recent
canvas print on Operation Void Deck
Impressive blog. Thanks for writing
Conrad McKee on Wishing all our friends a Blessed Christmas!
Same to you
waiting room furniture on Operation Void Deck
Thanks for sharing this Joshua, good job.
Thesis Exhibition 2010 - Cities Currency Crisis
Bin on Thu, June 24, 2010
Thesis Exhibition 2010 - Cities Currency Crisis
Department of Architecture
National University of Singapore
The thesis exhibition showcases a range of theoretical explorations, each seeking to define architecture and landscape architecture’s role in the transforming process of cities in crisis.
The Drome, Outdoor, Level 1
Atrium@Orchard
(Beside Plaza Singapura)
60 Orchard Road
28 June to 5 July 2010, 10am - 10pm daily
*Free Admission*
Reformative Design
Territorial Reclamation
Announcements / Competitions / Events
Sound the gong, light the firecrackers! It’s time for a great celebration!
Joshua Teo on Fri, February 12, 2010
The Chinese New Year celebrations are a great significance for many Chinese around the world as it is the time when everyone in the family makes it a point to gather and reunite, no matter where he/she may be in the world. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Chinese friends a Happy Chinese New Year and greater unity and happiness with their family and friends. 新年快乐，万事如意，年年有余！
Announcements / Competitions / Events, News
Wishing all our friends a Blessed Christmas!
Joshua Teo on Fri, December 25, 2009
On behalf of all of us at ReallyArchitecture, here’s wishing all our readers and dear friends a blessed Christmas! In this season of giving, we would like to encourage everyone to take some time to give to the less fortunate among us. May your giving bring your great joy and happiness in return! Merry Christmas!
Announcements / Competitions / Events, News
Launch of “Not A Story” by Nota Group
Joshua Teo on Tue, December 22, 2009
NOT A STORY is a collection of books produced by Nota Group, a local multi-disciplinary design group which has, in a short span of six years, accumulated a portfolio of works ranging from interior design to architecture and master planning projects. Today, they operate out of their head office in Singapore, and associate offices in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok, Bandar Seri Begawan, Hong Kong, Wenzhou and Shanghai.This bookset chronicles 135 specially selected projects covering Residential, Hospitality,Commercial & Community projects that tell the story of Nota and is available at most leading Singapore bookstores for $50.00 (excluding GST). re:ACT is glad to be one of the official online media partners for this book launch and we being a great supporter of local talent, would like to encourage every one to go out and buy a copy. Especially since part of the sales proceeds are going to Nota’s adopted charity - Habitat for Humanity.
For more information, please contact Norin Manaf at +65 9828 0865 or check out www.notionvague.com
Announcements / Competitions / Events, News
Registration is CLOSED for Really Ar? 4
Joshua Teo on Sun, November 22, 2009
Due to your overwhelming response, we have reached the maximum capacity that our venue can take. Registration for Really Ar? 4 - “Mixed-use Developments: How they Work, Adapt & Influence” is therefore CLOSED. If you have not signed up for it, do look out for Really Ar? 5 and sign up early so you don’t miss it! To be honest, we did not really expect it. But seriously, we are really stoked by the response and support! I’m really looking forward to a great discussion tonight! See ya!
Announcements / Competitions / Events, News
Operation Void Deck
Joshua Teo on Thu, October 22, 2009
Ask anyone living in Singapore what they remember about their high rise mass housing apartment blocks and they are sure to tell you, the VOID DECKs. The Singapore housing landscape is filled with acres of these and it is also here that a rainbow of activities like chess, afternoon chats, beer-drinking sessions, impromptu soccer, skateboarding, funeral wakes, Malay weddings etc. can also be found. Given that the void deck has such intimate connections to our way life in Singapore, how would you re-design it given a chance to?
The Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) presents Operation Void Deck – an open competition to design an architectural intervention at the void decks of public housing estates. The competition aims to generate unique, exciting ideas that could improve the quality of life for the residents, and show how architecture and design can impact society in meaningful ways. The site is at Block 51 Marine Terrace and ideas can range from a furniture installation to the remodeling of an area within or surrounding the void deck, all factoring in mind a construction budget of SGD 30,000. Entries should present a vision of how to encourage community interaction and improve the quality of life of the residents across generations, especially the elderly.
If you feel your creative juices starting to boil, download the competition brief today and start creating! You stand to win the top prize of SGD 3,000 and the chance to further develop your proposal with support from SIA, to be potentially built in early 2010!
The closing date for submissions is 12 noon, Monday 16 November 2009. You can download the competition brief here.
Announcements / Competitions / Events, News
National Day Rally
Chong Keng Hua on Wed, August 19, 2009
I was quite surprised to hear that a volunteer project that Ngai Keong and I had done a couple of years back was shown by PM during the recent National Day Rally! (Obviously I didn’t tune in to watch it live =P) Somehow the works that we’ve done not only touched the people in overseas, and now it has returned to touch many more souls in Singapore! Here’s what PM said:
“Our youths have already been volunteering, fulfilling their ideals, venturing out helping people all around the region. Here you see them in Chiang Rai, in Northern Thailand, building a community hall. They are on the YEP (Youth Expedition Programme).”
Really reminds me of all those wonderful memory (both laughter & sweat). Here’s the original blog entry on the project:
Akha Way Expedition + Exhibition
Akha Way Expedition (awe!) is a youth expedition project in the region of Mae Yao, Chiang Rai, Thailand, from 7 December to 24 December 2004 (18 days). The aims of this project are two fold: firstly, it is to bring awareness of local culture and difficulties faced by local hill tribes to Singapore youths, which in turn helps to raise our awareness of cultural sustainability as well as community building back in our home context; and secondly, it is to equip the locals with an income-generating tool based on eco-tourism which can contribute to a self-sustaining economy.
The expedition team is organized as an independent group, made up of 1 leader, 1 facilitator and 25 participants from various disciplines and all walks of life. The project is a collaboration between the expedition team, Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and host organization – Mirror Art Group (MAG).
The project began in early 2004, with a reconnaissance trip made in May 2004 when we met our host and gathered information for the project. Many problems are faced by the hilltribe: poverty, lack of knowledge, poor adaptation to low land living, trafficking of women and children, not able to get Thai citizenship, little job opportunities, poor health care, etc. such that it has become a vicious cycle.
