participated as guest critics and offered valuable advice.

THIS BOOK is a compilation of works from the studio. The first portion of the book documents the sequential studio process of the 2 studios. Thereafter, the 2 overall concept masterplan and the corresponding topics are documented.

Studio 1’s concept masterplan is titled “Happy & Resilient PLAB” and it comprises of strategies with the following headings: LAND AND SOIL MANAGEMENT, WATER MANAGEMENT, RECYCLED CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL, WATERSHED PROTECTION WITH AQUATIC ANIMALS, LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVTY WITH BIRDS.

Studio 2’s concept masterplan is titled “Regenerative PLAB” and it comprises of strategies with the following headings: CO-BREATHING WITH SOIL, SEED DISPERSAL AND ANIMALS, WILDLILFE ECONOMIES, NATURE AS A CARBON BANK, PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPE BUSINESSES.

The book concludes with reflections by the students. We hope the book will launch new discussion of the role of landscape architecture in sustainable city planning.

STUDIO INTRODUCTION

Hwang Yunhye and Guo Lehana

CLIMATE & BIODIVERSITY EMERGENCY

We are in a climate and biodiversity crisis. More than one-fifth of all humans live in regions that have already seen warming greater than 1 degree Celsius since the pre-industrial period, with an increase of 0.2 degrees per decade . Scientists predict that on our current trajectory of habitat loss and global warming, between one third and one half of all species will face extinction by the end of this century. Twin crises will upend ecosystems and destabilize human civilization.

CITIES’ CONTRIBUTION AND OPPORTUNITIES

Urbanization is a major anthropogenic driver of biodiversity loss. Cities’ massive resource consumption and waste production without a closed loop system continues to strain ecosystems globally. . However, the energy and material flows of a city can be designed to be more attentive to local and ecological systems and their limits . Designed with care, urban spaces can also function as heterogeneous habitats accommodating a range of plant and animal species . Cities therefore also present a unique opportunity to address global challenges.

ROLE OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

Habitat loss and global warming require that landscape architects fundamentally change how we plan and design communities, landscapes, cities and regions . We are uniquely positioned to drive the creation of new habitats and manage the effects of fragmentation and environmental degradation through design. We ensure that developments are planned and designed with careful regard to both local ecological systems and the spatial character of the landscape. Through landscape-driven scenario-planning and visualizations, the studio will articulate new trajectories for the landscape architecture discipline to guide sustainable city planning.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES OF LANDSCAPE PLANNING

Current knowledge in ecological and geographical sciences and advancements in landscape digitization can potentially provide the theoretical underpinning and advanced tools for landscape planning. However, disciplinary fragmentation makes it challenging to translate these advancements into actionable knowledge that can guide landscape planning and design.Better alignment and synthesis of different disciplinary perspectives and priorities is needed. The studio setting offers a space for synthetic research where students are able to gather experts’ inputs from relevant fields including environmental engineers, tropical ecologists, remote sensing and spatial analysts, and policy makers in conservation and development.

QUESTIONS

Questions that this studio will tackle include; Where are the green and blue spaces that are imperative to future ecological desired function? What opportunities for ecological restoration exist? How can we leverage a city’s natural capital to strengthen our ecological, climate and socio-economic resilience? What are the development alternatives that can mitigate loss of nature and limit carbon footprint?

SITE

With the relocation of PLAB from the 2030s onwards, a 800 ha of land including the airbase and its surrounding industrial developments, is earmarked for a new growth phase - to be transformed into a new town as a commercial hub . Many ideas on how the PLAB area could be redeveloped in the future have been proposed through a public competition with design studios and the URA .

Considered to be one of the largest forested areas outside nature reserves in Singapore, the site has matured from a fallowing land into a young secondary forest with most trees in unmanaged greenery reaching full heights since its former Kampong days. Though extensive in greenery, there is an inconsistency in canopy cover where certain areas are lushly overgrown with closed canopy while others are more barren due to degraded soil and clearance. Due to the variety and network of different habitats complementing and supporting one another, the biodiversity on site may have great potential to form a rich and complex whole.

PLAB is situated in the eastern catchment of Singapore; its waterways flow into multiple catchments - Serangoon and Bedok Reservoirs, or into the open sea. The topography hosts a wide range of levels, with terrain elevations varying from 0.0m to 50.0m. The surface rainwater flows along the uneven terrain, forming temporary streams and ponding areas during heavy rain events. It contains over 80ha of runway and 00hc of industrial buildings consisting of a large amount of asphalt and concrete that are recyclable; various types of soils from healthy soils with organic debris accumulating over several decades to inorganic soil at Tampines HDB stockpiles. Despite the dominant urban layout, the existing topography and many large trees that are naturally grown offer a unique opportunity to create new landscapes or can be recycled while minimising carbon footprint and transportation cost to the landfill site and regenerating the history of post-modern industrial landscapes.

STUDIO APPROACH

Adopting urban ecological principles from several studies, the studio will envision PLAB district to possess a self-sustaining and healthy habitat, a physical environment that is interwoven with histories of infrastructure, buildings, and open spaces to enhance biodiversity conservation and maximize resource usage efficiency, and a district that is connected to the larger ecosystem. In doing so, it injects flexibility into the PLAB district, allowing it to anticipate and respond to rapid changes in environmental and socio-economic conditions. Each studio has 10 potential topics under two key areas to be tackled. From the start of the semester, using the topics given below as a guide, students will work in groups to advance their research and analysis into the site. A studio-based draft concept masterplan is the intended outcome for the 1st half of the semester. For the 2nd half of the semester, the small groups will define a group project with the topic of their choice and develop that into specific site-based design strategies. Students will then be asked to develop design proposals. The intended outcome at the end of the semester is to have all group projects overlayed on one district scale plan per studio. Planning and design work will be evaluated based upon its relationship to knowledge developed throughout the semester and the degree of development and inquiry undertaken by the group.

AREA 1. CARE. CONNECT. COEXIST: FOSTERING HUMAN AND WILDLIFE RELATIONSHIP

With biologists' inputs and theoretical knowledge of socio-ecological functions of wildlife in the PLAB, the studio will begin with two scale site analysis. Further exploration is needed to understand how wildlife conservation and monitoring can meet the seemingly conflictual demands of urban development and public preference towards living with wildlife. Potential topics (but not limited to) are as follows;

1. Soil restoration & permeability with insects

2. Landscape connectivity with birds

3. Seed dispersal & food sources with arboreal and ground animals

4. Watershed protection with aquatic animals

5. Wildlife economies

AREA 2. REUSE. REPRODUCT. REDIRECT : MANAGING NATURAL AND HUMAN RESOURCE FLOWS

Aiming to optimize resource usage efficiency in construction and management, students will begin to quantify carbon footprint from land development, existing resources, including soil, trees, and construction materials. In ‘Resources’, soil conditions, trees, and other construction materials will be discussed for recycling and reuse in future development towards a productive ecosystem for the new town. Potential topics (but not limited to) are as follows;

1. Land & Soil management

2. Water management

3. Recycling existing natural elements as natural capital

4. Recycled construction materials (e.g.Low-carbon material specification)

5. Landscape related business (e.g. Green Manufacturing)

REFERENCE

[i] Rivkin, L. R., Santangelo, J. S., Alberti, M., Aronson, M. F., de Keyzer, C. W., Diamond, S. E., ... & Johnson, M. T. (2019). A roadmap for urban evolutionary ecology. Evolutionary applications, 12(3), 384-398.

[ii] Diwekar, U., Amekudzi-Kennedy, A., Bakshi, B., Baumgartner, R., Boumans, R., Burger, P., ... & Theis, T. (2021). A perspective on the role of uncertainty in sustainability science and engineering. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 164, 105140.

[iii]Forman, R. T. (2014). Urban ecology: science of cities. Cambridge University Press.

Broto, V. C., Allen, A., & Rapoport, E. (2012). Interdisciplinary perspectives on urban metabolism. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 16(6), 851-861.

[iv] Steiner, F. (2014). Frontiers in urban ecological design and planning research. Landscape and Urban Planning, 125, 304-311.

[v] Steiner, F. R., Thompson, G. F., & Carbonell, A. (2016). Nature and cities. The ecological imperative in urban design and planning. Cambridge: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

[vi] Hwang, Y. H., & Jain, A. (2021). Landscape design approaches to enhance human–wildlife interactions in a compact tropical city. Journal of Urban Ecology, 7(1), juab007.

[vii] Low, M. E., Pocklington, K., & Ng, P. K. (2019). 200: Points in Singapore's Natural History. Lee Kong Chian natural history museum.

[viii] Clauzel, C., Jeliazkov, A., & Mimet, A. (2018). Coupling a landscape-based approach and graph theory to maximize multispecific connectivity in bird communities. Landscape and Urban Planning, 179, 1-16.

[ix] Etherington, T. R. (2016). Least-cost modelling and landscape ecology: concepts, applications, and opportunities. Current Landscape Ecology Reports, 1(1), 40-53.

[x] Cadavid-Florez, L., Laborde, J., & Mclean, D. J. (2020). Isolated trees and small woody patches greatly contribute to connectivity in highly fragmented tropical landscapes. Landscape and Urban Planning, 196, 103745.

[xi] Valencia, N. (2020, October 13). Not all parks should be green: 10 tips to design landscape infrastructure. ArchDaily. Retrieved Jan 5, 2022, from https://www.archdaily.com/926764/not-all-parks-should-be-green-10-tipsto-design-landscape-infrastructure

[xii] Low, YJ (2019, March 24) Explainer: Why sand is so highly valued and the controversy surrounding crossborder trade. Today Online. Retrieved Jan 5, 2022, from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/explainer-whysand-so-highly-valued-and-consequences-overmining

[xiiii] Stephanie Nah Yun Yuan, 2017, M.Arch thesis, Architectural Symbiosis: Forestry & Urbanism

[xix] Lena Chuan, 2021, Transforming Singapore into A City in Nature, CUGE lecture series

The studio started off with an orientation of studio "Birds on bulldozer" by tutors, Associate professor Hwang Yun Hye and Ms Guo Lehana followed by introduction to the entire semester's schedule. The students were then tasked to group themselves into groups of 3 based on the choice of topics given.

A series of guest lectures was also given on the following topics:

• Planning for Future PLAB by Mr Tan See Nin (URA)

• Summary on the First Report of the PLAB Research Report by Ms Soh Yun Yee (NUS PLAB Research Team)

• Design, Construction, and management of Jurong Lake Garden by Ms Ng Abby (Nparks)

• Potential and Limitation of Natural Resource Management in Landscape Projects by Mr Choo Jeverss (Mao Sheng Construction)

• Stages of Building and Infrastructure Construction by Ms Lim Sheau Miin (DP Architects)

12 JAN Studio Orientation

19 JAN Field Trip

For the morning discussion, the studio was tasked to explore the PLAB site prior to the guided field trip and to identify the various landscape typologies found within the boundary.

Dr Shawn Lum and Dr Anuj Jain then led the studio on a field trip. While stopping at various key areas, both the guest guides provided a commentary on the ecological structure and history of the site.

Each studio shared their site model making intention in terms of the scale to use, materials to employ and color scheme. After which, each group presented their research and analysis of the site based on the chosen topic. As most of the site data was provided by NUS PLAB Reseach Team, the students were tasked to filter through the data and to present only what is relevant. The topics presented were:

Area 1. Care. Connect. Coexist: fostering human and wildlife relationship

1. Soil restoration & permeability with insects

2. Landscape connectivity with birds

3. Seed dispersal & food sources with arboreal and ground animals

4. Watershed protection with aquatic animals

5. Wildlife economies

Area 2. Reuse. Reproduct. Redirect : managing natural and human resource flows

1. Land & Soil management

2. Water management

3. Recycling existing natural elements as natural capital

4. Recycled construction materials (e.g.Low-carbon material specification)

5. Landscape related business (e.g. Green Manufacturing)

26 JAN Exercise 1 Presentation & Model Discussion

2 FEB Exercise 2 Studio Site Model

Each studio was required to produce 1 overall physical model of the existing site. The models made have to be flexible such that the existing elements can be removed and replaced with the design interventions. The site model included the contours / terrain, road networks and any other layers necessary to demonstrate context according to the selected topics of the studio.

The Concept Masterplan Design workshop was led by the tutor of each studio. The students were guided through the drafting of the concept masterplan through various design prompts, such as the identification of various user types, understanding the issues in relation to the individual group topics, and consideration of the external site context. As part of the intending studio process, intergroup discussion was also conducted to understand the requirements and limitations of each topic. An overall studio draft concept masterplan was the deliverable set for the following week.

9 FEB Concept Masterplan Design Workshop

16 FEB Masterplan Negotiation and Model Modification

Using the first draft of the concept masterplan as the base, the studio tutors raised various queries to challenge the students to further enhance the masterplan.

Studio 1 worked on demarcating core ecological zones and parceling of the site based on the assumed demands of each topic.

Studio 2 conceptualised a rating strategy to facilitate the demarcation of zones required for each landuse type.

The midterm review was divided into 2 sessions. The morning session was a presentation of the overall studio concept masterplan followed by a Q&A session with invited critics, namely, Dr Heng Chye Kiang (NUS), Mr Fung John Chye (NUS), Dr Ong Ghim Ping Raymond, who were all part of the NUS-PLAB Team, and Dr Tan Puay Yok (NUS).

23 FEB Midterm Review

The afternoon session was curated as a presentation of individual group masterplanning and concept design strategies, followded by a Q&A session with invited critics, namely, Dr Tang Dorothy (NUS), Ms Liu Huei Lyn (PUB), Dr Lum Shawn (Nature Society Singapore), Dr Anuj Jain (Birdlife International), and Mr Koh Jiann Bin (Coherean Pte Ltd).

The invited critics provided critical and valuable comments for the students to consider as they further their design strategies in the following weeks.

Following the comments received at the Mid-term Review, each studio relooked into their masterplanning strategies, continued the intergroup negotiation process and made the neccessary adjustments.

Further design developments on individual group topics were also made in consideration of the comments received by the external critics.

Design Development

16 MAR - 13 APR Design Development

With the overall studio's Concept Masterplan firmed up, the last month of the semester was dedicated for individual group consultation to further the design schemes of each topic.

MAR - 9 MAR Masterplan Adjustment and

At the Final Review, each studio presented their overall studio masterplan followed by the individual group topic. Two groups of external critics were invited to join session. Studio 1's "Happy & Resilient PLAB" was critiqued by Mr Tan See Nin (URA), Mr Lambreghts Stefaan (Grant Associates), and Dr Tang Dorothy (NUS). Studio 2's "Regenerative PLAB" was critiqued by Mr Wright Jason (NParks), Mr Therry Jelle (Ramboll), and Dr Ervine Lin (NUS).

The semester concluded with the submission of a compiled studio report and the students' reflections found in the subsequent chapters of this book.

HAPPY & RESILIENT PLAB

CONCEPT MASTERPLAN GENERATION & NEGOTIATION PROCESS

STUDIO ONE | DONG LIWEI | ZHANG YUER | SHEN YUNNAN | JIANG YULI | LIU ZIYUE | YE HAN | WANG YU | | ZHANG WENTING | LIU KANGSHENG | LIN LAN | HU DIE | JIN ZHUOYIN | | JANINA KWAN | SABRINA SHAFARI | XING ZHIYAN |

TUTOR: LEHANA GUO

Singapore iS Small nation that haS experienced rapid development in over half a century, tranSforming itSelf into a firSt-world country by thriving aS a global financial hub deSpite itS conStant development, there are iSSueS that the nation haS yet to fully reSolved, along with the riSe of future challengeS that grow with the everchanging State of the world the development of plab will hold great infuence over Singapore'S future State, aS itS foundationS will be Shaped by preSent and future conditionS thuS, the foundation of the Studio maSterplan will be guided by Singapore'S current development, itS iSSueS and future iSSueS

HAPPPY ＆ RESILIENT PLAB

Topic Generation

MASTERPLAN NEGOTIATION PROCESS

Green Space Negotiation

MASTERPLAN NEGOTIATION PROCESS

Road Network & Hierarchy

MASTERPLAN TIMELINE

the plab Studio maSterplan takeS place acroSS 30 yearS in 4 different phaSeS

HAPPY & RESILIENT PLAB

CONCEPT MASTERPLAN TOPIC OF FOCUS

LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY WITH BIRDS

RECYCLED CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

LAND & SOIL MANAGEMENT

WATER MANAGMENT

WATERSHED PROTECTION WITH AQUATIC ANIMALS

LIVE WITH BIRDS

LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY WITH BIRDS

Singapore's primary forest area has been reduced to 2% of what it used to be. Ninety percent of tree cover loss occurred in urbanized areas. And the potential breakdown of pollination and dispersal mechanisms through the loss of species is also a risk factor. At the same time, One in seven people in Singapore has experienced mental disorders. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, More people seek mental health support.

