Architecture Portfolio: Year 1 Student Works

YANG YUJIE

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

how t funct ons

To have opportunit es to work w th design experts and ga n valuab e know edge

CONNECTING

-CLUSE TO THE BACK

“Reviving Social Cohesion for the Rag-and-Bone”

“Recluse”, associated with being shunned and left out, formulates the design concept. Within the urban and cultural landscape of Little India, social inequality prevalent with the rag-and-bone on the streets. A quiet place in the back alley thus forms a place for this group of people to freely roam around and seek refuge. Alluding to the back alley, the design will serve as a platform to facilitate encounters between the rag-and-bone and regular street-goers, allowing the former to be no longer isolated. With the potential for adaptability, the design serves to host unplanned activities besides a cafe and residence, presenting an opportunity for the rag-andbone to be part of the community.

CREATING SOCIAL INCLUSION

The adaptable spaces in the back alley can be transformed into opportunities for the ragand-bone to be part of the community. A series of schemes that include both programmed and unprogrammed spaces can be implemented for both groups to be intermingled together.

PROGRAMMED SPACES

As a secluded area, the alley became a place for the rag-and-bone to gather and seek refuge, allowing for various unplanned activities to take place. The alley also became a place for discarded objects to accummulate over time.

UNPROGRAMMED SPACES

Safe spaces for the rag-and-bone and streetgoers to freely roam around and be themselves.

Possible areas for both groups to connect together.

THE BACK ALLEY

Site: 54 Upper Weld Road, Little India

A community market at the back alley for the rag-andbone to sell second hand products, similar to the Sungei Community Thieves Market.

Lounge space facing the back alley for the rag-andbone to seek refuge.

Sheltered spots for the rag-andbone to seek respite.

I. SHEAR AND SHIFT

ASSEMBLAGE: FORMATION OF A NEW WHOLE

Inspired by the perceived casual arrangement of discarded objects in the back alley, the rationale behind this assembly establishes the design principles. By reconstructing and uniting fragmented components, this reflects the act of bringing the rag-and-bone to form a new community with the others.

I.

III.

Adopted from geometry of stacked discarded boxes.

ADHESION

EXTENSION

Adopted from how smaller objects hung from larger ones.

Orienting first floor to converge towards back alley.

Orienting second floor towards the street.

Orienting third floor to face the back alley.

Assembly of floors creates ascension of the rag-and-bone to the top, representing an elevation of their social status.

Assembly of facade.

1. LIVING ROOM

2. DINING ROOM

1. LIVING ROOM

3. INNER COURTYARD

2. DINING ROOM

4. KITCHEN

3. INNER COURTYARD

5. LOUNGE

4. KITCHEN

6. LAUNDRY / UTILITIES

5. LOUNGE

6. LAUNDRY / UTILITIES

7. MASTER BEDROOM

7. MASTER BEDROOM

8. BATHROOM

8. BATHROOM

9. STUDIO / WORKSPACE

9. STUDIO / WORKSPACE 10.

SOUNDSCAPE EXHIBIT

CONCEPT

“An Exhibition Journey Guided by Sounds”

As we go through our daily routine, the sounds from our surroundings tend to influence our emotions, such as how we tend to get frustrated from ongoing sounds of construction. However, we sometimes get too caught up in our routine that we take the influence of sounds for granted. For the design of the art exhibition, I want to incorporate sounds as part of the exhibition journey to encourage a sensory discourse.

By visiting the site, it is observed that the emptiness in the void allow for the penetration of multiple sounds, shaping the environment that we take for granted. A selection of desirable sounds - those from nature - is augmented by a curved structure that seeks to draw in these sounds and envelop the space within. The design also seeks to create a relaxing lounge for the viewers to rest in, serving to be more than an exhibition.

SITE ANALYSIS

• Garden side at the site mostly has quiet walkways that are rarely frequented.

• Opposite side has neighbouring companies where people will come over for lunch in the food court upstairs.

• Existing trees and railings obstruct views and access to the other side.

Wanting to create a desirable environment for the exhibition, a funneling chamber is created to channel in peaceful sounds from nature that will travel through the exhibition. At the same time, the main overarching form will block off sounds from vehicles and construction companies which may be destructive.

Experimentations on the main form are thus made to create overall curve for the sounds to envelop and surround the space.

50 Pasir Panjang Road, Mapletree Business City II, North-West Corner, Singapore 117440

Sketch of overarching form

Creating form through a series of overlapping meshes

Sketch of envisioned design

The enclosure of the chamber is juxtaposed with the openness of the bridge across the exhibition platform, heightening the viewers’ awareness of sound shaping reality. To encourage this sensory discourse, angular structures are built outwards from the main one to form an integrated design, while highlighting another program of its own.