Several strategies are adopted by MAG together with the villagers in overcoming some of these difficulties, one of which being ecotourism. Different from the tourist industry that has already taken place at other regions run by external commercial groups, the idea here is to empower the villagers so that they can be self-sufficient in managing the tourist industry themselves as a way of income generation. In a way, this can also boost their confidence in preserving their culture and environment and presenting them to the outside worlds.
The definition of eco-tourism is thus unique in this case, i.e. the social aspects has become the main driving force for its sustainability, while nature and environmental aspects assuming a supporting role. As such, the expedition project aims to provide an understanding to the various social and cultural significance of the region, juxtaposed with the interest in nature, through the exercise of information gathering, planning, designing and finally delivering the outcome as a form of knowledge.
The expedition basically involves two primary projects: an ecotourism site survey for a group of villages in Mae Yao sub-district using Global Positioning System (GPS), and the building of a small-scale information centre at an Akha hilltribe village - Ban Apa. Through these projects Singapore youths collaborated with the local community and host organization in delivering both the information and the infrastructure that can serve as a reference to the development of ecotourism in this area. Through information gathering, planning and designing, the participants acquired greater awareness of the local culture and environment, while the actual expedition had provided them with first-hand experience in working and living (home-stay) with local community.
As a continuation of our efforts in promoting the awareness of the regional culture as well as sustainability, an exhibition was held in September 2005 (three weeks) at the National Library in Orchard. Through this exhibition we hoped to raise the awareness of minority culture in this region – their lives, beliefs, struggles with modernization, etc., by sharing what we have learnt during the expedition. We would also like to promote ecotourism as an alternative way of traveling – a life-transforming experience that the travelers will be truly exposed to the authenticity of cultural and natural environment by living the way the local live. It is believed that with the income generated from this self-managed industry, the locals will be able to sustain their way of life without subscribing to modern lifestyles totally. Finally, we wish to share our ideas in sustainability of culture, such as in the case of architecture, through re-interpreting their culture and use of local materials. In a way, this has also brought some reflections on the sustainability of our own culture.
OPEN SOURCE
Janita Han on Thu, August 6, 2009
One of the most successful open source developments going on to date are developed by coders. the collective intelligence of coders worldwide are harnessed in the open source programming for all sorts of stuff from programmes to games to graphic libraries. it makes you wonder if it is possible for designers to collaborate like the geeks.
Our very first intern speaks up!
Joshua Teo on Mon, July 6, 2009
Over the last 2 months, re:ACT had the great pleasure of accepting Daniel as our very first intern! It was a great experience working together with this passionate and self-motivated young man. And as much as he would tell you about how much he has learnt, we too learned a great deal from him being with us. We had a blast hanging out with you Daniel! Well, we decided to get Daniel to share his experience with our readers, so read on to find out what it was like for him."The past two months spent with re:ACT can be described as nothing short of exhilarating. From preparing for workshops, meeting key people in the industry, helping to maintain the websites and blogs, it is almost a dream for a freshman like me who has not even started his formal journey in architecture school.
My journey as an intern at re:ACT began shortly after the CUBE Workshop in March 2009. Although I was holding a more supportive role in terms of logistics, I knew that there was something very different about this workshop from others that I had been exposed to. I thought to myself, the people who came up with this programme must really want to make a difference in the community by pushing young minds to brainstorm new ideas for a brand new master plan of the area. My curiosity led me to link up with Joshua, who opened the door for me to come in and learn the ropes.
Just like a fish out of water, I was thrown into an environment where I had little prior experience and everything seemed rather uncomfortable at first. My first few tasks were to set up a blog and do some basic designing, things which I knew I had to learn eventually, but at that point I had no clue how to execute. With much guidance and tutelage from Joshua, I managed to find my way round the various software and was decently successful in my first foray into the world of design.
With the arrival of Sernhong from Beijing, things started to pick up a notch. With the little office transforming into something akin to a Command Post, the daily objectives were set and all our energies were focused to the tasks at hand. The most thrilling part was the many meet-ups with various groups of people. From meeting key influencers in the local architecture scene such as William Lim and Tay Kheng Soon, to government organisations (URA, STB etc), as well as some of my future professors in NUS, it was a great privilege for someone like me to meet with so many key players in the industry.
It has indeed been a very eventful two months spent with re:ACT. I have learnt so much from the meetings with the various groups, as well as from Joshua, Sernhong and the rest of the re:ACT team. My knowledge of architecture has grown tremendously, and my interest in it has grown even more. It’s been an honour and great privilege for me to have this opportunity to learn, and I will continue to support re:ACT’s cause in the future!"
Updates to re:ACT’s Youtube Channel!
Daniel Lee on Fri, July 3, 2009
Videos from June's Really Ar? 3 - "It's I, It's You, It's We, who build Community" have all been uploaded to re:ACT's Youtube Channel. So if you did not manage to catch the last edition of Really Ar?, here is your chance! With engaging and inspiring presentations by our three speakers, Mr Yong Teck Meng, Ms Ong Swee Hong and Mr Khoo Peng Beng, as well as an exciting discussion session at the end, this is something that surely you would not want to miss.
Also, we have updated 2 more videos into re:ACT's Youtube Channel. First, the "Singapore Research Film", written and produced by Yu Sern Hong and Janita Han, seeks to explore what really makes a Singaporean. Do we as Singaporeans really have our own culture? Do we have our own Singaporean identity? As they explore the streets of Singapore and speak to members of the public on this issue, interesting ideals and opinions surface from people of all walks of life. To view this video, please click here.
Secondly, ''Seletar Airbase - Singapore's Secret Garden", a film written and produced by Li Xiuqi, speaks about the little known North-Eastern Airbase. With the area surrounding the base slated to be turned into an Aerospace Hub, Li ventures into this area of Singapore and discovers a hidden sanctuary tucked away in a corner of the country. With the peace and calm of the area only broken by the sound of children laughing and playing, Li brings us on an unforgettable journey away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Click here to watch this video.
To view all of the videos on re:ACT's Youtube Channel, please click this link.
Architecture in Singapore and Asia, Film, News, Seletar Project, Showcase
re:ACT features on Commonpeople.sg!
Daniel Lee on Fri, July 3, 2009
Commonpeople.sg, a platform that seeks to re-look and re-think what creative expression means in Singapore today recently held an interview with members of re:ACT! Sernhong and Joshua gave insights into how re:ACT was run, our vision and gave details into some of the prominent projects that re:ACT has been involved with in the past. It certainly was a little daunting at first, with video cameras and microphones watching your every move, but once they got into the groove of things, Sernhong and Joshua provided viewers with stimulating ideas and thoughts, as well the direction that re:ACT is going to take in the future to continue to impact the architecture community in Singapore.
