NUS DoA M.ARCH1 OPTIONS STUDIO - SPECTRES OF VENICE: INVISIBLE CITIES REVISITED (2020/2021) by NUS Department of Architecture

YEAR 4 OPTIONS STUDIO COMPILATION OF SELECTED WORKS

2020/2021 M.ARCH 1 STUDIO SIMONE

SPECTRES OF VENICE: INVISIBLE CITIES REVISITED

IMAGE CREDIT: ONG KAI YI MELISSA AND ZHU SHENGBUWEI

Venice and death

MASTERS DESIGN PROJECTS INTERESTS Masters Design Projects include those explored in two Options Design Research Studios (M.Arch 1), the Advanced Architecture Studio and the Thesis project in M.Arch 2. All studios may explore issues relevant to the interests of the Research Clusters, adjunct teachers and professors in practice. Students are encouraged to capitalise on faculty expertise in widening the scope of investigations which collectively strengthen the Thesis Project in M.Arch 2. Essential and Elective modules are useful in underpinning your Masters studio investigations. Although Options Design Research studios may be varied in content and method, students are advised to be selective and to use them as ‘learning runways’ to identify a Thesis topic and to apply accumulated knowledge there. The Advanced Architecture Studio preceding the Thesis may be used to explore thesis drivers in greater detail and focus. It is expected that the Thesis project will be the most comprehensive and extensive study of all the Masters Design Projects. _______________________________________________________________________________________

DESIGN AS INQUIRY Masters projects can be research investigations where design forms a principal mode of inquiry. Methods can be heuristic or empirical or in mixed modes of inquiry. There are a number of research methods in design investigations leading to different outcomes but they are by no means exhaustive: • • • • •

textual/graphic analysis of theoretical concepts with investigations drawn from critical discourse using text references, works of art/representation quantitative analysis to verify qualitative hypotheses with simulation, physical experiment, prototype testing and mixed methods scenario-driven speculative design to suggest solutions to emergent need. The process in itself is a new way of seeing/thinking which generates many solutions. One version of a solution may be articulated spatially and in full materiality new research knowledge is interpreted in architecture as a new way of thinking/making/ experiencing existing practices, processes or existing technologies are applied to design and which produce ‘unprecedented’ outcomes

PROJECT ATTRIBUTES A good Masters project is one where: • • • •

the research process informs design strategy which can be followed through a coherent sequential process of explorations or iterations the research generates an underlying order giving rise to a number of architectural or urban propositions the research or issues engaged with, give rise to new solutions through design, some of which are singular, permutable or recombinant it addresses the contextual specificities of site, material, spatial, culture and program

and all of the above are communicated through architectural drawings, well-crafted models and annotations which curate a design process and outcome(s) that can be understood without a verbal presentation by the author Beyond a commitment to individual academic portfolios, Masters projects play an important role in characterising the discursive ethos of a design school. It is important that you do your best. _______________________________________________________________________________________

RESEARCH CLUSTERS RESEARCH FOCUS At DOA, our advanced research delves into critical issues of architecture today and tomorrow. In particular, we anticipate and observe new demands and novel forms of buildings, cities, environments, and nature that are emergingthroughout Asia and the equatorial region. DOA research clusters coalesce creative practice, technology, urbanism, landscape, preservation, and the specific expertise of our faculty members into a productive synergy and alignment between teaching and research. The following five clusters drive the M Arch I Design Research Studio Options sequence, the M Arch II Design Thesis and the graduate level elective offering across our Master of Architecture programme. These are nonetheless included in the BA Arch programme booklet so that students may understand the various research interests of their faculty. _______________________________________________________________________________________

I. RESEARCH BY DESIGN The Research by Design (RxD) cluster develops translational research approaches through creative practice. It emphasises the importance of rigorously engaging critical and creative practice in making, writing, and thinking in architecture. RxD strives for innovation and influence in the built environment through its research outcomes. To date, a number of these outcomes have won awards and made considerable impact. RxD focuses on design in Asia and around the equator, and on research into contemporary concerns as well as the identification of speculative future directions. Members work in a range of design modes from sole authorships to collaborative and interdisciplinary configurations. As a group, RxD leverages its combined creative expertise, teaching within design studios and graduate elective modules. Research outcomes include leading buildings, texts, exhibitions, installations, films, drawings, photographs, and object-making, alongside design monographs, edited volumes, and research papers. RxD’s commitment towards integrative and translational creative practices empowers design research with intellectual and critical bearings, for a discipline in transformation.

II. HISTORY, THEORY AND CRITICISM The History, Theory and Criticism cluster develops critical capacities to examine questions of built environmental production and consumption within the historical and contemporary milieu. Taking architecture and urbanism in Asia as a primary focus, members work in interdisciplinary and transnational modes. Our members conduct research into a wide range of topics against the context of colonial/postcolonial and modern/postmodern Asian contexts, teaching these with the aim of encouraging historical literacy and consciousness in students, to enable them to understand how the present is historically sedimented. Besides teaching, members also publish widely and in diverse forms, organise and participate in major conferences and workshops, curate key exhibitions, and advise both governmental and non-governmental organisations in related fields around the world.

III. TECHNOLOGIES The Technologies cluster investigates environmentally performative or sustainable building forms and systems, and generative-evaluative processes for designing liveable environments. It employs traditional and emerging technologies that contribute to a new understanding of the human ecosystem, and emerging computational methods and techniques for discovering the relationships betweenform and performance. Members investigate the relationship between human and natural landscapes, at every scale, from the building component scale to the urban scale. Special emphasis is placed on the examination of high-density Asian cities, and on application of design and building technologies in a tropical context.

