U N I V E R S I T Y . Y E A R S
ISCLAIMER
This catalogue showcased selected works done in the past years (2007-2012). Works shown consist of design and non-design modules, individual and group-based, and are arranged in a nonchronological order. All rights reserved. No part of this publication should be reproduced, stored or transmitted without any prior permission from the author. Enjoy.
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ONTENTS
INDIVIDUAL
GROUP
JURONG LAKESCAPE THE EXTENDING HOUSE CONTAINMENT, REVERSED THE WALL GOLDEN RATIO - ANNEX FOR TAN SWEE HIAN MUSEUM OUTSTRIP PUBLIC PLATEAU BREAKWATERS NUDE, IN THE CITY THE BEAST HELLO WOODY BALLYWOOD FROM JUST ENOUGH TO ARCHITECTURE OF AWESOMENESS RÉSUMÉ
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TOP perspective showing entrance to the strips of dykes, trusses to connect each program visually. MIDDLE perspective showing algae pool versus the wetlands, where people could sit and marvel at nature taking place. BOTTOM perspective showing fishing spots, an alternative to present park circulation. 8
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WHOLE ground level plan; programs are structured within dykes, diagonally connected by trusses and boardwalk. water is stored, dirtied, cleaned, and tested, via lake, farming & bath, wetlands, fishfarms.
WHOLE axonometric drawing of design components - water tank, filtration plant, structural trusses, boardwalk, dykes, planting troughs, public bath, algae pool, wetland structure, fishing platforms, fishfarm.
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WHOLE masterplan of intervention; the diagonal structured growth of the landscape.
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WHOLE second level plan.
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TOP ROW site studies. 2nd & 3rd ROW site interpretation and model; terracing of landscape. 4th & 5th ROW studies of ‘performative’ display and reinterpretation of relationship with the human body. 6th ROW design strategies; dyking up the landscape.
TOP elevation of design 2nd section across filtration plant strip and greenhouse strip 3rd section across farming strip, public recreation strip, algae pool and wetlands BOTTOM section across public bathing pool and algae pool. 12
TOP elevation. MIDDLE section across wetlands, fishing platforms and fishfarms. BOTTOM section across fishing platforms, fishfarms and wetlands.
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WHOLE showing how each strips’ programs are juxtaposed with each other, allowing users to question upon what they are seeing.
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TOP final model - tectonics. MIDDLE final model - out of control. BOTTOM final model - the control.
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WHOLE final model - overall.
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URONG LAKESCAPE Thesis RIBA II Individual 2011 / 2012
This project questions how architecture could enable the landscape of Jurong Lake to be more than just a physical backdrop (enhancement) to our living environment. Jurong Lake District (JLD) has a history of being a residential estate for workers working in the factories to the west in the 1960s. Thematic gardens (Chinese Garden and Japanese Gardens) were then carved out from the Jurong River to provide greenery for the residents. Currently, Jurong Lake District has been gazetted (with Marina Bay) as one of the “new generation of sustainable high density district�. The current master plan proposed a landscape of learning with the shifting of Science Centre Singapore from its original site to fronting Lakeside MRT Station. The ABC (Active Beautiful Clean) Waters program provides a further enhancement to the lake and the landscape. This project then begins to question the methods in creating performative landscape; revealing how landscape could really perform and how Man and Nature could benefit from such scientific and educational re-interpretation of the landscape. Strips of programs then donned the lake, terracing the waters into different state of filths, balancing between control and out-of-control, and thus creating a landscape of observation and learning.
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PUBLIC residentials schools parks transport
PRIVATE condominuims golf courses apartment the waterfront
SEWAGE OUTLET dirty smelly functional
WATERFRONT recreation land assets decoration
WATER STORAGE WATER TREATMENT PLANT VEGETABLE FARMING BATH HOUSE & SPA
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WETLANDS FISH FARMS
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WHOLE long section showing house-fronts, where the streets house essential social activities.
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LEFT ground level plan. RIGHT 2nd level plan.
WHOLE axonometric drawings showing the growth of a typical form. the construction method allows further extension and customization.
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TOP the voids become solids as the house expands towards the back. MIDDLE a maximised(?) unit. BOTTOM the growth of the estate at its fullest(?) potential.
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WHOLE short section showing the spaces between front and back of houses, and how the interaction between users, spaces, elements and activities.
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WHOLE site plan showing roof profile.
