Rojak Central

Rojak Central

ROJAK CENTRAL The everyday Malaysian food ritual Sweta Lakshumanan Sanker ADS 10 2020/21 Portfolio + Research Booklet

STUDIO APPROACH ‘Museums of the Everyday’ ADS10 proposes an ideology that rejects the domestic nature of using architecture as a form of shelter for comfort and wealth.

Instead, the studio uses the hypothesis of a ‘Savage Architecture’, which focusses on the primitive nature of humans as collective subjects that come together and perform rituals on a daily basis, as a fundamental part of their everyday life.

This year, the studio turned its focus onto the idea of the ‘Museum of the Everyday’, which challenges the institution of a traditional museum as a collection of artefacts and objects from the past. Rather, it proposes an ideology of a radical shift towards a public space that is able to stage the savage power of being human together.

CONTENTS 01

Archetype

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02

Form

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03

Subject

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04

Condition

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Proposal

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06

Process

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The Shed

Models

Malaysian food scene

Kampung Baru

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Iterations (on iterations, on iterations...)

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Archetype The Shed Shed /ƒed/

noun A large (often rough and rude) structure built for shelter and storage that is often open at the ends of both sides

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The Parrish Art Museum

by Herzog & de Meuron

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Utilising the Parrish Art Museum in Long Island, New York as a starting point, the project kicked off with an in-depth study on the archetype of the Shed in Term 1.

Based on the research conducted, the Archetype of the Shed, to me, primarily references the most basic and simple form of shelter available to man.

The shed in itself is mainly about a large roof which overlaps and contains all the elements below it. The structure of these buildings are often very truthful and exposed - not simple but tectonically extremely beautiful. These forms therefore always allow the context and the community surrounding it to become the heart of the architecture within.

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Tradition Pongal

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Modern Banana Leaf Rice

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In parallel to the archetypal research – as a response to ADS10’s hypothesis of a Savage Architecture, which proposes ‘an architecture that empowers the emancipation of emerging collective subjects’ 1, the research then looked into the various different aspects of the collective ritual of Banana Leaf Rice.

This research was conducted in line with the studio’s intention of exploring the idea of the ‘Museum of the Everyday’ - which proposes the rejection of the institution of a museum as we experience them, but instead imagines a museum as a collective venue that can encourage communal participation and stage the savage power of being human together.

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ADS 10 2020/21 RCA Studio Brief

Banana Leaf Rice is an excellent example of a local Malaysian meal that has been adapted and transformed from a very traditional South Indian ritual known as Pongal.

Pongal is an annual harvest festival that is celebrated by South Indians all over the world in January – as a form of gratification to the Hindu Gods for a bounty harvest within the past year. Traditionally, only harvested vegetables would be cooked on an open flame and served on banana leaves for families to enjoy, once a year.

Looking at the more modern interpretations of this ritual however, and the more current scenes within Malaysia, this ritual of serving rice on a banana leaf has now become an everyday staple within the Malaysian diet. They have taken a very traditional, all-vegetarian meal and transformed it into an everyday affordable meal through the introduction of various forms of meat, fish and curries which cater for the local palette – offering a wide selection for a quick meal at a very low price.

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Stages of the ritual Ritualistic steps of banana leaf rice

1230 hrs, Kuala Lumpur 8 December 2020 Step 1 Cooking of food collectively

People seated randomly along a line and conversing whilst waiting for food to be served

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Step 2 Serving line assembled

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Step 3

Step 4

Serving begins When the meal is finished, the banana leaf is either closed towards or away from you.

Towards: Good occasion / good food Away: Bad occasion / funerals

Step A : Serving order 1 Banana leaf is served (left tip on left side) 2 Water is sprinkled across leaf (cleansing) 3 A salt and a sweet item are served 4 Vegetables (3 types) are served 5 Rice is served 6 Curry is served 7 Meat is served 8 Rasam and yoghurt are served 9 Payasam (dessert) is served

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Daily Ritual Concurrent preparation + consumption of banana leaf rice

Customers

Customers are free to walk in and sit anywhere they prefer Customers converse among themselves whilst waiting for banana leaves to be served

Relations ta

Customers conversing

Banana Wate Salt and swe Vegetab Rice Curry Tray of mea Rice is Yoghurt and Desse

Meal is do Banana leaf is folded either towards or away

Customers wash their hands Customers browse products / curry powders Customers pay the bill using clothes peg

Customers leave

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Prep / Staff Banana leaf is collected / Rice is harvested

Delivery / Distribution of vegetables via trucks

Vegetables are cut and prepared collectively on the floor Vegetables and dishes are cooked in large pots on an open flame Dishes are distributed into pails for service

ship between ables

a leaf is served er is served eet item are served bles are served e is served y is served at is brought over served again d rasam are served ert is served

Servers in a line, ready to serve / good service = good meal

Servers conversing

Bill placed in a clothes peg

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Servers collect banana leaf in bin

Servers clean table

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The two elements of research were then brought together through the methodology of populating the chosen perspective section with the individual food rituals of the chosen community.