IV. URBANISM The Urbanism cluster aims to contribute towards development of sustainable resilient models and innovative advanced urban strategies to cope with various environmental, social, economic and technological challenges facing Asian cities today and in the future. The starting point for this research is a comprehensive understanding of the complexity and distinctive characters of emerging urbanism in the region. Against this backdrop, members investigate emergent urban design issues related to community and participation; conservation and regeneration; ageing and healthcare; well-being and built form; modelling and big data; and resilience and informality. These issues are examined from multiple perspectives and through both inter-disciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations, in order to question conventional norms and conceptions and establish new visions for a progressive and human-centric sustainable urban future.

V. LANDSCAPE STUDIES The Landscape Studies cluster undertakes research to generate new knowledge of landscapes as socio-ecological systems, and promotes the use of knowledge in governance systems and landscape design to improve the well-being of humans and enhance the ecological integrity of the environment. The geographic focus is primarily high-density urban regions in Asia; however members of the cluster also work in the transitional zones within the rural-urban continuum, where urban regions are expanding at a rapid rate and encroaching into rural landscapes. The overall research approach is both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. The cluster looks not only at advancing theoretical concepts and knowledge, but also applying the knowledge in practice and public policy, to shape the environment. Areas of research span a wide spectrum of the socioecological dimensions of landscape: from landscape science and landscape management, to design research and sociobehavioural studies.

STUDIO SIMONE

SPECTRES OF VENICE: INVISIBLE CITIES REVISITED The historical city-state of Venice has long fuelled the imagination of travellers and writers, perhaps none more so than journalist-novelist Italo Calvino, whose seminal publication Invisible Cities (1972) vicariously recounted scores of its imaginative simulacra through a fictional Marco Polo. Already battling environmental perils, the pandemic lockdown in Northern Italy this year led many to further ponder the long-term survival of this beleaguered city. The studio will begin our journey by grasping the contemporaneous challenges of island cities through a reading of Neal E. Robbins’ Venice, An Odyssey: Hope and Anger in the Iconic City (2020). Taking inspiration from The Hard State, Soft City of Singapore (ed. Chung and Douglass, 2020) and lessons from Venice, the studio will work towards translating the intangible qualities of spatial experience and cultural life into the virtual wonderworld. Underpinning the studio’s exploration is the role of space in narrative construction, and digital technology to the experience of space and place. As a work of fiction, Invisible Cities is a wonderful example of how space, or descriptions of space, serves as both context and referent. To quote Marie Laure-Ryan et al. (2016, 4), “The use of realworld locations is not limited to factual narratives. Certain types of narrative form are tied to particular places and historical moments in all their social and political complexities.” The first assignment was an exercise in tactility. Having each selected up to three chapters from Calvino’s novella, the students set about to produce, by hand, two-dimensional and threedimensional interpretations of their readings. The material response assignment encouraged them to draw on skillsets honed during their undergraduate years whilst offering glimpses into their abilities and personalities. Planned as an ‘ice-breaker’ for the studio, individual presentations to conclude this week-long assignment doubled as an opportunity for socialisation. As part of the wider initiative to develop a formative peer-to-peer learning and sharing culture between cohorts, planned activities for this Master of Architecture Design Research Options

studio constituted a Learning Improvement Project supported by an NUS Teaching Enhancement Grant (2020). Central to this was an Immersive Environment Workshop (13 and 20 August 2020) spread over two consecutive weekly studio sessions. Led by several seniors from last year’s cohort, it was heartening to see their willingness to share their experiences on mastering software and programmes that will serve as essential design tools, illustrating how these can be utilised for cross-technology explorations and where helpful online resources are found. Over two afternoons, the students were introduced to the fundamentals of Unity, Maya, Unreal Engine, Tiltbrush, Twinmotion and Adobe XD, and tested two types of wearable apparatuses – the HTC Cosmos VR headset and mixed reality-based Hololens. Working in pairs for the duration of the semester, and having digested the readings, the students proceeded to declare their respective design research interests and delineate particular lines of enquiry that will drive their proposed projects. The assignment, with an open brief, was to conceive a virtual environment or augmented experience: The digital medium becomes the tool to deliver a meticulously crafted narrative, or realise an object that prompts discourse. Complementing the primary project’s development were a variety of activities to reinforce learning and encourage lateral design thinking. The further lifting of circuit breaker restrictions presented a timely opportunity to organise an outing to Ebenex’s studio at 222 Arts Club on 8 September 2020 to experience their recently installed virtual stage one of the first in Singapore! Named ‘The Cube’, the floor, ceiling and two faces of this performance space is entirely made up of LED screens, effectively creating immersive environments that can be programmed to be sonically responsive. The visit was preceded by the studio’s virtual attendance of their tutor’s lecture on the confounding dialectics of experience and representation for the M.Arch.2 Contemporary Theories seminar, tabling the uses of media and digital technology for translational research by architects, and expanding possibilities for those with digital design skill sets in related industries.