WHOLE 1st and 2nd level plans of different units. each unit is designed differently to enhance the advantages given by the layout.
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TOP & 2nd ROW case study of Aranya Housing by Balkrishna Doshi. 3rd & 4th ROW site studies of spaces found on streets of Siem Reap. 5th ROW how does a house grow? 6th ROW determining the layout of the houses
TOP the form of a typical unit. BOTTOM various combinations - how 2 units could become 1; a corner unit.
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TOP final model - aerial view. MIDDLE final model - view from the main street. BOTTOM final model - tectonics.
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HE EXTENDING HOUSE Cambodia Fieldtrip Individual 2010/2011 Semester 2
After a study trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia and conceptualising a Masterplan, the studio was then tasked to pick up a site within the masterplan to work on, thus fulfilling the vision. Inspired by Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi’s Aranya Community Housing, this project illustrates the developing purchasing power of people living in Siem Reap. A rigid structure defines how many units could populate a single plot. A flexible method of construction defines the additional spaces a family could expand into as time passes. An emphasis on the street-space defines Cambodians’ way of living. In time, the plot will be customised with varied forms and materials, thus reflecting individuals’ preferences and needs.
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TOP ROW the expression of a wet display collection - the essence of containment. 2nd & 3rd ROW the translation of such onto the design & site. 4th, 5th & 6th ROW process models. LAST COLUMN how the boxes define the spaces.
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TOP front elevation, a levitating concrete box. BOTTOM LEFT side elevation, showing shortcut to backlane. BOTTOM RIGHT back elevation, showing a backlane cafe alley.
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WHOLE plans, from basement to 4th level.
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TOP site plan showing roof profile BOTTOM ground level plan; where it is sunken to express containment.
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TOP short section showing the puncturing of display boxes within the floorplates, the circulation box in the middle. BOTTOM LEFT long section. BOTTOM RIGHT short section showing the 2 supplementary boxes office vs research.
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TOP final model - tectonics. MIDDLE final model - overall. BOTTOM final model - the cut in floorplates to accomodate the research ‘box’.
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ONTAINMENT, REVERSED RIBA I Individual 2009/2010 SEMESTER 2
For archiving and viewing, specimens are normally kept in a clear jar, and placed amongst others of similiar attributes in a clear cabinet. These cabinets are then arranged in an orderly fashion within the span of a museum space, which is then located at a site, sandwiched amongst built form. By reversing the position of a specimen and a visitor, the essence of “containment� is expressed and experienced. The switch of being the one looking to one being looked at attempts to capture the quality of wet collection. Humans now complete the collection of a Natural History Museum. As an urban gesture, the creation of a box within a box attempts to find an un-contained site and to contain it, thus questioning the relationship of boxes - be it on site, programs or built forms, where an efficiency of spaces could be acheived and juxtaposed together again.
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TOP, 2nd & 3rd ROW studying the site with respect to Maslow Hierarchy of Needs for locals, foreign workers and tourists. 4th, 5th & 6th ROW the expression of ‘barriers’ in visual, physical and functional methods.
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TOP site plan. 2nd TOP 2nd, 3rd and 4th level plans. 3rd BOTTOM long sections showing each side of the wall. BOTTOM elevations showing each side of the wall.
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TOP overall section showing the laundry, sleeping and dining space. BOTTOM LEFT section showing lounge space. BOTTOM RIGHT section showing toilet space. the spaces at each side of the wall defines the user groups, and space needs for each. the barrier serves as a connecting element as well. 41
WHOLE final model - details and tectonics.
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HE WALL P2 - Design Individual 2008/2009 Semester 1
As an accomodation building for foreign workers and tourists (backpackers), my proposed design sought to illustrate the cultural barriter between these two user groups by the building of a ‘wall’ on the site, keeping each group on one side of the wall. As a physical barrier, this wall then seek to connect the two groups when their activities begin to ‘eat’ into the wall and invade into the space on the other side of the wall, visually and architecturally. A social commentary of the fine borders of barriers; being interrupted (when tourists chanced upon foreign workers), invasion (when the backpackers become too adventurous) and left alone (privacy for both parties).
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TOP, 2nd & 3rd ROW abstracting the ordering principle from Piet Mondrian’s Trafalgar Square. 4th ROW expressing the painting in a 3-dimensional way. 5th & 6th ROW dividing the existing museum with Golden Ratio.