Four aspects led us to choose birds as the target species. The first is the status quo of birds, and there has been a fluctuation decline in bird total counts and species in Singapore in 10 years. Secondly, Singapore is transforming itself into a City in Nature. The goal of 60 species recovery plans for the animal is set. Moreover, well-being was positively related to natural features, including species richness and abundance of birds for humans. And Singaporeans were generally optimistic about birds. Finally, birds are beneficial to the environment, and they are good pollinators and seed dispersers to facilitate the connectivity of the landscape.

New findings indicate that Singapore is now at the intersection of two flyways, the CAF and EAAF. PLAB is the green core in the west of Singapore and one of the most significant green spaces apart from the Nature Reserve.

Therefore, our design will mitigate the problem of deforestation, mental health, and climate change based on the Studio issues. And our vision is to transform PLAB from a bird-forbidden site to a bird-friendly site and then help the urban forest regeneration quickly while creating more opportunities for PLAB residents to get closer to nature. By connecting people more closely with nature and nature with nature, PLAB will become a happy and resilient city.

Moreover, our target is to keep the bird observation distance from 10.8m to 28.6m. Secondly, ensure access to parks within 300m of residential areas. Thirdly, increase public parks and open space to 9m2 per capita. Finally, the design will preserve 100% of the core habitat and increase the 1836226m2 forest area.

In conclusion, more birds will arrive as the forests mature and the greenery is better connected. Human wellbeing is improved, and PLAB is resilient against climate warming and extreme disasters with forest regeneration.

Dong Liwei, Shen Yunnan, Zhang Yuer

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS Design Concept

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

Why bird?

Migratory Routes

INTERNATIONALLY: New findings indicate that shorebirds use both the CAF and EAAF to reach their breeding grounds. Singapore is at the intersection of 2 flyways.

SINGAPORE: PLAB can link to Central Catchment Nature Reserver, and it can also link to Coney Island and Pulau Ubin.

PLAB: PLAB is one of the largest green space apart from the Singapore Nature Reserve and is the green core in the west of Singapore.

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

Bird Species Selection

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

Landscape Connectivity with other patches outside PLAB

PROPOSAL

Redefinition of Different Forests

DETAIL DESIGN | QUARTER FOREST

Design consideration

Perspective of Pavilion & Elevated wooden path

DETAIL DESIGN | NEIGHBORHOOD FOREST

DETAIL DESIGN | NEIGHBORHOOD FOREST

Design Consideration

The site supports potential corridors for Black napped oriole, Olive-winged bulbul and Green imperial Pigeon to pass through. According to the creation guidelines of neighbourhood forest, a safe corridor of at least 30m wide and a bird-human distance of at least 10.8m wide should be preserved.

According to studies, an NDVI of around 70% in the urban environment is ideal to ensure maximum bird diversity. This means that meeting such target is optimal for bird survival. The stimulated NDVI of the planting design reached 74%. Based on the vegetation type preferences of the three target species, the following plants will be planted as the keystone species of the site.

DETAIL DESIGN | NEIGHBORHOOD FOREST

DETAIL DESIGN | TRANSITION ZONE

Neighborhood forest - Quarter forest

Neighborhood forest - City forest

Quarter forest - City forest

Connecter

Red jungle fowl

RECYCLED CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL

The fluctuations in the social and economic system caused by the deterioration of the environment, natural resources crisis and the emergent social problems have had a serious impact on Singapore, a country that is highly dependent on imports. For example, in urban construction, the cost of materials has risen sharply. Our concept “RE+” in PLAB provides new ideas for the long-term development of a resilient city: a recycling system that extends the life cycle of materials and a heritage park made of recycled construction waste. The government, enterprises, associations, and other organizations cooperate with each other and share information in the new system, which improves the quality of recycled products and further promotes the goal of “Zero Waste”. In the process of visiting the heritage park and experiencing the handcraft activity with different materials, the public can not only gain happiness, but also raise their awareness of environmental protection. “RE+” makes PLAB a happy resilient model town.

"RE" itself represents a process of repetition and renewal. We will achieve the following three visions mainly through 3 related strategies:

Reducing carbon emissions from material recycling process

For the "REposition" strategy: we will reduce the transportation distance of deconstruction waste, and improve energy utilization and recycling efficiency by re-establishing a new comprehensive material recycling center. The efficient recycling and orderly management of materials will achieve the vision of CO2 reduction.

Enhance the awareness of material recycling in the whole society

For the "REfresh" strategy: we will awaken residents' awareness of material recycling through prototyping research on detachable designs, designing heritage parks using recycled materials, and incorporating visual material recycling knowledge. At the same time, the planning of the material experience area will play a certain educational role for children and adolescents.

Improve downcycling status and extend material life cycle

For the "REvalue" strategy: we will extend the life cycle of construction materials and retain the utilization value of materials through the introduction of the "rental system" system. A more complete material flow system and the reuse of higher-frequency recycling components will alleviate Singapore's reliance on imported materials to a certain extent, and at the same time make a contribution to alleviating the material crisis.

Jiang Yuli, Liu Ziyue, Ye Han

ISSUES ANALYSIS: MACRO SCALE

ISSUE 1: HIGH CO EMISSION

1. Current Status:

[1] The real estate industry’s carbon emissions account for 20% of the Singapore’s.

[2] 30% comes from the material manufacture, transportation and construction.

2.Why CO2 matters: Carbon dioxide emissions are the most important contributor to global warming. It also changes the pH value of seawater, thereby affecting the marine ecological environment.

Atmospheric CO2 concentration is rising rapidly

ISSUE 2: LIMITED NATURAL

1. Consumption Speed: TWICE

2. Annual Consumption:100.6bn

3. Proportion: >50% is sand, gravel building

4. Recycle Rate: Fallen from 9.1% We cannot do this indefinitely - our needs to be halted.

CO2 is the most important factor causing global warming



Building materials emit a large amount of carbon dioxide during their life cycle!

Source: https://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/, https://www.ecocyclesolutionshub.org/about-zero-waste/resource-depletion/

If we don’t recycle the materials, the raw materials will depleted very quickly!

NATURAL RESOURCES

TWICE the population growth rate

100.6bn TONNES

gravel and cement used for

9.1% to 8.6% our hunger for virgin material

ISSUE 3: OVER-RELIANCE ON IMPORT

1. Current Status: Singapore is a country that relies heavily on imports of building materials, with total imports rising by 19.7% in 2021.

2. Why this matters?

The price of building materials in Singapore will be largely controlled by the exporting country and easily affected by the environment. (Example)rebar prices have moved up more than 15 % since the war started.

Price trends of building materials: Metal & Other

Singapore’s building materials mainly rely on imports. Due to factors such as the epidemic, material prices continue to rise!

materials, be quickly!

ISSUE ANALYSIS

HIGH CO2 EMISSION FROM DECONSTRUCTION

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

residents ≈ 8

National Stadium

month excavation

DECREASE IN IMPORTED BUILDING MATERIALS

Imports of material drop by 7-50%

Inventory affects construction progress

Import value of construction material in 2018

9.5 million m3

874,665 t Metal 52735 t Plastic

million tons sand

= 55,000 people

Stadium

SGD 270 Million

Prefabricated building

SGD 1350 Million

Import value of construction material in 2020 (Tradingecnomics.com)

Imports value 2018 vs 2020

Prefabricated buildings: 1765 M→1350 M

Stone / plaster: 880 M→810 M

Metal: 350 M→175 M

Lime / cement: 1220 M→680M

REPOSITION

Relocate integrated recycling centers on site; Redefine waste management and recycling centers as an "atttactive and lively urban space" in the neighborhood.

Creatively set up for recycling materials, value to waste, and life cycle of

*Definition of "RE+"

1. The repeating of an action or process;

2. A change in the position or state of something.

* Happy & Resilient

1. Happy

Public gains happiness in the process of visiting the heritage park and experiencing the handcraft activity with recycled materials.

2. Resilient

A new recycling system is build for the long-term development of a resilient city. Different organizations coorperate and share information, which further promotes the goal of "Zero Waste".

REPOSITION

up a rental system materials, giving new and extending the recycled products.

REFRESH

Use the educational significance of landscape space to awaken people's awareness of material recycling and resource protection.

Educational Line:

With the support of AR technology, the material information stored in the rental system will be shared with the public. At the same time, more activities will created for teachers, students and residents to visit and participate, thus strengthening their focus on a sustainable future.

MASTER PLAN

LEGEND

PLAB Boundary

Recycling Center

Aquaculture Area

Commercial Area

Industrial Area (Smart Manufacturing)

Industrial Area (Semiconductor)

Industrial Area (Smart Logistics)

Residential Area

Heritage Area Boundary (Design Site)

Heritage Building

Public Landscape

Heritage Landscape

Natural Landscape

Water Body

Forest

Inner Loop Road

Roads

Functional Zoning Design

LEGEND

High-tech commercial center

Recycling Center

Functional radiation range

Heritage Landscape

Public Landscape

Natural Landscape

Transition with Residential Area

Inner loop road

Heritage Area Central Axis

Function Axis

Source of construction materials

Consumption of construction materials

Confirm the core location of the CBD

Material transport system

Functional zoning analysis of heritage area

Relationships between functional zones

Based on the building life cycle within the period(RSP) of 50 years, during Phase 2, necessary maintenance and material updates will be carried

reference studu necessary building carried out.

At the end of the life cycle, a new round of holistic demolition and recycling will begin.

Comlete the construction of the new industrial parks.

New residential areas will be built on the original Logis Park and Kaki Bukit Industrial Estate.

The new town will be built.

REPOSITION

On-site Material & Energy Flow

Energy Plant & Sewage Treatment Facility

Co-generation Plant

Tipping Building

Material Bank

Solar Roof

Electricity

Electricity

CDW Input

Product Output

Foodwaste Input

Electricity from solar power

Electricity from foodwaste

6 h/per day

500,500 m2 Area

(Refer to the maximum area of building roof in industrial area)

190,000 Solar Pannels

182,500 kw/per day Electricity

This amount of power can process:

5,020 t Steel Waste

910 m3 Concrete Waste

73,000 t Stone Waste or or

442,406 Residents in PLAB

147,469 Families in PLAB

110,601 kg/per day Foodwaste

19,908 m3/per day Biogas

66,361 kw/per day

Electricity

This amount of power can run:

13 Crushing Machines per day

Reposition Basis 1

A buffere zone of 500 meters is reserved between the recycling center and the residential area. Plant isolation belts are needed to reduce the impact of pollution on the living environment during the recycling process.

Reposition Basis 2

The material bank will be intergrated with the pocket garden from the plant group, making it not only a part of an industrial facility, but also a more comfortable public space.

Green Space

Recycling Center

Industrial Area

Solar Roof

Residential Buildings

Energy Flow

Inner Loop

Material Flow

500m Buffer

Food Waste Collection Point

@ New Defu Industrial Park

@ New Tampines Industrial Park

REPOSITION: ON-SITE RECYCLING CENTER & MATERIAL BANK

Material Processing Route Area of Recycling Center

Education Route

It can accommodate the recycled materials from about 200 buildings at the same time.

The comprehensive material recycling center integrates the resources of the original 5 single material recycling centers of PLAB, and expands the scale on the original basis. The integrated material recycling center is connected to the urban green space park. An educational route is designed inside the center to allow university visits to popularize material knowledge and enhance recycling awareness. Therefore, the material recycling center is not only an ordinary processing plant, but also can be repositioned as a green space and educational point of a city.

DEMOLITIONAREA

Processing Building Sta Building

Dumped and Sorting Building

COMPREHENSIVERECYCLINGCENTER

Social

With the reduction of raw material sources the price of raw materials will inevitably disposing waste in landfills, continue It's much more expensive to send waste to recycle it. Innovation in materials, capabilities could all help create new the future, and also create new

ASSESSMENT

Operate End of the lease of material

Users

Project Owner Projects

RVA:

"Whether to extend the lease"

Economic Benefits

Transaction Mode

AGENCY CONTRACTOR Clients

ii.repair materials

Economic Viability of Recycling

Landfill & Incineration Rental Recycling

90$/t

sources and the increase in market demand, inevitably rise. Tipping fees, which are fees for to rise as waste production increases. waste to landfill or incinerate it than it is product design and recycling system demand for some recycled materials in markets in some instances.

https://bettermeetscreality.com/is-recycling-economical-and-profitable/

Ecological Benefits

RETURN

1.Extend Material Lifespan without rental system without rental system

with rental system

2.Delay the Material Crisis

MAINTENANCE with rental system

3.Reduce Carbon Emissions

Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.07.581

PROTOTYPES

MATERIAL SIZE

Coarse aggregate > 4.75 mm

Fine aggregate < 4.75 mm (fine) Metal

PAVEMENT

Etched concrete

FURNITURE

WALL BUILDING

Detachable concrete board

Wrinkled concrete

Retaining wall

Detachable metal skin

Structured beam & joints

3D Printing

Road edge Undulating concrete

Perforated board Modular furniture REfresh 96

Grid

Stone for gabion 100 - 200 mm Steppingstone > 650 mm

TYPOLOGIES

MATERIAL SEARCH CONCRETE STONE

RECYCLED FROM Selected

Historical landscape

Naturalistic landscape

Public landscape

EDUCATION METHODE

Raise awareness by observing the use of materials in design

Raise awareness through AR educational application

Raise awareness through activities of assembling materials

Coarse aggregate > 4.75 mm

Fine aggregate < 4.75 mm (fine) Metal

Stone for gabion 100 - 200 mm

Steppingstone > 650 mm Pellet

Prototype name

SCHEMATIC EDUCATION METHOD

MATERIAL SEARCH

RECYCLED FROM Selected

CONCRETE

STONE

Historical landscape

Naturalistic landscape

Public landscape

EDUCATION METHOD

Raise awareness by observing the use of materials in design

Raise awareness through AR educational application

Raise awareness through activities of assembling materials

Coarse aggregate > 4.75 mm

Fine aggregate < 4.75 mm (fine) Metal

Stone for gabion 100 - 200 mm Steppingstone > 650 mm Pellet

Prototype name

SCHEMATIC EDUCATION METHOD

MATERIAL SEARCH CONCRETE

RECYCLED FROM Selected

STONE

Historical landscape

Naturalistic landscape

Public landscape

EDUCATION METHOD

Raise awareness by observing the use of materials in design

Raise awareness through AR educational application

Raise awareness through activities of assembling materials

Coarse aggregate > 4.75 mm

Fine aggregate < 4.75 mm (fine) Metal

Stone for gabion 100 - 200 mm Steppingstone > 650 mm Pellet

Playground

MATERIAL FROM THE DEMOLITION

exiSting inefficient material recycling plant

DESIGN ANALYSIS OF THE HERITAGE PARK

Central Axis

Ecological

HISTORICAL AREA

Heritage park redesign

Overview of rental materials

In order to build the airbase historical area, I rented a total of...

How can recycled materials show the history and memory?

Airplan Trail Path

Create a continuous path for visitors based on the trail of airplane to walk through the outdoor air exhibition.

Detachable plank road

Runway Light Square

Light is the guide of the planes, but also the guide of the crowd, create a lively evening event space.

Detachable street lamps

Reused aircraft jet tubes

Citizens Water Plaza

Use the water purified by the water group to create the possibility of waterfront activities for the citizens.

Detachable stone steps

Detachable lounge chairs

Outdoor Gallery

National Day Perfomance

End of Lease

Evening Events

PLAB Landmark Sunken Plaza

Water Activities

Rainfall Tank

End of Lease

How to use recycled materials at this site?

RECREATIONAL AREA

In order to build the recreational area, I rented a total of...

How to make playgrounds with recycled materials?

Metal is suitable for making some small-scale amusement equipments.

Metal climbing frame

Metal swing

Concrete is very strong and suitable as a base.

Concrete skatepark

Concrete steppers

Plastic is light in weight, so it can be used as a large-scale amusement equipments.

Plastic slide

Plastic seesaw

Stone is a relatively natural material, suitable for wild-shaped amusement facilities.

Stepping stone

Stone climbing wall

How to use recycled materials at this site?

PUBLIC AND ECOLOGICAL AREA

Overview

In order to build the public area and ecological area, I rented a total of...

Where did the shape of this area come from?

Central axis

Original contour lines

How to use recycled materials at this site?

Public area

Public area creates a relatively quiet atmosphere, allowing people to have a resting space with outdoor furniture made with recycled material.

Shape of plane

Final design

Ecological area

In the ecological area, the recycled material used is mostly stone. Because they can better integrate into the natural environment.

How to use recycled materials at this site?

