Wong Chi Khay

Academic Portfolio 2012 - 2015

WONG CHI KHAY Singapore Polytechnic Diploma in Architecture

CONTENTS YEAR 3 01 02 03

YEAR 3

YEAR 2 04

YEAR 2

YEAR 1 05 06 07

YEAR 1

08

Joo Chiat Centre Zenith Bench Internship with LAUD Architects

Shadow Residences

Fibonacci Cryptex Pavilion: Discovery Pilot House

MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES 24 Hour City Exploration Datum : KL Architectural Conference Insitu X Setouchi Bali Green School Immersion

WONG CHI KHAY Singapore Polytechnic Diploma in Architecture wong.chikhay@gmail.com http://issuu.com/wongchikhay

SELECTED WORKS 2012 - 2015 This book marks the end of my journey in Singapore Polytechnic under the Diploma in Architecture.

It is a compilation of some of my favourite works and most memorable experiences from over the three years course of study. With every end is also a new beginning. The works and experiences shared in this book are the beginning of many more to come, as I hope to delve deeper, seeking to explore and improve our built environment.

01 JOO CHIAT CENTRE APRIL 2014 | AN URBAN COMMUNITY CENTRE IN JOO CHIAT A MEMORY MARKER & MAKER Joo Chiat, a residential conservation district in the eastern part of Singapore known for its old world charm and Peranakan culture has undergone changes altering its identity. For long time residents there, places that were fond memory markers of theirs have slowly disappeared.

In conjunction with the celebration of Singapore’s 50th year of independence, the design brief seek to investigate the meaning of being Singaporean through the manifestation of its built environment.

The proposed community centre tackles the importance of preserving the identity of a place, so that the community does not lose its identity in the face of Singapore’s rapid development. Joo Chiat Centre aims to serve as a physical memory marker that will preserve Joo Chiat’s identity by evoking a sense of familiarity among users and educating them about Joo Chiat’s past.

DERIVATION OF FORM THROUGH THE STUDY OF JOO CHIAT’S STREETSCAPE

AXES AS GUIDING CIRCULATORY PATHS CREATING A CENTRAL GATHERING SPACE

TALLER VOLUMES PUSHED BACK TO MATCH SURROUNDING BUILDING HEIGHTS

MAIN APPROACH ALONG JOO CHIAT ROAD

CAREFUL SELECTION OF PROGRAMMES Joo Chiat Centre not only aims to be a physical memory marker but also a memory maker for its users. Programmes such as the Heritage Gallery, Library, Communal Garden and Kitchen are selected to educate visitors about the Peranakan culture while spaces like the Plaza and Playground are reinvention of the open air cinema and sandpit playground that residents of Joo Chiat and Singaporeans alike reminisce about.

KEY SECTION A-A

OVERVIEW OF JOO CHIAT CENTRE Each level takes on a slightly different character as programmes are grouped together to craft a memorable experience.

The First level aims to draw visitors in with the bright display of Peranakan costumes and artworks along with the fragrant smell of Peranakan dishes and spices from the Communal Garden and Kitchen.

The Second level allows visitors to enjoy a quieter time as they learn about Joo Chiat’s history through the Library or experience a fine dining session of Peranakan cuisine.

The Third level houses more active programmes such as the Sports Hall and Performing Studios, allowing parents to enjoy a session of traditional music and dance while their children play in the sandbox or are in the Childcare.

The section also illustrates how the building functions as a whole, with considerations towards the use of lightweight steel construction to achieve daylighting, sunshading and natural ventilation. Crucial junctions are selected and studied in an exercise of technical detailing.

MOVIE SCREENING AT FEATURE PLAZA SPACE

EXTRACTION OF KEY GEOMETRY: AN OCTAGON

INSPIRED BY PERANAKAN TILES As the building form blends in with the surroundings, a more decorative facade is employed to draw visual interest and to reflect the essence of the programmes within. In an earlier design, patterns of the Peranakan tiles were directly translated onto the facade panels, resulting in an overly decorative facade. Thus, the tiles were reinterpreted in a more abstract, geometrical way with the key geometry of the tiles extracted and used as a basis for exploration.

PHYSICAL MODEL

FACADE EXPLORATION The extracted octagonal pattern is then experimented in different scales with different sizes of openings to achieve the desired natural lighting effect within each space. They are to be constructed out of GFRC, each panel supported by an octagonal subframe before being cladded onto the building’s horizontal frames via top and bottom restraints. As a result, each panel is sized at 4 x 4m to match the building’s beam to beam level.

LIGHTWEIGHT METAL JACK ROOF WITH PLANTER BOX DETAIL

SKYLIGHT WITH ALUM FIN SYSTEM AND ROOF PLANTER BOX DETAIL

DETAILING In the exercise of material selection and detailing, a combination of suppliers’ systems and details were studied and applied to the various key junctions. Aesthetics (e.g. the extension of facade cladding to conceal the rooftop railing) along with functionality (e.g. waterproofing & soundproofing) were considered alongside in determining the methods of interfacing.