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TOP plans & elevations, hand-drawn BOTTOM sections & space configuration, handdrawn.
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WHOLE an exploded axonometric of the new annex spaces.
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WHOLE final model - details and tectonics.
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OLDEN RATIO ANNEX FOR TAN SWEE HIAN MUSEUM P3 - Structure Individual 2008/2009 Semester 2 The design brief given was to create a new gallery space that is superimposed on the existing grid structure of the museum. Widely identified as a grid structure, this structural element became the main experimenting factor, where the guiding principles of Golden Ratio found in Piet Mondrian’s Trafalgar Square became a design methodology used to redefine the existing grid structure. By dividing the existing dimension of the building, it became apparent that golden ratio does exist in the grid structure. Therefore, this became a driving tool for the new annex, where the spaces created help the user to identify the functions of each spaces. Each spaces or volumes then seat in with the existing structure, creating a re-intepretation of the rigid grid structure to a fluid and geometric progressive explosion of spaces and volumes.
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TOP ROW studying the essence of layering in Jackson Pollock’s Lavender Mist. 2nd & 3rd ROW studying textures of tree barks, and translating them onto concrete and models. 4th & 5th ROW composing of elements on site. 6th ROW site elements, grass patch becomes the canvas; the pavilion becomes Pollock’s strokes. 52
TOP plan MIDDLE elevations BOTTOM section
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WHOLE an exploded axonometric of the modulars ‘strips’.
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TOP final model - aerial view MIDDLE final model on site vision BOTTOM final model - close up
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UT-STRIP P1 - Material and Materiality Individual 2007/2008 SEMESTER 2
Inspired by the American Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock’s Lavender Mist, this pavilion serves as a medium of interaction between the user and the terrain. In the painting, Pollock created a layered effect through a series of drips and drops, and the canvas lying flat on the floor. His movements were swift, vigorous and deliberate; allowing his strokes to explore the limits of the canvas and out of it. His works were mesmerizing when viewed as a whole or close up, where a drip is simply not just a drip. Likewise, for the site, the grass patch acts as a canvas, and the structure, the brushstrokes. The users will be brought into the depths of the grass; ascending, descending and experiencing the layers; and be mesmerized by what the simplelooking patch of greens have to offer to them.
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TOP, 2nd & 3rd ROW site study and new masterplan. 4th ROW concept and translation. 5th ROW program and intended user groups. 6th ROW process models.
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WHOLE various sections, showing spaces and possible activities.
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WHOLE exploded axonometric of design showing the hiearachy of the structure.
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TOP ground level plan BOTTOM 2nd and 3rd level plan. the material changes as one ascends, where the space becomes more ‘private’ as ‘free’ as indicated by the wood panelling.
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WHOLE construction drawings how the structure could be expressed as urban furniture.
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TOP final model - close up. MIDDLE final model - aerial view. BOTTOM final model - tectonics.
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UBLIC PLATEAU Asian Master Studio Individual 2009/2010 SEMESTER 1
As a response to the urbanization of Pasir Panjang and the Master Plan (green belt) my group has come up with, this design seeks to tackle the lack of public domain in this present situation. A bridge acts as an infastructure which elevates pedestrains off the street level. Like a bridge, this intervention provides additional public arena, providing a gradual change of landscape as one ascends. Inspired by a photograph taken in Tokujin Yoshioka’s Rainbow Church Installation, this design works on the basis of 5 levels of platforms / prisms with routes / light refracted through. The strong diagonal elements act as the circulation routes and structural elements, piercing through the horizontal plates to eliminate the strong visual presence.
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TOP ROW collapsible kayak structure. THE REST concept and translation, sketches & models - in creating of a collapsible facade.
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TOP short section. BOTTOM long section & elevations.
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TOP site plan. MIDDLE ground level plan. BOTTOM 2nd level plan.
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TOP final model - close up. MIDDLE final model - elevation. BOTTOM final model - close up.
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REAK WATERS P2 - Malacca Individual 2008/2009 SEMESTER 1
My proposed design is to create a kayak training school. Using the concept of a foldable kayak, which is primitive (the skin and bone technology used in medieveal times of native americans as transport) and yet modern (accessible and everyone could carry and kayak almost anywhere), my architecture utilises such collapsible and yet rigid concept to illustrate the spaces and “celebrate� the idea of going out to the river. The steel and timber construction is used to create a light-looking structure that blends with the site, looking as if its streaming out from the river, or streaming into the river.