A half-day workshop with module-takers of the ‘City and Senses : Multi-sensory approach to urbansim’ led by Dr. Zdravko Trivic ran on 11 September 2020. The series of presentations on sensory analyses and rapid design responses from the elective students, followed by the studio sharing their preliminary virtual environment creations and design intentions. This exchange was meant to stimulate discussions and garner helpful feedback for both parties, on why the senses can never be divested from experience even if they are mediated or realised through technology, and ways to achieve this. Featured in this studio report are four very different projects. Masquerading as a single-player game, ‘Virtual Venice’ conjoins art and architecture appreciation with historical touchpoints to produce a sensorially-layered navigable virtual environment. Another project, on ‘Venice and Death’, associates the various crises plaguing the world today with evils represented as realms of the netherworld in Dante’s Inferno. Explored through a selection of startling localised episodes in Venice, the resultant multimedia allegorical manifestations necessitated a palpable Foucauldian sensibility to organise the disparate elements for analogistic coherence. Similarly prompted by demise - this time of legacy trades and crafts - ‘Retrace’ counters heritage apathy by proposing a digitally-supported mode of outreach that engages public art, local history and consumer nostalgia in Singapore. Combining wayfinding, education and unstructured interaction, a web-based app empowers its users to embark on a physically and/or virtually enriched touristic and cultural experience of the city. Finally, embracing the unbounded imagination of Calvino, the numerous yet no less rigorous VR experiments

in ‘Relativity 6’ optimise a meticulously calibrated simulacra of zero gravity immersion to challenge established paradigms in earthbound space planning. In view of space tourism taking off in one year (pun intended), there is currency to the question of how to design for omnidirectional space. What is perhaps not evident in the studio report are the numerous hours expanded on identifying the most appropriate translation medium for each project, technological compatibility, beta testing, analysing user feedback and inevitably, troubleshooting. What is however apparent is an implicit peripatetic impulse underpinning the projects. Clearly a reflection of the times, where global disruptions caused by the pandemic in 2020 have affected long-term repercussions on international travel and mobility. Technophilia and imagination is a balm but by no means the panacea as we stand on the precipice of accelerated transformations. Simone Chung Shu-Yeng Assistant Professor Mary Ann Ng

DEATH IN VENICE ONG KAI YI MELISSA ZHU SHENGBUWEI

DEATH IN VENICE IS VENICE DYING? OR IS IT ALREADY DEAD?

ONG KAI YI MELISSA ZHU SHENGBUWEI

“Is Venice dying? Or is it already dead?” ~ Venice, an Odyssey (Robbins, 2020) The answer to the question above determines how one should react to changes in Venice - changes that threaten Venice’s very existence. Either one position would also raise more questions which reveals different possible perspectives that will inform these changes. A multiplicity of perspectives is also captured in the very same book by Neal Robbins, Venice, an Odyssey (2020, Local Secrets) Venice and Death is a multimedia project that leverages on the different qualities of each particular medium to create a more inclusive depiction of Venice. The project utilises Dante’s Inferno to frame critical global issues in the context of Venice’s impending demise. It is further inspired by Wolfang Scheppe’s Migropolis (2016, Hatje Cantz) and Bernard Tschumi’s Manhattan Transcript (1981, Academy Editions) which both make use of multi representation, notation and spatial references. The project has three main separate categories of representation that can be understood in a linear or weaving manner: Database, Collages and Manifestations. The Database category consists of references from Venice’s past and present. The Collage category offers refinement and synthesis of Dante’s Nine Circle of Hell with contemporary Venice and beyond serving as the context. Inspired by Invisible Cities by Italo Cavino (1972, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich), the third category consists of architectural Manifestations where both large or subtle structures exist within the urban fabric of Venice. The third category is represented in two scales - the urban and the human, both of which have its own merits. In line with Penelope Haramlambidou’s The allegorical project: Architecture as figurative theory (2007), Venice and Death as a whole seeks to create discourse on the multitude of issues that appear to be pushing Venice to its inevitable end. The discourse is further facilitated by the format of the project where the viewers are able to create their own narratives and meanings from the different elements curated in the project.

Calvino, I., Weaver, W., & Calvino, I. (1974). Invisible cities. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Haralambidou, P. (2007). The allegorical project: Architecture as figurative theory. Robbins, N. (2020). Venice, an Odyssey: Hope and Anger in the Iconic City. Local Secrets. Scheppe, W., Vettese, A., Agamben, G., & Burgio, V. (2016). Migropolis: Venice: Atlas of a global situation (Vol. I & II). Ostfildern, Germany: Hatje Cantz. Tschumi, B. (1981). The Manhattan transcripts. London: Academy Editions

Fig. 1.1. Framework to understanding our project

Fig. 1.2. Dante’s Inferno. In hopes of gaining a better understanding of Venice’s deathly ailments we used Dante’s Inferno as a filter to categorise the different causes of Venice’s ailments.

Fig.1.3. Spatialising Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell within Venice’s Urban Landscape.

Fig.1.4. Explanation for Integrated concept drawing: an exhaustive visual representation of the frameworks used in our project as that is what we are trying to convey with our drawing here. Vertical linear order As mentioned before the linear order of going through the mediums can be seen through within the strip. Suggesting a process of refinement and chronological order. First we have the database references followed by the collages and the manifestations at the bottom. Horizontal linearity The horizontal linearity as played out graphically by the superstructure and the placement of the strips suggests a form of hierarchy for the circles.

Which was a key aspect of Dante’s Framework as well. The Linearity both vertically and horizontally is also highlighted through the indexing notation system suggesting hierarchy both within the circle and outside of the circle. Linkages (web structure) The web structure of navigating through our project is visualised through the superimposition of a linkages diagram between the different mediums.

Fig.1.4. Eighth Circle of Hell: Fraud

Similar to the Eighth Circle of hell, the superstructure in this context has 8 different “evil pockets”, with each small circular base holding an individual sin. And in the context of Venice, these sins are greatly related to the conspiracy of selfish politicians and those that only sought after mhonetary gains. Nineth Circle of Hell: Treachery Just like in the collage where the octopus that stretches out its tenacles just so it can be in control of the entire situation, likewise, Treachery is connected to Fraud in that manner.