GFRC FACADE CLADDING WITH RAISED FLOOR AND SUSPENDED CEILING DETAIL

ILLUSTRATION OF DESIRED TOP LIGHTING EFFECT OVER FEATURE PLAZA

02 ZENITH BENCH APRIL 2014 | DETAILING FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN REIMAGINING NATURE RESERVES’ BENCHES Existing park benches in Singapore are often made of cast iron which rusts overtime and wooden planks that rot due to the humid weather. Thus, they require frequent maintenance of repainting and replacement.

In addition, the benches are extremely heavy, requiring extra efforts to place them within the nature reserves.

As a group, we have decided to tackle these issues of durability, transportation and assembling, while retaining the positive qualities of existing benches to design a bench that will cater to the needs of different user groups. Our bench targets the needs of individuals, joggers, photographers and cyclists.

Designed as a short module, the bench retains positive features of the backrest and shelter, while deterring the homeless from sleeping overnight.

ZENITH BENCH CATERS TO MULTIPLE USAGES

ON SITE SEQUENCING

MODULE 1: FRAMES ARE HELD TOGETHER BY ROPES AND FOLDABLE, THUS EASY TO TRANSPORT W E I G H T : 2 5 K G N O . P E R P I C K U P : M A N P O W E R : 2

2 7

M A T E R I A L S : S T A I N L E S S S T E E L C O R R U G A T E D P L A S T I C P O L Y E S T E R R O P E

MODULE 2: FRAMES ARE MADE RIGID BY BARS AND PLATES SECURED ON SITE

MODULE 1 + 2: TOP & BOTTOM MODULES CONNECTED BY BOLTS AND NUTS & BENCH IS SECURED TO THE GROUND

LIGHTWEIGHT STEEL FRAMES OF TWO DIFFERENT MODULES ARE ASSEMBLED ON SITE.

TRANSLUCENT CORRUGATED PLASTIC PROVIDE SHELTER YET DETER WASP NESTS.

WATER RESISTANT POLYESTER ROPES ARE USED FOR SEATING, BACKREST AND SHELF RACK.

THEY ARE DURABLE, EASY TO REPLACE, PREVENTS WATER PONDING AND REPTILES FROM CLIMBING.

03 INTERNSHIP WITH LAUD ARCHITECTS JUNE 2014 | SELECTED WORKS FROM 12 WEEKS ATTACHMENT FIRST EXPERIENCE OF THE INDUSTRY My internship with Laud Architects Pte Ltd was an enriching experience, being exposed to a number of projects of varying types and stages. From projects of churches in their design proposal and development stage, I have seen the importance of maintaining a strong design concept as a driving force, as well as the dynamic nature of the design process which involves the participation of the church community.

Various options of different spatial configurations are often provided for the clients to choose from.

Whereas for projects that are going through tender, the design is broken up into many little parts that are discussed in detail. For HDB projects, the focus lies on the compliance to codes and regulations and I realized that tender is not just about the production of construction drawings. It is about making decisions through consultations with various specialists to firm up the different systems that will be used to make the building work.

A DOUBLE HELIX RAMP

PROPOSAL FOR FAITH AOG CHURCH The project was a competition submission to redesign the existing church along Kim Keat Road. Due to the site’s spatial constraints and the client’s preference for conventional parking, efforts were spent brainstorming on the different means to achieve the most efficient carpark design. Prompt by client’s suggestion, I was set to test out the feasibility of using a double helix ramp as a space saving method.

EVALUATING THE OPTION For the double helix ramp to have enough space to run, it is placed along the perimeter, resulting in the service cores having to be placed inwards. This directly affects the spatial layout of the upper storeys, creating unusable void spaces behind the cores, making this option not the most ideal of all. Nevertheless, the experience better familiarised me with the design and requirements of a basement carpark.

THIS IMAGE IS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSE ONLY & NOT PRODUCED PERSONALLY

PHILIPS ELECTRONICS SINGAPORE The project is a major A&A of its existing 4 storey industrial building at Toa Payoh. There will be 2 added floors and while some of its structures are retained, its facade, cores and interiors will be entirely made over. I was first introduced to this project at the start of its tender stage and had to update the set of elevation drawings to tally with the changes made to its facade design.

TENDER PACKAGES The tender for this project is a shell & core tender and I was tasked to do up the packages for Vertical Circulation, Toilets and Typical Details. Shown below are the sections of the 4 selected staircores and for each staircore, a set of key plans drawings showing each level was also done up.

