3. RE-WILDING SINGAPORE

The three studios in this section considers how tropical biodiversity may be reintroduced into Singapore’s highly urbanized environment.

AY 09/10-1 LA4701 & 5701

Urban Jungle

Tutor: Rekittke Joerg, Hwang Yun Hye

Key Themes

Tropicality; Rewilding urban green spaces; Alternatives to manicured landscapes; Heterogeneous and multi-tiered structures; Intended wildness; Human-nature coexistence; Spontaneous vegetation in the city; Human-wildlife interaction

Students: Cai Hanwei Leonard, Tai Shijie, Chua Yong Kiat, Yue Jonathan, Tan Yit Chuan, Xu Jingyi, Tang Rachel, Yung Yvonne, Lum Geraldine, Yip Ching Lok, Toh Chong Ji, Tan Yi Wei, Hoo Xin Yu, Cheng Chu Jie, Carelnina Shiela

AY 10/11-1 LA4701 & 5701

Orchard Central Park

Tutor: Rekittke Joerg, Hwang Yun Hye

Students: Yung Yvonne, Lum Geraldine, Yip Ching Lok, Toh Chong Ji, Tan Yi Wei, Hoo Xin Yu, Cheng Chu Jie, Carelnina Shiela, Tan Yi Wei, Bharihoke Gauri, Guo Yunjia Lehana, Hou Suya, Lin Shengwei Ervine, Muhammad Yazid Ninsalam, Mehta Neha, Nur Syafiqah Nahadi, Nur Syuhada Limat, Sng En Ai Rebecca, Soh Han Jie, Teo Hui Yi Rachel, Fiserova Alice

AY 14/15-1 LA4701

Redefining the PCN

Tutor: Hwang Yun Hye

(With support from National Parks Board)

Students: Agarwal Anushree, Chen Anzhuo, Cheok Zhi Ning, Lim Li Xuan Cherlyn, Amonkar Deepika Nihar, Liu Yuehua, Poh Qiying, Sun Yunzi, Tan Li Wen Ashley, Tao Yibei, Yuan Yishuai

Singapore has dramatically changed from a natural tropical primary forest to a manmade urban jungle, with open lawns and single-tiered vegetation common found in its contemporary landscape. However, bringing back the tropical biodiversity to the city through rewilding could be a means of restoring both the physical and socio-ecological authenticity of the tropical landscape. A diverse and complex tropical ecosystem that benefits from tropicality has the potential to achieve this goal, even in a high-dense compact city context.

To tackle the issue, in a series of three studios on rewilding Singapore, students were asked to respond to the following questions: Can designers introduce a genuine tropical landscape effect into the city? To what extent do existing urban green spaces accumulate ecological value while serving anthropocentric demands? Can designers creatively adapt the dynamism of tropicality, including the spontaneity, messiness, and irregularity of multi-tiered vegetation, to generate a new kind of three-dimensional landscape architecture? Can design promote a healthier lifestyle for city dwellers that is closer to nature? The aim of three studios was to propose prototypes of alternative urban greenery to infuse greater ecological functions and diversity into the highly managed built environment through rewilding. allowing ample and flexible space for human flow and vegetation growth

As a test bed for rewilding Singapore, the three design studios selected the remaining primary forests, such as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve/ Central catchment, as “landing” sites that could serve as reference points for understanding the original characteristics of Singapore’s authentic nature. Selected design sites varied – from a free choice of various landscape typologies across the city (MLA’10) to a 2.2km central shopping street, one of the biggest tourist draws, as well as a central traffic spine (MLA’11 and MLA’12) to the 150km Park Connector Network (PCN) across Singapore that includes recreational trails, concrete canals, forest edges, urban parks, and residential and industrial zones (MLA’16).

Each studio began with on-site learning through a field trip to a rainforest. With an understanding of the forest formation process and the complex interactions between abundant flora and fauna, students found their inspiration through observation of wildlife. Sketches of the forest structure drawn during the trip were used as a foundation in the later stage of design. In addition, informative and intellectual input sessions given by experts in biology, horticulture, and urban ecology helped students understand the theoretical significance of mimicking the original tropical landscapes of Singapore. In the first half of each studio, students were asked to navigate potential design sites while conducting site analysis and exploring ideas to envision “rewilding” using various models and design representations. After justifying design sites and design approaches, individuals or small groups of students explored designs during the rest of the studio. The design tasks included visualization of “before and after” landscapes on various spatial and temporal scales.

Overall, the rewilding Singapore studios were geared towards enhancing floristic biodiversity and protecting the structural complexity of urban landscapes with a view to attract various faunal species back to the local ecosystem and bringing nature closer to urbanites.

Related Outcomes

Student Dissertation

Sun Hao Jen Ashley (MLA’18) Classifying NUS campus lawns based on floristic potential on rewilded lawns in Singapore, 2017-2018

Feng Yuanqiu (MLA’15) The socio-cultural value of wild growth - uncovering the design potential of secondary forests in Singapore, 2014–2015

Darne Shamy Vivek (MLA’13) Green roofs as local habitats in Singapore: observation biodiversity on four extensive green roofs (Presented at IFLA conference 2014), 2012–2013

Student Awards

2015 SILA Student Design Awards, Planting Design Category (Gold), The PCN as a forest edge, Agarwal Anushree, and Lim Li Xuan Cherlyn (MLA’16)

2011 SILA Student Design Awards, Outstanding Graphic Award Category (Gold), Orchard Central Park, Toh Chong Ji (MLA’11), Nur Syafiqah Bte Nahadi (MLA’12), Neha Mehta (MLA’12) and Tan Yi Wei (MLA’11)

PUBLISHED PAPERS

Hwang, Y.H, Yue, Z.E., 2019 Intended wildness: utilising spontaneous growth for biodiverse green spaces in a tropical city, Journal of Landscape Architecture, JoLA spring

Hwang, Y.H., Yue, Z.E., Patil Mayura, 2019, Urban Wild Initiative: rewilding urban green Spaces to enhance biodiversity, CityGreen , no. 17, P34-39

Hwang, Y.H., Yue, Z.E.J., Ling, S.K. and Tan, H.H.V., 2019. It’s ok to be wilder: preference for natural growth in urban green spaces in a tropical city. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening , 38, pp.165-176.

Hwang, YH, YUE, Z.E., Tan, Y.C., 2016, Observation of floristic succession and biodiversity on rewilded lawns in a tropical city, Landscape Research Journal , Vol. 42, 678-694

Hwang, Y. H., 2010, Observation of urban spontaneous vegetation as landscape material, Journal of Landscape Architecture in Asia , Vol. 5, 61-71

Hwang, Y. H., Rewilding urban landscapes: functions and its application as a greening policy, Handbook of Urban Ecology, Ian Douglas ed., Second Edition, Routledge (forthcoming)

Studio Books

Hwang, Y. H. (Editor), 2015, MLA studio: Redefining the park connector network: prototyping the PCN for an ecologically sustainable city CASA, NUS, Nparks ISBN 978-981-09-3712-6

MLA students engaged in field work in a secondary forest to understand the growth pattern of forest vegetation, as guided by Lum Shawn (Dr).