We are thankful to the team at Commonpeople.sg for this opportunity to be on their website. Great stuff guys!
Click here to view the interview.
Announcements / Competitions / Events, Architecture in Singapore and Asia, Collaborations, News
Design2050 Studios - Call for Studio Coordinators
Joshua Teo on Tue, June 30, 2009
The Icsid World Design Congress 2009 will be held from 23 to 25 November for the first time in Singapore. Theme “Design Difference – Designing Our World 2050", the Congress will directly address today’s global challenges in an attempt to deliver powerful propositions that will shape the world of 2050.
This year, the event will go beyond the conventional congress and reduce the one-too-many speaker effect, by approaching and engaging keynote speakers, design leaders and delegates to interact and collaborate before, during and after the Congress. In the months leading to the event, a group of renowned creative experts will head up seven highly interactive and participative “Design2050 Studios”, each of which consists of four to six individuals from multi-discipline backgrounds. They will create Design2050 propositions by imagining, conceptualizing and visualizing a desired future. Delegates will be invited to discuss and refine the propositions in partnership with the Design2050 Studios during the Congress.
As part of their commitment to to raise design capabilities and expand design capacities in Singapore-based designers and design firms, DesignSingapore is having an open call for Studio Co-ordinators to be matched with each Design 2050 Studio, under its Capability Development Programme. This is a rare opportunity for designers/design students to participate fully as members of cross-disciplinary design ‘dream’ teams and network, as well as enhance their project management skills.
The dateline for submission had been extended to 1 July 09, Wednesday and you can download the official public call in pdf format below. Find out more too about the designers involved in the DesignSingapore 2050 Studios at the Icsid website.
Download Design2050 Studios - Call for Studio Coordinators
Find out more about the Design2050 Studios
Announcements / Competitions / Events, Design, News
The Time Is Now!
Joshua Teo on Thu, June 18, 2009
“It’s I, It’s You, It’s We, who build Community”, a song that we all used to sing in kindergarten and perhaps a mindset that has slipped off our mind as we have marched into a modernized world. Really Ar? 3 held at the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) Theatrette, brought together about 50 people to discuss how architects could play a bigger role in building community by actively engaging the public in the design and making of our built environment.
re:ACT invited 3 speakers with different backgrounds and diverse professional engagements to share their perspectives and details on some of the projects. The evening kicked off with Mr. Yong Teck Meng, National Director, Habitat for Humanity Singapore, sharing with the audience the “pass it on” spirit of having neighbourhoods in poor and disaster-stricken places being built up together by volunteers and the local community themselves. Ms. Ong Swee Hong, Lecturer, Temasek Polytechnic, and her students Damien and Noel, (participants at the recent CUBE workshop organised by URA and ran by re:ACT), shared their understanding of participatory design and how education is able to equip and empower the public to be more involved in the physical building and growing of their neighbourhoods. Mr. Khoo Peng Beng, Principal, Arc Studio revealed to the crowd his first-hand experience of permaculture during his field trips to the rural areas in Malaysia. Mr. Lee Siang, Director, DP Architects was the moderator for the evening and led the lively discussion after the three presentations.
To sum up re:ACT's third design sharing session, this first collaboration between re:ACT and SIA, has hopefully set the tone for future discussions and critical thinking regarding the role of architects in modern times. The open dialogue between the audience and presenters suggested that times are changing and that by creating more platforms to facilitate channels for the community's voices to be heard, we could truly look forward to designing spaces in a way that is interactive, participatory and impactful and meaningful to the larger community. That, together with the current openness and encouragement from the various government and private bodies, suggest that the time is NOW! All that is required, is the initiative and motivation of just a few active voices in the architecture field to rouse up an awareness and create small ripples of change. Would you be one to be counted for that? Like I said, the time is NOW.
Click here for more photos
Really Ar? 3 - “It’s I, It’s You, It’s We, who build Community ”
Joshua Teo on Mon, June 8, 2009
Really Ar? 3 raises the awareness of humanitarian and community Projects which the larger architecture community are not commonly associated with. It aims to explore what these social/community projects are like and how architects go about doing them? It seeks to question the role that architecture plays, in all these.
We are pleased to announce that for the first time, Really Ar? is being organised as a collaboration between re:ACT and SIA. As a result, 3 CPD points will be accorded to all registered architects (i.e. SIA members and BOA members) who come for this session! We hope that gives you that little more incentive to come and be part of Really Ar? Cheers!
Venue: SIA Theatrette - Level 1 (Singapore Institute of Architects | 79, Neil Road)
Date: Thursday 11 June 09, 7.30pm - 9.30pm.
(Light refreshments and drinks will be provided.)
Presentation Line-up
1.The Good Earth
Speaker: Mr Khoo Peng Beng (Principal, Arc Studio Architecture + Urbanism)
2. Urban spaces and its community: is participatory design the new urban design direction?
Speaker: Ms Ong Swee Hong
3. Changing the world through community involvement
Speaker: Mr Yong Teck Meng (National Director, Habitat for Humanity Singapore)
Announcements / Competitions / Events
HOUSELIFe
Janita Han on Mon, June 8, 2009
For those who’s not seen this trailer of houselife, you are missing something! This film is on Rem’s Villa Bordeux. You can buy the DVD for 65 euros here.
BIGGER THAN ARCHITECTURE
Janita Han on Mon, June 8, 2009
I’m currently subscribed to WIRED UK and it’s now become my favourite magazine! I read almost every article in it, now that’s value for money.
The main reason for this post is not to brag about WIRED, but to tell you which architects made it into this techie magazine!
WIRED issue 1: FOA’s Oslo Opera house
WIRED issue 3: Zaha Hadid’s Manchester Art Gallery
cross reference to FAST COMPANY’s list of 100 most creative people, guess who goes on the list?
drumroll…
38: Norman Foster
43:Neri Oxman from MIT Media Lab (strictly speaking she’s not really an architect but she did graduate from the AA)
68: Zaha Hadid
You can check out the full list here.
This leads to a few observations:
- Rem didn’t make the list of 100 most creative people!
- Architects rank behind JJ Abrams (14) and Stella McCartney(13).
