I have been working for only 2 weeks but I am constantly hit by reality, the transition between education and working is harder then I initially thought. It does not feel as hard, but it becomes an annoying habit to revert back to student mode. Working in the UK is very different to Singapore, it is true for any country for that matter, but the design culture shock where Singapore highly believes in efficiency, rules and regulation, design becomes really difficult. I know UK has its rules and regulation, especially on ancient buildings, but I believe it is not as strict to how it is done in Singapore. Maybe I was never made aware, due to the limited responsibilities I was given during my year out, concentrating alot more on rendering, elevations, concepts etc.I am currently involve in a private/government project, which HDB is concern. HDB means Housing and Development Board, which existed due to the housing shortages Singapore is facing. HDB right now occupies about 80% of the housing population, which is especially build for the local communities. The other 20% would be landed property, which means houses that are terrace, semi detached, detached houses etc, which are normally occupied by the rich. HDB are normally government projects, but mine is a hybrid, combination of private and government. It just means that the flats are developed by a private contractor which is later sold back to the government. It still has all the standard design a normal HDB would have but at a higher standard to try and make HDB look more appealing.
I am trying design a flat to the best efficiency possible at my own time but I need to spend more time on it, obviously, with some of the design rules consideration I was made aware off today by a colleague, which I know makes just a fraction of the whole list of books I need to read through. I always thought a private project would be exciting, or any project for that matter, but it really does seem to be the case for Starchitects only or if you join competitions regularly. I used to question my colleagues during my year out, why not join competitions at any given time? The obvious answer would be, it takes alot of your time and it can be wasteful. I never really understood that implication until I started working here. I am already involved with many responsibilities and that amount would go up drastically in 2 weeks when my colleague would be away for 1 month on private matter. I can hear unpaid OT echoing in my head which is actually a common thing in my office. My previous colleague would weep and cry if they are ask to work here. I would be waiting for the time to come when I get to run my own project and I would be weeping along side my colleagues trying to finish up for tender submission.
Here are just some images of the HDB in Singapore.
Standard, rules and regulation does not mean it restricts the design potential but it merely gives you more of a challenge to meet the requirement of a site. The pinnacle is a 50 storey HDB and it has been selected as Building of the Year for 2010 at the WAF, World Architecture Festival in Barcelona. It is just a matter of creativity, push it to the limit and expand your potential.
I am now in Singapore, been working and walking around for the pass 1 week and a half and the extreme heat is definitely not helping me settling down in this new city of mine. People always talk about culture shock when they first visit a country, like when I first step into UK soil 8 years ago, I was told by my parents, uncle and aunties that I will experience alot of encounters that might shock my system. But for some particular reason, I settled down pretty well without any problems at all. Maybe it is the naivety and being 17, it is easy to get influence by a foreign surrounding, when the sense of curiousity is at a very high level. I have been working since Monday, a week earlier then our previous verbal agreement, and the working culture is definitely a big shock to my system. I was equipped with a sling bag and a soar throat due to the heat, I ended staying in the office till 2000 on the first day, 1945 on the next day, 1930 on Wednesday, 2244 on Thursday and a pitiful 1830 on Friday due to my request as I was sick and just had visited the doctor at 1530. It is definitely not a great way to start but I might learn very quickly being put into the deep end straight away. It is a very successful company, with one of the employee stating the company being a factory, run by rules, standard and regulations. Apparently, WOHA runs the office with less projects but it has a more concept based approach which I like, and they had vacancy in the month of February which I was not aware off. But that does not mean they do not work through OT repeatedly. These are just word of mouth from colleagues who has friends working over that side.I have 2 weeks again before I could settle properly into a room that was dub as expensive, which I did not know, and it was harder to deal with landlords 10,000 miles away. Slightly uninspired, will bring my camera around and start exploring the nooks and spaces of Singapore when I can. Oh Geylang, inspire me lol.