AXONOMETRIC VIEW

MAIN FORM (LVL 2)

HALL 1 (LVL 2)

HALL 2 (LVL 2)

HALL 3 (LVL 1M)

Sounds channeled in from nature parks envelop interior space in the main structure, creating a peaceful environment for viewers to seek respite. An opening is also created to have a view of the landscape.

Hall 1 displays 8m wide painting, “Illuminations of Bloom” by Ian Woo.

Hall 2 displays 80cm wide sculpture, “Freedom Child” by Ng Eng Teng.

Hall 2 , basement, displays an installation piece,“Light Breeze”, by Lasalle College of the Arts Singapore.

MODEL PHOTOS

ENTRANCE TO THE MAIN STRUCTURE

VIEW TO THE LOBBY FROM HALL 1

VIEW TO THE LOBBY FROM HALL 1

VIEW TO THE LOBBY FROM HALL 2

EVEN IN DEATH, WE ARE NOT ALONE

Death is another process of transition; it is not the absolute end; it marks a new beginning. As death is a universal phenomenon, the terminal, as a liminal space, serves as a platform for people to be connected again before moving on.

Standing between reality and afterlife, our design seeks to unite people from all walks of life through a concentric structure that converges into an opening at the top. Entering the structure, the new soul experiences a contemplative journey up the central ramp. At the end, they gradually fragment into light orbs that mark their continuation to the afterlife.

As a nod to the power of light in influencing emotions, the orbs will situate around a reflected body and linger round the new souls, comforting them as they come to terms with their fate. At the exterior, the orbs congregate into a vortex, bursting beyond the roof to form a pillar of light. Within the dark, lost and stranded souls will converge to the terminal searching for comfort, portraying the terminal akin to a lighthouse. The terminal also becomes a memoriam to honour the dead, where the halo of lights, made of souls, reveals death as a peaceful spectacle and no longer lugubrious.

Sketch for render

Done as team project, in group of three

INTERIOR RAMP

01 TRANSITION

Lights guiding a lost soul along the journey.

02 INCORPORATION

Glimpsing into the new attraction as a new beacon of hope

03 CONGREGATION

Where all souls unite to mourn their lost lives, the lights as the old souls accompanying the new ones.

04 ACCEPTANCE

Embracing fate, new souls travel up the ramp, disintegrating into light orbs.

05 ASCENSION

Exiting the opening, light orbs slowly fade away as they reach their destination in the afterlife.

JOURNEY THROUGH THE TERMINAL

CONCEPT

* Done as a project in groups of three Site: School of Design and Environment (SDE) 1, SDE 4

The brief was to design a bridge that will be placed between the old and the new design schools in the university. Fascinated with the idea of bringing together the old and the new, we decided to give the bridge a role of historically linking both buildings. This allows for more easy circulation and higher accessibility from one building to another.

Our design of the bridge has effectively utilised the qualities we found at the site. The position and location of the bridge allows for sweeping views of the landscape and traffic below. The viewer thus have the options of a more open view at one side and an introspective view at the other. Located next a cafe in the new school, the bridge also allows for the creation of social spaces, where chance encounters and new interactions can be established.

MODULE CREATION

It was also required to model the bridge through a series of modules without any use of adhesive. Experimentations were made to design suitable modules to model our bridge.

SOCIAL SPACES

Concept Model

To effectively link the bridge across all levels and establish a social space, terraces will be included for people to opt to sit and relax on them.

EXPERIMENTAL MODULES

Creating a three-dimensional truss system to add interesting features to the bridge. Difficulty in bracing and putting the interweaving cross modules in position

Interweaving modules evoke the theme of connections and linkages that we hope to emulate in our bridge. Our initial module is designed to communicate the theme.

ITERATIONS

MODULE 1

Difficult to assemble and create curved form in the concept model; Unable to withstand lateral loads with side components collapsing easily.

A structural construction is proposed via a connection of modules to form the truss structure. Floor slabs will then cover the top for walking purposes.

MODULE 2

Derived a truss system to handle lateral loads, a variation of the first module. However, there is lack of bracing at the top and bottom to maintain a rigid form. By adding onto these bracings, there will be unnecessary bulk created, losing the modularity of the bridge.

PLAN VIEW

With covered slabs

Module

ELEVATION

With bridge modules

Assembly Connection between modules

PLAN OF MODEL

SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

ROOTING TO NATURE

* Done as a project in groups of three

CONCEPT

Site: School of Design and Environment (SDE) 3

The brief was to design a pavilion outside a new design school. At the site, we noticed how the raintrees in front of the school provide shade with their interspersed canopies, enveloping their guests as they approach the entrance of the building. As the very first place most students or staff will pass through before they start their day, the pavilion not only serves as a gathering space with a view, but also as a welcome for them.