- To get into WIRED your building has to be of a certain type of form- it has to resemble a gadget, be flowy or folding in form.
- Zaha Hadid recently lost weight, and is into fashionable type shots of herself. She has one in profile with her hair blown back!
How is this post related to Architecture in Asia?
-Nada. Just for fun. Hope you have a nice day.
re:ACT Annual Report 2008
Joshua Teo on Wed, May 27, 2009
Our very first annual report is out! This inaugural issue documents the work that we have done since we started and takes a peak into the future to see where we are headed. Download a copy for yourself and help spread the word on what re:ACT is doing! What we have heard so far from those who have seen the printed copy is that it makes reading it that much more pleasurable! So, for your reading pleasure, we would like to encourage you to print out your digital copy, bind the pages together to make a little coffee table book, read it from cover to cover and when you are done with it, print another ten and distribute it excitedly to your friends and family!
Download your free copy of the Annual Report here
Announcements / Competitions / Events, News
re:ACT House Party, 23 May Sat
Joshua Teo on Sat, May 23, 2009
Look out! We are organising a re:ACT House Party to update today from 5pm-9pm! Come to catch up, share experiences, chill and eat with groovy music, watch video screenings of past DMPs, update with re:ACT news, enjoy the fantastic view of the reservoir, nature park & the downtown area in the background!
Special for today - Get copy of re:ACT's annual report booklet (for a nominal $10 a copy)
** Pls RSVP to Sern Hong anytime at 96389235 if you are coming. Encouraged to bring your friends and significant other along as well. Food, snacks and drinks will be prepared. (if you wish to contribute and bring any, that will be great! Please let Sernhong know).
Facilitators wanted for Design My Place Workshops in May and June 2009
Joshua Teo on Mon, May 11, 2009
A shout out to all passionate, fun-loving individuals who enjoy interacting with and inspiring youths through a series of creative design workshops which are planned for June 2009. We are looking for facilitators who have outgoing personalities as well as keen insights and a love for architectural explorations.This series of workshops are built upon previous editions of Design My Place held in 2007 and 2008. Please visit http://designmyplace.blogspot.com/ to understand more about these workshops and see the fun everyone had! A recent article report on the event was published in the Singapore Architect magazine Issue 249.
In this latest edition of Design My Place, 2 workshops will be held in the months of May and June 2009. The first, DMP (Woodlands) will be held at Republic Polytechnic from the 29-31 May. The second, DMP(Bedok) will be held at Temasek Junior College from the 8-10 June.
If you are interested or know someone who might be, feel free to contact Project Coordinator, Joshua Teo at joshua@reallyarchitecture.org
Design My Place 3 (Woodlands)
Republic Polytechnic
29-31 May 2009
9am-6pm daily
Design My Place 4 (Bedok)
Temasek Junior College
8-10 June 2009
9am-6pm daily
Design My Place is sponsored by:
Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Architecture & Urban Design Excellence (A●UDE) Programme (URA)
Announcements / Competitions / Events, Workshops
Introducing Our Networks- NoDE, Beijing, London
Daniel Lee on Fri, May 8, 2009
NoDE is a group of young architects and engineers interesting in applying cutting edge digital design techniques and knowedge to improve efficiency in construction industry innovationally.
NoDE provides a design platform dealing with architectural emergence with the up-to-date digital technique and applications in association with social dynamic and environmental factors as design force.
NoDE pushes the architectural design boundary by implementing parametric design technique to resolve complex geometry.
NoDE focuses on optimizing geometry in line with economic efficiency, structural performance, environmental impact, and programmatic progress.
NoDE aims to create an adaptable artificial environment by hyper-linking among information as input variables to generate more possibilities for future.
NoDE integrates architecture, landscape, infrastructure and urban planning into one coherent artificial system with specific registration and differentiation.
NoDE is co-founded by Qiang Chang, Ning Duo, Alvin Huang, Yan Gao and Feng Xu.
You can find more detailed information about us on nodedesign.blogspot.com
Affiliations / Multi-disciplinary efforts / NGOs, Architecture in the rest of the world
Introducing Our Networks- Expeditio, Montenegro
Daniel Lee on Fri, May 8, 2009
EXPEDITIO - Centre for Sustainable Spatial Development is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation seated in Kotor, Montenegro. EXPEDITIO was founded in 1997 by six students at their final year at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade with the view of enhancing architectural and visual surroundings in our region.
Today, the organization has about 350 members and has conducted numerous projects addressing different problems of sustainable spatial development. Since 2005, the organization has been represented in the Montenegrin National Council of Sustainable Development. EXPEDITIO is a member of EUROPA NOSTRA, the biggest Pan-European Federation for Heritage and one of the founders of SEE (South East European) Heritage network.
The vision of EXPEDITIO is arranged space for a better life and our mission is to encourage sustainable spatial development and enhance urban and rural areas in Montenegro through activity in the fields of cultural heritage, green architecture, urban planning and public advocacy.
Activities: Our initial activities focused on cultural heritage, with projects conducted in a small town Perast in the Bay of Boka Kotorska, where we organized summer schools of architecture and volunteer restoration camps. However, gradually our activities extended and today we deal with a wide range of topics related to spatial planning, sustainable architecture, energy efficiency in building, etc. We are especially concerned about space and its protection and management. This concern resulted in conducting several large campaigns aimed at raising public awareness of the values of space and introducing the principles of sustainable and energy efficient building. Bearing in mind our vision and mission, we try to be an active agent of the overall development of our country and we often react to urban plans or instances of construction that we see as harmful both to nature and cultural heritage and inconsistent with the principles of sustainable development. We are also very active in the publishing field. So far, we have produced 20 publications (in Montenegrin and English), 5 of which are translations of EU documents in the field of spatial development. We have cooperated in numerous projects in our region and EU countries.
Additional information on the organization can be found on www.expeditio.org .
Affiliations / Multi-disciplinary efforts / NGOs, Architecture in the rest of the world
New Blog Entries to savour!
sernhong on Tue, May 5, 2009
Here’s a few blog entries posted very recently this year 2009 to share with everyone:
Dinner with Alexander Tzonis by Yu Sern Hong
Last Sunday evening (26 Apr 09) was an exciting one for re:ACT as Jerry, Ngai Keong and I managed to share about re:ACT to Alexander Tzonis ... ...
re:ACT at 7th mAAN Conference, New Delhi (23-25 Feb) by Yu Sern Hong
re:ACT was invited earlier this year, February 2009, to participate in the 7th mAAN Conference held in New Delhi, India ... ...