This method was particularly effective in investigating and identifying the potential clashes or matches that could arise from the union of these two disparate elements of study.

From my analysis, I was particularly interested in looking at the role of the ‘in-between space’ in the middle corridor of the Parrish Art Museum, which is formed from the intersection of the two huge roofs above it.

The perspective section and the animated video were therefore curated to highlight this particular point of convergence in the middle of the scheme - where the differing elements of modernity and tradition were able to come together as a result of the language of the roof above it.

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From a synthetic point of view, the entire piece of research from the first term can be summarised into 3 main words of Repetition Intersection Communion

Herzog & de meuron take the idea of a typical typology of a house - that is represented through the simple pitch of the roof - and they repeat it to create a form of manipulation.

They repeat the structure not only in the short plane as you see in the perspective section but also in the z-axis as the entire building is essentially this same form repeated and extruded along the landscape.

Through this manipulation, it gives rise to this incredibly interesting intersection point between the two roofs – which essentially compress the space below it and instinctively create an intimate, lively, busy streetlike corridor that links all the spaces within the building. Given that it’s located right in the middle of the entire structure, it forces everyone – be it a member of staff or a visitor to occupy this space and hence, interact with one another - bringing upon the final point of the communion.

This simple idea is therefore able to bring individual elements and people together from all walks of life - occupying and moving through the same space – exactly like what the Malaysian food culture aspires to do, given its multicultural context.

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Excerpts from animated video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdd24vsXOIk

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Form Model studies Model /ˈmɒd.əl/

noun A physical object that is used as a form of representation - to discuss a certain aspect or idea

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De-constructing the Parrish Art Museum

Simple manipulation of house typology

The roof as a unifying cover

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Working off of my analysis, I then made some quick test models to de-construct the elements which I found particularly interesting with the idea of the Shed.

The Archetype of the Shed, to me, primarily focusses on the typical typology of a house. The shed in itself is mainly about a large roof that overlaps and contains all the elements below it. I was therefore specifically interested in looking at the role of the roof as a unifying body that is able to bring disparate objects, communities and cultures under the same atmosphere.

(Left) Digital casting models

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Subject Project brief Multiracial /mʌl.tiˈkʌl.tʃər.əl/

noun Relating to a number of different cultures, especially to the traditions of people of different religions and races

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The brief of the project is based within the realms of Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

Known as one of the most ethnically diverse nations in the entire world, Malaysia is a multicultural country, which means that there is not just one race and culture that is predominantly practised throughout the country, but it is a really unique environment in which it’s made up of the 3 main races of the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians.

Because the population is so diverse, the Malaysian food culture essentially becomes the point of interaction between all these different cultures and communities present.

Departing from the series of studies in the first term, the project looks at addressing the ways in which this everyday ritual of collective eating can help bring people together under one big roof, in an attempt to represent the larger picture of the complexity that lies within the cultural, social and political aspects of a diverse Malaysia.

The following chapter therefore focusses on discussing 6 main collective forms of eating that are unique to the Malaysian food scene. Each of which have very different eating atmospheres and subsequently different numbers of people who eat at these spaces at different periods of time during the day.

(Left, from top) Chinese cuisine (Kopitiam) Malay cuisine (Nasi) Indian cuisine (Banana leaf rice)

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01 Street Vendors Hawker Stalls

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After school / Tea time Street vendors / Hawkers 1 - 2 people

Hawker stalls are some of the most common and flavoursome forms of food preparation found within the whole of Malaysia. Ranging from different forms of afternoon tea snacks such as traditional Malay kuihs to after school titbits of fried bits of fish, these stalls are often found temporarily propped up on various sidewalks and food centres all over the city centre.

Buying food at these stalls often involve 1-2 people at a time - communicating in a mixture of Malay, English and Mandarin through Bahasa Rojak whilst they make their way through the busyness of Kuala Lumpur.

