M A R C H II D E S IG N R E S E A R C H TH ESIS O FFERIN GS Picture credit: Yao Jia Ying Elizabeth
FORM Tutor: François Blanciak
inspiring cultural network of leading creatives and visionaries.
What should a significant architectural project look like? How can it come into existence within the current ecological context of architecture and a strained economy of attention? In light of current debates on what is — fundamentally — a building; this thesis topic will focus broadly on the issue of form in architecture, a notion so contentious that it is often presented as necessarily “following” particular variables. What these are, and why they surface at specific moments in history, will be investigated; with a particular emphasis on the study of precedents in order to envision architectural outputs that transcend solutionism.
The fringe is also about producing things that enrich our lives; to make more with less. It is paradoxical but true. The concept shall be focused on three key themes that navigates the drastic transitions in the world of mobility: connectedness, digitality and circularity. It is an invitation to explore the topics, the possibilities of perception and sensuous, and the boundaries of factual and fantastic.
THE NARRATIVE OF TECTONICS Tutor: Hans Brouwer The craft of architecture evolved from simple shelter to the complex structures of today. It will continue to evolve into amazing and hitherto unimagined forms and spaces. At its core, however, architecture is about craft and the making of things. It is about the human ability to take materials and to transform them — through care, innovation and craftsmanship into architecture. This relationship of process and outcome is perfectly summarised in Robert Maulden’s definition of tectonics in architecture: Tectonics in architecture is defined as “The science or art of construction, both in relation to use and artistic design. It refers not just to the “activity of making the materially requisite construction that answers certain needs, but rather to the activity that raises this construction to an art form”. Robert Maulden: The Tectonics in Architecture
THE INNER COAST
Craft and construction, however, is lacking in the true potential of architecture without a narrative to guide it. It is this pursuit of a higher purpose that has driven us to constantly seek out new ways of solving old problems. The challenge lies in understanding how to choose one’s narrative so that it guides us towards the highest ideals of form, space and order. FRINGE CITY – COLLECTIVE Tutor: Randy Chan No one can predict the future. Everything in this space is a reflection on the status quo. We are not questioning it entirely, rather we are realising we cannot continue as we used to. The thesis study shall act as an artistic, experimental experience space to imagine the tomorrow. Space at the fringe of the city provides a flexible setting to cater for a creative dialogue between creators, art and technology. We shall attempt to look at fringe of city, i.e. exploring the undercurrent of its own existence — the densities; the tension between social-economic and connectivity. Studies shall address what is really relevant for people in the city, arising in opportunities to open up our range of reach to connect to architecture culture, art, fashion and overall creativity.
Picture credit: Rifqi Ashraf Bin Rosali
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As a marginal space, the fringe holds a prominent position in the reimagination of the “new”. This enables the space, brand and collaborative artists to engage with a rich,
The thesis shall attempt to translate three key connected themes from an emotional level through to companionship in a digital world; and how this is influencing everything in our world — as issues on circularity and sustainability are paramount too. TEMPLES FOR HOMO DEUS Tutor: Chaw Chih Wen The studio is interested in the paradigmatic shifts in architecture as we transit from homo sapiens to homo deus. Yuval Noah Harari’s seminal works will serve as an impetus for further research into related socio-politicalcultural phenomenon and most importantly, their spatial implications. The thesis should refrain from a simplistic application of black box technology in architecture; but rather, focus on the discovery of novel, unimagined spatial practices through the lens of a homo deus. LENS OF ANTI-FRAGILITY Tutor: Cheah Kok Ming When dinning-in restrictions hit Chicago-based Dimo’s Pizza shop during the pandemic, they reinvented themselves by deploying some of their ovens and manpower to produce plastic shields for health-care protection. The transformation thrived for Dimo despite the adversities. Nassim Taleb describes “antifragility” as an attribute beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same but the antifragile gets better. The studio provides an “antifragile” framework to examine situations, problems or threats for thinking about unique contextual architectural possibilities. For Dimo’s Pizza, it raises the question of how architecture would facilitate the concurrent production of pizza and plastic shields. BROKEN: LABOUR FOR CARE Tutor: Lilian Chee ‘Now breakdown is our epistemic and experiential reality.’ Our worlds are increasingly vulnerable. Wars, protests, inflation, disease and climate change have resulted in an unprecedented rise in the disenfranchised, discriminated, homeless, jobless, with many lives already lost. Cities are sites of trauma and strife; they are also the sites of resilience and repair. How do we put our worlds back together? To do this, architecture must galvanise a movement at its frontiers, forge relations at its boundaries. It means to think through, and construct architecture alongside with, our environments, society, culture, technology, human and nonhuman Others. This Thesis Studio is committed to reimagining an architectural politics and aesthetics through the ethics, theories and practices of care: Architecture made in-themidst-of others.
EMERGING CIVIC URBANISMS: DESIGNING FOR SOCIAL IMPACT Tutor: Cho Im Sik With rising awareness of the impacts of environmental degradation and growing social and economic polarisation, various forms of civic urbanisms are emerging around the world as an alternative to the growth-oriented and market-driven urban development of the past. This implies an awakened desire for a new paradigm in society — based on more sustainable ways of life, which contributed to the increased interest in communal life and shared identities in localities. The new paradigm has also brought about greater emphasis on well-being, quality of life, social inclusion, environmental consciousness, and active participation of citizens in decision-making. In a fast changing social context, this studio draws attention to the possibilities and challenges that we face while moving towards a more inclusive and sustainable future. ARCHITECTURE AS MEDIA Tutor: Simone Chung Media, as defined by Hertz and Parikka (2015, 146), is “approached through the concrete artifacts, design solutions, and various technological layers that range from hardware to software processes, each of which in its own way participates in the circulation of time and memory.” The materiality of media, from a deep-time perspective, exposes an extensive matrix implicating the geopolitics of labour, expansionist capitalism, and irreversible environmental damage not only from planetary excavations and energy production but also the long-tail effects of toxic waste. F.U.N. 4.0 | THE MINDFULNESS CONDUNDRUM Tutor: Fung John Chye A hallmark of the 21st century is the omnipresence of information, which overloads and disrupts our mind in an unceasing flux. This pervasive intrusion of the digital exerts an adverse impact on our physical, mental and cognitive health. Humanity needs an attention revolution and a re-enchantment with phenomenological experiences that promote health and wellness. Future Urban Neighbourhoods (F.U.N) 4.0 continues the earlier explorations of architecture and urbanscapes to mitigate the immense challenges of real-world conditions in order to imagine viable futures in 2050 and beyond; through scenarios of sustainable human communities, wellness, urban solutions and deep technologies. The Mindfulness Conundrum begins with an investigation of mindfulness through meditation in the common’s spaces, to unpack the sacred in the ordinary. The studio unpacks future environments at urban and architectural scales. Thesis students conduct deep dives under the broad umbrella of future urbanism.
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