Collaboration of TRYBE and re:ACT by Cai Bing Yu
Collaboration between Trybe and re:ACT began in the red and cosy setting of a cafe located within the heritage-rich Red Dot Traffic building ... ...
Volunteering with CAI in Beijing by Foong Ngai Keong
The mission of CAI (CAI or “才“ means talent in mandarin) is to transform and empower underprivileged youth in China by instilling in them the Four C’s - confidence, courage, commitment and care ... ...
Enjoy the read… ... Please click on the Blog Tag at the left navigation column.
Dinner with Alexander Tzonis
sernhong on Mon, May 4, 2009
Last Sunday evening (26 Apr 09) was an exciting one for re:ACT as Jerry, Ngai Keong and I managed to share about re:ACT to Alexander Tzonis, a reknowned Greek architect, researcher and author whom some of us at NUS (National University of Singapore) are familiar with when he was visiting professor between 2006 to 2007. Jerry is currently doing an Architecture Masters programme at Tsinghua University and is also one of the earliest members of re:ACT. He had managed to arrange for a casual dinner comprising a few young Singaporean architects (mainly from DP Architects) with Alexander Tzonis who is now professor of Architectural Theory at Tsinghua University.Thanks to Jerry who had already promoted well the works & goals of re:ACT in Tsinghua University to Tzonis and some of the Singaporean architects in Beijing, the dinner conversation pretty much revolved around the architectural situation in Singapore and also how re:ACT as an organisation was a good emergence. As we made a copy of re:ACT’s annual report available to Tzonis, we were pleasantly surprised when he picked it up and read through it before even touching his food! He went through every page and project and was excited that such a flexible, initiative-driven organisation existed in Singapore.
We were secretly beaming when Prof Tzonis expressed interest to arrange his time schedule so that he could avail himself to attend the mAAN worKonference 2010 in Singapore next year and possibly sit in for one of the DMP workshops. Although July-Sept is usually a bad time for him, (they are the months that he usually sets aside for his personal retreat to gather his thoughts for writing), he mentioned that he could try to make an exception.
Alexander Tzonis is a speaker who has lots of insights about Singapore planning and the Asian movement. It would be great if we could have him at the worKonference as a keynote speaker and also to seek his help in shaping the themes and briefs for the conference. If you do read this, Prof Tzonis, thanks for your vote of confidence in this young organisation and your enthusiastic support!
Sern Hong
re:ACT at 7th mAAN Conference, New Delhi (23-25 Feb)
sernhong on Mon, May 4, 2009
re:ACT was invited earlier this year, February 2009, to participate in the 7th mAAN Conference held in New Delhi, India. Joshua and I made the trip to represent re:ACT. Joshua flew in from Singapore, while I flew in from Los Angeles. We were invited to make 2 presentations:
1) Design My Place(DMP) workshops as a participatory design process (a paper written by Kenghua and Swee Hong were submitted earlier and selected. As both cannot make the trip, Joshua made the trip as he is familiar with DMP and will be the main coordinator for future DMP workshops.)
2) worKonference 2010 proposal bid
The experience was memorable and enriching. It was inspirational and greatly refreshing interacting with different people, both professionals and academics from around the world, and finding out what’s happening with architecture and city planning in various parts of the world.
mAAN introduction
mAAN is short for the international organisation called modern Asian Architecture Network. mAAN is established as a loosely knit network of architectural researchers and specialists committed to study, preserve, and rehabilitate the modern architecture, townscape, and civil-engineering heritages in Asia. The preparatory meeting for the establishment of mAAN was held in Guangzhou on July 22, 2000. More details can be found at www.m-aan.org
The goals of the modern Asian Architecture Network (Research, Preservation, Revitalization) are as follows:
1. Loose association and exchange of information through committee meetings and newsletters.
2. Confirmation of architectural heritage and sharing of its history through symposia and the creation of a “General Survey of Modern Asian Architecture” and the co-editing of “History of Modern Asian Architecture.”
3. Proactive efforts for the future; informing and educating the public through the establishment of an educational program for the next generation, and mounting of exhibits of modern Asian architecture.
Given the international nature of mAAN, it is also no wonder the connections it has with several international organisation such as Unesco, Docomomo, UIA, etc.
(from left to right) Mr. Teng Kun Yen, principal of Shanghai Creatives; Ms Louise Cox, current president of UIA; Joshua Teo, vice-president of re:ACT; Yu Sern Hong, president of re:ACT; Elisa Alessandrini, member of Docomomo
7th mAAN Conference introduction
The 7th mAAN Conference was held in New Delhi, India, from 23rd to 25th February 2009. The mAAN-7 conference was located at the famous India International Centre and in close proximity to the early-20th century heart of New Delhi, one of the most endangered urban heritages of the modern world.
For this year’s theme – Legacies of Modernity - mAAN invites presentations about the myriad ways in which the modern city contributes to the formation of a modern identity. It shall inquire whether, by revitalizing the modern, the city is itself reinvented. And it will promote the idea that concerted action is needed – in the form of documentation, discourse and intervention – in order to conserve the vital socio-cultural and economic resource represented by the modern Asian city.
There were many speakers from different countries. BV Doshi gave a passionate opening keynote speech while Dr. Shin Muramatsu followed up with an inspiring presentation about the future goals of mAAN in the light of the current environmental woes as well as the global phenomenon of societies and their heritage values & identities.
Throughout the 3 days of conference, there were many opportunities to learn more about what other countries and cultures are doing in terms of dealing with their issues of city planning, architecture, policies and communities. The interaction created several friendship bonds as well.
On the first evening of the conference, an interesting panel discussion took place. The Chief Minister of New Delhi was invited to be part of the discussion. She was one tough lady! Though fully white-haired, she was hardly frail. She exudes a kind of powerful aura that demands attention and respect. The discussion centered about the difficulties of the local Indian architects and planners in manifesting their designs and ideas in different states and cities in India, especially with some of the government policies being in the way. The Chief Minister jumps in and brought us through an in-depth review of how the grassroot leaders think and plan while also stating that architects and planners, in many areas, do not understand the political, economic and social implications enough, and hence the misunderstanding that they are not given a free rein to manifest their designs. Very true and real, I think even in Singapore, we do need architects and planners that do not just “fight” for one side, but also to be involved in the political, economic systems in order to better assess situations and implement ideas. That way, it brings about a mutual benefit where the policy-makers are working hand-in-hand with architecture/planning-trained professionals or having them in their midst which will make a more holistic decision-making platform. This also brings back memories of similar discussions brought up during the “Architect in a Bottle” forum back in 2005.