These stalls require very little bits of infrastructure - they merely need a space to prop their stalls up as well as good foot traffic across their location. The vendors also require a shade above them in the event of rain or extreme heat. The element of flexibility is highly sought after as they expand and manipulate their stalls on a daily basis.

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Direct vehicular access

Flexible spaces

Easy pedestrian access

Minimum space of 1.5m x 1.5m Signature elements

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02 Kopitiam

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Breakfast Kopitiam 2 - 5 people

The term ‘kopitiam’ originates from the combination of the Malay word ‘kopi’, meaning coffee and the Hokkien term of ‘tiam’, meaning shop.

Kopitiams are a great example of a typical Malaysian breakfast scene. They are found in almost every local vicinity and specialise in serving traditional Malay Chinese meals. These meals tend to be extremely simple and consist of a combination of soft boiled eggs, toast with butter and kaya as well as traditional black coffee or tea.

Eating at a kopitiam generally includes about 2-5 people huddled up at small, circular marble topped tables with wooden stools surrounding them. The food is ordered at and prepared at small stainless steel stalls surrounding the kopitiam tables and is then served by the owner himself.

Dominated by senior citizens and local workers, kopitiams are often the hottest gossip spots of the town to obtain the latest bits of information about local politics, TV shows, sports and food.

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Marble topped round tables with wooden stools

Food prep stalls

Framed sepia photographs

Roller shades and kopitiam sign

Signature elements

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03

Nasi Campur

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Lunch Nasi Campur 3 - 15 people ‘Nasi Campur’ means mixed rice in colloquial Malay and its essentially referring to the traditional lunch of economy rice that is commonly consumed by Malaysian office workers on a weekly basis.

Primarily consisting of a buffet table with around 50 - 100 variations of curries, vegetables, meats and condiments, Nasi Campur starts off with a simple plate and a big dollop of white rice.

Customers are then free to choose however many forms of side dishes they would like to pile up onto their plate. The owner then prices the meal based on his judgement of the plate.

Nasi Campur is one of the most common forms of a typical Malaysian lunch because of its high versatility in terms of food options available for various requirements as well as its extremely low levels of pricing. Customers can also dine in huge groups of office workers with almost no wait time.

In terms of infrastructure, Nasi Campur would only require a large buffet table down the middle of a particular space as well as a large number of serving trays and plates to accompany it.

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Movable plastic tables

Food trays

Insulated tubs of white rice

Stack of plates

Buffet table

Signature elements

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04 Mamak

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Late night / All day long Mamak 4 - 25 people The term ‘Mamak’ is said to originate from the Tamil word ‘Maama’, referring to one’s maternal uncle. This term is commonly used by young people in Malaysia and Singapore when addressing the shopkeeper ‘uncles’ who are commonly of the Indian-Muslim descent.

Mamaks are the most common form of collective eating in Malaysia. Ranging from groups as small as 4 to as large as 25, Mamaks are the epitome of a local pub in London. They are 24/7 food joints in which locals gather to watch late night football matches on large projector screens or to replenish their energy after a wild night out.

The food served at Mamaks range from a series of Indian parathas known as Roti Canais or Thosais to a series of Malay local dishes known as Nasi Goreng and Mee Mamak. These dishes are extremely affordable and made within minutes of one’s order.

The ambience of a local Mamak is extremely lively, busy and loud. They are filled with a series of stainless steel tables that can be easily moved around and joined up to cater for larger groups.

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Food preparation stalls

Projector screen

Metal and plastic chairs

Movable tables

Signature elements

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05 Dim Sum Yumcha

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Weekend / Brunch Yumcha / Dimsum 3, 6, 9 people Yum Cha is the tradition of having Dim Sum and Chinese tea for brunch as a means of catching up and connecting with your close friends and family.

Originating from the Cantonese tradition, this weekly meet up has become a routine for many Chinese Malaysians as a whole. Yum Cha spaces tend to be a bit more formal in terms of its ambience due to the certain level of privacy associated with the different families and gatherings eating at each table.

These spaces generally have large family tables that seat around 10 people per table with dim sum carts moving in between them to cater for the hours of brunch and conversation.

Dividers are also often used to separate tables to increase the certain level of privacy required by each family.

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Family style table with ‘lazy susan’

Privacy dividers

Chopsticks

Dim sum carts

Signature elements

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06 Banana leaf rice

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Lunch Banana Leaf Rice 50 - 100 people Banana Leaf Rice is the mass ritual of serving rice on a banana leaf.