The original demolition waste is added to let people intuitively feel the possibility of recycled material.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GARDEN

Overview of rental materials

In order to build the vegetable and fruit garden area, I rented a total of...

How people interact with the material?

Visitors

When the lease expires

Rental House

Procedures for leasing

Choosing the material of the planter box

Picking the seeds you want to grow

Teaching how to splice planter boxes

Handle rental cancellation procedures

Disassemble and clean the planter box

Help customers transport materials to the corresponding garden

Harvest fruits and vegetables

Eat by themselves

Sell to market

Assemble and Decorate

Fruit and Vegetable garden

Take care of fruits and vegetables

Have a dinner party

Participate in festivals

How to use recycled materials at this site?

Structural Analysis

AFTER THE LEASE

SITUATION1: Renew the lease

These iron sheets require maintenance procedures such as grinding and polishing, which are much cheaper than remanufacturing.

Some planter boxes in the fruit garden needs to be updated, and these materials will be returned here after maintenance.

When the lease expires, some managers want to continue to use these materials, but some need maintenance, they can choose to renew the lease.

SITUATION2: End the lease

This area will be planned as a residential area, so the landscape structure here needs to be demolished.

Once these materials enter the recycling cleaning, repair, sanding and polishing

Some of the recovered materials of acceptable quality for maintenance, while the other is crushed and recycled.

Some sites will be demolished or refurbished, so the manager has opted to end the lease. Therefore, all the landscape structures of the site will be transported back to the recycling center.

Since most of the landscape structures ditachable, after dismantling, some used in their original functions for part will be processed into raw materials.

The detachable planting box is more convenient for material maintenance.

recycling center, only simple polishing operations are carried out.

After maintenance, these materials will be returned to the original site and maintain the original function.

materials are maintenance, recycled.

I heard that these rides are made of recyclable plastic. so eco-friendly!!

structures will be designed to be some materials will continue to be simple maintenance. Another materials.

When a new site needs to be built, these materials will be leased again. And it will continue its life cycle with new functionality.

It takes about 300 years or more to form 1 cm thick soil on the earth's surface, so the soil is an extremely valuable resource for human beings.

-Eduardo Mansur , FAO

LAND ＆ SOIL MANAGEMENT

THINK AND INTERFERE THROUGH SOIL

Both land and soil are scarce resources for Singapore. With limited resources, Singapore needs to rely on a lot of imports. In addition, in order to meet the high-density population living on the limited land, Singapore needs to continuously carry out urban renewal. In this process, some environmental or social Issues will arise. The relocation of PLAB will provide new opportunities for the development of new towns in Singapore, but the remaining problems of Land and Soil still need to be solved urgently. We plan our strategy in two stages. Handing soil, land, and even social issues. Hope to create a Happy and resilient new model town based on sustainable land and soil management.

Our target is to solve or alleviate the above issues through land and soil intervention. And we made a twostage strategy. The first stage is soil regeneration. Remediate contaminated soil to Plantable soil. The second stage is agriculture Urbanism. Using regenerated soil for food production through the establishment of the PLAB agricultural network with 3 typology. Agriculture park for town level,mixed-use units for estate level, and agricultural street scape for block level.

Intervention through our strategy, we will regenerate about 100,250m³ of agricultural soil through soil regeneration and formed a closed loop of soil transportation within PLAB. We have added about 95 hectares of land for food production by establishing the PLAB agricultural infrastructure network. At the same time, ecological benefits are generated through the operation of these two systems, and it can also promote community participation.

Wang Yu, Zhang Wenting, Liu Kangsheng

SOIL AND LAND CLASSIFICATION

Layer of ground classification

SOIL REGENERATION

Contaminated S

Soil Excavation

Transportation

SOIL STABILIZATION

Screening and Crushing

Heavy metal pollution

Soil Chemical Treatment

Organic Pollution

AGRICULTURE PARK SCENARIO

t he agricultural park i S in the original S oil area , the S oil i S in good condition and doeS not require additional treatment before being uSed for ProduCtion. the area uSed for ProduCtion aCCountS for 80%. and ComBined high-tech agriculture and traditional agriculture the phytoremediation area mainly u S e S the method of plant management to regenerate the fertility of the Soil that haS loSt itS fertility in the other part of the agriculture park at the Same time, the creation area in the agricultural park enhanceS Social participation and connection

MIXED-USE UNIT SCENARIO

the main PurPoSe of the mixed-uSe unit iS to Serve the eState within 5 minuteS of walking diStance. the production area in each mixed-uSe unit a CC ount S for 70%. h igh - te C h agri C ulture and traditional agri C ulture are combined compoSt centre and rainwater harveSt provide mixed-uSe unit with fertilizer and water for agricultural production community committeeS increaSe connectivity and participation between communitieS, and the food court in the mixed-uSe unit uSeS agricultural productS produced in the unit to achieve "field to table".

AGRICULTURE STREETSCAPE SCENARIO

S treet S cape agriculture i S mainly u S ed to S erve the S urrounding communitieS and meet the daily needS of Surrounding reSidentS part of the roof of the buildingS next to the Street iS put into uSe and becomeS roof farming the Soil uSed for planting comeS from the clean Soil after remediation , and the rainwater harve S ting device and compo S t center provide water and fertilizer for plant growth. Street retail can Sell the productS be en produced along the StreetScape.

Module Furniture

DETAIL DESIGN: AGRICULTURE STREETSCAPE

DETAIL DESIGN: AGRICULTURE PARK

DETAIL DESIGN: AGRICULTURE PARK

DETAIL DESIGN: AGRICULTURE PARK

DETAIL DESIGN: MIXED-USE UNIT

m ixed - u S e u nit S erve S the S urrounding C ommunity within a 15- minute walking radiu S . agricultural production iS mainly to meet the needS of daily life the productS mainly include baSic common vegetableS and fruitS

i n addition to focu S ing on agricultural production , m ixed - u S e u nit al S o focu S e S on Strengthening the connection between communitieS, which iS different from community centre in the traditional SenSe by participating in agricultural activitieS, community reSidentS are more cloSely connected, and community functionS are enriched.

S uch m ixed - u S e u nit S are evenly di S tributed near each re S idential area group of plab , enSuring that each reSidential area of plab can be covered by the Service Scope of mixeduSe unit, Strengthening communication between communitieS, and enhancing the diverSity of community activitieS

DETAIL DESIGN: MIXED-USE UNIT

t he community committee regularly organize S a variety of plant - themed activitie S to attract more people participate and Strengthen the connection between reSidentS in the community

regularly themed people to connection

a gricultural production provide S the community with the daily neceSSitieS of freSh vegetableS and fruitS community reSidentS can pick agricultural productS at their doorStep.

t he food wa S te and potential extra agricultural productS generated by the community are degraded to provide the neceSSary fertilizer for planting

DETAIL DESIGN: AGRICULTURE STREETSCAPE

MORE THAN BLUE INFRASTRUCTURE:

COMMUNITY, NATURE, MEMORY

Water is always a vital resource for all humans, Singapore has been facing problems such as limited freshwater resources and over-reliance on imports. As a new town in the future, the increasing population in PLAB brings about increasing water demand, but the available water resources within the site are limited and depend on external water supply. In addition, PLAB was closely related to water in terms of production and living, but with waterways canalization, the relationship between people and water was estranged.

The project is aiming at maximizing the use of collected rainwater and greywater while transforming water management infrastructure into spatial landmarks to integrate the water system into people's daily life. Through innovative water management design, the following targets are:

1. Manage water quantity and quality while improving biodiversity and accessibility

2. Reconnect the relationship between humans and water

3. Shorten the process of wastewater transportation and reduce non-potable water reuse costs

The project proposes a new framework for water management in future PLAB, which is more than blue infrastructure, but a whole new system linking ecological restoration, historical memory, and community life. The design is divided into three strategies:

1. Improvement in rainwater harvesting capacity: Integrating the blue-green infrastructure network through constructed wetland system and WSUD elements

2. Interaction between people and water: Integrating blue infrastructure with community life & historical representation & ecological education in the linear runway park

3. Innovation in water treatment: Introducing decentralized wastewater treatment coupled with on-site, nonpotable water harvesting and purification devices

By integrating the fragmented blue-green infrastructure to create a new blue-green network for the overall studio masterplan, the project enables the efficient management of water reuse and achieves the goal of resilience. While it tends to transform water management infrastructure into spatial landmarks to reconnect the relationship between humans and water, which echoes the studio’s goal of a happy model town.

Hu Die, Lin Lan, Jin Zhuoyin

BACKGROUND

Water Management Loop in Singapore

This graphic shows where water comes from and how sewage is treated and reused in the current water management loop in Singapore.

The shortage of this loop is, rainwater and waste water needs to be transported a long distance to the treatment plants through whether concrete drainages or underground pipes. This will increase the cost of water transportation to some extent.

BACKGROUND

Potential Water Demand & Supply in PLAB

Based on PLAB's future population, we calculated the future non-potable water demand and the potential supply of rainwater and grey water. According to the calculation, we find that the daily potential supply is about three times of the non-potable water demand, indicating that PLAB has great potential for rainwater and greywater reuse.

PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS Site Analysis

PROPOSAL

Relationship Between Human&Water

PROPOSAL

Water Management Toolbox

According to different water quality requirements of inlet and outlet water, we developed three water treatment processes.

DETAIL DESIGN | ECOLOGICAL PARK Treatment Tool Box

DETAIL DESIGN | ECOLOGICAL PARK Treatment Process

DETAIL DESIGN | ECOLOGICAL PARK Rendering

DETAIL DESIGN | RUNWAY LINEAR PARK Treatment & Activity Tool Box

DETAIL DESIGN | RUNWAY LINEAR PARK

DETAIL DESIGN | RUNWAY LINEAR PARK

DETAIL DESIGN | WATER TREATMENT DEVICE

Water Harvesting & Purification Device Toolbox

Detail Plan Process

Type B is located in the open space at community plaza, which density is calculated according to the water demand of each block.

depending on the scale of the area.

Type A is located in the bird corridor. After overlaping with the water flow map, the runoff intersection is found as the construction location of the device.

Type C is located in the community pocket park, the density of the device is

DETAIL DESIGN | WATER TREATMENT DEVICE

Section & Renders

DETAIL DESIGN | WATER TREATMENT DEVICE

Section & Renders

DETAIL DESIGN | WATER TREATMENT DEVICE

Section

WATERSHED PROTECTION

WITH AQUATIC ANIMALS

In over half a century, Singapore has experienced unprecedented growth. As a result, resource limitations and provision security have grown to become significant future challenges, where design is required to plan beyond the present and engage with future issues including climate change and threats to biodiversity. This project will show how this can be achieved through a watershed protection approach with aquatic animals. This approach will be integrated with a scenario-based framework, where a series of ecological strategies will responf to predicted trends in PLAB. Through strengthening the relationship between the watershed, biodiversity and people, residents wil achieve a happy & resilient community. In relation to the overall studio masterplan, this project will propose strategies that will work with one another and adapt to any current, ongoing and future scenarios, while providing support to other systems to shape PLAB into a Happy & Resilient Town of the future.

Janina Kwan, Sabrina Shafari, Xing Zhiyan

GROUP VISION

Achieving a Happy & Resilient Community

Resource Limitations and Provision Security are the biggest challenges PLAB will face with its coming development. Thus, design should engage with future unpredicatbility to form a resilient town with strong adaptability. The watershed protection approach with aquatic animals can be integrated with a scanriobased framework, where strategies will respond accordingly. By establishing a strong relationship between its watershed, biodiversity and people, PLAB will achieve a happy and resilient community.

PROJECT FOUNDATION

Thought Process & Direction

The existing watershed has cultural & historical significance, with mangroves and fishing along Serangoon River. In the late 20th century, the river bank was the former Lorong Halus Dumping Ground landfill. Addtionally, the 3 main waterbodies in PLAB currently exhibit low and uneven species diversity for aquatic & non-aquatic fauna.

Study of the current water quality conditions & observations show majority of the areas throughout PLAB were lacking in the ability to simultaneously cater to the watershed, people and biodiversity.

Successful watershed protection is currently at 94%. Our goal is to provide 100% successful watershed protection.

STUDIO MASTERPLAN Masterplan Site Considerations

Based on the analysis of proposed construction, demolition & establishment of soil bank, areas were identified with high risk of soil erosion & flooding that will affect the quality of PLAB's watershed.

Green spaces & proposed habitats were taken into consideration, due to their close relationship with waterbodies and its aquatic species to create a thriving & balanced ecosystem.

The future landuse & transportation network were used to identify areas that will have enhanced human-nature contact, watershed protection and ecological enhancement.

In conjunction with the studio masterplan, the project aims to work together and support it, achieving integration with by considering relevant strategies from other groups.

JOURNEY OF WATER

Relationship between Proposed Strategies

SCENARIO-BASED ISSUES

SCENARIO 1: MASTERPLAN PROGRESS

PROGRESSION RESPONSE

Strategies Reponse to Pollution

WILDLIFE HABITATS

Bioindicators & Typologies

Curated wildlife habitats will strengthen biodiversity & provide a reliable means of evaluation. Watershed inhabitants directly respond to their environment, where the choice of suitable flora & fauna species can help to identify & resolve issues. Across the different habitat typologies, there will be flexible species proposal to benefit the watershed, biodiversity & people.

Along Serangoon River, the Mangroves habitat will transition through 4 types: Mangroves, Back mangroves, Freshwater swamp forest and Freshwater riparian.

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268374524_The_present_extent_of_mangrove_forests_in_Singapore

Programs integrated into these habitats will further strengthen the connection between people & biodiversity. It will provide valuable educational opportunitoes & support a lifestyle experience unique to the community.

AGROFORESTRY

Permaculture Approach

Agroforestry aims to reduce the over-reliance on imported food and establish a self-sustaining food supply for the future PLAB residents and Singapore.

In Phases 1 & 2, the farm reacts as the last process of treating polluted water by reducing nutrients in water runoff from construction & demolition areas before it reaches the Serangoon River Watershed.

A holistic approach to farm crops in a sustainable way, which achieves high yields and productivity.

SCENARIO 2: MASTERPLAN COMPLETION

Happy Town Model

COMPLETION RESPONSE

Strategies Reponse to a Happy Community

Agroforestry takes on a larger role during this stage of development in terms of food production and strengthening the relationship between people and nature. It will be done on 3 scales in different phases: Commercial, Neighbourhood and Residential.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

Movement of Food in Paya Lebar Airbase

SCENARIO 3: MASTERPLAN FUTURE

Overwhelmed Systems

FUTURE RESPONSE

Strategies Reponse to Overhwhelmed Systems

WILDLIFE HABITATS

Adaptation of Habitats

Source: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26233154#:~:text=Introduction.,the%20official%20record%20in%201929.

Source: https://www.shenghunglee.com/tetrapot, https://www.tredjenatur.dk/en/portfolio/climatetile/

AQUACULTURE & RICE FARMS

FLOATING AGROFORESTRY

REGENERATIVE PLAB

CONCEPT MASTERPLAN GENERATION & NEGOTIATION PROCESS

STUDIO TWO | CYNTHIA WEE SU YI | CHANG WANRUO | SHI YILAN | CHAI XIN YI | MIRWANKAR ANCHITA NITIN | | WANG LIANGYU | ZHANG YUXI | XU RUOZHU | REN JUNYAO | CAO NAICHUN | CAO NAICHUN | | ZHOU SICONG | ZHAO MINGYU | JIANG RUOMIN | CHENG SIQI |

TUTOR: HWANG YUN HYE

RATING MAPS OF FOCUS TOPICS

Process | Nature - Human

Co-Breathing w ith Soil

Wildlife Economies

Seed

Nature

D ispersal & Animals

as a Carbon Bank

The concept plan creates green connections within urban areas, improving urban area permea-bility. At the same time, topo changes in the forest and additional forest periphery prevent further erosion, allowing the opportunity for the soil ecosystem to thrive.

The concept plan creates green connections within urban areas, improving urban area permea-bility. At the same time, topo changes in the forest and additional forest periphery prevent further erosion, allowing the opportunity for the soil ecosystem to thrive.

The concept plan creates green connections within urban areas, improving urban area permea-bility. At the same time, topo changes in the forest and additional forest periphery prevent further erosion, allowing the opportunity for the soil ecosystem to thrive.

The concept plan creates green connections within urban areas, improving urban area permea-bility. At the same time, topo changes in the forest and additional forest periphery prevent further erosion, allowing the opportunity for the soil ecosystem to thrive.