Another presentation that caught my attention was that of Michael Jansen, CEO of Satellier Global Workshare Solutions (www.satellier.com). Interestingly, they offer services in digitizing cities and creating parametric city scenarios simulations for the urban authorities of each city, allowing them to better pre-empt scenarios and have risks analysis of how different development options will affect the city. They have now commissions in India and China. (Darn, my masters thesis, www.piratedcity.blogspot.com, has almost similar ideas to what they are doing…. And they are actually making money from city simulations for the city’s policy makers) Too late… sigh.
Unexpectedly, I was asked to do a live translation for a Shanghai-based Taiwanese architect, Mr. Teng Kun-yen, principal of Shanghai Creatives, during his presentation. It is a built work in Shanghai, which consists of designing modern restoration and interpretation of large plot of abandoned GE factories along the Huangpu River. The project includes retail, galleries and design studios as new programs. I made a trip to Shanghai last weekend to visit the place (along Huangshupu lu) 5 years after I was there involved in a design workshop which gathered students, professionals, researchers from all over the world to come up with design proposals and presenting to the local city mayor and planning authorities. The re-adapted buildings look really good and have a certain charm to them. Unfortunately, there isn’t a proper follow-up of marketing and estate management to maintain the place well. Hopefully, these can be improved in time to come.
Design My Place presentation (by Joshua Teo)
“Design My Place” is a 3-day workshop for students, aimed to induct the youth into the mysteries of architecture and urban design.
As an object lesson, the students study a particular neighbourhood area near their school. Based on what they discover, they come up with ideas and designs that help improve the living experience of the area. At the end of the three days, they present their ideas and design solutions to architects, urban planners, grassroot leaders and other stakeholders of the neighbourhood.
These suggestions of interventions then become an open-source resource and a shared ideas-bank from which the authorities might consider translating into actual projects. By being part of this workshop, the students are empowered and encouraged to be more proactive making positive changes for the community.
Several more schools have approached re:ACT to conduct more Design My Place workshops. A website will be setup soon to archive all past workshop proposals. It will serve as a hub of bubbling ideas from the students and community.
Videos of the workshops are available for viewing on Youtube (search “Design My Place” or subscribe to the ReallyArchitecture Channel).
worKonference 2010 proposal bid presentation (by Yu Sern Hong)
worKonference @SG2010
Asia Diversified l Modernity Modified l Possibilities Multiplied
worKonference@SG2010 seeks to explore different responses to the challenges inherent in the design, use of space and the construction, protection and preservation of identity in a global city such as Singapore.
It will feature an international competition, a public exhibition, an interactive workshop, conference and public forum attended by professionals, community leaders, and academics in the architecture/ urban-planning/ development field. There will also be an emphasis on creating real-world impact.
The mAAN8 worKonference @Sg2010 is jointly organized by mAAN and ReallyArchitecture (re:ACT).
The working committee will comprise of aspiring youths and distinguished, inspiring advisers from all over the world. As of now, we have youths from the following countries in the committee: Singapore, Japan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, China, UK, Italy and Malaysia.
worKonference framework diagram
The presentations turned out to be much better than we expected, receiving several positive, enthusiastic responses from the international audience. They include:
- Louise Cox, President of UIA, asking to be invited to Singapore, and expressing her excitement at the re:ACT’s presentations
- Swedish journalist wants a follow-up article to publish in Sweden regarding re:ACT’s presentations
- Institutions from Tokyo, Istanbul, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, China, France, UNESCO, expressing interest in re:ACT’s presentations.
For more details, please look out for news updates at the mAAN and re:ACT websites.
Affiliations / Multi-disciplinary efforts / NGOs, Announcements / Competitions / Events, Architecture in the rest of the world, Discourse
Collaboration of TRYBE and re:ACT
Daniel Lee on Mon, May 4, 2009
Collaboration between Trybe and re:ACT began in the red and cosy setting of a cafe located within the heritage-rich Red Dot Traffic building. It was also the place where I first encountered re:act when I volunteered for an event named CUBE, which was part of their Design My Place workshop.
CUBE stands for the Challenge for the Urban and Built Environment, where students from ten different institutions came together to redesign the master planning of Chinatown. For the students, maybe, excitement stemmed from the cash prize for the winning entry, but personally, excitement came from getting these youths, who believe that architects just draw buildings, excited about urban design and architecture. I believe that the workshop left most of the students with a new found interest in our built environment and probably a few aspiring architects, but most importantly the workshop was successful because it had created in the students an awareness and appreciation for good urban design and the potential it brings.
Trybe is a charity which delivers youth development programmes to the schools around Singapore. They believe that every youth are in their own right, a success story. I strongly believe in their cause and it is one that deserves special mention and definitely should not go unnoticed.
Having facilitated for both Trybe and re:ACT, I’ve realised how well both complement one another. And that the opportunities for collaboration could harness so much potential, both in the field of youth development and the built environment. Architecture today is more important than before, because gone is the era of procrastination, we are now living in an age of consequences, and we need our youth of today to be aware of the potential that good urban design brings. This will make sure that in the future, our culture, our identity and environmental sustainability will remain an important agenda of Singapore’s built environment. With Trybe and re:ACT, we can be ensured of this future.
All big ideas start off small. On the 3rd of April 2009, re:ACT was involved with the facilitation of Trybe’s inter-cultural program with Greendale Secondary School. The objective was to provide a group of foreign students with an overview of Singapore and also to allow them to discover the ‘real’ Singapore in a very hands-on and interactive way. The activities conducted by re:act involved a tour of the URA city gallery and an amazing urban race around Chinatown.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore building was where the students began their journey of discovering Singapore. And through its city gallery, the students were introduced to our little red dot nation lying one north of the equator, by the interactive storyboards and models which included one of the entire Singapore.
Similar to the ear to ground exercise in the CUBE workshop, the race that followed required the students to explore Chinatown, on foot. This allowed them to carry out hands-on activities through interaction with the community, engagement with the culture and the experience of the place with their senses. Through interviews, sketches, photo-taking, poems and food tasting, the Singapore story is slowly but surely revealed to the students. This provided an important background for a presentation required, in front of their peers and school in a week to come.