Adapted from the traditional South Indian ritual of Pongal, which is primarily only celebrated once a year in January, Malaysians have taken this very traditional eating ritual and made it into an everyday affordable meal that has the ability to cater for the huge density of people in this developing country. They’ve also gone the extra mile by introducing a series of aspects which cater for the local palette of taste with the introduction of various forms of meat, fish, curries and so on.

Banana Leaf Rice is a very common lunch or dinner meal in Malaysia and it can cater for up to 50 to 100 individual customers at the same time. This collective eating ritual therefore requires a large amount of space for these long communal tables and serving zones to function like a well oiled machine. Banana Leaf Rice is best enjoyed when eaten with one’s hands. A large hand washing area therefore becomes an important aspect of this ritual in the modern day density.

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Open air cooking / food prep

Serving space

Serving pails

Banana Leaf Rice

Communal table

Signature elements

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Temporality of the Malaysian food scene

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The Asian food scene is one of the fastest paced industries of all time.

From Michelin starred Chicken Rice hawker stalls to temporary street carts that reign in hundreds of customers in a matter of hours, South East Asia is second to none when it comes to utilising the temporal nature of time and objects in successfully creating a foodies heaven.

In Malaysia, thousands of food stores operate on a temporal basis. The extremely limited number of real estate properties, together with the ominous levels of corruption and bribery needed to obtain a legal license for operation has resulted in numerous stalls and restaurants temporarily occupying streets and store fronts after working hours.

These quick eateries are set up in a number of minutes - a few plastic chairs and tables are laid out, surrounding the cart and the rest are stacked up in a corner for the general public to use, in the event that their group requires some extra seating. Everything happens extremely voluntarily and seamlessly - almost as if it is a staged scene of the everyday.

The stalls run till stocks last after which, they pack up and drive their stalls away to prep for the next day.

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General items (In circulation)

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Specialised items

(In and out of storage)

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Zooming into the 6 main forms of collective eating in particular that are relevant to the project in discussion, the individual elements which make up these very different eating rituals can be further categorised and broken down into a catalogue of objects which are either in constant circulation or which move between storage and the general space.

As a natural result of the larger objects being in constant circulation throughout the day and the different rituals, this allows for the storage space to be greatly reduced providing a higher level of security and management.

Kopitiam

Banana Leaf Rice

Items combine to form different rituals

Key In use

X

Nasi Campur

In storage

Mamak

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Stalls

Dim Sum

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X

X

X

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X

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X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X X

X X

X

X

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Condition Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur Kampung /kampɒŋ/

noun Hamlet or village in a Malay speaking country

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Looking at the condition of the proposal in particular, the project will be based around Kampung Baru in central Kuala Lumpur.

Kampung Baru is an area that remains like a lost gem in a sea of contemporary skyscrapers, situated in the heart of KL’s city centre. Set against the backdrop of Malaysia’s most iconic skyscrapers such as the Petronas Twin Towers and the KL Tower, Kampung Baru is a traditional Malay enclave that has held out against all forms of development for the past 120 years – ever since the British administration granted ownership of this land to the local Malays (preindependence) - in an attempt to allow them to retain their villagelike lifestyle within the context of an urban city.

The enclave till this very day plays an extremely significant role in Malaysian history and heritage.

In the early 1900s, the location of Kampung Baru itself turned into a political symbol of culture for the local Malays. This was the site where anti-colonial movements and protests towards Malaysia’s independence from the British were first held; as well as where Malaysia’s current dominant political party, UMNO was founded in 1946.

Initially, this plot of land was intended for agricultural use of paddy planting by the local Malays. The unsuitability of the soil however led them to repurpose the entire site as a residential settlement for the local Malay population.

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Sentul

Titiwangsa

Chow Kit

Kampung Baru

Petronas Twin Towers

City Centre

Bukit Bintang

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Given its political context, Kampung Baru is notoriously known as the place in which Malaysia’s largest and only racial riot broke out from in 1969 (due to its political attributes of being an exclusive Malay settlement).

To some, Kampung Baru is still prejudiced as a place of conflict and confrontation for local Malaysians from all over. It therefore, becomes the perfect testing ground for my museum of the everyday, which focuses on the hybrid community of Malaysians who have developed and learned to accept and appreciate the differing local communities and cultures present in our current society.

