Y3S1 | Interstitial Territories | Shawn Lee

A D O C UME N TATIO N J O UR N AL

Transient morphology for the displaced

INTERSTITIAL -

- TERRITORIES

by

SHAWN LEE

CONTENT

Urban Analysis Site Observations Plight of the Migrant Workers Homelessness and Displacement Iterative Process Interstitial Territories Design Narrative

URBAN ANALYSIS

Defu Industrial Estate sits at the South West border of Paya Lebar Airbase, forming one of the many industrial estates in that area. The site itself is divided into redeveloped and an older site, with its landlease ending in 2030. Surrounding the estate is residential areas as well as green pockets and canals, with the airbase sited to be transformed into residential use after its lease is up.

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There is a prominent industrial outlook in Defu, it holds traits of a rural community, segregated from

SITE OBSERVATIONS

the outside realms of residential and commercial developments. Despite the temporary appendages and structures, the site seems to be rooted in a form of permanence. With vehicles and humans moving through the narrow roads and pathways, the flow of transient exchange operates like clockwork, as humans and vehicles co-exist within this community.

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On site, an everpresent wealth disparity looms over and manifests through details and takes the form of shiny new cars under rickety structures, collecting dust and dirt from the neighbouring works.

The living conditions of the workers, forming semi-permanent housing, with degrading temporary materials, rooted in permanence through the wild plants reclaiming the site. All while the construction and business owners, clocks out after work and drives away from this ‘community’.

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MARGINALISED PERSONAS

THE PLIGHT OF THE MIGRANT WORKERS Current standards of living and our treatment towards migrant workers have resulted in physical and emotional struggles in their day to day living. From current dormitories unable to cope with pandemics like Covid19, to poorly designed and tight spaces for so many individuals to co share. This raises ethical issues on the living standards as well as ways to better improve the lives of workers, thus improving their health conditions, and allowing for more productive work.

KEY AREAS OF CONCERN; 1. Lack of common spaces (with current outward facing hallways) 2. Cramped living conditions 3. Lack of personal space and boundaries

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HOMELESSNESS AND DISPLACEMENT With the varied degrees of homelessness in Singapore, it is still frowned upon and constitutes as ‘dirty’ under the eyes of our law. These displaced individuals experience different issues, resulting in some form of homelessness from social/ familial and financial problems. The services available to this community is small, with specific requirements to fulfil, this reduces the opportunity for the individsuals to seek the assistance they need. In addition, hostile laws and regulations makes it hard for forms of vagrancy to take place here, as they will be forced into a welfare home.

KEY AREAS OF CONCERN; 1. Lack of dignity and anonymity for the individuals 2. Lack of support and nightly shelters to meet temporary needs 3. The inability to provide for themselves which promotes the vicious cycle of displacement

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PROCESS

INTERIM ONE

Reclaiming Institutionalised Spaces The indulgence of ‘dirty’ hobbies

With the growing pressure for an expression of

Air Base, now experiences an opportunity to create

freedom, we dive into this speculation set in the post

something new. The chance for a temporary settlement,

industrialist city of Singapore. To satisfy this wanting

adapted to the industrial site, and envisioned with the

for a space, the government designates the now

passion to built a vibrant community driven by their

redundant Defu Industrial Estate to the people. The

love for drones and engaging with their hobbies.

catch is, to achieve the country’s vision of a City in Nature, the government wants to construct a park

Built upon the premise of impermanence, the hobbyists

in this highly urbanised district. Thus, the park is

engage in ‘illegal and dirty’ underground modified

built over the current abandoned site of Defu, in an

drone fights. The rebellion of the hobbyists, fostering

attempt to conceal its dirty industrial past.

community through the establishment of an economy through trade, reclaiming the institutionalised spaces

However, a group of drone enthusiasts, once

dedicated to ‘clean’ activities.

constrainted by the no fly laws of the Paya Lebar

EXISITNG SITE MATERIALS

Final Model of the Park atop the abandoned Defu Industrial

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Adapting to the abandoned site, the uers can utlise exisitng left behind machineries and materials to construct structures, furnitures and functions needed for the drone battles. This resourcefulness births new forms of re-purposed architecture, allowing users to fully customise their spaces and functions which they utlise most.