At the end of the day, as the students headed back to school in their buses, I had a feeling, that I had witness the beginning of something special- a collaboration that would one day lead on to something larger and more significant.
This post is dedicated to the beautiful people of the Ngee Ann Poly team for CUBE.
Cai Bing Yu
Facilitator at CUBE
Key volunteer with re:ACT for the TRYBE Collaboration
Volunteering with CAI in Beijing
nk on Sun, April 26, 2009
The mission of CAI (CAI or “才“ means talent in mandarin) is to transform and empower underprivileged youth in China by instilling in them the Four C’s - confidence, courage, commitment and care. Through its values activities and arts and sports programs, CAI works with teachers and students in under-served communities to promote mental, emotional, and physical health.
About a year ago, Louisa and I learned about this organization from a magazine while dining in a restaurant. Their mission caught our eyes, and we decided to join them in their cause, by volunteering to be art teachers in Yimin School.
The make up of students in Yimin School are mainly children of migrant workers in Beijing. Because they do not belong to Beijing, they can only enrol in schools such as Yimin School, very frequently on the outskirts of the city, and generally in a much less desirable condition, compared to the schools in the city. (in China, due to their extensive population, the citizens are given accounts, or 户口， based on the city they were born in, or based on their parents’ accounts. Only in some exceptional cases can they transfer their accounts from one city to the other) In general, these students are considered the under-privileged, compared to their city counterparts. But we digress.
Volunteering to teach art to this group of children has enriched me in ways more than one. For one, it is a privilege itself, to be empowering others. Looking back, I can see a change in these students compared to when we first came in contact with them. They are now more confident, and more cheerful. In essence, this program is rather similar to what we have been doing in YUP and DMP, except the context is different. What we are trying to do here is also empowering youths, giving them opportunities and helping them develop their interest, to open more doors to them for the future. “Just because you teach them art?” you say. Well, its a long shot, but its a start.
OF THE SPREADING OF ARCHITECTURE TALENT
Janita Han on Wed, December 10, 2008
Good news! The economic downturn has led to really good architecture graduates looking for jobs in less-than-stellar offices. This is quite good for the industry in general because they would not all congregate in the star-architect’s office. So concentration is spread, talent is percolated throughout the practice! Healthy competitions. I predict that new names will rise up in the practice within this few years. So that we don’t always need to stick our noses into the business of the same old usual suspects.
My theory is proven correct when talking to a practice here in London. They’ve seen significant improvement in the applicants’ quality, compared to the last time they were hiring. Good eh?
Let’s see what kind of architecture is produced in this period!
The Art and Science of Renzo Piano
Joshua Teo on Wed, August 20, 2008
When it comes to building sensitively to the environment and taking time to listen and understand the client’s needs, few architects come close to Renzo Piano. This exclusive preview film is part of a series by e2. In this, Piano talks about his fascinating and sensitive design for the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.
Photos from Really Ar? 2
Joshua Teo on Thu, August 14, 2008
Venice Biennale 2008, Supergarden
Daniel Lee on Sun, August 10, 2008
The DesignSingapore Council presented the SINGAPORE SUPERGARDEN, a series of 22 objects and inter-related dialogues by design individuals and groups, at the Singapore Pavilion for the 11th Venice Biennale International Architectural Exhibition in Italy from 14 September to 23 November 2008.
This presentation shows how the organic interactions among young designers and architectural groups are cross-pollinating their ideas. It is about capturing the ecosystem of design thought and the intricate links between Singapore designers who are actively participating in the global design discourse.
Following an open call for nomination, ReallyArchitecture(re:ACT) was selected to work together with two other groups, namely FARMWORK (overall curatorial lead) and Design Act to develop a presentation on Singapore’s new emerging architectural landscape.
FIELD OF ENGAGEMENT – re:ACT’s object
Field of Engagement provides an engaging viewing opportunity for the viewer. What initially seems to be an empty site populated with depressions, terrains and ‘field lines’ actually contains a wealth of information and perspectives. This is discovered only when the viewers immerse their heads into the field. Similarly, re:act’s vision of engaging social issues within the architectural field, can only be uncovered through a sensitive process of observation, analysis and implementation.
ReallyArchitecture (re:ACT) has selected three significant videos of projects at different levels of engagement and perspectives, to provide insights into their exploration of conservation and planning within Singapore.
Announcements / Competitions / Events, Architecture in the rest of the world
Really Ar? 2 - “So This Is Masterplanning!”
sernhong on Sat, August 2, 2008
WE ARE BACK WITH REALLY AR!!!! As you would already know, Really Ar? is Re:act’s design sharing session where we invite designers to talk about their recent projects. This sharing session is open to anyone who might be interested in architecture and design and through this we hope to encourage meaningful discussion of real issues and new ideas! The theme for August’s Really Ar? is “So this masterplanning!” Come find out more this coming Tuesday, 5 Aug 08, 7.30-9.30pm at Night & Day Bar, ( 139 Selegie Road ).
Presenting 3 Speakers:
1. Philip Tan, Surbana
2. Prasoon Kumar, HOK
3. Yu Sern Hong, 5+Design, LA
Special Presentations:
1. Elaine Tan, URA - on AUDE Programme-
2. Chong Keng Hua - on [re:act] Initiatives
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!
Design My Place Article
sernhong on Mon, June 30, 2008
Design My Place Article report article on the 3-day creative workshop conducted by [re:act] at HCJC in Nov 2007.
co-written by Cheng Sin Mei and Yu Sern Hong
Singapore Architect, Issue 243
ANOTHER FIRE!
Janita Han on Thu, May 22, 2008
Han Sharoun’s Berlin Philharmonie follows the fate of the TU Delft architecture faculty.
I queued in the lobby for tickets once…
read about it here.
19 May 2008, 1428 hrs
nk on Mon, May 19, 2008
At 1428 hrs today, 19 May 2008, the whole of China got engulfed by the sound of sirens. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stood up, lowering their heads. Cars stopped by the roads, sounding their horns. Colour webpages became black and white. The entire Tiananmen Square was flooded by well-wishers, shouting “Sichuan Jia You!”
China was grieving in memory of the lost lives in the recent Sichuan quake seven days ago on 12 May 2008. Three minutes of silence (amidst the sound of sirens) was observed. May those who passed on rest in peace.
Pecha Kucha Beijing, 18 May 2008
nk on Sun, May 18, 2008
It is barely an hour after the event when I decided to blog about it here, before I forget what this largely unmemorable series of lectures was about.
