8. LANDSCAPE IN HIGH DENSITY ENVIRONMENTS

The four studios here address socio-ecological issues in high-density cities.

Key Themes

Multi-functionality; Densification; Optimization of ecosystem services; Managing complexity of a living landscape; Time-sensitive design intervention; Multiscalar approach; Juxtaposing conflicting domains: Nature-human; Public-private; Permanent-temporary

AY 11/12-2 LA4702

Vertical City Asia Competition; Seoul

Tutor: Hwang Yun Hye, Low Boon Liang, Ng Wai Keen, Jürgen Rosemann (Collaboration with NUS MAUD and M.Arch)

Students: Yap Lai Fong Anna, Fu Mao Ying, Heng Juit Lian, Pham Le Anh, Mak Ronnie, Darne Shamy Vivek, Wong Ruen Qing, Yeo Jia Hao, Zhang Rong

AY 13/14-2 LA5702

Vertical City Asia Competition; Mumbai

Tutor: Rekittke Joerg

Students: Lee Xiao Ling Lynn, Patil Mayura, Sandilya Atreyee, Cheong Wan Ying, Li Jinmu, Chen Jiahui

AY 15/16-2 LA5702

Udaipur Studio

Tutor: Dreiseitl Herbert

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

AY 16/17-1 LA5701

Intensification: Multiplicity of Landscape Layers; Singapore

Tutor: Ng Leonard, Ryan Shubin, Endo Kenya

Students: Chen Wei, Su Yuting, Qian Xuanyu, Liu Yuahua, Tan Wenbin, Pu Wenjun, Wang Yuqian, Chen Jumin, Kuhn Jacob, Pang Yurong

‘ THE MUMBAI EXPERIMENT - CONNECTING SOCIALLY AND SPATIALLY ’, group work by MLA’14 explored a social and spatial experiment of juxtaposing the rich and poor in the new building typologies. The proposed urban form is expected to gradually become a catalyst to generate new ways of living, engagement with public open spaces, and interactions with the surrounding natural environment.

Given the growing populations, many Asian cities have densified their urban cores, leaving little space for ecosystem services to play a role. By and large, socio-economic factors define the priorities for land use and occupancy patterns. However, Asian cities are always looking for new urban frameworks to address their social needs, regardless of how established they are – from rapidly growing metropolises to cities reaching their mature state. It is critical to collectively react to urbanization and explore preemptive measures to ensure a long-term livable environment for city residents.

In response to this need, all four studios dealt with the following common questions: Can we find a balance between urban density and livability for city dwellers? Can we intensify land usage by juxtaposing conflicting domains: nature-human, public-private, and permanent-temporary? Can we accommodate and ensure sustainable multi-functionality within a given site? Answering these questions required careful analysis of the existing urban fabric, with dissection of a city’s spatial and functional “patterns” using geo-spatial analysis and ground-level observations. The most challenging aspect was to restructure such “patterns” while addressing the respective studios’ themes and each city’s socio-economic situation.

INTEGRATION AND INTERACTION

- REDESIGN OF AN EVOLVED AND MERGED ECO-URBAN SYSTEM by Liu Yuehua (MLA’17) interwove resident and wildlife movement within the existing housing development by inserting multi-modes of greenery. Through a careful analysis of current residential typology, the proposal explored a new housing model that retrofits the ecological corridor knitting through the housing blocks, both horizontally and vertically.

RETHINKING HYDROLOGY IN PUNGGOL - USING WATER TO INTENSIFY ECOLOGY AND PUBLIC by Pu Wenju (MLA’17) focused on urban hydrology and interface between the reservoir. By manipulating the topography, waterfront spaces were transformed into a series of dynamic habitat zones, such as wetlands and marshes, where unique urban activities as well as vulnerable species could coexist.

The Vertical Cities Asia (VCA) International Design Competition focused on design explorations of and research into new architectural and planning models for the vertical, dense and intense urban environments in Asia. Two studios were carried out following this agenda: Studio 2012 in Seoul, South Korea and Studio 2014 in Mumbai, India. Reflecting contrasting socio-economic situations, the Seoul studio’s theme “Everyone Ages” emphasized rapidly aging societies and looked for spatial solutions to foster a new urban lifestyle and sense of belonging. Mumbai studio’s theme “Everyone Connects” asked students to come up with a new architectural and urban design framework to accommodate an additional 10,000 inhabitants within a given site, while ensuring human livability. The complex nature of the challenge required multi-disciplinary thinking. Thus, both VCA studios included architecture, landscape, and urban design students. Beginning with a weeklong field trip to the city of interest, students observed, identified and analysed underlying challenges. Over the semester, they developed coherent and context-sensitive urban strategies integrating landscape, urban, and architectural design principles.

Punggol studio (MLA’17) highlighted Singapore’s land scarcity issue. Students were asked to propose 60ha site’s masterplan from the vantage point of “intensification”. Instead of one place designed for one purpose, the studio sought design schemes with multi-scenarios and multi-usages, where natural systems were within the reach of urban dwellers. The first half of the studio was dedicated to site analysis of five topics: water, human comfort, ecology, community, and built structure. Two masterplans were developed for the mid-term review as a collective work from the research phase. The second half of the studio allowed students to probe a special issue or site to further develop their design interventions.

Udaipur studio in India (MLA’16) dealt with the government’s pressing need to introduce smart instruments into the urban environment to advance the city’s infrastructural management and enhance the residents’ quality of life. A week-long field survey and discussions with local planning authorities helped students to think critically about integrated planning methodologies, such as a liveable city performance matrix and GIS based planning. Human scale experiential designs were individually developed after macro- and meso-scale site conditions and patterns were analysed.

Group work by MLA’16 Udaipur Studio’s output consisted of macro-, meso- and site-scale design recommendations: the water system, and open spaces. The water system recommendation was derived from detailed site analysis and evaluation of existing infrastructural systems, including watershed, lake-side, river-side and city drainage system. Design solutions were targeted to mitigate underlying hydraulic issues in Udaipur’s water quantity and quality.

Related Outcomes Student Awards

2017 SILA Student Design Awards, Best Design Showcase (Bronze) & Outstanding Contextual Analysis and Investigation (Bronze), Human Comfort and Natural Melody, Qian Xuanyu (MLA’17)

2014 SILA Student Design Awards, Outstanding Graphic Presentation (Bronze), The Mumbai Experiment, Mayura patil, Lynn Lee, Li Jin Mu, Atreyee Sandilya, Chen Jia Hui, Cheong Wan Ying (MLA’14)

2012 SILA Student Design Awards, Outstanding Graphic Representation Category (Gold), Two landscape strategies for avertical city, Seoul, Heng Juit Lian (MLA’13), Zhang Rong (MLA’13), Peh Li Lin Stacy, Yeo Wei Ling Diane, Ning Xianlin, Pether Then, Samantha Wong (B.Arch)

2012 Vertical City Asia Competition, Honourable Mentions, The Soft City, Heng Juit Lian (MLA’13), Peh Li Lin Stacy (B.Arch), Yeo Wei Ling Diane (co-supervision)