Main Arena for Drone Battle

Atmosphere of Cavernous Spaces - Spaces for existing trees to emerge in the ‘clean’ park

Long Section

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INTERIM TWO

HALFWAY CITY Interim Structures for the Homeless Established upon the vacated industrial landscape of Old Defu, the new

symbiotic relationship between them and the future industrial partners

industrial city is built atop, with brand new buildings that pave the way

residing there. This paves the way for a more permanent architecture,

for a cleaner and greener industry. While the industrial city is undergoing

rooted in the fabric of our post industrial movement. The members of the

construction, non profit organisations specialising in assisting the

community will contribute and learn a multitude of skills and jobs, to assist

destitutes, take the opportunity to construct an interim community amidst

in the industrial sector or upkeep of the community itself. This provides

2 completed buildings. The idea is to foster a community and develop a

dignity, housing and sustenance to these displaced individuals.

HOUSING TYPOLOGIES Occupancy per unit decreases as you move up the floors.

HORIZONTAL & VERTICAL CIRCULATION Connects the grid system via a central stairs on either sides.

STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS Comprising of 2 division systems

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12 pax dorm / kitchen / laundry

2-4 pax housing

1 pax housing / business module

4 pax housing / kitchen

2 pax housing

Sectional Perspective

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Neighbourly Interactions / Business & Living

Across Floor Interaction / Airwells

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Across Blocks / Personalisation with items

Cathedral like space central to the Soup Kitchen

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PREAMBLE

INTERSTITIAL TERRITORIES

As construction takes place on the planned Defu Industrial Estate, each

the developed and surveilled. Using the confusing agglomerated mass, they

company needs to maximise space and cost-efficiency when planning

slip into the building at night seeking shelter. In the process, a symbiotic

for storage and dormitories. New morphologies of interim hybrid

relationship is formed between the marginalised personas, allowing for an

structures, merging with onsite scaffoldings and birthing new functions

exchange of services/goods and social relations. In the day, the homeless

in dead interstitial spaces between buildings. The structure grows around

slip out of the site to continue drifting while the workers get back to work.

construction core services, expanding informally to suit the migrant workers, forming an en masse of agglomeration. This provided the workers with

As these interim structures expand across the site with different

greater autonomy in living in exchange for higher productivity during work.

iterations, they represent the temporal nature of such transient architecture, formalising intangible qualities into tangible states, adapting

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This site also plays host to a different marginalised community, the

and identifying fluid relations and functions of spaces. This creates new

displaced/homeless, seeking refuge within the construction site, away from

interstitial territories, providing permanence with impermanent forms.

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EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC

TYPOLOGIES

DORMITORIES [formal]

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KITCHEN [formal]

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TYPOLOGIES

SHOWERS [formal]

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TOILET [formal]

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TYPOLOGIES

SERVICES [formal]

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STOREROOMS [informal]

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ARCHITECTURAL GUIDELINES

Negative and Dead Spaces

Elevated off the ground for

between buildings

groundworks clearance

SPATIAL ORGANISATION

informal

Fi rs t

Fl oo r

Se co nd

Fl oo r

Th ir d

Fl oo r

organisation

formal order

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ARCHITECTURE OF DECEIT

Utilising the mass of the structure and architecture, functions can be concealed within the everyday industrialist components.

An example is using a ventilation duct, connected to diferent rooms, to form a tunnel and bringing the displaced around the interior.

Disguising Functions

Concealed areas within formalised functions can also be achieved such as the idea of a false ceiling, above a Services component.

This allows the spaces above to be taken advantage of.

Hidden Areas

With the various spaces created around, other informal loosely constructed spaces like a Games storeroom, could also create housing spaces, And as the sizes increase, features like shops and social gathering places can be created with this informal function.

Social & Trade

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SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

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DESIGN NARRATIVE [Day]

Established upon the vacated industrial landscape of Old Defu, the new industrial city is built atop, with brand new buildings that pave the way for a cleaner and greener industry. Interim structures grows out from the interstitial spaces, and forming organic communities best fitted for its users.

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DESIGN NARRATIVE

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D ES IGN 5: D E N S ITY, UR B AN IS M, P UB LIC NESS U N IT 2: W E AKN ES S AS AN UR B AN S TR ATE GY AN D MODE OF DESI G N B O B BY W O N G S TUDIO / 2021

INTERSTITIAL -

- TERRITORIES