04 SHADOW RESIDENCES APRIL 2013 | RESIDENTIAL PROJECT AT KAMPONG GLAM REINTRODUCTION OF RESIDENTIAL LIFE Since Kampong Glam became gazetted for conservation in 1989, the various ethnic groups who previously lived there were relocated. This depopulation of the original communities and the government’s plan to repackage the area, has turned Kampong Glam into a mere showcase of its past culture and heritage, losing much of its Kampong days’ essence.

The concept behind Shadow Residences thus celebrates the reintroduction of residential life back into the conserved area through promoting and displaying interactions. Inspired by the traditional Malay art, Wayang Kulit, which revolves around storytelling, the design likewise focuses on creating platforms that enable stories of the residents to be told, capturing their interactions and movements to revive the spirit of communal living.

MAIN ENTRANCE VIEW ALONG SULTAN GATE ROAD

1ST STOREY PLAN CORRIDOR SPACES Corridor spaces are not simply viewed as circulatory spaces, but treated as opportunities to promote interaction. In earlier design explorations, the corridors were brought out to surround the exterior of the building as a means of animating the building facade with movements and shadows. However, this would obstruct the views of the units. Thus, the design eventually takes on a centralized form to maximise views out, with corridors running internally to surround a central courtyard space.

2ND STOREY PLAN

3RD STOREY PLAN COMMUNAL FACILITIES In order to attract people into the site, a wider entrance was also created with layers of communal spaces stacked up to form a point of attraction, greeting those entering the premise with a display of the various activities and interactions happening. These facilities include a chat corner, barbeque pits, a study lounge and rooftop garden.

4TH STOREY PLAN

INTERNAL COURTYARD SURROUNDED BY STRIPS OF CORRIDORS

KEY FEATURES The project’s main space is its central courtyard, designed with a green lawn for sports, a children playground and a meandering water feature to serve as a place for relaxation. Enclosing this courtyard, corridors are also seen to be covered with vertical screens and translucent glass to distort movements along the continuous strips, providing people in courtyard with an interesting display of motion.

For facade design wise, the main consideration was to provide sunshading to counter the building’s orientation towards the Sun’s path. Thus, spaces were set back in, to create overhangs and heat buffer zones, while ensuring that each unit still have a nice vista. As a result, the facade reads as a continuous screen of boxes set back to different depths, framing the individual spaces and creating an open facade that displays the life within. It also provokes interesting, changing shadows across the facade during the day.

PHYSICAL MODEL

2ND STOREY PART PLAN

PRECAST FACADE MODULE

INTERIOR OF 3 BEDROOM UNIT WITH OUTDOOR DINING SPACE

05 FIBONACCI CRYPTEX APRIL 2012 | PRIMER 1

LINES, PLANES & VOLUMES Being our first project, this had been an exercise of understanding architectonics, extracting keywords and using the relationship of lines, planes and volumes to express concepts, ideas and forms.

Starting from a 212 image, keywords such as rhythm, depth and density were picked out as the basis for exploration and modelling. Lines and planes models were made to express the keywords and in the process, these keywords were further redefined to: direction, depth, ascend, motion, layering and interconnectedness.

Long and thin volume blocks were used to blend in with the planes to express “layers” and the model was built, tilting in a upwards direction to show “direction”, “motion” and “ascend”. Voids were also created in the model so as to enable viewers to see “depth” and “interconnectedness” from the intersecting lines. An added layer of meaning was created with the use of acrylic sheets of varied degree of transparency for the final model, highlighting its “ascend” and “direction”. Due to the transparent elements, certain views successfully captures the effect of “depth” and translucent sticks were also used to showcase “interconnectedness”.

HAIKU Reachable yet blocked Fragile glass trapped within beams From the rays of hope

06 PAVILION: DISCOVERY JULY 2012 | GARDENS BY THE BAY SPATIAL TRANSLATION OF EMOTIONS The project revolves around the design of a rest stop, whereby the intention is to craft spaces for users to have a place of shelter, while pausing to admire views of the site, enhancing the experience of their visit to Gardens by the Bay. Using the film ‘Il mare’ as a design generator, the project draws on the male lead’s emotions of self denial, revelation and subsequent relief to create a series of spatial experiences with the concept of “revelation”, “discovery”. With the focus on spatial experiences, open, enclosed, tall, narrow, ascending and descending spaces were explored and stitched into a journey which gradually changes, unveiling its surroundings, to allow users to experience their surroundings differently as they travel through the pavilion.

PHYSICAL MODEL

SITE ANALYSIS

POSTCARD DEPICTING CHARACTER’S EMOTIONS AS DESIGN GENERATOR

SECTION THROUGH ENTRANCE’S DOUBLE VOLUME

FRONT ELEVATION

07 PILOT HOUSE

OCTOBER 2012 | TANGLIN HALT MASTERPLANNING: INVENTOR’S HUB The Project Brief called for the development of the empty Tanglin Halt site into a vibrant and creative hub, home to young inventors.