TO DECIDE WHICH EXISTING GREEN SPACES HAVE THE MOST CONSERVING VALUES AND WHERE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL GREEN PATCHES

TO DECIDE WHICH EXISTING GREEN SPACES HAVE THE MOST CONSERVING VALUES AND WHERE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL GREEN PATCHES

TO DECIDE WHERE THE GREEN CONNECTION SHOULD BE

DECIDE WHERE GREEN ECTIONS HOULD BE

STAND BY WILDLIFE Negotiate, Diffuse, Appreciate

Nature as a Carbon Bank

PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPE BUSINESSES

Develop, improve, engage

STUDIO CONCEPT PLAN PROCESS

STUDIO CONCEPT PLAN

Overlap of rating and negotiation process

Concept plan is the overlapping of the rating maps of the four nature-focused groups to understand the different degrees from nature to the human area and negotiation between the nature and built environment on 3 main topics which are green & blue distribution, road systems and buildings to achieve overarching studio vision “regenerative plab”.

REGENERATIVE PLAB

CONCEPT MASTERPLAN TOPIC OF FOCUS

CP-BREATHING WITH SOIL

SEED DISPERSAL AND ANIMAL MOVEMENTS

WILDLIFE ECONOMIES

NATURE AS CARBON BANK

PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPE BUSINESSES

CO-BREATHING WITH SOIL

IMPROVEMENT, PERMEABILITY, INTERPLAY

Is soil really that important? The answer is usually yes, as mentioned in the textbook. But beyond book knowledge, people don't necessarily consider soil to be an important part of our lives, and they tend to ignore or dislike its existence.

In fact, as important as water and trees, soil is a key component of ecosystems and human life. Its importance is manifested in many ways, such as providing habitat for a wide range of beneficial organisms, as the foundation of human infrastructure, etc. All life on Earth depends on healthy, viable soil, which means we can only have a good life if we have good soil.

However, the soil conditions in Paya Lebar are not ideal. The results showed that there were three main problems with the soils on site, land-use change leading to surface degradation, reduced permeability, and negative perceptions of "dirt" and insects. First, drastic land-use changes have led to the deterioration of soils and their biodiversity, with some soils containing more pollutants and higher soil compaction. Second, excessive growth in infrastructure, urbanization, and human activity affects permeability and soil life, and creates a disconnect between surface and subsurface relationships. Finally, while insects have proven to have many benefits for soils and ecosystems, the distribution of insects has changed as the physical gap between cities and natural areas has grown, leading to a long-standing psychological fear of insects. The invisibility of soils in daily life also arouses people's unfamiliarity with soils, seeing them as dirt.

Therefore, in response to these issues, we propose a strategy, divided into three parts, to revitalize soil quality, allow soil to breathe, and allow humans to breathe with soil. The strategy consists of four sequential actions, starting with soil movement (providing a healthy soil base), habitat improvement (initiating natural regeneration), soil treatment (providing further sustainable improvement), and final action, human interplay (providing participatory maintain).

After completing the first cycle, improvements in soil quality, permeability and diversity will be achieved. The follow-up system will provide continuous soil improvement support for Paya Lebar, and is expected to achieve a stable, sustainable, regenerative cycle, and ultimately realize the co-respiration of people and soil.

Anchita Nitin Mirwankar, Cao Naichun, Zhou Sicong

ISSUE I: DEGRADED LAND SURFACE

Over the years, land in PLAB have gone through various change in land use like tree cultivation, landfill, quarry excavation, grassland, built infrastructure. This drastic change has deteriorated the richness of ecosystem and biodiversity having pollutants and high compaction in soil.

Source: https://libmaps.nus.edu.sg/ , PLAB: RESEARCH REPORT

Cutting of existing ecosystem to expand

and coconut tree cultivation and quarry excavation

In soil classification

Soil life

Less soil life

Soil life reduced as compaction increased because of built areas and landfill

SOIL CLASSIFICATION

Compacted soil

Compacted soil(open fields)

Inorganic soil

Organic soil

Forest soil

BUILT AREA

In built spaces

Permeable areas

Polluted area

Built areas increased NPK nutrients in soil and reduced permeability.

Managed ecosystem

High biodiversity

Low diversity

Maintained organic soil green areas with less biodiversity.

New ecosystem

High diversity

Low diversity

Loss of existing forest and mangroves leading to new ecosystem.

Ecosystem + Water permeability

High

Low

Canalised stream, quarry turned water body changed ecosystem and reduced permeability.

Diverse ecosystem

Good soil

Degraded soil

603.50 ha

32.29 %

Reclaimed land Buildings

Paved areas Roads

Industrial zone

PLAB Airebase zone

MANAGED GREENS

140.25 ha

7.5 %

Streetscape greenery

Public and private parks

UNMANAGED GREENS

591.55 ha

31.64 %

Secondary dense forest

Young Secondary forest

Scrubland

Secondary forest + Scrubland

WATER BODIES

122 ha

6.53%

Bedok Reservoir

Tampines quarry

Seragoon river

SITE

1869.8 ha

The existing site have high pollutant zone, high soil compaction and prominent change in ecosystem leading to poor soil quality and life.The newly habitat emerged are secondary forest and scrubland thriving on poor quality of soil leaving behind rich habits like mangroves, low swamp forest. Currently, over 65 % of soil is has lost its quality and life.

ISSUE II: LESS PERMEABILITY Issue

Permeability analysis displayed high percentage of impervious surface in urban area. Nature area based on location, some proved to have poorer porosity which may cause damage to root growth and underground communities.

Source: PLAB Research Report; Geology of Singapore; Geological and geotechnical features of Singapore: an overview

Sandy Clay Loam

Sandy Clay Loam

Loamy Sand Sandy Loam

Sandy Loam

Loam

Sandy Clay Loam

Sandy Clay Loam

Source: httpS://www inaturaliSt org/obServationS?place id=any&Subview=map

POTENTIAL AREA & VISION & STRATEGY

ACTION I: SOIL MOVEMENT

Some part of forest area is replaced for proposed infrastructure and this soil which is high in fertility, soil life and less compacted is inserted in existing compacted built areas to increase permeability and soil quality.

The forest soil is divided into 2 types soil :

1.Type A which is a mixture of topsoil and crushed trees is inserted as base for proposed core vegetation.

2.Type B is subsoil and parent rock used as base for recreational areas and streetscapes.

Type C is crushed concrete powder is used for paver block production in hardscape areas as permeable material. The volume obtained from the cutting for all soil types is used within the site.

Cut of Forest soil

Cut of Concrete canal

Soil type A

Soil type B

Soil type C

Secondary forest Type A and B soil

Tree crusher Combination of forest area Proposed habitat

ACTION III: TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE SOIL LIFE AND QUALITY

Source: https://www.towardszerowaste.gov.sg/foodwaste/, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/project-using-black-soldier-flies-to-break-down-food-waste-set-to-expand-in

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/project-using-black-soldier-flies-to-break-down-food-waste-set-to-expand-in

As Singapore has increased their percentage by 20% in food waste, use of organic waste in site to create compost then organic fertilizer is one of the ways to build soil structure, increase water holding capacity and provide a valuable source of micronutrients to plants. Macro level and micro level methods are used to create organic fertilizers.

Other techniques like Phytoremediation, Aeration are applied in particular areas highlighted in masterplan.

Mulching is a common technique to be used for forest and urban greenspaces.

Collection of organic food waste to the treatment centres.

Micro level treatment process : compost bins, insect hotels and collection points of excess organic waste

Macro level treatment process: Aerobic and insect bioconversion facility

feet inches

ACTION IV: HUMAN NATURE INTERPLAY

Insect + Soil

Insect hotel and composting

Insect Farming

Motorbike trail

Soil Research center

Insect hotel

Mud play

Elevated walkway in Freshwater swamp forest

MotorbikeTrail

Seragoon scrubland

Seragoon Forest

The main focus of human activity is to develop insect soil friendly relationship with human by changing modular living in Singapore. Encouraging participation for all age groups in activities like composting, insect towers in micro level neighborhood scale and macro site activities like trails connecting proposed and existing habitat, mud play, offroad biking, outdoor learning spaces, research centers and organic waste treatment to create organic fertilizer and insect soil education.

Tampines Quary

Bedok reservoir

Residenial zone

Commercial zone

Conserved zone

Habitat trail

Motorbike track Forest walk

Elevated walkway in Freshwater swamp frest

Food waste treatment

1. Aerobic compost treatment

2. Insect bioconversion

Reserach and education centre

Community enagement

1. Insect hostels

2. Compost making 3.Gardening

Naturalised canal

Museum and Research Centre

Compost making

Forest Walk

Community gardening

Outdoor learning

Heritage building

Nature play

Elevated pathways

Forest Walk

MotorbikeTrail

Secondary forest

Legend

TO HOMES

ORGANIC FERTILIZER PAVEMENT

CONCRETE GARDEN

PERMEABLE SURFACE

INFRASTRUCTURE

COMMUNITY GARDENS SOIL QUALITY

EARTHWORM

SUPPORT PARTICIPATION RENEGERATION

PERMEABLE SOFTSCAPE VEGETATION

SOIL

URBAN SOFTSCAPE

POLLUTION REMDIATION

PEST CONTROL

HABITAT WATER RELATED NATURAL INFILTRATION

ASSISTED NATURE

SPECIES DIVERSITY

Through design we achieve an interrelated circulation which allows co-breathing with soil possible. Infrastructure including food waste treatment, permeable surface, function as support system. Habitat, the regeneration system and human, the participatory maintenance system. Through the mutual support and cooperation of these three systems, the improvement of soil quality, permeability and diversity is achieved, and a stable, sustainable and regenerative cycle is expected to be realized.

HUMAN Achievement 289

SITE I: SOIL MOVEMENT

Action I

Given the proposed cross-slope adjustment of the road, the existing terrain required soil movement to connect the sides of the road for pedestrians and natural water flow

SITE I: HABITAT EVOLUTIONS

Source: Liu, T. et al., 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.643994

SITE I: HUMAN NATURE INTERPLAY Action IV

Proposed Type of biking

After movement of soil and naturalizing the canal, the intention of proposing human activities in this site is connect to develop awareness and attraction for mud play activities by connecting existing biking in Tampines forest to urban space and by connecting forest walk to proposed walkway along canal by proposing under road construction for seamless connection to increase soil insect interaction. 100 m

Zig Zag track

Slope : 17 ∞

Disturbance : Zig zag track

Degree of Disturbance : The slope is gradual with erosion.

Pedestrian

Plank road track

Slope : 0∞

Disturbance : Think wooden above the ground Degree of Disturbance

Plank above ground avoids disturbance to soil.

Under road connection Spider bridges for motor pedestrian

Allows to continue forest water front pedestrian walkway motor bike trail to connect trails and to guide water

1. Mud play

2. Sand pit

3. Butterfly garden

4. Stepped seatings

5. Lawn

6. Recreational ground

Trail connecting to existing biking zone.

Zig zag slope biking track

biking tracks

track in slope

zag track in slope

Disturbance : gradual with to avoid soil

with to avoid soil

wooden plank : avoids

Think wooden plank

Disturbance : ground avoids soil.

Plank road track biking

Plank road track biking

connection motor biking and

motor biking and forest trail to connect walkway, existing connect proposed water to the canal.

forest trail to connect pedestrian walkway, existing connect proposed water to the canal.

Mudplay for children

Mudplay for children

Pedestrian walkway

Pedestrian walkway Road Lawn

Zig zag slope biking

SITE II: ISSUE ANALYSIS

WAREHOUSE/ STORAGE FACILITY

Debris and items over planting leading to disturbance to soil life.

Manufacturer

Warehouse / Storage Roads

Metal Workshop

Motor Repairs

Private Companies

Site Boundary

EXISTING BUILT

The landuse in site 2 is Industrial zone. Pollutants and excess built have compacted the soil, reduced soil life. The hardscape material reduces water permeability.

The vegetation observed is sparse due to compacted soil and poor soil quality.

BUFFER PLANTATION BETWEEN ROAD AND INDISTRIAL AREA

Trees

Site Boundary

EXISTING GREENSPACES

The ratio of green spaces with built area in site 2 is very low. Due to excess built permeabilty is less and pollutants are high in soil. The planting thrive on poor quality of soil.

Only human activity observed is pedestrial walkway

Green spaces acquired by storage leading to compacted soil, and soil life less planting.

As per analysis, the existing land use of site is industrial zone having pollutants, compaction, and poor quality of soil with sparse green spaces leading to less permeability.

GREEN PATCH WITHIN BUILT SPACES

SITE II: MASTER PLAN

Soil type B

Human soil insect interplay

Soil type C

Permeable paving (grass pavers)

Recreational space

Planting cracks on existing road

Car parking with permeable hardscape

Proposed buildings

Vehicular connectivity

Pedestrian pathway connectivity

Legend 100 m

Site 2 Master Plan Layout

The site is designed for residential land use, community engagement spaces and car parking. Recreational spaces include some existing concrete roads which do not require demolition are retained and converted into concrete gardens by planting cracks. Proposed permeable hardscape and softscapes with sustainable human activities helps soil breathe.

SITE II PERMEABILITY

in the hardScape area, we add SoftScape patcheS and uSe permeable Surface to improve permeability

we import Soil type b and mix it with compoSt and garden Soil to make Soil mixture which be filled in original pit or Spread on the top of exiSting Soil

Source:https://landezine.com/texture-by-studio-basta-and-wagon-landscaping/ https://landezine.com/asphalt-jungle-paris-by-wagon-landscaping/

SITE II: ECOLOGY

Action

302

Action III + IV

SITE II: ACTIVITY Waste Treatment Process

Source: https://www.gooood.cn/urban-beehive-project-by-nine-yards-studio.htm

Community Space

In community space, there will be more interaction between humans and insects through activities like outdoor class and insect treasure hunt.

Streetscape

In Streetscape, more soft scape with various plant species and some bare land will help to attract insects and bring fun to people's street journey.

TRAVEL GUIDE OF SEEDS

BACKGROUND OF THE TOPIC; WHY IS IT A TOPIC OF IMPORTANCE

PLAB is an area among the most critical ecological patches and corridors in Singapore, taking a significant role in ecological connection with the potential to be an indispensable stepping stone in animal flow. Seed dispersal is one of the critical fundaments of establishing such a stepping stone. To improve the seed distribution both on a national and site scale, we focused on increasing animal movement by creating suitable and diversified habitats. And once the green connections are formed, a self-generative PLAB landscape will be established. The topic is significant in maintaining core wildlife habitats within the urban setting and discussing the potential of creating a self-generative landscape in a high-density urban environment in the long term.

VISION

As the primary dispersal method for this project, Wildlife movements provide great potential for long-term sustainable biodiversity development and promote PLAB as a critical ecological stepping stone on a larger scale. Our vision is to create nature-driven urban planning which prioritizes wildlife movements. It will promote a self-sustainable food system and opportunities for spontaneous landscapes in the long run.

CONCEPT & METHODOLOGY OF THE PROPOSAL

The identified issues on-site regarding our topic include lacking connectivity among green patches and existing hardscape structures that create barriers to animal movements, which is the key to seed dispersal. Targeting those issues, we concluded our concept of Self-Generative Landscape that focuses on Free-Flow, Soften, and Disperse. We utilized strategies from Spatial, Experiential, and Self-generative aspects. Strategies include - a) Spatial: Utilize topo and natural/manmade structures to create continuous linkage for both humans and animals. b) Experiential: Soften barriers at where human and animal movements intersect. c) Self-generative: Create diversified habitat and complexed patches through seed dispersal. We applied the three strategies from the PLAB scale to one selected site scale as an example to showcase the feasibility of our strategies.

CONCLUSION; HOW DOES THIS CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL STUDIO MASTERPLAN

Based on the above strategies, we determined the core forest area needed to maintain the biodiversity of the site and the extent of the core movement paths required by the animals, which also influenced and implemented in our overall studio masterplan. Through the natural process and human interventions, we maximize patch connections and also ensure the free flow of animals, and increase the seed dispersal range on site. Ultimately, we achieved the goal of improving PLAB's ecological connections and patch complexity on both macro and micro scales through human intervention at the early stages, then transforming it into a selfgenerative landscape in later stages once all planned connections are established. And creating a community environment where people and animals co-exist harmoniously.

Xu Ruozhu, Chang Wanruo, Shi Yilan

Seed Dispersal and Animal Movements: Free-Flow, Soften, Disperse

ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PLAB

Determination of Ecological Networks

Legend

Central Catchment Nature Reserve Least-resistance corridors

Tengeh Reservoir

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Pulau Ubin

Chingi

Labrador Park

Singapore’s vision - evolve Singapore into a biophilic city in a garden so that it could help mitigate the effects of urban air pollution and have a healthier living environment.

One of the large-scale planning strategies - to further build up the resilience of the urban system by enhancing ecological connectivity across the island.

The map above shows the projected ecological networks that animals are likely to use. The PLAB site, highlighted in red, situated within the identified corridors, also becomes a vital part of the overall greenery linkage connecting the fauna habitats from the northeast and southeast corner (Er, 2018).

