Arch Series III | NUS M.Arch II Thesis Part 2 of 2: Thesis & Process Documentation by Sherry Goh

f i lt e r c i t y residences

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Acknowledgements Alas, we’re finally at the final moments of life in NUS Architecture school. What a journey it has been for me ever since I begun embarking on this discipline way back in Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

I feel a sense of melancholy yet excited to finish it on a high. I am utterly grateful for everyone who has played a part in my life.

First and foremost, I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my research supervisor, Dr Joseph Lim, Associate Professor with the Department of Architecture, NUS, for providing invaluable guidance throughout the thesis project. He’s one of the most involved, enthusiastic and supportive tutor I have ever met.

I would also like to thank my fellow JLEM studio mates, Azriel, Max, Justin and Bernie for running this marathon alongside me.

I will never forget the late nights we have had together as we churned out drawings and ideas.

Special thanks to Jia Xian who has been my constant ever since we went on the student exchange programme to Sheffield back in year 2. (Thanks sis! We made it!)

Lastly, I would also like to thank my family and my Fiance Ash for their unwavering support and encouragment all this while. They have also provided a safe and comfortable environment for me to concentrate on my tasks at hand. This journey would not have been easy without them. I love you all very much.

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Abstract The unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic has brought about significant detrimental ramifications to the social fabric, economic aspect and psychological wellbeing of people in every part of the world. As a major transportation hub, it was inevitable for Singapore to remove itself from the equation. The highly dense city state with a population of 5.69 million (Statistics, 2020), occupying a mere land area of 726 km2 (SLA, 2020), sprung into pandemic-response mode when the first case arrived on its shores late January 2020. As cluster-cases proliferated the local community, stringent social distancing measures infiltrated the neighbourhoods. Soon enough, residents found themselves subjected to the confines of their homes as work-from-home and movement restrictions were enforced during the Circuit Breaker (Adrienne, 2020). The pandemic has undermined the meaning of public spaces which were intended for social cohesion (Stevens, 2018). On the otherhand, residents living in the public housing development also known as HDB flats were mostly affected due to the fact that they lack access to immediate outdoor spaces and gardens in the form of balconies and terraces, otherwise seen in landed properties and condominiums (Hong, 2020). The time of isolation has also urged us to rethink the urban environment, emphasizing the eminent human need for open air spaces, parks and gardens. This episode has certainly highlighted the inadequacies of the built environment pertaining to the outdoor public spaces and the home.

As such, this thesis seeks to explore how urban vibrancy can be recalibrated and shall address the pressing need to rethink the role of home gardens and outdoor spaces in a post-pandemic world. Consequently, one advocates that the future of public spaces and homes should be designed with greater generosity with regards to space provisions (Casicci, 2020).

Key words: Pandemic, Public Spaces, Homes, Gardens, Well-being

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Prologue Fast forward to August of year 2025, The nation has just celebrated its 60th birthday. We have been streaming the NDP programme on our devices in the comfort of our homes for the fifth time now; this has been a recurring activity for the past few years ever since Covid-19 struck the world.

Most of us have been working from home for up to 4 days per week.

Working remotely meant that the home-offices environment has to be highly productive spaces with minimal disruptions. Planned periods of social contact and stimulation are added onto the home-working schedule. To combat the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle, the health-conscious have included workout/stretching sessions in their daily routine. Others unwind with a glass of wine and even resort to ‘green therapy’ - growing plants as a form of leisure which also helps to regulate emotions.

Food, groceries and parcel deliveries by unmanned drones are no longer a pipe dream; they are here to stay. As mentioned above, ‘green therapy’ might not just be cultivating plants for aesthetic purposes; Ever since the pandemic, people also saw the benefits of growing edibles, herbs and microgreens in their homes.

The retail experience has evolved to the extent that we no longer need to visit the apparel shops to try on new apparels; we have embraced the ‘phygital’ via the means of AR and VR. Decentralized in-store shopping is still available for those who crave that visceral experience but at a time-based basis.

One major difference between the present and pre-pandemic is that we now treasure the human touch and connection even more. The public realm has become the focal point for unique ways of gathering. Public spaces are now curated and designed with social distancing considerations in preparation for the future...

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M O D EL M AK I NG p r o cess

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p r o cess d r aw in gs d o cu m en tat ion th r o u g h n u mer o u s co n su ltat ions order of layout begins from the most recent first

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