Images from the 13th of May 1969 (marked as a black day in Malaysian calendars), when DAP, the leading local Chinese political party, strided through Kampung Baru to parade their political victory against UMNO, Malaysia’s leading Malay political party.

This confrontation led to immense bloodshed which further brought the country into a state of emergency for 18 months thereafter.

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Kampung Baru in the 21st century shows a remarkable contrast to the rest of Kuala Lumpur. The traditional Malay vernacular houses which populate Kampung Baru have a very distinct approach to architecture and its tropical climate – specifically with their use of stilts and vernacular roofs which are constructed from locally sourced materials.

5 Common Traits of Malay Vernacular Houses 1. Built on stilts (ventilation + protection) 2. Vernacular roof (ventilation) 3. Partitioned rooms (height corresponds to hierarchy of spaces) 4. Decorations / Carvings (reference to Muslim motifs) 5. Natural materials (local resources + vernacular)

Bumbung Panjang

Bumbung Lima

Bumbung Perak

Bumbung Limas

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The juxtaposition of traditional Kampung Baru in urban Kuala Lumpur essentially takes me to the realms of my project this semester.

Where I’m basically trying to use my project as an intermediate life to navigate between the modernisation of Kuala Lumpur as a city with that of the local traditional, popular culture that is still alive and that we don’t want to lose with the threats of urbanisation and gentrification.

Given its historical significance, the project will use Kampung Baru as a testing ground to showcase the richness in having a diverse community as well as to highlight the importance of coming together and conversing with one another, irrespective of culture and race.

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Proposal Rojak Central Rojak /‘rodʒak/

noun Meaning: Mixed Origin: Malay

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Rojak Central, the museum of the everyday Malaysian culture will be a joint collaboration between the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and the Federal Hawkers and Petty Trade Vendors Association. The museum will be built under the ‘Penjaja 1Malaysia Program’ which essentially looks at preserving and generating the interests of local street vendors and local pop culture through the help of larger bodies in an attempt to promote Malaysia’s collective national identity.

PARTIES INVOLVED Federal Hawkers and Petty Traders Association + Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs + Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia + Kampung Baru Development Corporation through the “Penjaja 1Malaysia Program” aims to - collaborate with various government agencies, private sectors, banks, volunteers and charities to help petty traders establish a better source of income - promote the national identity of Malaysia based on culture / heritage / arts as the main catalyst for growth of country’s tourism - generate clean business areas in Malaysia which are more attractive to emphasise the healthy preparation of food for customers by hawkers

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Area of Site: 4.200 sqm

Zooming into the proposal in particular, the proposed site sits next to the iconic entrance gate of Kampung Baru as well as along the busy main road which leads to the Petronas Twin Towers.

The site therefore sits on an urban fringe of the city whilst interacting with the vernacular village like settlement of Kampung Baru.

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The current site is vacant

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Location Plan 1 : 1000 @ A0

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A quick site analysis highlights the existing language of the surrounding context.

Several neighbouring streets already have a series of multiple local, temporary street food stalls that front the permanent buildings beyond them.

Hence, the overall proposal might benefit greatly from creating a link between the main road and the existing street stalls of Kampung Baru through the design of the scheme.

Simple 3D axo of temporary stalls lining street fronts

Key Schools Green Religious institution Site Food stalls

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B

A A B

Section A-A

Elevation B-B

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Site

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The contextual elevation and section of the site reveal the relationship of the two streets with regards to the city, and subsequently how the proposal would have to be designed to fit in with the overall architectural language of its environment.

Section A-A shows the more domestic scale of Kampung Baru and their houses, whereas Elevation B-B which cuts along the main road, shows the increasing level of height towards the city centre Based on the busyness of the informal context of Kampung Baru and KL itself, as seen in these two sections, the project therefore requires a very simple yet dominating architectural intervention that can help unify and bring these complex aspects together. In my opinion, this could be achieved through the design of a large roof.

Site

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Testing Vernacular influences + how complex the roof should be

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The proposal is a very simple intervention of a slightly inclined, unified roof that sits within the site.

The roof is supplemented by a series of epicentres which slightly protrude above the roof, relating to the existing architectural language and height of the entrance gate of Kampung Baru.