Source: Er, K. (2018). Growing a Biophilic City in a Garden. CSC. https://www.csc.gov.sg/articles/growing-a-biophilic-city-in-agarden PLAB: RESEARCH REPORT. (2021). National University of Singapore.

A preliminary evaluation is conducted to understand our site condition in a bigger context. And as the map above shows, the discontinuous green spaces in PLAB are causing barriers along our site boundary and within our site, limiting animals from moving in and around.

More specifically, area type A generally has higher existing vegetation density and coverage. Vegetation in the rest of the area (type B) is relatively scattered or urbanized. Therefore, when planning for future ecological layouts, the connections within area B and between A and B need to be further strengthened.

5 km

Legend

Reptiles

Mammals

Birds

Butterflies

Vegetation

Water

EXISTING SPECIES, PREFERRED HABITATS & FOOD RESOURCES

Research on PLAB flora and fauna includes typical animal species and vegetation. The information of seed size, dispersal methods and food resource condition is also illustrated. Five habitat observed in the site include streetscape, mangroves, urban parks, secondary forests and scrubland. The animal activity height ranges along with tree canopy height are demonstrated to show their relationship

Source : NParks website

SEED DISPERSAL METHODS

Background Information

exisTing wind direCTions and surFaCe Flowing direCTions

Legend

Water Flowing Directions

Wind Directions

Site Boundary

Controlling Factors

Wind Dispersal

Water Dispersal

Legend

Birds

Banded Surili

Dusky Leaf Monkey

Secondary Forest

Scrubland

Roadside Green Roads

Paved Park

Finlayson’s Squirrel

Long-tailed Macaque

Plantain Squirrel Raffles’ Banded Langur

Snooth-coated Otter

Waterbodies

Open Field Buildings

Green Space

Secondary Froest & Scrubland

1 km

The seed has three main dispersal methods: wind, water, and animals. The wind on-site comes from all directions and has too many varieties, so it will not be considered for this project. Animal dispersal will be the primary planning approach, while the water on-site can help with animal movements when further water connections are developed.

Source: PLAB: RESEARCH REPORT. (2021). National University of Singapore.

CurrenT Fauna map

Arboreal & Ground

Ground Animals

ESTIMATION OF ANIMAL MOVEMENT ROUTES AND SEED DISPERSAL RANGE

Flying Animals

Existing Seed Dispersal Range

Scrubland and sparse woodland：Plantain squirrel

Grass and shrubs: Scaly breasted munia

High density forest: Forest birds, Primate, Fruit Bats

From this figure, it can be seen that some spots in urban areas that are not being covered and disconnected. And when future development comes in, we need to keep such coverage as much as possible by conserving the most valued patches and increasing ecological connectivity.

1500 m

1. Kitamura, S. (2011). Frugivory and seed dispersal by hornbills (Bucerotidae) in tropical forests. Acta Oecologica, 37(6), 531–541. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.actao.2011.01.015

2. Flora Fauna Web. (n.d.). FLORA & FAUNA WEB. https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb3.

3. ADW: Search ADW. (n.d.). Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/search/?q=Viverra+tangalunga&feature=INFORMATION

4.LSM4254 - Principles of Taxonomy and Systematics: Species Pages on the Biodiversity of Singapore - Taxo4254 - Wiki.nus. (2020, October 6). Principles of Taxonomy and Systematics: Species Pages on the Biodiversity of Singapore. https://wiki.nus.edu.sg/display/TAX/LSM4254+-

5.Tsuji, Y., & Su, H. H. (2018). Macaques as Seed Dispersal Agents in Asian Forests: A Review. International Journal of Primatology, 39(3), 356–376. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s10764-018-0045-7

SITE CONDITIONS ANALYSIS

Natural connectivity is influenced by vegetation density canopy layer. With these information, we could tell the potential area to be future core protected areas. With the awareness that fragmentation, building density and traffic condition can affect the natural connectivity, we overlapped the information to arrive the barrier maps.

Vegetation Density

Contour Map

The area with the highest vegetation coverage and denser topographic changes has higher biodiversity potential. Therefore, the darker and highlighted area can potentially be selected as the core forest area.

Fragmentation Buildings

From the tree canopy distribution map, we can see that some areas lack canopy connectivity, especially the blank space in the center of the field, which hinders the movement of animals, especially arboreal animals in the field.

According to the living habits of animals, the surface runoff of the site has a high probability of becoming their main movement corridors and habitats.

1000 m

The degree of fragmentation of each patch, the density of buildings and the width of the road network will determine how much each regional boundary hinders different species.

Canopy Layer

Traffic Site Photos to show examples of barriers

Hydraulic Layer (Nature Group)

BARRIER MAPS

Arboreal Animals

Ground Animals

The barrier maps are divided by 3 animal groups: arboreal animals, ground animals and flying animals. There are landscape elements related like fences, greenery and construction condition affecting natural connection in PLAB. We evaluated the connectivity condition of PLAB and illustrate from red to blue.

Flying Animals

The barrier conditions are influenced by fragmentation, building density, traffic condition and vegetation density. Taking these conditions into consideration, we get the result of barrier map to determine the areas to preserve and barriers that require strategies to soften them.

PROCESS OF STRATEGIC PLAN GENERATION

From Disconnected Patches To Ecological Web

Conserved Patches

Concluded from the previous pages of study on existing conditions of our site with our targeted animal types, now that we have the patches we want to keep, we then need to decide where the green connections should be.

Least-Cost Paths

With the least cost path tool in ArcGIS, we put in the moving time for the three animal types to go through each landuse; we calculated and got the outcomes of the most direct paths (or least-cost path) for them to use.

Major Connections

Following this result, we overlaid the least-cost paths on top of our conserved patches layout, and in consideration of the overall PLAB ecological connection conditions; we identified the major connections to form a better-connected system to strengthen PLAB's role in the overall context.

Ecological Web

In the final ecological web layout, we aim to allow the animals' free flow, so a more interconnected ecological system is formed so that it ultimately helps the dispersal process to achieve the selfgenerative purposes.

Ground Animals

Strategic Plan

Arboreal Animals

Flying Animals

Conserved Patches

Least-Cost Paths

Major Connections

1 km

Our proposed strategic layout shows that it is now linking with the adjacent corridors so that animals can move in and out of our PLAB site easily through core forests and nature parks.

It is also well connected within our PLAB site through riverscapes, community corridors, and streetscapes to allow arboreal and flying animals' free-flowing mode.

Ecological Web

COMPARISON OF BARRIER MAPS

Arboreal Animals

Ground Animals

FlyingAnimals

Actions taken to soften the barriers: Connecting the significant green patches together, reduce the fragmentation of PLAB

Adding ecological corridors between the patches, maintaining the movement paths

Lowering down some buildings with green rooftops added Improving water front habitat as important movement corridors

COMPARISON OF LEAST-COST PATH

Before and After of Proposed Layout

1

What's Changed

Reduced barriers within large core forests for ground animals to thrive without making too much travel to other patches. Smaller patches used by arboreal and flying animals were added along the edge of our site to place PLAB in a better-connected ecological linkage in the bigger scale. Within our PLAB site, additional green patches and corridors allows the arboreal and flying animal movements start to free flow

HABITAT TYPES AND ASSOCIATED FAUNA SPECIES

The habitats of the different animals in the site and the types and ranges of seeds they can disperse. These determine where target animals tend to feed and where they can disperse these seeds.

Source :FLORA & FAUNA WEB

LSM4254 - Principles of Taxonomy and Systematics: Species Pages on the Biodiversity of Singapore - Taxo4254 - Wiki.nus. (2020, October 6). Principles of Taxonomy and Systematics: Species Pages on the Biodiversity of Singapore. https://wiki.nus.edu.sg/ display/TAX/LSM4254+-

Waterfront Scrubland

Core Forest

Seed dispersal distance

Fauna Species

Crown width

Seed species

Source: ADW: Search ADW. (n.d.). Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/search/?q=Viverra+tangalunga&feature=INF ORMATION

Yellow vented bulbul Lesser Dog-faced Fruit Bat

Plantain squirrel

Oriental pied hornbill

PROCESS OF SEED DISPERSAL & SUCCESSION

This figure shows the changes of plant distribution in different periods of the site through two manual interventions and seed self-generative.

LEGEND

Mature tree (nature)

Young tree (disperse from nature)

Seed dispersal area (from nature)

Preserved forest and first human intervention.

Start the second human intervention. The first planted trees have matured to provide pathways for certain animals, at the same time, there is enough shade to support the growth conditions of long-lived tree species.

Purpose of huaman intervention: To help increase site connectivity, allowing birds and arboreal animals to move around the site as quickly as possible.

Requirements for selected species: The maturity is short, and the seedling period can grow in the sun.

Planting range: Main wildlife corridor and waterfront area.

Purpose of huaman intervention: Enrich the types of plants and habitats.

Requirements for selected species: Long-lived tree species that can provide a food source for more animals.

Planting range:

Away from human living areas, choose the main animal activities such as waterfront areas.

Mature tree (from first human intervention)

Young tree (disperse from first human intervention)

Seed dispersal area (from first human intervention)

Mature tree (from second human intervention)

Young tree (disperse from second human intervention)

High control area

Allow self-generative area

Water

Habitat types are beginning to increase. Final plant distribution pattern on site.

Most of the animals can move between the main patches of the site through the wildlife corridors, further increasing the range of seed dispersal, and the plant types of habitats are beginning to be abundant.

2000 m

Some long-lived tree species replace pioneers and become the main tree species in animal habitats, and the habitat structure tends to be stable.

CONSTRUCTION PHASING

Conserved Waterbody

Conserved Forest

Conserved Buildings

Conserved Roads

Forests

Waterbody Habitat Improvement

Waterbody Changes

Animal Rescue Center

Eco-link

Denser Forests

Corridors and Patches

Streetscape

Waterbody

Main Roads

Animal Movement

Potential Movement Destinations Buildings

Green Rooftop

Areas

1,000m

Construction Contents

Phase1

Conserved Forests

Conserved Buildings

COnserved Roads

The first phase is about circling out conserved new waterbody then the water habitat will be in the phase3, because of the expanded forest more.The main roads will also be constructed Finally in the phase 4, there will be pavement,

Phase2

New Waterbody Modification

Waterbody Habitat Improvement

Phase3

Denser Forests

New Animal Movement and Destinations

Corridors and Patches

Eco-link

Infrastructure ( Animal Rescue Center)

Main Roads Construction

Streetscape

1,000m

Phase4

Buildings

Green Rooftop

Pavement

Minor Roads

conserved areas. Some roads, buildings, waterbody and forests will be conserved. In phase two we are going to modify the land to propose be improved at the same time. forest and the proposed corridors and patches in the site, we will have more animal movement and will accelerate the dispersal process constructed along with streetscape and infrastructure. pavement, all the buildings and secondary roads to be constructed.

SITE SCALE PLANNING - SITE SELECTION Application of

Proposed Strategies

PLAB Site

2 km

In the following pages, we will apply our three strategies considering self-generative, spatial, and experiential, again in the selected site to see how we tackle the connectivity issue and promote the seed dispersal process so that the free-flow, soften, and self-generative goals can be achieved.

And there are two key reasons for choosing this site. One is that the site contains one of the critical ecological corridors that connect three primary core forests. The site also includes various typologies that could be analyzed and applied to other PLAB sites. Typologies include from forest edge to urban space, within the urban spaces, within the core forest areas, etc.

Core Forest

SELF-GENERATIVE PROCESS

Changes of plant maturity in different periods of zoom in site and different plants distribution range of two manual interventions.

PHASE 1

Preserved forest and first human intervention.

Mature tree (nature)

Young tree (disperse from nature)

Seed dispersal area (from nature)

PHASE 2

Start the second huamn intervention.

Mature tree (from first human intervention)

Young tree (disperse from first human intervention)

300m

The First Human Intervention

The maturity is short, and the seedling period can grow in the sun.

Seed dispersal area (from first human intervention)

Allow self-generative area

300m

The Second Human Intervention

Long-lived tree species that can provide a food source for more animals.

PHASE 3

Habitat types are beginning to be abundant.

Mature tree (from second human intervention)

Young tree (disperse from second human intervention)

PHASE 4

Final plant distribution pattern on site.

Tree (high conrol area)

High control area

Water

SELF-GENERATIVE TYPOLOGY

The diagram shows the range of seeds that different species are more inclined to spread at different stages, from pure natural areas to high-control areas.

Section location

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

PHASE 4

Target animal species

CURRENT SPATIAL CONDITIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Based on Studio Proposed Layout

*arboreal animals needs more spatial considerations compared to flying animals.

As mentioned in earlier pages, the selected site is situated in one of the major green corridors, and the main target animal types are arboreal and flying. The spatial goal here is to propose another layer of an ecological connection system for both animals and humans on top of the PLAB scale linkages by utilizing topo and natural/artificial structures so that the animals’ free flow can better penetrate into urban spaces.

The above diagram shows the site conditions after our PLAB scale proposal. A spatial study needs to be performed to analyze how to create a more continuous habitat linkage.

New Least-Cost Path Layout

SPATIAL MASS STUDY

Natural and Manmade Structures

And what can facilitate arboreal movements?

1) trees need to be present and in full contact and roughly at the same level.

2) multiple crossing options need to be provided.

3) well-connected to the adjacent forest to have a viable destination.

So utilizing these planning principles, topographic changes in relation to building heights, and the tree species layout and information proposed in the self-generative process, canopy bridges were formed during the site model study, and continuous linkages for both human and animals at different levels are studied.

SPATIAL - CIRCULATION LAYOUT

The arboreal movements are mostly encouraged near the identified central ecological corridor. Various crossing options are provided both on the ground and on the buildings. Streetscapes allow additional moving options.

Human circulations are primarily focusing on where the buildings are. Minimum human circulations are proposed near the main ecological corridor to reduce the human footprint. Please refer to the experiential planning in the next section for further details.

SPATIAL TYPOLOGY SECTIONS

Ecolink on top of the vehicular road to connect the habitats from the same topographic level within the core forest area.

Trees with various heights to plant down the slope will allow a continuous canopy linkage to be formed.

When the gap between buildings is narrow, a hardscape structure linkage can be applied to create extra space at the roof level so that smaller trees can still become part of the canopy bridge.

In cases where planting spaces are scarce, some innovations to building structures can be applied to open up the canopy level where arboreal flow may not be disturbed.

01 - Within the Core Forest

02 - Forest Edge to Urban

03 - Between Urban Structures

04 - Urban Edge Back to Nature

Natural and Manmade Structures

Site Scale Habitat Map

With zooming into the stie scale, the detailed habitat map of the site indicates the potential animal habitat boundaries in site scale.

Vegetation and Food Resource

Syzygium zeylanicum Samanea saman

Syzygium grande

Barringtonia racemosa Mangifera indica

Adenanthera pavonina

Ficus microcarpa

Rhopaloblaste ceramica Cinnamomum iners Dillenia suffru�cosa Ficus Fistulosa

Melastoma malabathricum

musa spp

Parkia speciosa

Durio zibethinus

Taking animal habitat boundaries into consideration, we get the result of utility of plant species and planting design. With different vegetations introduced, they can provide food resource to different animal groups.

Ficus vaccinioides &Ficus microcarpa 'Golden'

Peltophorum pterocarpum

Delonix regia

500 m

SITE MASTER PLAN

Finally, with the consideration of human activities, the site plan merged the planning considerations from all three perspectives - self-generative, spatial and experiential. Habitat maintenance and food resources are intended to accelerate the animal movement for improved seed dispersal. The canopy layers, urban parks, streetscapes, and human walking paths in animal habitats aim to reduce the human-animal conflicts, thus getting the outcome of softening the barriers and free flow of animals and humans and transforming PLAB into a critical ecologically self-generative stepping stone within Singapore.

STAND BY WILDLIFE

WILDLIFE CONFLICT & PROTECTION

Our project topic is Wildlife Economy. Wildlife Economy is based on the conviction that nature is an economic asset. Some research shows that a sustainable wildlife economy benefits people and nature, using habitats and When communities living closest to wildlife have a clear role and stake in managing. What’s more, when communities living closest to wildlife have a clear role and stake in managing nature, they have a stronger incentive to conserve it.

The background of the project is based on the progressive deterioration of natural resource development in Singapore PLAB. First, the relationship between human and wildlife become tense, and human development increase more cases of human and wildlife conflict. Second, nature and property value have a positive correlation, but current development can't maximize the use of the natural resource. Finally, the boundaries between different landcover are too rigid, the edge should serve as the buffer zone between human and wildlife.

Our vision is to increase the economic value of natural elements and land value to achieve coexistence between humans and wildlife and raise awareness of protecting wildlife.