In our design of the pavilion, we are inspired by the concept of komorebi, which refers to the interplay of light and leaves when the sunlight filters through the tree canopies. Thus, we seek for our pavilion to blend in the landscape with its porosity, which helps to accentuate the effects of the komorebi while also granting a visual connection between the interior and exterior of the school. We are also required to design a module to model the form of the pavilion.

MODULE 1

Cross module with notched joint to simulate the image of tree branching. Modules can be crossed and interlinked, layered upon one another to show porosity and the komorebi effect that mimicks the tree canopy.

SOCIAL SPACES

Preliminary Sketches of design

Our initial design was inspired from the branched-like form of the trees, where we seek to mimic the enveloping form of the tree canopy.

MODULE 2

Cross module with lap-notch and pin joint enhances structural strength. Interlocking of modules together give rise to natural curvature. Direction is alterred to interlock modules modules at certain intervals to build outwards, forming a “W” shape.

Construction of module via pin joint and a dowel placed into a drilled hole.

Assembly of multiple modules in a lateral manner to resist the vertical compressive forces.

Interlocking louvres form surface, creating porosity for sunlight to filter through.

Komorebi effect

BIRD’S EYE VIEW

06 THE POWER OF WORDS

In our daily conversations, we have always been using words to express our thoughts and feelings. But conceptual artist Jenny Holzer has taken this to the next level by using poetry, an intimate way to express one’s thoughts, as a broadcasted public display to the viewers. With poems that reveal the problems happening in society, Holzer seeks to use text as a tool to engage the public in contemplating about these issues, while thinking about ways that can make society better.

By delving into her projection works, it is discovered that while Holzer used her own text in her earlier years, she began to use text from other authors and speakers that also disclose their concerns about society. This allows her works to not only document her individual opinions, but also feature an accumulation of collective voices from other individuals that share the same desire to make society better.

FINALISING VISUAL LEGEND

QUANTIFYING TEXT DISPLAYED AND SETTING LOCATION

One circle symbol will denote exactly one piece of text used. Circles will be duplicated to represent the exact number of text pieces displayed in that particular region.

To ensure detailed breakdown of her works, circles will be arranged according to the city/ state (e.g. New York, Paris). Circles will be arranged via the shape of the city to show a better sense of place and view of how her works have influenced that region.

DEPICTING USE OF TEXT

TRANSLATING INTO VISUAL DATA

An infographic was made to visually represent the scope of Holzer’s projection works. The infographic will focus on three parameters: Text, Location and how the works have evolved across Time

INCLUDING DIVERSE RANGE OF TEXT FROM OTHER AUTHORS

To emphasise more on Holzer’s inclusion of other authors that reflects the collective spirit of her work, symbols that denote the more common authors will be illuminated differently from the usual text symbols. The author is most commonly used will be illuminated the most across the infographic. This allows easier observation of more common text pieces that are repeated across different regions, reflecting a sense of unity across her works.

Higher concentration of text in America and Europe than Asian countries reflect degree of censorship.

colour.

“As we combine our voices together, we can make a difference.”

Holzer Others Common text from Holzer Common authors used

TRANSLATING DATA INTO MODEL

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Looking at the data as a whole, it is seen that there is a sense of growth as her works spread from one region to another. Wanting to capture the essence of growth in my model, the model was made in an an organic and dynamic form.

USE OF MATERIALS

Materials are manipulated to create organic form while emulating qualities of light. They can be formed by heating the material to make the curved form while it’s softened, or can be bent to create varying curves and folds.

Holzer made use of light that enables the text displayed to be illuminated and reflected to the viewers’ eyes. To echo her works, I chose to use reflective material to show qualities of light. Film sheet was thus chosen for the model.

FINAL LEGEND

PLACE AND TEXT

Bending denotes a city/state. Size of the bend proportionate to quantity of text.

TIME PERIOD

Connection of close regions together

Pinching denotes use of text from other authors

1996-2003 2004-2011 2012-2019

Heating the sheet produces creases and tiny folds that allow for more light to be reflected, creating surface variation. Time period will be represented by the number of burnt lines.

SECTION AA AMERICA AND CANADA

SECTION BB

DENMARK (WEST), UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE AND SPAIN

SECTION DD

POLAND AND ITALY

SECTION CC

DENMARK (EAST) AND GERMANY

DENMARK (EAST) AND GERMANY SECTION CC