Japanese image of the octopus reaching its tentacles across Asia. We were inspired and trying to recontextualise it into Venetian context. As for the manifestation, bringing in a entity that is completely non-venetian to challenge the venetians’ ideology of water city.

Fig.1.3. The first proposal was about Venice’s issues with mass tourism such as overcrowding, increase in cost of living and more specifically tourism facilitated by cruise ships. The second proposal being Venice and Death which was about how Venice was suffering from depopulation, environmental degradation as well as historical associations between Venice and death. The third Proposal named Cosmopolitan Venice was centred around understanding contestations between migrants and Venetians as well as questioning the construct of the venatian identity. Fig.1.3. Spatialising Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell within Venice’s Urban Landscape.

comedy . allegorical architecture . reference mix media . collage intepretations . manifestations . immersive environment . linear chronological order . web

. manifestations . immersive environment . linear chronological order . web matric structure . discursive route . choose one and continue . proposals . invisible cities . venice an odyssey . dante inferno . first part of divine

matric structure . discursive route . choose one and continue . proposals . invisible cities . venice an odyssey . dante inferno . first part of divine comedy . allegorical architecture . reference mix media . collage intepretations proposals . invisible cities . venice an odyssey . dante inferno . first part of divine comedy . allegorical architecture . reference mix media . collage intepretations

RELATIVITY 6 CHUA MING HAO ANG JEE KIAT VICTOR

REL AT I V I T Y SI X INVESTIGATING ORBITAL VIRTUAL SIMULATIONS

ARCHITECTURE

DESIGN

UTILISING

CHUA MING HAO ANG JEE KIAT VICTOR

Since the dawn of the anthropocene, architecture has always been depicted as a struggle against the forces of gravity, from the likes of the classical Pantheon to modern megastructures like the Burj Al Arab. What is interesting for an architect then, twould be to relook at the fundamentals of architecture, at the very force which governs the principles of built form: Gravity. The design of microgravity spaces has been at the forefront of science fiction since the 19th century. Omnidirectionality in microgravity spaces has the greatest potential to disrupt the conventional terrestrial design paradigm. Doule (2014) represents this most succinctly by stating how the concepts of ‘floor plane’ and ‘ceiling plane’ lose meaning in microgravity. By moving out of the terrestrial environment, the architectural grammar of the “wall”, “floor” and “roof” cease to exist as singular unique entities, but as intertwined realities. Hall (1994) states that conventionally, due to gravity, three directions consisting of up, down, and horizontal exist, giving rise to four bodily orientations. However, in microgravity, orientability increases up to twenty four positions, due to four bodily rotations multiplied by each of the six possible axis of orientation (Hall, 1994). The massive drawbacks of disorientation and confusion means that designing with omnnidirectionality must be taken on with great care, to maximise its potential. A play on Escher’s Relativity as well as the six degrees of freedom afforded by Virtual Reality technology, Relativity Six is an ongoing research into microgravity spaces. By Harrison (2010)’s framework, the investigation seeks to understand the design of the humane space habitat, catering to the biological, psychological and sociocultural needs of the future spacefarer. By delving into architectural proxemics, affordances and relationships of extra-terrestrial spaces, the investigation seeks to generate a set of meaningful guidelines for user-experience centred orbital space architecture design.

Doule, O. (2014). Ground control: Space architecture as defined by variable gravity. Architectural Design, 84(6), 90-95. doi:10.1002/ ad.1838 Hall, T. W. (1994). The architecture of antigravity environments for long-duration space habitation (Doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, 1994) (pp. 259-286). Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan. Harrison, A. A. (2010). Humanizing outer space: Architecture, habitability, and behavioral health. Acta Astronautica, 66(5), 890-896. doi:10.1016/j. actaastro.2009.09.008

Space Tourism

Orbital

Types

Design Process

Sub-Orbital

Arc

Engineer

Lunar

Benefits

Collaborative Input

Point to Point

Economic

Scientific Manned Space Flight

Servicing and Building Assets

Orientability

Resource Extraction Human Space Breakout Space Exploration

Viability

Demographic

NASA - ISS Professionals

Passengers

Settlers

Sanitation Parameters

SpaceX Dragon - 2022

3D-Printed Modules

Challenges Confinement

Passenger Count

Stay Duration

Food/Water

12 Pax

7 Days

Temporal

The Gap: Current Studies primarily focus on Settlement Design Skylab

Salyut 1

ISS

MIR

Poor UX

chitect

Plumb Line Local Vertical Omnidirectional Multi-Purpose

Convention Association Spontaneity

erception

Proposed Pedagogy

Framework

Psychological

Robust Systems

User Error

Biological

Comfort

Sociocultural

Working Conditions

Social Cohesion

Anthropometry

Sequence

Perception

Visual Affordance

Usability/ Functionality

Color/Mood

Sociocultural Norms

Privacy but not isolation

Scale/Form

Spatial Arrangement

Navigational Tools

Furnishing

Plants

Lighting

Aperture

Focal Points

VR EXPERIMENT SETUP Blinded First Exposure

Tutorial

Participants will be given a 10 minute VR acclimatisation in a tutorial level. Participants will be introduced to the notion that the space they will be entering virtually will have the context of outer space, without being given the intended functionality of the space.