Based on that, we use the Habitat Suitability Analysis of four target animals and different rating overlays to obtain a hierarchy of sites from natural to human. Based on the rating and topography, we extract the edge typology and give the proposal edge, and then analyze and evaluate the property value in Singapore.

At the same time, we extracted three keywords for the project concept: Diffuse, Appreciate and Negotiate. In terms of diffuse, we provide proper Human-wildlife distance, we use topography change and slope analysis to set up multi-landuse in different slope rating overlays. In terms of appreciation, we use different degrees of openness from private to public, set distances, and different programs to enhance the aesthetic value of the site and the economic value of the site. In terms of negotiation, we use vegetation and installation, to carry out a strategy of attraction and avoidance of wildlife, so that people and wildlife can coexist in their appropriate areas.

For the contribution to the overall studio masterplan, Wildlife Economy plays a role in balancing the natural resources of the site with the intensity of man-made development, allowing for a better deployment of natural resources in the urban rewilding process and increasing the economic development value of the city. At the same time, it stimulates people's empathy and achieves the purpose of community with a shared future for mankind.

Ren Junyao, Wang Liangyu, Zhang Yuxi

HABITAT DECREASE AT PLAB

Landform and Habitat Changing Map

The background of the project is based on declining natural resources and increasing human-wildlife conflicts in Singapore PLAB. From 1945 to 2022 maps, we conclude the conflict between humans and wildlife because of the reduction and distribution problems of natural resources.

Legend

HISTORY OF WILDLIFE IN PLAB

Human-wildlife History

Source: People in Peril, Environments at Risk: The History of Tigers in Singapore

Dr Miles Powell, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

National Museum of Singapore, Gallery Theatre

9 April 2017

TENSIVE RELATIONSHIP

4 Target Animals&Current Habitat

Influence on Environment

Wild Boars

Decrease in growing of many plants and trees by trampling and rotting.

Increased turbidity of water.

Leads habitats to become less diverse.

Crab-eating Macaque

Conflict is not so severe in Singapore.

Affecting agriculture and livelihoods.

Leads habitats to become less diverse.

Sensitivity to Humanbeing

Wild boars are very dangerous because they are aggressive and also carriers diseases.

Very easy to adapt to artificial environments and not afraid of humans.

Suitable Distance from Human Area Management

Uncomfortable from people: < 550 Meters

Uncomfortable from people: < 300 Meters

Birds

Research shows hunting is the only strategy to significantly reduce crop damage by boars.

Restrict their area of movement by erecting barriers and providing food.

Urbanized Area

Terrestrial Animals

Aquatic Animals

Waterbodies

Through the witness website, there is four target wildlife on our site. They are wild boars, crab-eating macaque, smooth-coated otters, and some birds. We research their influence on the environment, sensitivity to human beings and suitable distance from the human area, and how’s the management.

TENSIVE RELATIONSHIP

4 Target Animals&Current Habitat

Smooth-coated Otter Birds

Maintaining the balance of nearshore ecosystems.

Influence on Environment

Sensitivity to Humanbeing

Suitable Distance from Human Area Management

Otters can be frightened by humans in close proximity, flashing lights and human activity noise can also anger or frighten otters.

Uncomfortable from people: < 50 Meters

Helps pollinate plants and spread seeds.

Provide insect and rodent control.

Birds can be frightened by humans, but they will look for food in the range of human.

Shorebirds or songbirds: >100 Meters

Hawks and eagles: >400 Meters

Urbanized Area

Nest

Birds

Secondary Forest Insect

Small Mammal

Threat includes settlements, agriculture,water pollution.

Restrict their area of movement by erecting barriers and providing nest.

ISSUE STATEMENT

Human Wildlife Conflict

GIS Analysis

Relationship between human and wildlife become tense, human development increase more cases of human and wildlife conflict.

Negotiate: Provide proper Human-wildlife distance.

The first issue statement is human-wildlife conflict. We want to negotiate the proper human-wildlife distance, so we use habitat suitability analysis to get the rating map. The map shows the rating from nature to human, which help us to rearrange the site landuse and define the buffer distance roughly.

ISSUE STATEMENT

Human Wildlife Conflict

Habitat Suitability Analysis

Rating Map Process

The suitability analysis came from the environmental indexes, including DEM, SLOPE, ASPECT, LANDCOVER, NDVI, AIR TEMPERATURE, and WATER RUNOFF. Then, based on the index and weights of different target animals in the paper, the result demonstrates the suitable habitat in PLAB.

We extract the areas with high scores as core protection areas, and the extraction of areas with medium scores, as the potential areas, and overlayed areas should be protected.

Nature and property value have a positive correlation, but current development can’t maximize the use of the natural resource.

Appreciate: Provide comfortable and and aesthetic sense to wild habitats for increasing land value with residents’ appreciation.

The second issue is about nature and property value have a positive correlation, but current development can't maximize the use of the natural resource.

We investigated the site standards and green space ratios of properties of different values. We are aimed to provide a comfortable and aesthetic sense to wild habitats for increasing land value with residents’ appreciation.

ISSUE STATEMENT

Rigid

Unutilized Area-Waterfront (with height difference)

Unutilized Area-Waterfront (with height difference)

Forest-Road (without height difference)

Runway-Forest (without height difference)

Sand dune-Waterfront (with height difference)

Industry - Urban Green (without height difference)

Forest-Unutilized Area (with height difference)

Runway-Forest (With height difference)

The third issue statement is the Rigid Edge. Currently, the boundaries between different landcover are rigid, but we propose the edge area can serve as the buffer zone between humans and wildlife to achieve their co-existence. The keyword here would be 'Diffuse', which means creating diverse buffer zones and softening them and we classified the edges into eight typical types by land use and height change.

Edge

Boundaries between different landcover are too rigid, the edge should serve as the buffer zone between human and wildlife.

Diffuse: Creating diverse buffer zones and softening their edge for nature and human usage.

Original Rigid Edge

The picture shows our analysis process. We made a series of sections of Paya Lebar and overlayed it with current land use, which illustrates the areas with more conflict.

CONCEPT

Proposed Edges

We propose different treatments to existing edges, the red-line marked areas are where the changes happen. Based on different land use and height differences, we arranged proper programs on the sites.

Overlayed the analysis result and our proposal together to get our group's overall master plan for Paya Lebar.

The map shows 4 degrees of accessibility for humans and wildlife, the solid-green areas don't allow human access while The areas with the sparsest green dots are most human-related. Different types of properties are also located on our site by various arrangements.

We chose two sites with different natural resources to do a detailed design. The site in the northwest includes a waterbody, and another site in the southeast includes diverse land use from nature to the urban area, also, the properties we located in these two sites are quite different.

STRATEGY1:TOPO&LANDUSE Topo

The first strategy is modifying the topography to provide diverse land uses in our sites. By analyzing the slope in Grasshopper, the results show the extreme steep parts and we proposed to reduce those rigid edges. After topo modification, we rearrange the human-dominated activities in gentle terrain and use the relatively steep spaces as the buffer zone, separating from wildlife protection area.

STRATEGY2: PROGRAM& OWNERSHIP

The second strategy is controlling the closeness between wildlife and human to decide on different programs and ownership. In riverside edges, we proposed high-end value housing along the riverside, using distance, slope, and installation to maintain the proper distance between humans and wildlife.

Distance Decides Ownership

Public Space to Wildlife Habitat >30m

Wildlife Protection Station

High-end Landed

Electronic Sound Repellent

Spined Plants

Earth-covered Structure

Feeding Spots

Viewing Platform

Food Resource

Live Fence

Walking Path

Productive Garden

By analyzing the closeness of natural elements and the slope of the terrain of the high-ended house, we decided on the arrangement of programs and the species of plants. Combining techniques and installation to demonstrate how to control the degree of attractiveness and avoidance of targeted wildlife. After our design, the riversides become more diverse than before, the program plan and sections show the different spatial experiences in river edges.

Section A-A’

Section B-B’

Closeness to Nature Decides Program and Species

Extreme Situation

<5m

Tree Pool

Window View

Public Space

<50m

Streetscape

Residential Green

Attract & avoid installations in high density residential area

Roof Garden

Facade Garden

Eclogical Brick

Drainage

In site 2, most edges will concentrate on forest-artificial areas. Following the same design idea, we analyzed the distance and potential intervention in site2.Because public housings have a much more population compared with landed property, they have a different standard of deciding their program and ownership.

Semi-nature Space 50m-150m

Agroforestry

Learning Forest

Distance Decides Ownership

Wildlife Protection Area >150m

Low Density Insitution

Viewing Platform

Attract & avoid installations symbiosis in semi-natural area

Wildlife Viewing

Food Resource

Biodiverse Playground

Haha Wall

We used some typical diagrams to show the various transition of natural elements.The Human intensity decrease as it gets closer to nature, and site 2 requires more public space and a larger buffer zone compared with site1

We propose diverse changes in properties and natural elements, for people can harvest fruits and explore learning forests on weekends or observe wildlife through their windows on weekdays.

Section C-C’’

Section D-D’’

STRATEGY 3: FOOD&HABITAT

Site1 Wildlife Food&Circulation

Wild Boars

Crab-eating Macaque

Site1 for 4 target animal

Strategy 3 is about providing sufficient food and habitat for wildlife, by analyzing the food resources, we get the favorable species and unfavorable species of our 4 target animals.

368

Ephedra Sinica

Typha angustata Rambutan Genus Rosa Ficus Microcarpa

STRATEGY2: FOOD&HABITAT

Site2 Wildlife Food&Circulation

Birds Smooth-coated Otter

Banana Bougainvillea Mangifera Indica Oryza Sativa Oryza Sativa

Site2 for 3 target animal

plantation map showing where we set those feeding vegetation and how to manage wildlife’s circulations.

Site1: Riverside Edge

Site2: Forest Edge

ACHIEVEMENT

Riverside Edge

By constructing high-value houses on the water edge, the Sergon River serves as a backyard for landed properties, both enhancing the land value and introducing a more inclusive and diverse waterfront along the Serangon River. By cultivating aquatic crops that can be used as food resources to control the distance between the range of wildlife and human, the two groups can avoid direct conflict.

ACHIEVEMENT

Forest Edge

Provide sufficient food resources in the core protection area, and set up human-intervented forests as a buffer zone between the natural and high-density housing, so that residents can see the wildlife through their windows while maintaining an appropriate distance.

Syzygium myrtifolium Aphanamixis polystachya

Graywater Acacia

auriculiformis

orchards

Inorganic

Rainwater

Fagraeafragrans

Mimosapudica

Healthy

Alocasia macrorrhiza

Falcataria moluccana

Clidemia hirta Spathodea campanulata Muntingia calabura Tabebuia rosea

Falcataria moluccana Hevea brasiliensis Mikania micrantha Elaeis guineensis Ficus species

Soil

Water

Albizia falcataria

Penniseum

Acaciaauriculiformis

Tetraceraindica

Dicranopterislinearis

Terminaliacatappa

Melastoma malabathricum

Leucaena leucocephala

Dillenia suffruticosa Casuarina equisetifolia Spathodea

Acacia auriculiformis

Manihot esculenta Canal water

Leucaena leucocephala

Cinnamomum iners Soft clay Cheilocostus speciosus

Caryota mitis

Ardisia sp

Terminalia catappa

NATURE AS A CARBON BANK

RECYCLE NATURE ELEMENTS AS NATURE CAPITAL

Nowadays, carbon neutrality is a hot topic around the world. Singapore is known to have the 8th highest per capita carbon emissions in the world. PLAB is surrounded by the most densely populated areas in Singapore and has lost most of its natural areas and resources in the past airport construction, so PLAB is an ideal area to achieve carbon sequestration. Through our assessment, the CO2 release from the future 160,000 residential population far exceeds the CO2 absorption from PLAB's existing natural resources. With the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, PLAB will eventually form a huge urban carbon bank to mitigate the high per capita carbon emissions faced by Singapore through the recycling of water, soil, vegetation and other natural resources within the site over 30 years.

One of our strategies is to reduce carbon footprint. Water, soil and forest resource are intervened to reduce carbon footprint in that soil with forest store carbon in their original state. Water resources are collected, recycled and discharged in each catchment. After calculation, the waterway in each catchment can bear the biggest runoff of the catchment. The movement of forest resources are mainly transfer timer from deforested areas to resource recycling centers for production and recycling. The transfer of soil resource mainly lies in the construction of new habitats as urban forests and wetlands, building aquatic habitats near the river, and others put into the use of landscape. In general, the utilization rate of soil in the PLAB has reached 71%.

Another strategy is to maximum carbon sequestration. Firstly, pioneer species and framework species are planted to restore the existing forest. Secondly, primary forest species are used to improve existing forest and accelerate their succession. Finally, back mangrove and freshwater swamp are introduced to restore the wetland ecosystem as the main force of carbon sequestration.

PLAB witnessed a complete process of forest succession. After creating suitable soil conditions, the first pioneer trees were planted to form one secondary forest quickly. Then secondary forests gradually introduces primary forest species into it. During this time, woodcutter constantly trimming the canopy of pioneer trees to provide growth space and sunshine for primary forest species, and also the cut branches and leaves can be used as biomass to improve soil fertility, which accelerate the evolution of the original forest towards a more mature primary forest to maximize the carbon sequestration.

The last strategy is to mitigate urban heat. Through the construction of green roofs, vertical greening and urban green space, indoor and surface temperature can be reduced. Wetlands and urban rivers can also absorb heat to create a good microclimate. These designs reduce the temperature of PLAB and reduce energy consumption at the same time. The purpose of mitigate urban heat is to build low-carbon community from an energy-consumption community.

Cheng Siqi, Zhao Mingyu, Jiang Ruomin

PLAB has lost many natural resources in the past 70 years, so we chose PLAB as the site for ecological restoration design .

EVALUATION OF NATURE RESOURCE

LEGEND

FRAMEWORK

Strategy deduced from the venue problem: Carbon Bank formed by three Nature Capital

CAPITAL

STRATEGY DESIGN TARGET ISSUES

Forest degradation

WATERCAPITALL CARBON BANK

Maximize carbon sequestration

Improving existing forest Restore forest Recover water system

Vegetation branch

Wetland disappear

Reduce urban heat

Plant more trees Increase water body

Water branch

Carbon footprint of construction

Minimize carbon footprint

Soil transport

Water transport

Tree transport

Carbon emission by dwellers

LIOS LATIPAC

Soil branch

PROCESS OF MASTER PLAN

PHASING

The four construction stages of PLAB from current situation to renovation completion

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

Fertility Restoration Vegetation Improvement

PLAB lost a large number of natural habitats during airport construction, and most of the surface is hard ground, so we need to restore the soil conditions according to the planning before restoring the vegetation.

We mainly carried out three kinds of soil movement: using sand and soil as the composition of swamp soil; Use forest soil for new forest construction ; The soil excavated from the river channel will be used for the construction of natural buffer near the riverway.

According to the current situation and history of different plots, we have carried out some vegetation restoration and upgrading. Firstly, we added some tree species of primary forest according to the terrain of the original secondary forest as an improvement of species diversity. Secondly, pioneer trees will be planted where new forests will be built. Third, we will restore the wetland in the original mangrove forest in the northeast, mainly planting back mangrove along the river and building fresh water swamp in other places.

PHASE 3

Urban Greenery

In order to increase carbon absorption and reduce urban heat island effect, we have also designed and improved greening in the city. First, we built green roofs and vertical greening to cool the buildings. Second, we set up green spaces such as urban parks, community greening and urban agriculture to increase the planting area of the city. Third, we planted street trees on both sides of all roads.

At the same time, some forest parts have grown into primary forests and the rest are also growing gradually.

PHASE 4

Natural Succession

About 40 years later, most of the forests on the site have been replaced by primary forests Wetlands and swamps grow mature and can be act as the main force of carbon absorption. Urban heat island is effectively reduced through urban greening. The new water system can efficiently solve the problems of drainage, circulation, irrigation and flood. The water, soil and tree resources on the site are continuously recycled in people's life, greatly reducing the daily carbon footprint. At this time, PLAB can achieve the goal of carbon neutralization.