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Catalogue 1 Isolated epicentres

Entrance pavilion Base Single storey brick building

Top

Lightweight timber structure with fabric stretched around it (lights up at night like a lantern)

Main ro

Base

Timber structure on

Top

Inclined double Corrugated zinc sheet on extern Plywood sheet on internal surfa

Within the Hand washin Double leaf brick base w Tiled count

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oof

e

n a 8m x 8m grid

p

e skin roof nal surface for industrial feel ace for a warm, intimate feel

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Storage + kitchen Base

Single storey brick building

Top

Sheet metal roof Two chimneys to release excess heat buildup from kitchen

e roof ng area with pipes embedded ter-top

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Easy acce ss stree for t ven dors

D

Main

ped entra estrian nce

B A

C

Rain gard en

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Rain gard en

Easy acce ss stree for t ven dors

Epicentre 1: Entrance pavilion

Deliv eries Deliv eries

Epicentre 2: Hand wash area

E

F Vege table a leaf nd bana gard na en

Epicentre 3: Kitchen + Storage

A B C D E F

Token booth reception (Payment) Management office / lockers Public WC Hand washing area Storage Kitchen Ground Floor Plan

1:500 @ A3

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Prep / Cleaning 0400 - 0600 hrs

Lunch

0600 - 1100 hrs

1130 - 1430 hrs

Tea Time

Dinner

Supper

1800 - 2100 hrs

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Breakfast

1500 - 1700 hrs

2200 - 0400 hrs

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Temporality of time 24 hour days

The key objective of the scheme is to do with the temporal nature of time, space and collective movement within the Malaysian culture.

The spaces within the scheme are therefore designed to be changed and manipulated by the community according to what eating ritual has to take place at that particular time of the day.

The design hence revolves around the idea of finding a balance between flexibility and rigidity in terms of its occupation and structure. The epicentres therefore provide the rigidity for the rituals to take place whereas the series of catalogues of mechanism and objects provide the flexibility for the community to manipulate it as they see fit.

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Catalogue 2 Furniture objects (Used to populate plans)

General items (In circulation)

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Specialised items

(In and out of storage)

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Catalogue 3 Ceiling mechanisms (Used to populate visuals + sections)

Ceiling fan

Venetian blinds

Twin tube lights

Electrical sockets

Acoustic fabrics

Projector screen

Roller blinds

Decorative elements

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E

G

F

D G

E

Main pedestrian entrance

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B

C

A

C

Rain garden

Breakfast rituals

Mamak (20%) Kopitiam (60%) Food prep (20%)

Deliveries

Deliveries

H

J

I

Rain garden

A B C D E F G H I J

Token booth reception (Payment) Management office / lockers Public WC Mamak tables Kopitiam stalls Hand washing area Kopitiam tables Banana leaf rice prep Outdoor cooking Indoor kitchen prep Breakfast

0600 - 1100 hrs

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E

G F

H D H

B

C

A

C

Rain garden

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Lunch rituals

Mamak (30%) Nasi campur (30%) Banana leaf rice (40%)

Deliveries

I

J

D

K

Rain garden

A B C D E F G H I J

Token booth reception (Payment) Management office / lockers Public WC Serving station (Banana Leaf Rice) Mamak stalls Mamak tables Hand washing area Long communal tables (BLR) Buffet table (Nasi Campur) Canteen tables (Nasi Campur) Lunch

1130 - 1430 hrs

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Vendor access

E F

G

D

B

C

A

C

Rain garden

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Vend

Tea rituals

Mamak (30%) Street vendors (70%)

dor access

Food trucks

F

F

F

I

H

Rain garden

A B C D E F G H I

Token booth reception (Payment) Management office / lockers Public WC Mamak tables Mamak stalls Street vendors / stalls Hand washing area Dinner prep Dim sum kitchen prep Tea Time

1530 - 1800 hrs

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E

E

F

D G

F

B

C

A

C

Rain garden

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Dinner rituals

Mamak (50%) Dim sum (50%)

H

H

I

Rain garden

A B C D E F G H I

Token booth reception (Payment) Management office / lockers Public WC Mamak tables Mamak stalls Divider Hand washing area Formal family tables (Dim Sum) Dim Sum cooking Dinner

1900 - 2130 hrs

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E

E

E

G

F D

B

C

A

C

Rain garden

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Supper rituals

Mamak (100%) Deliveries

E

D

F D

H

Rain garden

A B C D E F G H

Token booth reception (Payment) Management office / lockers Public WC Serving station (Banana Leaf Rice) Mamak stalls Mamak tables Hand washing area Closed kitchen Supper

2300 - 0200 hrs

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E D

B

C

A

C

Rain garden

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No rituals

0%

Garbage collection

Gas delivery

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Rain garden

A B C D E F

Token booth reception (Payment) Management office / lockers Public WC Stacked tables Clean up / wipe down Kitchen prep for next day Clean up

0230 - 0430 hrs

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Long Perspective Section 2000 hrs Dinner

Yum Cha / Dim Sum + Mamak

Zoom in Scenes 87

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Yum Cha

Mamak

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Technical approach Tanggam technique

Whole piece slides through

A timber post and beam structure was chosen for the overall structural system of the roof epicentre.

