SKILLS
Sustainable Systems Research
Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA)
Architectural Design
Architectural Rendering
Architectural Diagramming
Technical Detailing
Architecture Model Making
Technical Compliance (DC, BP)
User Research
Laser cutting
TOOLS
Autodesk Revit
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Notion
TIMELINE
Year 2 (Second Year)
2019 Apr - 2020 Feb
PARK TERRACES
This 2-tower, multi-storey residential building is located next to Mountbatten MRT station. The site features a small park, next to a future waterfront development of the Geylang River. 2 towers, 17 and 13 Storeys, watch over Singapore's city skyline in the distance. The Park Terraces was conceived to weave park-like spaces among habitation, to dissolve the dichotomy between the idea of the park and the house. It is imagined as a series of stepped, lushly planted terraces connected across levels, wrapping the tower's structures in a vertical green that continues from the ground plane to its roof.
Academic Year : Year 2 / 2019 Apr - 2020 Feb
Site: Dakota Cres, Singapore 390010
Client: Milennial Generation, 2030
Category: Residential, 13 + 17 Storey
Building Height: 57m
Site Area: 6607 m²
Permissible GFA: 13 214 m²
GFA Efficiency: 75%
Geo Location: 1°18'20.0"N 103°53'01.0"E
WHO ARE THE MILLENNIALS?
Millennials make up the demographic cohort born between 1980 to 2000. They are born during a more prosperous period, post war and grew up in a time of rapid change and technological advancements, giving them different priorities and prospects from the generation before them. One of these priorities is personal health and wellness.
DISTRIBUTING SPACE
From my research, local statistics indicate that 67% of millennials live with their parents, while data from the other side of the world indicates an opposite view on this issue.
Analysing this data, there could be 2 possibilities.
1 - is my analysis that half of the millennials in Singapore are not at the age where they could afford their own housing
2 - is due to the inherent virtue of filial piety ironed in Asian upbringing. From a survey conducted by my class which garnered over a hundred respondents, millennials are still big on responsibility and taking care of their folks.
My solution to this is to provide 75% of 4 bedroom units for 3 generation families, followed by 15% of 2 bedroom units for smaller families or couples, and a small 6% of 1 bedroom units.
DERIVATION OF FORM
The 5 models below represent how the eventual form was conceived. It begins with bringing the park underneath the building, and raising the building mass to respond to the park. The initial manifestation of the park begins in the middle of both buildings, crossing between floors. These spaces are then pulled apart like a spring, spiraling upwards and downwards; connecting both towers. Each space is then pulled sideways to extend the language as "extensions of space" rather than punch-ins or cut-outs. A continuous journey is then formed from the ground to the roof.
Making use of green spaces to soften the psychological impact of living in modern cities.
POWER TO THE PARK
Wellness is broken down into 3 aspects, the Physical/Environmental, Mental/Social, and Nutritional. Adjacent to the building is a park, which could answer to these 3 aspects of well-being for the millennials.
What the park entails; it is a space for recreation, some say it is a social design of relationships for people to make new connections. From an environmental point of view, it is where people interact with nature. It can also be seen as a place where memories are made. The park has always been the space people go to, to deal with the 3 qualities of well-being.
Now, the idea of the house and the park has always been 2 separate entities. My architectural idea was then conceived to take advantage of the adjacent park of the site and bring the park in.
DIAGRAMMATICALLY
SPEAKING...
01
The landscape deck connects the project to 3 main circulation nodes in its surroundings - Mountbatten MRT Station, Future Waterfront Park, and Old Dove Playground.
Connectivity with surroundings.
02
Connectivity and Continuity of Journey - connected sky terraces between floors and between towers, forming an extension of spaces which spiral around both towers.
03
Visual connectivity with views - rooftops terrace downwards, towards views of the Downtown Skyline. On the landscape deck, the view of the retained SIT flats are framed.
04
Programmatic Insertion - The Journey is first established, followed by the scattering of programs relevant to the qualities of wellness which have been identified.
05
Biophilic Injection - lush, green plantings are added in all these spaces, along a meandering stepped pathway to soften the psychological impact of living in modern cities.
IMAGINED AS A SERIES OF CONNECTED SPACES
With the park identified as an anchor for the design direction, characteristics and qualities of a park are being studied and created in the journey of the user, traversing through each connected communal space on a connected journey. The "Journey" manifests itself as a layered walkway malleable like plasticine. It contracts and expands, creating unique spaces which the users can sit on, use as a table, and serves as a means of softening the boundaries between landscape and hardscape.
A CONNECTION BETWEEN TWO TOWERS
The Bridge located on level 9 orientates views towards both the city skyline and the heritage Dove Playground on the opposite end. Users are able to use the bridge as a space for urban farming, crossing across towers and viewing. The bridge serves as the central axis where both spirals are pulled apart.
SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
In a world where fresh water is beginning to become a precious resource, a rainwater collection system was integrated into the roof space; collecting rainwater from rain-abundant Singapore, and using this water to irrigate the many planters along the communal system. This reduces the need for the building to rely on external supplies of water, allowing the communal spaces to self-sustain. The remainder of the rainwater are drained through rainwater drainpipes with energy-generating turbines which generate moderate amounts of electricity based off gravity and the drainage of rainwater.
THE TECHNICAL STUFF
Based on our calculations, about;
200,000 m³ of water can be collected per month.
14179.2 kWh of energy is generated per month - enough to power 1012 fluorescent light bulbs for an hour
ROI in 17 months with 3400 saved per month on electricity.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION
PPVC - 4 Bedroom
Designed with modularity in mind, the apartment units make use of 6 pre-finished prefabricated volumetric construction (PPVC) modules. Each module follows a set of dimensions can be stacked to re-create the different apartment types, allowing for fast-paced construction and reduced on-site labour. Each apartment unit is made up of up to 6 modules and can be crafted off-site. These modules are also played around to create 3 apartment types; the 1, 2 and 4 bedroom.
REINFORCING SPATIAL INTIMACY OFTEN LOST IN SCALE
Often times in large scale projects, the human scale and intimacy is lost in space. The Journey seeks to re-establish this connection as it allows users to interact with the pathway they walk on. The walkway then has more utility as it can function as a table, a seat, a step, or a resting place.
The terraced nature of the communal spaces also allow neighbors to look into these park spaces from the comfort of their apartments. This overlooking effect gives the opportunity for spaces and its users to be connected once again.
PROJECT GALLERY