CAPITAL

Recycling Center

Main Roads Buildings

Site Bounday Highway

Slope Forest

Flat Forest Roside Tree

Urban greenery

Back Mangrove

Fresh Water Wetland

Wetland Greenery

Waterbody

Waterway

Soil Capital

15.6 HECTARE BACK MANGROVE HABITAT PROPOSED

98.6 HECTARE YOUNG FOREST PROPOSED

87750 TON CARBON DIOXIDE ABSORBED

Tree branch

Carbon catcher

Restore

existing forest

Framework species forest

Pioneer species forest

Compound forest

Provide nutrients

30 years later Support

Mature forest system

Purify water bodies

Back mangrove habitat

Riverscape

10 years later

Carbon bank

Wetland habitat

FOREST SUCCESSION

Scrubland Secondary forest

Macaranga hypoleuca

Melastoma malabathricum

Pulcherrimum

Ferrugineum

Timonius wallichianus

Clerodendrum laevifolium

Prunus polystachyus

Syzygium lineatum Ficus fistulosa

seed dispersal

Tree transplanting

Biomass

Leguminous plants

Leaves

Shorea leprosula Campnosperma auriculata Dipterocarpus Koompassia Canarium Parishia

Prune branches

Twig

117.5 HECTARE URBAN FOREST

PROPOSED

28.6 HECTARE WATER SYSTEM

PROPOSED

2.5 DEGREE TEMPERATUREA REDUCTION

Energy consumption community

Green roof

Urban river

river way

Vertical greening

Cool air by tree transpiration

SAVE ENERGY

Urban green space (forest park/forest street)

Absorb heat by water evaporation

Low carbon community

Wetland

STRATEGY 2: REDUCE URBAN HEAT

A cross-section model of a low-carbon community

Lower the building's indoor temperature

- Transpiration of vegetation

- Cooling surface ground

Evaporation of water cooling surrounding area Increase the shade

Green coverage of PLAB is increased to

16.12%

higher than before. So surface temperature can be reduced by about

83.88% 1.8℃

Each building has green roof and vertical greening, which can reduce the indoor temperature by about

4℃

and save AC energy consumption by more than

25% 129.39ha

The water surface area of the site is larger than before, providing comfortable microclimate for the surrounding area.

17ha

We have set up RECYCLING CENTERS in areas of the site where resources are exchanged frequently. Soil that around 275,000 14-feet freight trucks can carry, and 13% of the forest resources are put into the recycling centre, which then goes to the plant for processing.

They are then involved in the lives of the residents. Residents learn about resource use through craft schools, exhibition halls and experience recycling in the form of urban green spaces and street furniture.

DETAILED DESIGN: EXAMPLE OF CARBON BANK

LEGEND

Application of strategies in specific site

For strategy 1, we have retained and improved the original forests, and built new urban forests, green spaces, fruit forests and urban agriculture to maximize carbon sequence. For strategy 2, we set up roof garden, vertical greening, river and surrounding community green space, agriculture field and roadside tree to reduce the heat island effect. At the same time, wetland is also a place for residents' leisure and entertainment activities. For strategy 3, we set up recycling center, factory, lab, museum and handcraft school near the road and forest to recycle the resources in the site.

1 Farmland

2 Wetland

3 Water reservoir

4 Recreational park

5 River buffer

6 Recycling centre

7 Primary forest

8 Pioneer forest

9 Communiy park

Site selection

In the whole carbon bank, this area is the most frequent and complete node for resource conversion, so we choose it as a example for detailed design.

Type of utilization

The gray area is the original resources of the site, mainly including the original soil. The brown area is the original resource retained, mainly forest. Green area is the location for resource recycling, including new forest, community green space, wetland and urban agriculture. Red is the newly added resources, mainly street trees

Resource distribution

Firstly, the soil excavated from the original site is transferred to different places for habitat construction after being treated by the recycling center. Water resources are collected from rainfall and enter the river through roof garden and surface flow. They are used by downstream communities and agriculture and fruit forest around the river as toilet flushing and irrigation. Finally, they enter wetland for filtration and storage, and then recycled in dry season. The trunk, leaves and other resources in the forest are processed by the recycling center into urban furniture, wooden pavement and handcraft, which are used by people.

WETLAND: MAIN FORCE OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Assisted natural regeneration

Maximum ecosystem diversity

+7.304

Maximum diversity

+13.304 ton km2 yr-1 ton km2 yr-1

Secondary forest

Secondary forest

Primary forest

Naturalized river

Primary forest

Wetland

Rainfall

Filter and improve water quality

· Replenish groundwater

· Biodiversity habitats

· Buffer impact of floods and storm surges

Surface Flow

Filtration

Storage

Spaces for rcreation and education

Discharge

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN RECYCLING CENTER

This picture shows the involvement of residents in the recycling of resources outside the recycling centre. The involvement of the residents opens up more possibilities for how the resources can be used. In addition to becoming ecologically valuable products such as biomass, the natural resources can be used as a tool for people to interact, they can make their own desired items from the wood cut on the site, etc. This makes PLAB a more vibrant community.

In the small site, we have created a carbon bank by visualizing the process of carbon generation, absorption and use in nature and human life.

PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPE BUSINESSES

PLAB AS A SUB-REGIONAL CENTRE

Wee Cynthia, Chai Xin Yi

From an economic and social perspective, Singapore's reliance on outsourced landscape materials has been increasingly demanding as more spaces are allocated for landscape projects. Coupled with demanding national green policies and new town rejuvenation schemes, the local market for landscape materials is expected to surge. Existing conventional manufacturing processes have proven to be an inefficient system within this landscarce nation as it is monofunctional, require a large amount of space, generates a huge amount of waste and are typically separated from communities.

From an ecological perspective, past degradation of forests and urban development have caused native tree species to decline severely. To strengthen our nation's ecological resilience, resource security and respond to the increasing economic demands, PLAB has the potential to become a regenerative productive landscape district. In comparison to the rest of Singapore, PLAB has a high amount of green spaces. This creates an opportunity for businesses to capitalize on the natural resources available on-site. Pertinent to these issues, the productive landscape businesses' design interventions are Productive Parks and Productive Streetscapes.

From an economical aspect, productive parks incorporate tree nurseries which aims to meet PLAB/national demands for the development of urban green spaces, additionally assembling a sustainable network of resource management through soil banks, water catchments and cleansing biotopes helps better the regenerative qualities of the business. Productive streetscapes aim to produce timber for manufacturing byproducts that would support PLAB/national park developments, additionally productive streetscapes are designed with the intention of being self-watering, thus reducing maintenance cost.

From a social aspect, productive parks provide recreational green spaces to meet the green needs of residents. For productive streetscapes, this would be to safeguard users' safety as overgrown mature trees pose a safety issue to road users. Both design interventions aim to provide employment and land stewardship opportunities to engage residents.

From an ecological aspect, productive parks incorporate seed banks which aid in safeguarding endangered native tree species future population. For productive streetscapes this would be to provide shade to infrastructures by selective planting.

We then did a background research on landscape businesses, ranging from edible garden to bee keeping and we eventually decided on businesses that are scalable and one that utilizes the natural resources available on-site, this landed us into the business of tree nursery and timber production.

ESTABLISHING A SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

SITE SELECTION

Productive Streetscapes & Productive Parks

INTERVENTION AREAS

Productive Streetscapes & Productive Parks

Total estimated amount of trees needed to develop PLAB productive streetscapes: 3 381 trees

Growth rate: Slow-growing Wood quality: Heavy hardwood Cyrtophyllum fragrans

Growth rate: Fast-growing Wood quality: Light hardwood Hopea odorata

By Products

Lorong Chengal Hopea odorata

construction purposes, carts, presses flooring, roofing, fence-posts, ploughs, furniture

Runway Avenue

Khaya senegalensis

flooring, furniture, veneer, decorative work, cabinetry, window frames, plywood, and musical instruments

Furniture

Tembusu Road Pteleocarpa lamponga

roof supports, house building, interior construction

Cladding

Growth rate: Fast-growing Wood quality: Hardwood Khaya senegalensis

Hun Yeang Road

Cyrtophyllum fragrans

heavy construction, railroads, bridges, parquet flooring, furniture, charcoal

Bridges & Furniture

Growth rate: Fast-growing Wood quality: Heavy hardwood Ptelocarpa lamponga

Growth rate: Slow-growing Wood quality: Hardwood Swietenia macrophylla

Mahogany Avenue Swietenia macrophylla

high-end furniture, plywood and heavy construction work, precise woodwork items

High End Furniture

[e] Runway Avenue

[c] Mahogany Avenue

[d] Tembusu Road

[a] Hun Yeang Road

[b] Lorong Chengal

Park Park

Total PLAB Productive Parks : 92 ha

Total PLAB Nursery Area : 14 ha [~15%]

Total estimated develop

Defu Productive Park

Nursery Size : 5 ha

Nursery Max Capacity : 4 500 trees

Total Water Required : 1 800 000 L / yr

Total Soil Required : 108 000 L / yr

Total Fertilizer Required : 13 500 L / yr

[a] Productive Park

Nursery Size : 13 ha

Nursery Max Capacity : 2 100 trees

Produces 10 types of trees

Timber Producing Streetscape Trees

[d] Productive Park

Nursery Size : 14 ha

Nursery Max Capacity : 1750 trees

3 381 trees

Nursery Size : 17 ha

Nursery Max Capacity : 2 100 trees

Growth Wood quality: Cyrtophyllum

Nursery Size : 11 ha

Nursery Max Capacity : 1 400 trees

Growth Wood quality: Hopea

Total PLAB Nursery Max Capacity : 11 850 trees By Products

Native Endangered UGS Trees

[c] Productive Park

[b] Productive Park

Khaya senegalensis Senegal Mahogany Pteleocarpa lamponga Tembusu Tikus Cyrtophyllum fragrans Tembusu Swietenia macrophylla King American Mahogany

Hopea odorata Chengal Pasir

Syzygium glaucum Eugenia glauca

Tarenna fragrans River Tarenna

Sterculia parviflora Samrong Koompassia malaccensis Kempas Ardisia elliptica Mata Ayam

Lorong construction presses fence-posts,

QUANTIFYING DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

Establishing PLAB Trees KPI

PLAB Benchmarking

Meeting the prescribed green needs of residents.

URA PLAB Target = 160 000 DUs

No. of residents = 160 k x average household size

Total Residents in PLAB : 506 176

Green Park Spaces needed to serve PLAB residents [0.8ha/1 000 residents] The Population White Paper 2013 = 506 176 / 1000 x 0.8 ha = 414 ha

Current urban park [Bedok Reservoir green spaces 59 ha ] & Revamp park [Tampines Quary 62 ha] vs PLAB green needs = 59+62/414 x 100 = 29%

Minimum required added GPS - 293 ha

Estimated amount of trees needed to develop parks in PLAB [est. 50 - 100 trees/ha of park] = 293 ha x 75 = 21 975 trees

Total estimated minimum amount of trees needed to develop PLAB green park space = 21 975 trees

Accounting for margin of error

20 % + Other Demands

Total estimated minimum amount of trees needed develop PLAB green park space = 21 975 trees

20 % MOE = 21 975 trees x 1.2 = 26 370 trees

Other Demands = 26370 + 500 = 26 870 trees

[Based on 1 tree every 10 m spacing.]

Total estimated amount of trees needed to develop PLAB productive streetscape = 3 381 trees

Total estimated amount of trees needed to develop PLAB productive streetscape = 3 381 trees

20 % MOE = 3 381 trees x 1.2 = 4 057 trees

Other Demands = 4 057 + 500 = 4 557 trees

Fast Growing UGS Native Trees

Schedule - 2 Yrs

Koompassia malaccensis

Ardisia elliptica

Final Development KPI

Moderate Growing UGS Native Trees

Transplanting Schedule - 4 Yrs

Syzygium glaucum

Sterculia parviflora

Tarenna fragrans

Total amount of trees needed to development UGS + PS

26 870 + 4557 = 31 427 trees

Fast Growing PS Tree Transplanting Schedule - 2 Yrs

Hopea odorata

Khaya senegalensis

Pteleocarpa lamponga

Slow Growing PS Trees

Transplanting Schedule - 8 Yrs

Cyrtophyllum fragrans

Swietenia macrophylla

PLAB DEVELOPMENT PHASES

Transplanting & Harvesting Schedules

PRODUCTIVE STREETSCAPES

Intervention Aims & Species Selection

Intervention Aims

+ Establish young trees in streetscapes for timber produces

+ Harvest timber into furniture and other usages within Urban Green Spaces

+ Harvest timber in intervals of rotation periods for future exports outside of PLAB

+ Capitalize on existing topography and hydrology to reduce watering efforts

+ Give PLAB a sense of district identity with these 5 main productive streetscapes

Softwood:

Softwood is wood from gymnosperm trees.

+ Burns quickly

+ Provides a good heat output

+ Dries/seasons quickly

+ Grows fast

+ Relatively cheap

Hardwood:

Hardwood is wood from dicot trees.

+ Provides an excellent heat output

+ Burns for a long time

- Does not burn for long

- Can produce excessive smoke

- Can split and crackle lots

- Takes a long time to grow

- Takes a long time to season

+ Produces less smoke than softwood - Is more expensive than softwood

Fast Growing PS Tree Transplanting Schedule - 2 Yrs

Hopea

Slow Growing PS Trees

Schedule - 8 Yrs

Productive Streetscape Trees

Hopea odorata

Chengal Pasir

25-30m (H), 1.2m (D)

Full sun

Moderate water

Fast-growing Strong light hardwood

Khaya senegalensis Senegal Mahogany

15-30m (H), 1m (D)

Moderate shade

Moderate water

Fast-growing Hardwood

Pteleocarpa lamponga Tembusu Tikus

37m (H)

Full-part sun

Moderate water

Fast-growing Heavy hardwood

Cyrtophyllum fragrans Tembusu

30m (H)

Full Sun

Moderate water

Slow-growing Heavy hardwood

Swietenia macrophylla King American Mahogany

40m (H)

Full sun

Moderate water

Slow-growing Hardwood

Slow-growing: 2 years to reach 1m

Moderate-growing: 4 years to reach 1m

Fast-growing: 8 years to reach 1m

Selection Parameters:

Native Nationally extinct

PRODUCTIVE STREETSCAPES

Harvesting & Transplanting Phases

PRODUCTIVE PARKS

Phases Detailing Productive Parks Yearly KPI

Vacant Space * for other plants & maintenance

Fast Growing PS Tree Transplanting Schedule - 2 Yrs

Hopea odorata

Khaya senegalensis

Pteleocarpa lamponga

Slow Growing PS Trees Transplanting Schedule - 8 Yrs

Cyrtophyllum fragrans

Swietenia macrophylla

Fast Growing UGS Native Trees Transplanting Schedule - 2 Yrs

Koompassia malaccensis

Ardisia elliptica

Moderate Growing UGS Native Trees Transplanting Schedule - 4 Yrs

Syzygium glaucum

Sterculia parviflora

Tarenna fragrans

Nursery production begins in 2038 and it takes 10 years for the nursery to produce enough trees to complete the PLAB development KPI.

PLAB UGS development KPI completion support maintenance & export/redistribution demands

DEFU PRODUCTIVE PARK Detail Design

Some existing buildings are retained and repurposed for the park infrastructure. Excavated soil from terrains that are cut for new watersheds will be remediated at the soil bank.

The existing canal will be naturalized, 3 new watersheds will be created for recreational purposes, irrigation and water catchment. Lastly, the removed existing greens for park developments will create vegetation debris that goes into the compost and biochar centre before entering the soil bank.

Surface Water Flow

Drainage Water Flow

Cleansing Biotope Area : 1650 m2

[Calculations]

Catchment Area : 6 ha

Impervious Area : 10%

Peak Runoff Rate 10 yrs ARI [m3/s] : 1.34

Cleansing Biotope Size : 1624 m2

Renaturalised Canal

New Watershed

Irrigation Pond & Water Catchment

Vegetation Debris

Scrubland

- Removed Existing Greens for New Watersheds

+ Nursery + Productive Streetscape

Open Field Green Spaces + Park

Compost + Biochar Centre

TRANSPLANTING SCHEDULE IN TREE NURSERY Defu Productive Park Section

Nursery edges occupied by fast growing trees for easier transplanting. Nursery center occupied by slow growing trees as it requires less disturbance for a prolong period.

Moderate Growing UGS Native Trees Harvest at 4 years old

Fast Growing UGS Native Trees

Harvest at 2 years old

Human activity only allowed when tree is 50 cm in height to prevent being trampled.

4.5 m 5.0 m 3.5 m

Spacing 5 m to 2 m - Wider than a conventional nursery as

it is also used for recreational purposes. Less competition for sun a

nutrients.

Fast Growing PS Tree Harvest at 2 years old

All trees transplanted at 1m.

Brought out from 3 in 1 propagation house to nursery at 25cm. trampled.

Slow Growing PS Trees Harvest Harvest at 8 years old

m

nd

1 - 2 ° terrain gradient for optimal drainage

This studio gave me a new perspective on understanding landscape. It was also the first time to intervene in a larger scale urban planning from the perspective of landscape, which was a completely different experience from the past design courses. Revision after revision and logical deduction made me get a great exercise in this course and learn how to find the most balanced way between ideal and reality. Besides, it was also my first time encountering a bird-based topic, and it was a new experience to analyze and plan the site with birds as the main characters. I learned a lot about birds and their essential role in seed dispersal, as well as the process of forest succession. I believe this studio will help me greatly in my future study and work.