Non-blinded Second Exposure

Feedback #1

Participants will then be introduced to the designed VR space, and be allowed to interact with it for a span of 5-10 minutes, or to the point of discomfort or nausea

They will then be asked what they perceived the function of the space to be, as well as about their experience navigating the space.

Feedback #2

A second exposure to the environment is conducted upon participants request for participants to evaluate if design is well suited to intended function.

After being informed of the intended function, they will be invited to share what they felt worked and what didn’t.

STAGE

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REA

TEST AREA

REALIT Y

TEST AREA

REA

TEST A

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Trials conducted in a sound proofed recording studio space with a camera setup. The waiting area is screened from the participants who are about to enter the VR test zone.

Y-Orient

Walk

X-Orient

Grab

Thrusters

STAGE

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STAGE

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GE A T S BBY

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STAGE

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GE A T S IAL

TUTO

IRTUAL Locomotion

Sit

Interactables / Movement Aids

Glide

Push off

Ball

Apple

Pen

Pizza

Book

Handrail

Lighting

Door

Lever

Switch

Video Demonstration: 8m x 8m x 8m

Thruster Use

Video Demonstration: 2m x 2m x 2m

Time taken

Preliminary Investigation: Locomotion Index In our interface, two basic options for locomotion was implemented. Firstly, by grabbing onto the environment, the user could propel themselves by pushing or pulling. Secondly, on button press, a thruster flame could be produced that would propel the user in the pointed direction steadily. The first option was a close approximation to zero-gravity locomotion, while the second option was an illegal form of movement in reality. To investigate the basic parameters of dimension and mobility in zero-gravity, the time taken to move end to end within a space was divided by the number of thruster uses, to produce a coefficient. We termed this the Locomotion Index, where spaces most optimised between spatiousness and navigability would score the highest.

2x2x2 2x3x2

2x8x8

It is important to note that the results are not hard parameters for module size, but inform the dimensions for spatial voids within designed spaces.

Raw Experimental Data

2x4x2 2x8x7 2x5x2 2x8x6

2x6x2 2x8x5 2x7x2

2x8x4 2x8x3

2x8x2

Graph of Locomotion Index across different dimensions

Value of 3 is given as the lower limit for locomotion index.

Recommended Scales

2m x 3m x 3m Lower Limit - Maximal Mobility, Minimal Spatiousness

3m x 3m x 7m Expressed directionality - Strong line of movement

6m x 6m x 3m Suitable for large communal or recreational spaces

6m x 6m x 6m Upper Limit - Maximal Spatiousness,Minimal Mobility

space, without being given the intended functionality of the space.

Tutorial Level

1. Basic locomotion familiarisation - thrusters and environmental gripping

3. Orientation - learning how to reorient vertically to navigate to the next objective

2. Interactable familiarisation - free floating interactable objects

4. Next objective is placed such that reorienting is necessary

Test Subjects

5. nteractables - learning how to operate a basic lever to toggle lights

6. End point - warp to exit to main lobby

VR Interface Y-Orient

X-Orient

Subject #3

Subject #17

Adjacency matrix and adjacency mappings were used to understand the relationships between the various spaces when the test subjects entered the various environments in order to ascertain proper functional relationships Thruster between living and Grab functional requirements of spaces. Other qualitative aspects such as the effect of lighitng as well as the furnishing of spaces also played a role in the qualitative analysis of proxemics and visual affordances.

Scenes of experimental levels

Sofa street

Disco dining

Golden shower

Dining disk

Viewing deck

H-Shaped

RETRACE CHOO HUI ZHI JOSIAH TAN XIAN ZHE

RET RAC E

INJECTING NOSTALGIA IN OUR CITY TODAY

CHOO HUI ZHI JOSIAH TAN XIAN ZHE

RETRACE allows users to integrate the past and present by providing a valuable immersive experience that can be passed on to future generation. It is inspired by the loss of heritage in Venice, the influx of modernization and urbanization has diluted the culture and heritage in Singapore. Fortunately, urban artefacts such as murals and sculptures are integral in preserving culture and heritage. Yet, they are often onedimensional and present a myopic view of the artist’s interpretation and the state’s narrative of our heritage. At present, these artefacts provide on-the-surface account of history but does not value-add to the audience and fail to capture the spirit of our heritage. RETRACE aims to think more critically about these vital urban artefacts and provide layer meaning to them through the seamless integration of the physical and virtual space by using AR technology. Located in Downtown due to the concentration of artefacts, it integrates the tangible and intangible qualities of the urban context in the wayfinding process. Users can organically experience the city and gain a more holistic, multidimensional approach in appreciating the urban artefacts. RETRACE goes beyond an educational tool as it provides useful information for users to immerse in our heritage. Interactions captured in the virtual space can be translated into real life, providing a more impactful experience. It is user-friendly, age-friendly and aimed at all groups of people in society regardless of their interests and tech adeptness, users can feel a sense of nostalgia and strengthen intergenerational gaps.

Robbins, N. (2020). Venice, an Odyssey: Hope, Anger and the Future of Cities Book. Local Secrets.

Fig. 3.1 General Overview, Attraction Nodes | Size of nodes relates to the number of related locations of the urban artefact ive

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ers Oth% 3

Indian

Fig. 3.3.1. Collage for provision shop mural

Malay

Chinese

Female

Time period critique

1800

Chinese migration to Singapore began in the early 19th century and they brought with them their habit of wearing cotton singlets

1822

5-foot way was conceived as a part of the Jackson Plan

Male

0-14 65+

15-64

re po ga Sin ap in r s ic ou ah te e? p r ca ur So og pli lt nt m re cu va de d le le w oo gib l re neurh an stil mic t e o th hbo in op on s d h s ec oe ig an D nele ion cio o e is th gibov h-s n r ta a p hig Is this in a? e ar urm

o :y

e urc

1840

The shophouse was around as early as 1840s and so did their relevant paraphernalia

1854

Beginning of Whampoa & Co. Ice

1905 First supermarket in Singapore was open

1930 1934 Start of street hawkering

Start of mass production of the Teraoka spring scale for household use.