Since the overall proposal is extremely simple in nature, the highlight of the scheme sits within the tectonic details of the structure and how the connections work together. Hence, with reference to the local vernacular ‘tanggam technique’ of timber joinery (which is commonly used in long houses in Peninsula Malaysia and Borneo), a pure timber approach was used.

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Technical details Roof epicentre

A B C D

G

Roof - batten detail Double skin roof

To reduce excessive heating of roof surface (Air cavity acts as a thermal + acoustic buffer) A B C D

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Exterior layer roof

Beam - col

Pure timb

References local vernacu D

(Corrugated galvanised zinc roofing sheet)

Air cavity

E

Interior layer roof

F

(Meranti plywood battens) (Meranti plywood)

Roof batten

G

Roof

(Notc

Seco

(Lapp memb

Twin

(Attac

Prim

(Mort attac

Rojak Central

G D

E

F

lumn detail

H

I

Column - foundation detail

ber joinery

ular ‘tanggam’ technique

Knife plate connection

Connection allows shed to appear as a lightweight structure tiptoeing above concrete floor

f batten

ched joint)

ondary beam

ped joint used to join bers on the same plane)

nned primary beam

ched using timber wedge)

G

Primary column

H

Steel knife plate connection allows for ventilation gap

I

Concrete foundation

mary column

tise and tenon joint used to ch to secondary beam)

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Structural overview

A

Post and beam timber structure Structural grid: 8m x 8m

B

2.5m

Structural elements: 8m A

Primary column

B

Twinned timber beams (primary)

250mm x 250mm

150mm x 250mm (x2) C

29m

Secondary beam

8m

150mm x 200mm D

Tertiary beam (Roof battens) 100mm x 100mm 8m

E

Roof overhang

F

Single storey, single leaf brick building 2.5m

2.5m

8m

8m

3D base grid:

F

8m 6m

8m

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8m

8m

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C

D

E

24m F

6m

8m

8m

8m

8m

2.5m

53m

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Material palette Roof epicentre

Primary beam supports gutter

Fabric rain chain Lightweight Allows for evaporation of rain

Zoom in Timber column + roof

Outer layer roof Corrugated galvanised zinc roof sheet

Inner layer roof + battens Meranti plywood

Industrial feel (exterior)

Warm feel (interior) Lightweight

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Timber columns Chengal timber

Timber beams Resak timber

‘A’ grade hardwood High density

‘B’ grade hardwood Medium density

Rojak Central

Removable tiles used for ease of maintenance access

Zoom in Flooring

Column lighting Recessed floor lighting To highlight structural elements at night

External flooring Porous Cement

Shed flooring Ceramic outdoor tiles

Steel connection Knife plate

Absorbs excess rainwater runoffs to prevent quick flash floods

Removable tiles used where services are embedded below for ease of maintenance access

Prevents timber from getting wet / damaged

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Reflected ceiling plan Ceiling mechanisms

Key

Ceiling fan (6m wide span)

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Suspended tube lights

Suspended sockets

Projector screen

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N

Cable line (for decorative elements + acoustic fabrics)

Wooden venetian blinds

Wooden roller blinds

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Technical details

Ceiling mechanisms

Ceiling fan

Venetian blinds

Ventilation + Cooling

Shading + Cooling

Twin tube lights

Electrical sockets

Lighting services

Power

Generates constant air movement for thermal comfort in humid climate

Installed for use in the evening when Sun sets

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Installed on East + West façades to prevent morning + evening Sun from overheating

Installed for street vendors to easily plug in equipments + to avoid messy wires on floor

Rojak Central

Roller blinds

Decorative elements

Rain protection

Aesthetic purposes

Acoustic fabrics

Projector screen

Acoustic purposes

Specific use

Installed on North + South façades to prevent horizontal rain from entering premise

Cable installed to easily manipulate sound absorption based on type of fabric used

Cable installed for easy manipulation of the intimacy level of spaces based on ritual