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TOP, 2nd & 3rd ROW site study of CBD and Golden Bridge. 3rd, 4th & 5th ROW study of site patterns, and forms that could be used on site.
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TOP main section, showing how one would ascend to their final dwelling unit and the ‘pockets’ of skies the user could see. MIDDLE possible handicapped unit. BOTTOM diagrammatic explanations of plans.
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TOP 1st level plan, where space is divided for circulation, food and the entrance to spa. MIDDLE 2nd level plan. BOTTOM 3rd level plan.
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TOP perspective from incoming traffic. BOTTOM back elevation.
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UDE, IN THE CITY P1 Group 2008/2009 SEMESTER 1
This project brief was to create a ‘rest and relax’ space within a ‘busy and hectic’ environment, hence the site Central Business District. To break the monotony of the site, the group begins to play with forms and circulation, where a state of ‘rest and relax’ could only be acheived in one would to go through a ritual of breaking away form an old form and journey into a new one. Thus, the concept of a nude spa was conceived. With the use of water as a protective armour that covers the body while the soul begins its relaxation, different states of water is then used to express different relaxation techniques. Architecturally, the breakaway begins on a bridge sandwiched between two tall buildings and the journey will lead an individual to an end which overlook a street, finally acheiving peace and quiet admidst the hustle.
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WHOLE the study of animals’ forms and abstracting their forms onto the sculptures.
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TOP plans. BOTTOM section and elevations, where the sculpture is divided into 3 segments, the dimensions decreasing exponetially, thus suggesting movement and appropiating ratios.
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LEFT an exploded axonometric of the ‘mould’ RIGHT a characoal rendering of the final design.
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TOP final sculpture - worm view. MIDDLE final sculpture - day view. BOTTOM final sculpture - night view.
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HE BEAST 1:1 CONCRETE SCULPTURE GROUP 2008/2009 SEMESTER 2
As part of Architectural Construction module, this assignment’s objective was to construct a concrete sculpture depicting elegance. Being an exercise on forms, this assignment exposed us to the process of concrete making, from creating a mould to mixing the right aggregate to establishing the formwork. Inspired by how animals move, we constructed a cantilevered form that spiraled, the positive space at the bottom of the structure as the air surrounding the beast, and the negative space as the beast itself. The beast then evolved from the middle of the structure. The angularity of triangles denotes a sense of movement and sleekness. Playing with proportion allowed the creation of an elegant entity. Since “elegance” as a concept is subjective, we based our design upon the perceived view of the structure, where the similar volumes are juxtaposed to give a seamless form.
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LEFT study of Gary Chang’s Suitcase House, how a rectangular space could be accomodate different scenerios. RIGHT AND BOTTOM sketches and models, how a ‘box’ could open up to different seating positions, a shelf, seat and table all in one.
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WHOLE a series of photos showing how this ‘shelf ’ could be used.
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TOP rendered elevations. BOTTOM exploded axonometric drawing of the design, showing where all the books are hidden. the book will be revealed when one start to set up their desired seating position; the nature of the book indicates what sort of position is required (relaxed/study/group discussion).
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TOP final product - close up. MIDDLE final product - one of the side which could be opened up to form the legs of the table. BOTTOM final product - close up of the finger joint.
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ELLO WOODY 1:1 TIMBER FURNITURE GROUP 2007/2008 SEMESTER 2
Using Gary Chang’s Suitcase House as a precedence study, the group began to wonder how a bookshelf could morphed into various configurations depending on the differenet scenerios. Working on the given brief of creating a bookshelf to specifically hold 5 books of individual dimensions, the group began to conceptualise a way to ‘hide’ the books amidst the timber furniture. The furniture could then be opened into various states to reveal the books inside. The way the user settles on the furniture is related to the nature of the book, thus creating a dialogue between the book, the user, and the furniture. Its simple outlook as a cube then reminds us about the fundamentals of a ‘suitcase’ house; folding back to its state of simplicity after use.
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TOP the evolution of the module. BOTTOM how the locking mechanism works - where 8 modules make 1 ring and 20 modules make 1 ball - the potential of forms are endless.
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WHOLE final product - details.
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TOP how a column could be formed. 2nd TOP how a flexible arc could be formed. 3rd TOP how a wall/body could be formed. BOTTOM the ‘dragon’, a combination of a column, wall, and flexible ‘tail’.