1950

1960

Children got punished with the feather duster till the 90s Samfu was popular work outfit for women

1960

Construction of HDB

1960

1961

1947

Khong Guan Biscuits was founded

1965

Tikam tikam outlawed by the government

Vespa opened an assembly plant in Jurong

1940 Creation of provision shops

1936 Milo was sold in Singapore since then

1970 Coconut grater was invented

Fig. 3.3.3. The location of the urban artefact might not be suitable, considering its modern urban context

1970

1977

Singapore river clean up Singapore river clean up caused the massive relocation of 4,000 squatters and hawkers, whose daily waste flowed into the river. Public housing was found for the squatters, while street hawkers were persuaded to move to hawker centres.

Provision shops were found on the ground floor of shophouses, while residential spaces were on the upper floors. Hence, this also meant that provision shops had to be relocated, which led to people throwing out their old items, like the aluminium pail.

1983

Gardenia was founded

1990

Traditional tinsmith industry was in decline then

Fig. 3.3.2. Urban artefacts are often onedimensional and have little/ no educational and informational use in the lives of the audience. While the provision shop mural may look like it comes from the 60-70s, to the untrained, it spans across 3 decades!

Fig. 3.3.4. Provision shop mural by Yip Yew Chong along Everton Road

椰子刨丝器 Coconut Grater

腊肠

Chinese sausage “lapcheong”

Khong Guan Biscuit [ khong guan bis-kit]

DISCOVERY YEAR: 1894

DISCOVERY YEAR: 1970

DISCOVERY YEAR: 1947 “in those days they don't even have the glass or plastic part showings what's inside the metal container. They will have to write on it to find out what is inside”

“(hanging display) besides looking good for display, they are also airy”

“do you know how much effort to grate the coconut? Now machine do everything so quickly. And is convenient, out everything in a can, is preserved and can put back in the fridge and can confirm the quantity”

康元制饼

[lap-cheong]

[koh-kuh-nuht grey-ter]

“I remember when I was younger, we wanted to make agar agar. My mom has to put the grated coconut on a piece of white cloth and use her hand to squeeze the juice... A lot of work!”

Lapcheong and waxed duck... They are mostly southern chinese things, Cantonese.

“A popular dish during the festivities is lap mei fan where steamed waxed meats is mixed with fluffy cooked rice in a claypot”

“return to the shop get �1”

“my grandma used to keep her personal savings in these biscuit tins”

Almeda Sr. invented the coconut grater, which has further improved the food industry in terms of processing food much quicker and easier.It is a metal contraption where you fed in half of a coconut at the top, and out spat shreds of coconut at the bottom opening into a bowl. Grater is used to grind shelled coconut as shredded coconut has longer shelf life. Manual coconut scrapper more commonly available. Coconuts are mainly imported from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Preparation of grated coconut is tedious - one has to use a towel to squeeze the grated coconut to get its coconut milk.

They range from hard, dried smoked pork sausage scented with rose-flavoured wine to those made with duck or pork liver, either fresh or cooked. In China, there was a 6th century agricultural manual that contained instructions for making sausages. But modern Cantonese style sausages was invented in 1894 by a Cantonese porridge shop owner, who stuffed intestines with the leftover pork and pig liver from his store. There are different variations of the chinese sausage in different parts of China, such as xiang chang or xue chang. This is very popular amongst Cantonese families and can be found in receipes like claypot rice.

More than sixty years ago, Chew Choo Keng and Chew Choo Han came to Singapore from Fujian and found work in a local biscuit factory. Because of WW2, they fled to Perak where they made biscuits by hand. After the Japanese retreat, they returned to Singapore and continued selling hand-made biscuits. Their big break came when they chanced upon some war-damaged biscuit making machines, creating a semi-automated biscuit production line using bicycle chains to move the biscuits on a conveyor system through an improvised brick oven. This led to formation of Khong Guan Biscuit Factory (Singapore) in 1947.

Ming engineering Block 80, Geylang Bahru, #01-2642, Singapore 339688

Teck Sang Pte Ltd No.10&11 Hongkong St, Singapore 059654

Khong Guan Biscuit Factory 338 Jalan Boon Lay Singapore 619526

Housewives cook less often these days, and when they cooked curry they use canned coconut more often than not. Some also preferred to use yoghurt, as it was “healthier”.

冰贸易 Ice trade

Recently, Singapore has been producing innovative Chinese sausages that are lower in fat and sodium, and some special high-fibre brands.

Pulley tin can

[ahys treyd] DISCOVERY YEAR: 1854

Tikam Tikam [Ti-kam ti-kam] DISCOVERY YEAR: 1950

“my grandma used to bring me to this provision shop at Bedok. The uncle would reach and pull down the short rope which was attached to the bottom of the Milkmaid tin. A little bell would ring concurrently. After getting his change he let the rope go. The counterweight at the other end would pull up the tin”

“based on the accounts of the house owner, the beancurd seller offers a free bowl of beancurd to the tikam tikam winner, even though I do not remember such a generous beancurd seller...”