Installed for ‘mamak football’ ritual to take place after dinner hours

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Environmental overview Short section

86.74o Steepest, harsh direct sunlight

Roof overhang - protection from rain - shade from sun Tropical rain / thunderstorms

69.41o Lowest, direct sunlight shaded by 2m overhang

1

Minimal inclination to lower velocity of flowing stormwater

Adjustable roller shutters on E/W for sunrise / set

North

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Concrete floor - high thermal mass

Large 6m span ceiling fan to generate air movement

Rojak Central

Rain garden

Rain chains act as indirect vertical louvres

Native plant species

2

Rain drains into tank for grey water harvesting

Light fabric lights up at night

Pebbles to drain overflow

3 Medium moisture plant

1 2 3

High moisture plant

South

Medium moisture plant

Rainwater / stormwater collects in depressed garden bed Plant / ground absorbs water Water filters through soil (replenishing groundwater supply)

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Visual 1

0630 hrs Early morning Light rain

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Visual 2

0930 hrs Breakfast Kopitiam

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Visual 3

1100 hrs Morning

Outdoor communal cooking Lunch prep

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Visual 4

1330 hrs Lunch

Informal encounters Banana leaf rice

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Visual 5

1600 hrs Tea time

Street vendors

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Visual 6

1900 hrs Dinner

Yum Cha / Dim Sum

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Visual 7

2100 hrs Supper

Garbage collection Kitchen clean-up

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Visual 8

0100 hrs Midnight

Clean up crew

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Contextual elevation

A transition between urbanity and tradition

Elevation A-A

Elevation B-B

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Site

Rojak Central

B

A A B

Site

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Crit board

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06

Process Iterations (on iterations, on iterations...)

Iterations /ˌɪt.ərˈeɪ.ʃən/

noun The process of doing something again and again, usually to improve it

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Term 2 Week 4 - 5 Testing Sections / Stilts

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Term 2 Week 5 - 6 Testing Plans / Relationship to street

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Term 2 Week 6 - 7 Testing Hierarchy / Relationship of internal activities

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Term 2 Week 7 - Term 3 Week 3 Testing Epicentres / Internal organisation

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Term 3 Week 5 - 7 Testing Visuals / Representation Conclusion Personally, one of the highlights of this project and subsequently the thing I enjoyed most about the studio was the emphasis on visual representation.

The final few weeks were some of the best - where I was able to experiment with different styles of collages and illustrations through a series of test images. These sometimes ‘accidental’ images helped further inform and influence specific design designs (sky lights, foundation details, etc.) and is definitely something I will continue to do in my second year and in practice.

Rojak Central and ADS10 have been extremely exciting to work with - even given the whole virtual situation of COVID-19. Looking back at the past 32 weeks, it is really amazing to see how the project has developed and changed over time - from an initial piece of research to a form of architecture! I’m extremely happy with the final outcome and can’t wait for next year!

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RECAP ADS10 2020/21 journey

TERM 1

TERM 2

RESEARCH

FORM

Utilising the Parrish Art Museum in Long Island, New York as a starting point, the project kicked off with an in-depth study on the archetype of the Shed in Term 1.

Working off of the ini series of digital castin then made to decons which particularly res the idea of the Shed i these series of studie conclusion was then d understandings of the Shed.

In parallel to this – as a response to ADS10’s hypothesis of Savage Architecture, the research then looked into the various different aspects of the collective ritual of Banana Leaf Rice.

These disparate subjects of research were then brought together through the methodology of populating the chosen perspective section with the collective ritual, in an effort to identify the definition of the archetype of the Shed.

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To me, the Shed, in its a large roof which ove all the elements below truthful and exposed, tend to always allow t community surroundi the heart of the archi

itial research, a ng models were struct the elements sonated with in Term 2. From es, a synthetic drawn from the e archetype of the

self, is mainly about erlaps and contains w it. Often very , these structures the context and the ing it to become itecture within.

Rojak Central

TERM 3 REPRESENTATION The final term focussed on the representation of the specific subject and ritual in the chosen condition and site using the overarching idea of the Shed.

Inspired by the multicultural context of Malaysia and its world-renowned food scene, my proposal for the museum of the everyday focusses on a series of locally inspired collective eating rituals in the heart of tropical Kuala Lumpur.

The Shed, in this context acts as a shelter that allows for the nation’s diverse population to be able to come together through simple interactions that revolve around cooking and eating everyday meals.

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