Under the topic of landscape connectivity with birds, I began to rethink the relationship between nature and people. What nature can offer to people is as important as how people should protect it, as this determines whether the designer's ideas will attract the people who will pay for them. Human attitudes towards nature represent an interesting duality, between the human desire to heal and refresh in nature and to satisfy their curiosity, and the abhorrence of the dangers that nature can pose. It therefore takes patience to strike a balance between conflicting demands. In many cases sacrifice is inevitable, but a good idea is possible to achieve the best of both worlds. Only an in-depth and detailed analysis of the interaction between man and nature will reveal more of these possibilities.

Under the guidance of the development and issues in Singapore, the studio enables me to re-examine the relationship between nature and nature, as well as between human and nature, so that they can connect with each other and mutually benefit each other. The research and design started from large-scale planning of PLAB and then focused on quarter scale to neighborhood scale areas.We integrated ecological knowledge with landscape architecture to promote forest regeneration and improve people's mental health with the help of birds.This is a new challenge for us to seek the solution of how to provide a more conducive environment for birds while respecting their habits, and at the same time maintaining a reasonable relationship between human and nature.This new experience is the cornerstone of our study to figure out how can our design serve as a balance between human and nature to bring benefits to our living environment.

-Dong Liwei

-Shen Yunnan

-Zhang Yuer

This semester’s studio let me shift the perspective from design to planning on a larger scale and start to think about what the landscape can do at the brownfield like an airport. Soil involved not only the soil properties but also can permeate every aspect of the landscape in the city, interwoven with the surroundings.

The soil and land are the basics of the landscape but are also the most neglected parts of the design because they are such familiar to us. We are used to cutting and filling the soil and land, but it is easy to forget that the soil itself has different personalities like humans, and it is manifested in the difference in physical and chemical properties in different environments. After gaining a deeper understanding of soils, I realized the importance of choosing the right strategies for soil restoration and allowing them to create value for the city at the same time.

Through this studio, I have a more comprehensive understanding of landscape design. I had never touched the issues of soil transfer and treatment before, and it was this studio that made me realize that landscape can play its role in more aspects. At the same time , large-scale planning is not a small challenge. Instead of being good at detailed design, I also benefited a lot from how to balance design with the requirements of the government and the site when contacting with planning. Finally, this studio made me know more about the real design process, which made my design ideas more practical and feasible instead of being based on nothing. All in all, I am very grateful for this studio, which gives me more ideas and understanding of this field.

In such an era of rapid urbanization, the speed of urban renewal makes it easy for us to ignore natural factors. In this studio project, we try to plan and design the city from the perspective of landscape Urbanism. We start thinking from a micro perspectivethe natural factors of the site itself, link it to the macro social issues in Singapore as a whole and finally get our vision and strategy. I also benefited a lot from learning and communicating with other groups during the course. Groups with different themes negotiate and compromise with each other, and finally form a unified master plan. This way of designing is something I haven't tried before. Although our group had a hard time advancing the plan, I also learned a lot of new theoretical knowledge form other fieldsduring this process . It also made me see more potential in landscape architecture.

-Wang Yu

-Zhang Wenting

-Liu Kangsheng

The course topics this semester have given me an introduction to other areas as well, such as materials science and planning. This makes me feel that the landscape is not just about building green spaces, it actually has many entry points. In addition to this, the teacher encouraged us to incorporate future technology into consideration, and integrate the landscape design with it. The design is divided into studio part and group part, and the research direction of each group is different. So when we decided on the studio theme, we went through many rounds of negotiation. I think it's a very meaningful process that simulates multi-disciplinary cooperation.

At the beginning of the semester, I chose the topic of recyclable materials because I wanted to challenge a subject I had never known before. This is also the first time I have been exposed to such a large-scale planning project, so I did encounter some difficulties in discussing and determining the overall plan with other groups. However, these negotiation processes are also particularly meaningful, and helps me to build a good sense of cooperation in my later studies and work It was also a particularly good collaborative process for me within our three-person team. Thanks to my teammates and Lehana!

This semester’s studio has been a great challenge and a special experience for me. As the title was recycled construction material, my team and I were initially confused when we did the research as it didn't seem to have anything to do with landscape architecture. But in the constant discussions within the group and with Lehana, I have become more and more aware of the ecological core behind this topic. The landscape major is not only to design a beautiful park, but also to deeply understand the relationship between the city, society, and ecology. At the same time, we should also have a deeper sense of social responsibility, and use the methods of landscape to deepen the society's awareness of material recycling.

-Ye Han

-Liu Ziyue

-Jiang Yuli

In this semester's studio, besides the traditional landscape design, the tutor led the studio to complete the plab planning and design together. Each group needed to coordinate with other themes while completing their own theme, which was a very challenging task.I learned not only how to do a large-scale planning but also how to work with a lot of people.

In our group's theme, water management, I learned the whole system of how to use water through landscape treatment. Through research of WSUD and ABC water programme, I got to know about the eco-way of water management and began to think about what can we do more about water management. Water is no longer an embellishment in landscape design, but a link between people and nature, community and history.

-Hu Die

I learned a lot from the studio this semester, guiding landscape design from a macro perspective of urban ecology. Collaboration with groups designing different topics, constant discussions and consultations have also allowed me to see PLAB in a more holistic way. But this is the first time I've done a studio with so many groups, it's not an easy thing.

As for our group topic: water management. Under this topic we discuss the relationship of ecology, history and community to water management and water purification. Combined with the course of landscape construction this semester, my understanding of WSUS, water treatment, and water ecology has been greatly improved.

-Lin Lan

I gained a lot in the process from the field trip to PLAB in the early stage to generate strategies and finally to the derivation of design. The site investigation helped me to have a deeper understanding of the site, and brainstorming with group members inspired me to think about water management from a new perspective with more innovative approaches that integrate with technology, culture, history, and ecology.

Challenges also emerged. The scale of PLAB is so large compared to usual projects. Such a design process was very challenging, but it also gave me a comprehensive understanding of how to adopt urban ecological principles to affect urban planning. The teamwork with each group also made me understand the importance of communication. In addition, another important thing I learned was how to craft storylines to better present the narrative of our design. Good presentation is just as important as good design.

-Jin Zhuoyin

Due to the huge scale and coordination amongst groups with very varied focuses, this studio project was challenging. The negotiation process was fascinating because it allowed us to see the same area of land through new lenses and understand the requirements from several angles. Our group topic proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated, as water is a fluid element with a lot to consider during the design process, as one stage of protection can severely effect other sections. Our group envisions PLAB to be a selfsustaining town model for future Singapore, but we are limited by farming and growing techniques that require a large piece of land and appear to have too much compromise to achieve our goal; instead, a more balanced and multi-functional land should be proposed in future projects. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my groupmates for their unwavering support during this process.

This studio project had provided a unique experience which greatly involved teamwork & communication. The main challenges I faced were designing on a large scale, integration of ideas with other groups & planning for the design of an adaptable framework. Encountering these unfamiliar challenges has helped me develop a strong appreciation for town planning & design. It was also inspiring to see the progress of my peers. I have learnt a lot from working together with my groupmates as well. Reflecting back on the project has helped me to understand my shortcomings & areas in need for improvement. Aside from a lack of graphical & presentation skills, I need to look beyond planning & innovate more through design. The most crucial takeaway for me is the need to be decisive, understanding what I want to achieve & the ability to construct an understandable narrative.

Master planning at a macro town-level scale proved to be a challenge this semester. With overlapping ideas, areas of focus, similar design interventions, and topics, resulted in a to-and-fro negotiation, of project hierarchy and importance, that finally led to the overall masterplan concept. The discussion pushed me to initiate conversations and constantly communicate my ideas between the different groups so that we can reach an agreement as well as better understand each other’s projects and objectives. Throughout the semester from consultation to interims, I am able to see the process and commendable works of my peers and studio mates which inspired me to push harder and try designing outside of my comfort zone, be it graphically or systematically. There is much room for improvement if more time were given, such as how we approach our topic, not limiting our design to farming, and possibly exploring further on the aquatic species.

-Xing Zhiyan

-Janina Kwan

-Sabrina Shafari

The soil related design of this semester gave me the opportunity to think from a more research perspective and analyze the current situation of the site more scientifically. It also made me realize that the experimental results are not the same as the design. Not just addressing problematic areas but leveraging scientific evidence to better understand the site and thus have a clearer idea of how to use existing site resources, propose a reasonable method. As a team, we share and negotiate important ideas with each other, allowing me to see soil issues from more perspectives. The studio has also enhanced my ability to think outside the box, allowing me to continue thinking about how to apply ecological concepts to more logical designs in the future.

The last four months of the studio have given immense knowledge and awareness on ecology particularly about soil and insects. This topic is unique in its own way as it will always have something new to learn and I really feel very grateful to be introduced to this topic with new ideas got to incorporate in large scale project of PLAB. The initial process of working as a studio with divergent thinking gave a new experience and a chance to share thoughts with each other. Studio has strengthened my ability to think, preserve and complement the natural elements within an urban setting and to implement an ideology of “Landscape comes first” to design any project in near future.

In this semester's studio, the topic of our group is about soil. This is a relatively new research field for me. In previous projects, I did not pay much attention to the improvement of soil itself and the treatment of soil is often for water or plants. Undoubtedly, the topic of soil is full of challenges for me. In order to better study the current situation of soil on the site, my team members and I went to the site to collect samples and analyze them in a professional laboratory, which makes us have a more comprehensive understanding of the current situation of the site. In addition, we also read a lot of literature and books related to soil and made relevant case analysis, which laid a solid foundation for our later proposal. Finally, really thanks the teacher for her guidance, which provided some important ideas and ideas when we don't know how to dig deeper.

-Zhou Sicong

-Anchita Nitin Mirwankar

-Cao Naichun

This studio has really been a productive experience for me. Because this time we focused more on the importance of the design process rather than the design result, although it was difficult, it gave me a new perspective towards importance of knowledge about landscape processes. In addition, this time we look at the landscape design from the perspective of animals, hoping to make the urban landscape reasonably wild through selective intervention. This learning process also allowed me to understand the complexity of seed dispersal mechanisms, and I look forward to more opportunities to continue ecological research in the future, as well as pushing my limits and learning more in my next studio.

In this studio, I really appreciate our group work. It was tough to make sure everything was successfully in progress as every of us had to negotiate with other team members. I am happy to see the team work turns out fantastic finally. Throughout the semester, we integrated the designing with ecological knowledge then we found the interesting point of combination of different subjects. About our designing, it could be my first time that we only focused on the thinking process to get the decision of site masterplan instead of doing the detailed design. Even though it was tough, I appreciate the thinking process and integration of our group team outcomes during that time.

It’s been a challenging semester, not only because this is probably the first time I worked on a project that focuses so much on the ecological perspective, but also the first time teamed up with other thirteen classmates to come up with one overall plan. Even though there is some back and forth on certain planning issues, I consider them all to be good and necessary thinking processes to help us practice from multiple aspects. Also, this semester involves a lot of big-scale planning methods, which I didn’t have much experience with since what we learned before focused more on the smaller scale landscape design. Now I think it’s rewarding that, after this semester, we have another set of tools to put in our back pocket for future references.

- Ruozhu Xu

- Wanruo Chang

- Yilan Shi

This studio is very meaningful for me. First of all, I'm glad to work with my team as our skills are complementary and our inspirations are mutually aligned. It was the first time for me tried to design in a large-scale ecological direction, and I learned a lot from this process when cooperating with each other. Junyao's capabilities in GIS analysis technology allowed us to smoothly advance the program with the available data, while the other two of us did well in proposing design ideas and drawing graphics. Our professor, Yun Hye, worked diligently to provide us with multiple guidance from analysis to design to presentation. It is an honor to work with her and I have benefited a lot.

-Liangyu Wang

A pleasure and interesting studio for me. It is worth mentioning that professor Yun Hye's guidance really pushes us forward. I communicate with her a lot during the semester, when I found her extensive knowledge of ecological planning is very helpful which help me learn more on the city-scale design. Meanwhile, the cooperation of our team is really effective, I'm happy everyone in my group tried their best to work on the project and present their efforts in the final. We did a lot interesting research and analysis and the experience inspire me to make further explore about relevant topic.

-Junyao Ren

I had a really good experience in our studio this semester, the whole workflow was organized very well and went smooth. I learned a lot from my group members since we had one interesting perspective and everyone contributed a lot to delivering the final work. In general, I’m glad this is the most effective studio I have ever had for not struggling too much with the design concept or forms but spending time to think deeply. Meanwhile, suggestions from our tutor fed our thinking process and pushed us to achieve the big picture of our project, which guaranteed to use our time and work wisely.

-Yuxi Zhang

During the semester, the group and I were very confused at first when we saw the topic ''Recycling natural elements as natural capital''. After many weeks of discussion with Yunhye we developed our own way of dealing with natural resources. Firstly, we realised that we needed to have a clear understanding of the resources that existed on the site before we could deal with them, such as how much of each resource there was. It took us quite a while to work out how to calculate the resources, as we had never before imagined that the number of trees in a forest could be estimated, and that the soil in a forest could be calculated. We then clarified that our aim in dealing with natural resources was to create a carbon bank for PLAB, and then on the basis of this we devised three basic strategies. The process of the design was difficult this semester, but also rewarding. I have never felt so much pressure in my previous landscape studies career and it was clear that the content of my design was of a very different depth and breadth to that of my undergraduate studies. Overall, it was painful, but rewarding.

The topic of our group is "Nature Resource as Nature Capital", which is a very special one. Because of its broad meaning, we need to find a subdivided theme and keep rigorous logic to conduct in-depth design. The three of us started with the topic of carbon neutralisation and focused our attention on the three nature resources of water, soil and forest, but then started struggling for several weeks. The main reason is that we have not clearly understood the relationship between these three Nature resources and our theme, and have been thinking about water, soil and forest in a traditional and separate way, so the results of the first few weeks seem confusing.. After several weeks of communication and discussion with Yunhye and other students in the studio, we gradually got on the right track, found the internal connection between three nature resource and Carbon Bank, straightened out the logic of design and narrative, and got a relatively complete and rigorous design.

This semester's studio is very cutting-edge and challenging. Cutting edge in that most of the sites and buildings in Singapore are over 40 years old, and in an era of high population density and rapid global climate change, the renewal and reintegration of older landscapes and buildings into urban development is very cutting edge.The PLAB is 18.6km2, which is 2.5% of Singapore's total land area (728.6km2). On such a large site, it was challenging to come up with a conceptual plan that took into account the different ecological elements and infrastructure development. In the year 2050, when Singapore will achieve carbon neutralization, PLAB will serve as a model to demonstrate how to recycle and utilize the natural resources of the site to maximize carbon sequestration and minimize the carbon footprint. The biggest lesson I learned from the whole semester of research and design is that landscape is a dynamic process, and how to unify multiple and opposing natural resources to achieve a common goal is my biggest takeaway from the semester.

-Mingyu Zhao

- Siqi Cheng

- Ruomin Jiang

This studio has taught me the importance of collaboration, communication, and patience. It was an iterative process with a lot of back-and-forths from the beginning of the studio masterplan discussions to the final negotiated outcome and design strategies. Since it was mostly working as a group or as a studio, I also learnt the importance of communication. “Good communication is the bridge between confusion and clarity.” I do agree with this quote and I truly appreciate all the time we took to discuss, make decisions and clarify any confusion. Lastly, I learn to have patience with all things. But, first of all with myself. To me, these are difficult but important lessons to grow as a person.

Having gone through this design studio that is centred around PLAB and designing for the needs of a city, has equipped me with new knowledge on designing on a larger scale. It was definitely a challenge for everyone in the studio as we were pushed to think bigger as landscape architecture students. As we had to generate a studio masterplan, it really pushed us to work together as a class, negotiating with the various studio groups on topics such as nature and the built environment. A lot of interesting perspectives and dialogue came out of these discussions and I really appreciate having been given the opportunity to learn from my peers that come from various educational and national backgrounds this semester.

- Cynthia W

- Chai Xin Yi

As a studio product which is not censored, this book may contain mistakes or deficiencies. Proposed ideas may not represent the positions of NUS.

Published by Department of Architecture

School of Design and Environment

National University of Singapore

4 Architecture Drive

Singapore 117566

Tel: +65 65163452

Fax: +65 67793078

Copyright © 2022 Hwang Yun Hye and Guo Lehana (ed.)

ISBN: 978-981-18-4626-7

Student Editors

Liu Kang Sheng

Hu Die Mirwankar Anchita Nitin Zhou Sicong

Copyright © 2022 Hwang Yun Hye and Guo Lehana (ed.)

ISBN: 978-981-18-4626-7