Things has been very difficult for the past few weeks with the internet down and the need to ship my stuff back home, I did not have the time to upload any pictures or do anything architectural. I feel that I am missing alot on design now that I am not really doing any competition work. I also find out that I may not be able to do any freelance work once my application to the MoM in Singapore is approved, hence the only way is either family work, ie house design renovation which is on the list requested by my mum, art work which is possible to propose towards the mayor of my hometown, Kota Kinabalu, although I have not done so due to my time limitation, and maybe I should take up a hobby, not considering sports as one of it like how we were led to believe when we were young. Maybe I should set up my own business, create products which I have always want to do and use my future housemates as guinea pigs. Anyways, the picture I have uploaded is an open theatre in Singapore near where I stayed. It is nothing unusual but it was a small project I saw in a magazine or a website few years ago and I was caught up in the moment to look at it. I would like to upload more pictures of a MRT station by WOHA in Bras Basah but coincidently it would not allow me to upload after this project. Would try again later on.
As I came down, walk through the mall and out again, I came across a bridge which I did not expect to see at all. Its the Helix Bridge designed by COX Architect, whom I applied to for work but has no reply at all.Sniff. Anyways, before crossing the World Best Structure Design of 2010, I had time to appreciate the Museum that was under construction at a closer view. It is interesting but I am not sure how practical the walls are, if I only have the chance to view the interior.
The bridge structure was really interesting and complicated at first, but it comes at a repetitive pattern as a double helix, the first in the world that provides inherent strenght to the bridge and the walkway.
There was a Chinese New Year celebration right after the bridge, I came across a model that was out of places in relation to the fiasco that was going on and it is a huge model of The Pinnacle designed by MPKL. The model next to it is a structure made out from plastic water models.
Last thing, I did not qualify for the Jardins Jardin this year and the Pavilion competition in New York. Quote from the Pavilion email 'Unfortunately, your submitted design proposal was not selected as a finalist in this year's competition' and the Jardins's email 'The jury gathered last week and studied carefully your project. They found it interesting but however didn't keep it for the exhibition.' Finding it interesting does not really help. But anyways, I will be working in Singapore from May onwards, so the only competitions I can join would be with the big boys. Student life is over, its time to take a step forward. It is a scary thought.
As I turn around from the tall building designed by MPKL, I came upon a project proposal which would be as high as 71 storeys beside a really small temple that has been there for 106 years! It would be interesting whether the project would be able to define the necessary solution for such a cram site. I do not think there is a way of going back as it is launching soon. So I lef the site and took a quick ride on the MRT towards Marina Bay and I came across a few buildings featured on Archdaily without the need to rotate my head.
Upon reaching the waterfront, you can see the Esplanade on the left just behind the Singapore's iconic lion fountain, if I could actually say that, and further left is being occupied by high rise buildings. The reason of coming to Marina Bay lies upon on the right, where I have to go through a shopping mall before reaching the destination. The picture shown below shows the relationship between up and down, as the picture is taken on sea level. Just before you enter the mall, you can get a glimpse of the Art Science Museum which is still under construction.
You need to walk underground from the mall to avoid the heavy traffic before reaching Marina Bay Sand, but before approaching, I was awed by the moving facade that I liked so much. It work really well considering the hotel is beside the water. I took a few pictures of its detail and it was done by James Carpenter.
I had to take a quick picture before entering the huge beast.
There were alot of visitors and it is a smart way of inviting tourists to have a quick glimpse of the city from one of the highest building in Singapore. Just as I was walking towards the ticketing area to go upwards, they have this intriguing water feature at the dropping entrance. The bar moves in relation to the movement of the water.
It only took less then a minute to reach the top, and upon reaching there, you are invited straight away to view the magnificient project proposal which was done in a competition, unfortunately I do not remember who the designers were, I thought it was Feilden Clegg Bradley Studio. Oh well, but nonetheless breathtaking from my point of view, I wanted to visit it when I saw the project a couple of years ago.
The infinity pool, hotel residents only. :(
The idea to make it feel like a park was great, there was alot of people up there and I didnt feel sick, although I am afraid of heights.
This is just the latest competition I join and in total, it only took me a day to do it. My tight working schedule only allows me so much time. During the weekend I try to go out and rest so I dont have to sit and just Sketch away. However I did spend 6 hours during the weekend to finish this off as the deadline is today just before midnight. We are suppose to design a bridge from building to building and instead of coming up with something very fancy, I had a more simpler and modular approach. The design is based on an orthotropic approach with a singular truss from the top to provide a support element. It is design within a 1 metre modular structure which then can be repeated allowing flexibility and adaptibility depending on distance between buildings. I realise everyone is doing round, helix and square and the structural composition is not really shown but mostly the concept. I know I should have spent more time on presentation, hopefully simplicity and functional practical structural idea would go all the way.
