The Great Forest Inter vention BY SHAWN LEE
Weaving Excercise Grace Tan, Kwodrent Consumerism Analysis / Site Studies An Inquiry into Nature Iterative Process and Diagrams The Great Intervention
W E AV I N G E X C E R C I S E
We marked the beginning of our Fashion House brief with an excercise of weaving. Situated in an urban farm along Henderson Road, a handbuilt wooden Wayang Stage is staged admist our concrete jungle. The excercise?
To weave a bodily enclosure integrated with the structure, and surrounding our body. With the only requirement being 3 rolls of twine, we began the process of weaving.
I found myself a small corner on the right-side of the structure, partially sheltered by a blue tarp. I positioned myself next to the many wooden
bracings and handrails, tightly woven with synthetic straps. To my left,
a maturing Ficus benghalensis, Indian Banyan Tree, growing through the hole carefully removed from the frail wooden structure. Beginning with
the first thread, I began to map the surrounding with just twine and my
hands. Passing through gaps and branches, I slowly created an enclosure within, perfectly fitted for a chair and my body.
Without the use of tools, I was still able to understand the measurements
of my body and through my senses and the tactile experience of weaving, I was able to grasp an understanding of my bodily relations to my environment. My concept for the weaving was to create a partially dense
enclosure, shading me from direct sunlight and concealing me from others present. It was interesting to see how a continuous piece of thread was
able to traverse the two dimension and forming into a three dimensional sensorial cocoon.
G R A C E TA N , K W O D R E N T
Courtesy of Kwodrent.com “ In The Stillness “
As a multi-disciplinary artist, Grace Tan often blurs the line between design and art. Through her studies of rectangles, materials and construction works, she has created many intuitive works and installations from wearable fabric manipulations to custom installations responding to site.
Woman on Woman: Lace Exhibition (2008) Interpreting the language of the pleat like forms, I understood the theme of lace, and this construction represented a form of constriction. As described by Grace, she was inspired by the action of threading a temporary thread through the fabric to hold it in place, and when pulled it resulted in this crumpled form. This action of pulling, resulted in a form of restriction imposed on the fabric. This constriction then felt like a pause in time, an action that froze the fabric in place. However, exploring twisting and wrapping the construction around a body, it gives it a new dimension and allows our eyes to travel along the lines created by this latter action. this created movement without the construction actually moving.
Main theme extracted: Movement and Structured Organicism
Materiality In Fashion Studying Grace’s projects, no matter the medium or site context, she explores the iterative process to understand the material she works with. Also responding to each brief and site context, her design changes and shifts in language and dynamics, adapting to each situation. This adaptive process is very intriguing for me as it showcases Grace’s respect for materials. She understands each medium by using tactile senses to mould and shape it to how it wants to be manipulated. This allows the medium to perform best in a materiality sense and to also be best intepreted for the brief. This sense of materiality is also significant when it comes to producing fashion. With her explorative nature, garments produced will be of N. 254
higher quality and interest as the effort and time put into each piece can be felt and experienced by the everyday people.
Orange Grove Road
SITE ANALYSIS
Site Map N.T.S
Programmatic Zoning & Traff ic Flow
SITE ANALYSIS
The triangular plot sits between two relatively quiet roads, at the start of Orchard Road. The surrounding buildings comprises of high rise private apartments and the mecca of consumerism, Orchard Road. The general colour palette of the buildings around are lightly coloured with the occasional terracotta render. In addition, the layout of the roads in the area remains relatively 9am
spaced out, with the prices being out of reach for most, it gives Orchard road a sense of order and modernity. Despite the immediate buildings, surrounding the plot, towering over, it does not block much of the sunlight from reaching the ground. The south side of the site also remains relatively low rise to maintain a good sun and visual connection.
History of Orchard Road 12pm
It started back in the late 1700s when Chinese Farmers grew plantations, at where is now Dhoby Ghaut, of Gambier plants which were key ingredients in making cakes. The plant depleted soil supply fast so over the years, the crop expanded towards Orchard and Tanglin area.
When the British arrived in the 1819s, they wanted to make use of the suitable growing conditions in Singapore, to harvest cash crops, so they brought in nutmeg, which grew in Indonesia in similar climate. They then grew the crops and sold it back to 5pm
Europe as spices.
Programmatic Zoning & Traff ic Flow
CONSUMERISM STUDY
Our Culture on Fast Fashion The rise of the Industrial Revolution gave the working class not only the convenience of ready-made garments but also developments in textile over the years. Fast forward to today, fast fashion has become an inexpensive way to get cheaper clothes that are in line with current trends. As observed in the trickle-down effect of couture design as it moves from the runways to the lines of production where imitations of designs are made to reach the clothes rack of fast fashion brands. The diluted version of the pieces from the latest collections contributes to multiple problems that modern society faces. One such problem would be its contribution to environmental pollution. For business to catch up with the great demand for trendy clothes, they are forced to turn to the factories with the cheapest production cost. The act of outsourcing to such places inadvertently meant that there would be compromises on materials and pollution to the environment. Today, the fashion industry contributes to 10% of all of humanity’s carbon emissions and they are the second largest water consumer of the world’s water supply. As a result, it has adverse effects on stakeholders; from wildlife to people living in developing countries where these factories are located. In addition, fast fashion shapes the mindset of permanence and the value of purposeful purchases. Not only does this behaviour creates clutter, it also prompts one to relieve the ephemeral process of buying and discarding; a vicious cycle. On the macro level, such consumption, too, normalises the act of buying into the branding of those pieces. In current context, the typology of shopping focuses on short lived, highly visual ways of attracting its consumers, creating an over stimulating retail environment. This often makes us lost sight of what is important, and what is needed. This in turn creates an environment where consumption is fueled by profit hungry retailers, without considering of the quality and needs of the consumers. Thus a new hierarchy of fashion and shopping needs to be established, in order to achieve a healthier relationship between consumers and the act of purchasing.