“after peeling a slip from the board, we can see if we won a prize. It was very thrilling! Sometimes we can win kuti-kuti or snacks like coconut candy”

“His working desk was right at the back of the shop. He kept his cash in the drawer of the desk. Above his desk, there hung a huge used Milkmaid tin to hold small change”

“It is actually quite rare for provision shops to sell ice but this owner remembered this happening so he wanted it to be drawn out. Gunny sacks and sawdust were used to prevent the ice from melting quickly. Ice were sold in smaller cubes and bring it home to further crush it. We didn't have a refrigerator at home but my mom would ask me to get a metal container to buy ice from the coffeeshop”

“milkmaid and ovaltine tins were also used”

In early Singapore, prominent businessman, Whampoa Hoo Ah Kay dabbled in the ice trade in 1854. Under his company, Whampoa & Co. Ice shipped ice from Singapore to America and stored it at Whampoa's Ice House at Clarke Quay. Large blocks of ice were covered with sawdust, which insulated the blocks from the surrounding heat, and slowed down the melting process. It was covered with canvas when transported by lorry. In a cold room, water was frozen in metal containers and hauled out as large ice blocks via a pulley system, before cutting into various sizes with iron saws. The ice was then delivered in gunny sacks to customers, who received it in an unhygienic state.

Uni-Tat Ice & Marketing Pte Ltd 15 Woodlands Loop, #01-10, Singapore 738322

猜测

[pool-ee tin kan] DISCOVERY YEAR: 1936

“sometimes such tins were also used to contain joss sticks for bai bai”

Tuck Lee Ice Ptd Ltd 12, Defu Lane 1, Singapore 539487

滑轮铁罐

The Cream Cracker is a Khong Guan classic and a favourite tea time snack. From the old-school tin cans, they are now available in an assortment of attractive packaging.

In lieu of modern refrigerating technology, which is easily accessible to the masses, household demand for ice has dropped. Yet there is still sustained demand in the commercial sectors.

It acted as the cash container. It is often a recycled Milo tin that hung from a pulley in the ceiling, made of elastic cords and string. Milo has been sold in Singapore since 1936 and produced locally since 1984. One would pull it down to put money in and then release to let it go back up. It was a very convenient and secure way to keep monies collected from paying customers. Most times, the proprietor would have it near the front of his shop and another one near his desk.

In lieu of modern accounting methods and greater security protection of electric cash registers, the pulley tin can has been displaced by most provision shops.

Tikam Tikam is a term in malay which means “random pick”. A popular game among children in the 1950s to 1970s.One could pay a 5 cents to select a numbered ticket at a provision shop and win prizes such as toys or soft drinks. Outlawed by the police in 1961. Harsh punishment failed to deter the the public from engaging in the popular game at Chinatown, Tiong Bahru and New Bridge Road. Tikam tikam stalls can be outside the schools, markets and Chinese operas.

Singapore Philatelic Museum Coleman St, 23-B, Singapore 179807 National Museum of Singapore 93 Stamford Rd, Singapore 178897

Carnival World SG Pte Ltd 10 Admiralty Street #05-40, North Link Building, Singapore 757695

Fig. 3.4. Object scale critique based on the anecdotal stories by the mural artist and our family

RETRACE

木制百叶窗 Wooden shutters

五脚基

Five-foot way

传统招牌

Traditional signboard

[ wood-n shuht-er]

[fahyv- foot wey]

[truh-dish-uh-nl sahyn-bawrd]

DISCOVERY YEAR: 1840

DISCOVERY YEAR: 1822

DISCOVERY YEAR: 1800s

“By the way, these things are mostly Cantonese. However, this shop, Hui An, is obviously Hokkien. It is not historically accurate. Because I’m Cantonese and I have seen many of these provision shops in Chinatown. Chinatown is predominantly Cantonese. But the house owner who commissioned this mural is a hokkien. So I asked him what shop name he wants and he thought of his ancestory town in China. Hui An is a town in China, Fujian”

foot

“when they close for the day, they will have to place the planks back. they will number it to know the position of the doors. doors are not foldable and they need to slot it into the grooves”

“businesses spill their goods into the 5-foot way. sometimes they also rent them to other hawkers”

Timber frame shopfront has a central double swing door flanked by full-height dismantlable timber boards (numbered) provided security but can be fully removed to create a wide opening when open for business. Designed to facilitate mercantile and/or warehousing activities, it reflects singapore's history as a colonial trading outpost. Produced by local carpentry workshops using tropical hardwood from malaya and the region, they were painted to provide a protective layer and for aesthetic reasons. They are conceived as part of the building envelope in response to the tropical climate and passive ventilation system. Today, it adopts a modern twist as flexible room seperators, instead of being part of storefronts.

Mandated in Stamford Raffles’ 1822 Jackson Plan, it was carried out “for the sake of uniformity” in the townscape, inspired by Batavia. With cement screed finish, it was a sheltered pedestrian space. In reality, the five-footways were teemed with obstruction that pedestrians were forced onto the road. Shop owners used the five-footway to store or display goods. They sometimes rented them out to other businesses, like food ventors. Over the years, campaigns to remove and regulate five-footway obstruction was couched in the interests of public health, which inspired the Verandah Riots (1888). Eventually, the law was amended to ease control of five-footway activities, as long as it could accommodate pedestrains.