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WHOLE final product - the ‘dragon’ on site.
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ALLYWOOD P1 - Plywood Group 2008/2009 SEMESTER 1
The intent was to conceive a structure to contest the notion of plywood as a planar element during construction. The shape hexagon was used, as x-y-z vertices of this shape provide a very good base of three dimensions actualization. After identifying a basic system of slot joint, the very small units of similar twig module [a further sheared form of hexagon] were connected without the conventional reliance of an ancillary element. The imprecise slot cut complements the interlocking joints by providing subtle tangential forces, which holds the structure firmly. Capped by a 3.2m tall anterior linked to a curvaceous segmented mid-section and consummated by a dynamic end intentionally cantilevered to trigger movement, this looked very much alive now, dematerializing any preconceived notion of plywood.
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LEFT how an neighbourhood is experienced, the breaking down of scale, the missing link. 3rd COLUMN the site, conceptual sections, where the contestation of spaces begin. LAST COLUMN the possible configurations where the contestations begin to create interesting forms, thus filling up the missing link. 96
WHOLE exploded axonometric showing the various level of intervention government, architects, individuals.
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WHOLE plans at various levels, where the extensions respect the existing structural beams and are constrained by the space of the voids between blocks, and the space below (carpark, etc).
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WHOLE an architect’s vision of possible uses for the extra spaces.
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ROM JUST ENOUGH TO ARCHITECTURE OF AWESOMENESS mAAN*Y Singapore Group Competition 2010 Limited land, very limited natural resources, people as the only asset. The ‘correct’ management of resources is critical for survival. Survival has nurtured an obsession with efficiency. Tightly-regulated physical space promoted authorities’ control over housing, building. Public housing provides high-quality living spaces yet the availability of provisions establishes culture of passiveness. Contentedness kills the desire for more. Contentedness paralyses actions to do more. Citizens began to be dependent on authorities’ efforts. When expectations are not met, complaints are aired. Yet citizens are themselves often unwilling to do something, anything. Complainers take authorities for granted, reliant on enlightened authorities to improve their lives. The function of authorities is fundamentally to provide the minimum, to produce architecture that is just enough.
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ÉSUMÉ
NAME Poh Wee Hao PARTICULARS 02 Jan 1986 Singaporean CONTACTS poh.weehao@gmail.com +65 90094933 [HP] +65 65691998 [H] twitter @weehao INTERESTS model making detailing sketching
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WORK EXPERIENCE Dec 2004 – Dec 2006 NSman, SAF Jan 2007 - July 2007 Primary & Secondary Students Tutor, Home-based June2009 - Aug 2008 June 2009 - Aug 2009 Temporary Staff / Cataloguing, JTC, LPG Department June 2010 - July 2010 Student Intern, Teh Joo Heng Architects EDUCATION Jan 1999 - Dec 2002 GCE ‘O’ Level, River Valley High School (6As, 2Bs) Jan 2003 - Dec 2004 GCE ‘A’ Level, National Junior College (C Maths - A, Physics - C, Art & Design - A (Merit), GP - A2, Chinese ‘AO’ - A) Aug 2007 - May 2011 Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) (2nd Upper Class), National University of Singapore Aug 2011 - May 2012 Masters of Arts (Architecture) with Honours, National University of Singapore AWARDS, ACHEIVEMENTS & PARTICIPATION 2001 Young Designer Award, Participant UOB Painting of the Year, Participant 2003 UOB Painting of the Year, Participant 2004 Singapore OK! Sculpture Park at Holland Village Estates, Design Team 2008, 2011 Works Chosen for City Exhibtion, organised by TAS 2011 Head of Publication, TAS Paperspace Press, School-based Publication, Co-editor ‘Phonebook And Dictionary Make Great Reading Materials’, Co-editor & Contributor(published for Post-script, City Exhibition 2011) ‘In Search for a New Asia Architecture’, Student-Editor (In progress, to be published for Asian Master Studio) 2012 Postscript 001 (published for City Exhibtion 2012), Contributor SKILLS Drafting and Layout PhotoshopCS, IllustratorCS, Autocad, IndesignCS 3D Modelling and Rendering Sketchup, Revit, Physical Model Making, Mediums of Charcoal, Pencil & Oil Paint Language Written & Spoken English, Mandarin 101