- Permanence in Fashion - Sustainable and Ethical Practices - Contrasting industrial developments to Nature
Craterellerus Ignicolour
Soil Composition of Singapore Orchard Road is situated within the ‘RM” region highlighted Red. Upon studying this Soil Map of Singapore, we understand each region of colour signifies the type of rock the soil is sitting on. Also, the soil is further divided into various categories, where this soil profile explains the substrates and aggregates it comprises of.
SOIL ON IGNEOUS ROCK Igneous Rock: Granite Rocks Soil Series: Rengam Series (RM) Parent Material: Granite and some Granodiorites, brown variants on hornblende granite Topo: Found in hilly, steep areas Drainage: Well Draining 10-20 cm dark greyish brown topsoil over yellowish brown to brownish yellow subsoil, becomes yellowish red firm horizon below 1. 5 m; textures range from sandy loam in topsoil to fine sandy clay loam to coarse sandy clay in deeper subsoils; generally friable consistence to below 1. 0m; brown variant over hornblende granite has strong brown to reddish yellow B horizon and laterite nodules may be present below 1.0 m; Orchard Road is situated within the ‘RM” region highlighted Red. Upon studying this Soil Map of Singapore, we understand each region of colour signifies the type of rock the soil is sitting on. Also, the soil is further divided into various categories, where this soil profile explains the substrates and aggregates it comprises of.
Orchard
r
A N I N Q U I R Y I N T O N AT U R E
With the idea of permanence in mind, I seeked inspiration from the history of
the site of Orchard. The site’s rich history allowed me to use nature and trees as a symbol and to study its systems in order to create a biophilic and biomimetic design.
I looked at soil composition and plant and
trees species to be included into the design.
Mushrooms There are many benefits to using mushrooms and its root like structure. Certain species of mushrooms went mixed with a solvent, usually ammonia, will produce coloured dyes. The species below will produce a range of colour from yellows, green to blueish green. Mushrooms can then be grown in house to sustainably dye clothes. Lingzhi
Laetiporus
O yster Mushroom
Tree Species Orchard Road is situated within the ‘RM” region highlighted Red. Upon studying this Soil Map of Singapore, we understand each region of colour signifies the type of rock the soil is sitting on. Also, the soil is further divided into various categories, where this soil profile explains the substrates and aggregates it comprises of.
Nutmeg Tree
Bougainvillea
Johore Fig
A N I N Q U I R Y I N T O N AT U R E
A N I N Q U I R Y I N T O N AT U R E
Baobab Tree
Kapur Tree
I T E R AT I V E P R O C E S S
A N I L L UST R AT ED D ES I G N JOUR NEY
The first three iteration was exploring the theme of material exploration. Inspired by the folds in the dress, the iterations explore ways to manipulate fabric when given different forms of structure and order. (Right) This iteration was key in exploring spatial qualities created in between spaces in the fabric.
Parti Drawing 01
Parti Drawing 02
I T E R AT I V E P R O C E S S
From the previous material exploration, I
wanted to redefine the premise of the iterative process and go back to the fundemental
principles of the dress by Grace. From the
drawings (Bottom Left), these parti drawings are intepreted from the dress, as I extracted
the principles seen from the dress; Movement, Structured Organicism and Materiality.
Thus these next few iterations touch on these
ideas, by creating free standing curves and forms with different materials. This time, I explored a strtech like silk material. I chose this
for its porocity and its ability to take the shape of the structure its under.
After the first review, I explored materials that gave me a little more structure but at the same time, maintain the malleability of fabric. This allowed me to shape the forms the way I wanted to, to explore the spatial and tactile quality of the models. As the base, I used wire mesh and art tissue and used the technique of paper mache.
(Left) This is my first full scheme iteration that explored the idea of an undulating landscape that is rich is textures and used the senses as a tool to guide users around the space. The bottom images are shadow studies to show how light moves through the many lightwells, and creating different atmosphere throughout the interior.
T H E G R E AT I N T E R V E N T I O N
At the confluence of nature and the man made, a new fashion atelier emerges in the heart of the mecca of
fashion, Orchard Road. Tapping into the site’s rich history, we pay homage to the trees and reinstate real estate back to nature, in a bid to redefine permanence in fashion. This biomimetic concept contrasts our development in the industrial age and moving towards a more sustainable future. Inspired from the form and the ecosystem of trees and forests, the spaces aim to serve, educate and inform the public, breaking down the esotericism of high fashion.
Teaching Studio
Retail and Material Explorations
Side Ent ranc e
Fitting Rooms/ Lounge
Material Research Facility
Main Entrance
BASEMENT L EVEL
P U BL I C PA RK
Principle Designer’s Apartment
Personal Working Area Semi Private Corridor
D e si gn C o n ce p t
T H E G R E AT I N T E R V E N T I O N
Mycelium Roof Panels
Meeting & Designing
Ramp to Private Clients Parlour Private Lounge
Private Fitting / Consultation
Entrance / Reception
DESIGN ST UDIO PL ATFORM
A PA RT M ENT & P RI VAT E PA RL O U R
SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE
T H E G R E AT I N T E R V E N T I O N
Sectional Perspective with Design Details n.t.s
RENDERS / DIAGRAMS
02
01
01 Platforms Oblique 02 Public Park 03 Exterior Render
T H E G R E AT I N T E R V E N T I O N
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[Left & Bottom] Basement Retail, view of central lightwell
SHAWN LEE SOO PANG A0216396X
AR2101 The Great Forest Intervention