with gratitude chang jiat hwee tiah nan chyuan kazuhiro nakajima florian schaetz ling hao tsuto

sakamoto david garcia tina-henriette kristiansen thomas bjstrup ministry of design red bean architects

freshman.

pg 01-16

Made of straws, paper, and ratan, it resonates a rustic charm, which also echoes a vital message about environmental conservation. The spiraling sheets suggest solidarity working towards a common goal, while the slits on the sheets emit light from within with greater intensity as it spirals upwards (and also from the opening on the plan) to convey the idea of positivity and optimism. It won a merit award in the eco-lantern competition in 2009.

: lantern

From a single origin, two paths venture, and a form is birthed. A form that echoes dynamism, duality and depth, that speaks of the unique individuality of every being. The model is made from a single sheet of cardboard without any foreign connections (or adhesive), holding the form off the ground with the strength and resistance gained from the act of weaving, as well as the versatile nature (great strength to weight ratio) of the material. Light pours in from the perforations created between the weaved strips to display an interesting play of light and shadow in great contrast.

: a spatial exploration using cardboard

The concept of the folly is based on an understanding of the original intention of the stool as a domestic commodity that is readily affordable to the mass. Yet, it has since come to be revered as a designer piece, which fetch a costly price, far from being normal and ordinary. The folly aims to show this dilemma between the stools dominating significance as a great work of art and its intended domestic function of serving the mass. Hence the strategy adopted is to create a monumental structure, yet simultaneously inviting visitors interaction with the stools (as a resting place). This monumentality is thus achieved by stacking the stools, forming steps which leads to a central focal point (a single stool at the very top, with an exhibitionist tendency). Adhering to the concept of height and perception first realised in the previous project, the various levels on which the stools are positioned also allow visitors to view the surrounding exhibition (River Room) from a different perspective. Likewise, standing visitors will experience a varied visual interaction with visitors sitting on the stools and feel for themselves the differing formality induced by the difference in height.

: folly made of alvar aalto stools

The formality of spaces is achieved by customising specific spatial configurations / arrangements. A study is carried out in an urban scale, in Malacca, Malaysia. The result of the study is a realisation of the extensive use of transitional zones, from formal to informal spaces, public to private.

: a study on the spatiality of transitional spaces in malacca

Returning to Singapore from Malacca, a more indepth study of steps is conducted on various scales to find out the exact affecting factor in designing steps to achieve various functions and formality.

: a study on the spatiality of steps

construction.

pg 17-26

The challenge of this project is to create a span 2m in length using only timber and cardboard. It has to be able to carry 6 litres of water, without compromising its structural integrity. The design explores the possibility of using the simple technique of folding to create a structurally sound span that also doubles as a water container. Extreme precision is called for in order to make the perfect fold. The depth of the container is such that when filled to its brim, it holds exactly 6 litres of water.

: bridge / water tank

We sought to create a comfortable chair using conrete. The design is a flowing, ergonomic profile, looking like a line drawn in space, and then simply extruded. The result is an elegant piece of furniture that is incredibly thin, its hollowed-out section maximising material efficiency so as to reduce its weight. The simplicity of its physical form deceives one of the complexitiy of its construction process and thorough trial and errors, in order to realise something that tests the very limit of the material.

: concrete chair

15mm thick

65kg

design studio.

pg 27-62

the project began by first observing the social activities that occur in Little India, and each student was to identify something interesting from his/her own observation, which was to become an approach in designing the housing project, by imagining a world. i observed how vehicles, along with permanent structures around it, such as pavements, and buildings, form temporary spaces, and people actually occupy them.

: low-cost housing @ little india

: drawing, illustrates relation between permanent structures and temporary elements that form temporary spaces of an intimate scale.

: having identified a common quality among the observed spaces as both intimate yet staying connected and open to the immediate spaces around, this quality of continuity is further illustrated in a model of a specified dimension (350 x 350 x 500),by using planes

: a study on the various positioning of two planes and its corresponding effects as well as perceptive spatial quality

: imagined conditions

: mapping planes of one specific dimension (enough to create bed spaces) on site and imagining activities

: creating shelter over the bed spaces, and further developing it into a green roof deck

: sectional perspective through the architecture (without cutting through planes)

: model (1:50), showing green roof deck and ground floor space

: montage of proposed low-cost housing on-site.

I felt a very strong conviction to preserve the existing green plot, however small, as a soul connection to the greater element of nature, that is the Fort Canning Park, which has unfortunately been overshadowed by the development on the river bank both visually and by means of its myriad commercial activities. The motivation of wanting to extend Fort Canning Park right up to the river front led me to the initial vision of a forest scape dotted with a random arrangement of trees. What I began to find extremely intriguing was how each space bound by any number of trees could have a distinctive character, yet is unconstrained with a defined boundary to its immediate spaces; that is, each space seems perceivable only in relation to the others. I began to wonder if this ability to read spatial relationships between key elements in an environment as a means to inform of ones place in a space, can be an effective tool to organise spaces; perhaps, a flower market crafted out of desirable spatial perceptions and sensory experiences rather than definitive logic.

: flower market @ clarke quay

: study model; exploring spatial relationships between columns

: concept image; bluebell wood

: perspective of elevation, viewing from across the river bank

: ground level plan, showing how huge columns (housing specific functions within) organise spaces and circulation

: section A-A

: section B-B

CAN VERTICALITY BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND PRAGMATIC WAY OF LIVING ON MARS?

PRESENTING A SERIES OF INVESTIGATIONS

INTRODUCTION what would it be like to live on Mars? With a partial gravity environment, how would the human body respond and move? Will living spaces be the same as how weve lived on Earth? Can it be the same? No one knows for sure. But the fact that the body and the built structure become lighter (three times as light as on Earth) cannot be ignored. This project proposes the possibility of vertical living on Mars through a process of making and abstraction to arrive at broad series of separate but linked investigations on verticality, modularity and functional relationships.

FOCUS The proposal is based upon the following assumptions and constraints: - space travel becomes commercially viable and is affordable - regular cargo volume and human traffic between Earth and Mars - significant technological advancement in material research enables transparent radiation protection and thermal insulation for the conditions on mars - small scale electromagnetic locking systems can be developed into structural strategies for efficient construction and assembly - technical issues of maintenance and assembly are not the primary focus - weight and spatial efficiency of packing for mars are not the primary focus although the spatial constraints within falcon-xx is considered in the design process - the architectural exploration, above anything else, is about discovering new forms of habitation and living given the stated parameters.

: design studio in Lund University, Sweden

practice.

pg 63-72

The design of Masjid Punggol seeks to return to basic geometry for the form and space of the mosque. The square and the circle are the simplest shapes, and symbolise a perfection and completeness of the cosmos. The design is essentially a square plan that is uniformly cladded on all sides by pre-cast concrete facade panels over a diamond grid. This allows the building to keep a consistent identity while the surrounding site elements change on each orientation. In all, this design seeks to simplify the mosque to its most basic and powerful elements. In this simplicity, the mosque achieves both functionality and grandeur and is set to be an enduring landmark in Punggol.

: red bean architects

An abstract map of Singapore was made in the lobby out of paper core tubes. Guests can insert images, messages, and pin flags of their favourite local destinations. The hope is that over time, the map wth layers of deposited information becomes a resource for visitors to come.

: red bean architects

craft.

pg 73-81

tiongli@gmail.com