Signages in Singapore make use of multiple languages – sometimes even up to four. Chinese merchants would inscribe the name of their business in large Chinese characters on a wooden signboard over the door. While such signs were fairly common till the 1980s, few were made by the 1990s. Urban planning and tight regulations of signs also meant these old ones were considered visual clutter. In the mural, its signboard reads ‘hui an’, which is the name of a county in China’s Fujian Province (Hokkien) and was inspired by the house owner’s historical roots. Interestingly, the contents of the mural are mainly Cantonese, which are based on the artist’s personal experiences and upbringing.

Siong Door Enterprise 1072 Eunos Ave 5, #01-170, Singapore 409751

The five-foot way has evolved into void decks we have today, which were initially created to give children shelter during rainy days.

Yong Gallery 260 South Bridge Rd, Singapore 058809

Storefront entrances have been replaced by metal foldable gates or even glass doors.

Renovaid Team 21, #09-11 Woodlands Cl, Primz Bizhub, Singapore 737854

铝桶

Aluminium Pail

发酵缸

Fermentation Crock

[al-yuh-min-ee-uhm peyl ] DISCOVERY YEAR: 1800

Today, handmade signboards are replaced mainly with factory-made, vinyl signages because they are more economical, eye-catching and easier to maintain.

报纸

Newspaper

[fur-men-tey-shuhn krok] DISCOVERY YEAR: 1800

“pails are used for bathing. That was how I used to shower when I was younger”

[nooz-pey-per] DISCOVERY YEAR: 1845 “in those times, no such thing as plastic. Do you see anything made of plastic here?”

“where i used to live in sago lane, there was a soya sauce shop that sold soya sauce in this type of jar. And even black sauce and vinegar too”

“my mom, after the bed bugs, she would use to wash clothes”

“(hanging pots) they call it the fuyun in Cantonese, fermented beancurd. Nowadays nobody eat this kind of thing. Some are salted, some are bluish, some are pinkish. They always hang it. Most of them are (made in) home factories la”

“they were also used to contain water in the bathroom in those years. we had no porcelain basin. there was only one tap so they fill the pail with water and it is easy to scoop the water for bathing.”

“most of the time, people bring their own baskets. If small item, people wrap with newspaper and tie it with a string. And for wet goods, they use CB leaves, like wet tofu, coconut and fish”

“clean one to wrap dumpling and contain food”

“smaller pots are also used to store century eggs”

“I remember after we buy 10 durians, my family will have to mobilise this basin to store the durians. Many uses!”

Aluminium pails are largely use to contain water, where it is used for laundry, as a bath tub for young children, to store water (usually only 1 tap in the household) for washing up and even to prepare dumplings. In the 1950s “Labour Brand” soap bars, wooden washing board and huge pails were use to do laundry, it was a tedious and time-consuming. Aluminium pails are largely imported from China and Malaysia

Horme Hardware 1 Ubi Crescent #01-01, 1 Building, Singapore 408563 Hardwarecity superstore 208 Choa Chu Kang Ave 1, Shophouse, Singapore 689473

Because of the relocation to HDBs, old paraphernalia were thrown out. And they were replaced with plastic ones, which are more durable. They were popular after WW2.

“some of these jars are also used to ferment salted vegetables”

Crock is use to preserve food, like soya sauce, salted vegetables or even century eggs and have long been used in ancient China. Traditional crocks have intriciate pottery details. However, it is difficult to find traditional crocks today, especially those with intricate designs. They are mainly imported from China and Korea.

Lazada www.lazada.sg

Qoo10 www.Qoo10.sg

It is difficult to find it in Singapore today, mainly because of the lack of demand.

“newspapers leaves us with super polished windows and mirrors. And don’t need to rinse cloth after cleaning. Save water & recycle newspapers!

“use to fold paper boxes to hold bones at the dinner table before tossing them out”

In the past, people brough their own baskets when shopping. After making their purchase, shop owners would wrap dried goods, like canned food with newspaper and used simpoh air leaves (also known as CB leaves which are usually discouraged to use in Singapore Air Force’s outfield camouflaging exercise due to its super big leaf shape) for wet products, like grated coconut. They would also tie string to the items so that customers can carry them home more easily.

Due to the rise of plastic after WW2, newspaper wrappings are replaced with plastic bags as they are more durable and are even waterproof to carry damp items.

Fig. 3.5.1. Screenshots from Figma prototype of our project interface

Fig. 3.5. Screenshots from Twinmotion for our provision shop mural and wayfinding

RETRACE

Fig. 3.6. Process: Site analysis of various urban artefacts

Fig. 3.7. Storyboard of our AR implementation

Fig. 3.8.1 Overview map of all urban artifacts

Fig. 3.8.2 Map of related locations

Fig. 3.9. Provision shop mural

11 12

16 4

27 22

9 7

6 5 18

14 26

5 20

Food 1. Coconut grater 2. Beancurd seller 3. Sun-dried goods 4. Canned product 5. Fresh produce 6. Traditional bread

7. Traditional snacks

Architecture 8. Air vents 9. Wooden shutters 10. 5-foot way 11. Canvas shelter 12. Bamboo blinds 13. Traditional signboard

Outdated practices 14. Ice cutting 15. Gunny sack on wood plank 16. Pulley tin can 17. Weighing scale 18. Tikam tikam

Household items 19. Samfu 20. Vespa 21. Singlet 22. Scourer scrub 23. Aluminium pail 24. Fermentation crock

25. Feather duster 26. Tin dustbin 27. Traditional calendar 28. Newspaper

YEAR 4 OPTIONS STUDIO COMPILATION OF SELECTED WORKS

2020/2021 M.ARCH 1 STUDIO SIMONE

IMAGE CREDIT: CHUA MING HAO AND ANG JEE KIAT VICTOR