Hence, our team focused on 3 aspects: environment, interactions and variations. Houses are sandwiched between communal areas, providing countless opportunities for interaction and facilities are specially picked to create a variety of experiences.

An elevated green walkway also links residents to the green corridor behind the site, bringing them closer to nature.

Highlighted in red is the plot later selected for the my individual design project, Pilot House.

THE PILOT HOUSE Designed for a made up client, who is an aspiring body jewelry inventor, the theme behind this house is transformation with flow. The inspiration came from the client’s fascination with the Wright Brother’s theory of wing warping, whereby the force applied by the pilot flows continuously through a system of pulleys, allowing the plane to twist and change its direction of flight, hence transforming.

PHYSICAL MODEL

Starting out by manipulating a simple rectangle, planes were eventually slanted and volumes were pulled out, twisted away from the axes to portray a sense of drastic change. The form was designed to depict a frozen picture of the transformation of the volume blocks, originating from a common point.

FRONT VIEW OF PILOT HOUSE

SPATIAL CONTINUITY Along with the transformation suggested by the form of the house, another part of the concept deals more closely with the client’s experience around the house, the flow of spaces. Common spaces are deliberately grouped and connected together on the first storey, allowing for a continuous flow of circulation, while private rooms on the second floor are placed with the consideration of the family members’ relations with one another.

SECTION A-A

SECTION B-B

FIRST STOREY PART PLAN

BLURRED BOUNDARIES The boundaries between interior and exterior are also blurred by maximizing openings and the use natural materials around the house, allowing the client to be able to live in an environment that blends in with nature, inspiring her to create beautiful works of jewel.

CONTINUITY OF KEY SPACES

WINDOW & BALCONY DETAIL

PART SECTION A-A

WOODEN DECK & SLIDING DOOR DETAIL

08 MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES 24 HOUR CITY EXPLORATION DATUM : KL ARCHITECTURAL CONFERENCE INSITU X SETOUCHI BALI GREEN SCHOOL IMMERSION

24 HOUR CITY EXPLORATION AUGUST 2012 | CANDLE NIGHT FESTIVAL Under the APEX Programme, the 24 Hour City Exploration was a fun exercise of slowing down our pace to just focus on observing our surroundings and the people. Walking to places we do not usually go and paying attention to little things that catches our eye, we mapped our journey with photographs. In conjunction with the Candle Night Festival that was held in Marina Bay, these photographs were used to create an exhibition in the form of lantern boxes, to reinforce the theme of the event: “Turn off the lights and take it slow”.

DATUM : KL CONFERENCE JUNE 2013 | AA HOUSE CASE STUDY Attending the international architectural conference was an eye-opening experience, as experienced architects from all around the world came together to share their projects and insights. After the conference, we also did a short case study on a project mentioned by one of our favourite speakers, the AA House

by Carlos Ferrater.

INSITU X SETOUCHI SEPTEMBER 2013 | SETOUCHI TRIENNALE JAPAN Mesmerized by the beautiful sceneries of the islands, the collage mapped the experience of my journey in the three different islands by means of the islands’ characteristics. A long curving path with dark to light gradient was used capture the somber mood of the journey on our first day in Naoshima, which rained heavily. It was also a representative of the repetitive play of light in several art houses around the island. Appearing faintly next to it is the ghost of the mountain and paddy fields that dominated the view of the second island, Teshima, where the pace of life felt slow and carefree. A series of panels form the landscape of the last island, Ogijima, which ascends vertically up the mountains, where houses sprawl over to form a maze of streets. Imprinted onto these panels were copies of textures of wooden floor boards, trees and stones felt all around Japan. Other elements inspired by the artworks seen during the Setouchi Triennale were also drawn into the collage, arranged into a flowing, graceful manner, characteristic of the Japanese culture.

PINE TREE

PINE TREE ROOTS

FUSHIMI INARI TAISHA

RYOANJI TEMPLE

MINAMIDERA

NIJO JO CASTLE

BALI STUDY TRIP OCTOBER 2014 | GREEN SCHOOL The 7 days study trip to Bali had been an enriching experience with the highlight being the stay at Green School. At Green School, we witnessed and learnt about its self sustainable ways of agriculture, waste management and architecture, participating in a bamboo workshop that introduced us to bamboo design and construction, which was used to build the entire school. We even learnt how to make natural dyes out of fruits and flowers, as well as day to day functional items with recycled objects.

The study trip to Bali had also been about experiencing the Balinese architecture and way of life. We visited famous hotels & resorts, temples and art galleries, while trying out local cuisines, watching traditional dance performances and even enjoyed a session of white water rafting at the Ayung River.