Pecha Kucha, as the name suggests (you can find the background of how this name came about on the web, I’m pretty sure, as it has been widely publicised..) is chit-chat in japanese. The lectures i just sat through (figure of speech, really, since I was standing the whole time due to the lack of seats *poor planning!*) was simply it - random chit chat. Nothing rigourous. Not even remotely. Not most of it anyway. Most of the speakers (except, maybe Neville Mars and Gregor Hoheisel from Graft) could hardly get past advertising their wares. There was even a Chinese Architectural Magazine Editor who presented “How to become a Famous Architect” during the lecture as one of the guest speakers. You may say, “Hey, I’ve heard something similar circulating on the web!”. Guess what, you probably have! It was something lifted wholly off the net, added to it some low resolution images (probably downloaded randomly from the internet too).. Speaks volumes about the quality of Chinese Architectural Magazines or media.
The Pecha Kucha concept is to allow each speaker 20 seconds for 20 slides. This works out to about 6 minutes and 40 seconds for each speaker. As I mentioned earlier, most speakers could hardly get into their work in depth.. Some speakers had to resort to presenting something totally irrelevant to what they do. For example, a fashion designer started talking about how happy and free spirited Swing (the dance) has made her, and how she would like to bring that to Beijing. Totally free-spirited, I would say, but it wasn’t really why I was there at Pecha Kucha for in the first place.
Some suggestions for the organisers: While we could probably talk to the presenters in greater depth after the lectures, it would be a good idea to manage the lectures in such a way where some depth is explored during each of the 6 minute 40 seconds. In this way, all those who came for the event could bring something memorable away from the event even when they don’t manage to catch the speaker after the lecture. Perhaps the choice of topics could be more specific, and included in the event listing, so that visitors like us can know beforehand what to expect. I really don’t appreciate standing for more than two hours only to listen to a pirate display her loot as the last speaker.
Next Pecha Kucha in Beijing will take place sometime before the Olympics. Let’s hope it gets better!
Some interesting links:
http://www.dynamiccity.org/
http://www.makeitrightnola.org/
www.movingcities.org/
http://www.ordos100.com/
TU DELFT ARCHITECTURE 14th MAY 2008
Janita Han on Wed, May 14, 2008
Today. Walked around the building. Accepted the truth. Prayed for hope. TU DELFT FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE DESTROYED BY FIRE (For the headlines on the event in the Dutch news, click RTL) I entered the faculty of architecture at 9.10am, got to the 5th level and there was water all over the floor. The lifts were not working so I walked up all five floors. I walked to the tap and got myself a cup of water. After approximately 5 minutes, the alarm sounded. I was still carrying my cup of water while going with the flow of people leaving the building. We were all herded to the carpark- that was when the fire at the 6th floor became visible. The fire looked small, so at that time people were more struck by wonder than worry. The email sent out by the faculty administration announced that the fire started from a “short circuit caused by a faulty water pipe” at the 6th floor. The fire could not be controlled and continued to ravage the rest of the building. At approximately 5pm or so, part of the building collapsed. At 5.18pm, D.J. van den Berg, President of the Executive Board, released an email statement saying that “no conclusive statement can be given about the exact cause of the fire”. Fortunately there were not casualties in the fire. This is the closest I’ve been to a headlines tragedy. With the initial wave of sensationalism worn off, I now feel a sense of loss. Loss for people whose works have gone up in flames. Loss of a place that I had some emotional attachment to. Loss of an entire faculty. As I type this I can still see, from my window, smoke billowing from the destroyed building. At home home now, I turn to my bible for some key to the event, and chance upon Deuteronomy 5:4 “The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire.” This gives me a sense of awe of how powerful God is. Am also reminded of the verse from 2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” The temporal nature of the material world and its systems is quite often overlooked until it collapses. It has collapsed this time- literally. Sanford Kwinter was in Berlage to launch his book, Far from Equilibrium, that was 20 years in the making. Looking every bit the mad scientist that he was, Kwinter captivated with his sincerity and self-deprecating attitude. If you’ve ever tried to read his book Architectures of Time, you will realise that everything you’ve thought was deep and complex writing was really only surface treatment. The book, written within a 20 year time frame, where much of the essays which were published in the ANY magazine in the 90’s, was produced as a reminder that today’s culture was a production of the past, whether a past that had happened or not- radical an-amnesia, he calls it. In the 1990’s, he put together all possible arguments of why one should throw the computer out of the window, at a time when the computers was just beginning to appear on the desktop. To him, his writings were merely “exercises in humour..exercising one’s duty in public with levity” , not so much as moral scoldings. The idea of having fun is encapsulated in the book introduction as such: “It is hoped that the present book will serve as an example of what Michel Foucault once described as a decisively missing aspect of much 1960s militantism: the insight that agitation was never meant not to be fun.” I crept up to him in the cafeteria and asked for him to sign the book. He was nice to initiate some conversation. Despite my belief that I could make small talk with anyone, the fact that Kwinter listened to everything I said made it a tad intimidating, yet surprisingly refreshing. I pored over his book and was pleasantly surprised at various fun things in it- change in font size, secret essays hidden within flaps. Good buy. I will have fun reading it. Thanks Jan for the cover! Pecha Kucha Beijing will be held on May 18, 2008 for those who are interested. Having been to Rojak’s and having been very impressed with jing’s photograph’s and boo jun feng’s the changi murals, i must say pecha kucha rotterdam came across as quite a disappointment. The evening had a foreboding start, and went on with a sequence of designers/artists who were either not able or not keen to share their work in a passionate and meaningful way. Some designers were downright bad. The selection of presenters could have been more stringent. All was not gloom and doom however. The evening had its nice bits that overall, made the night worth it. The casual dutch atmosphere (as you can see in the photo) was one thing I thoroughly enjoyed. You can’t find a more “bo chap” attitude in Singapore. The Rojak session that I attended was super-charged in quite a heady manner, what with the hosts making innuendos throughout the session; Pecha Kucha Rotterdam on the other hand felt like a really casual gathering of people with two less-than-competent-but-still-heartwarming hosts speaking in their second language, English. The saving grace of the night was-besides my good friend Ren Horng Yee’s presentation of his final project, and no this is not just a disclaimer- the works of a two-person design firm Lesley Moore. It puzzled me for some time where the name came from, since their names were not Lesley and Moore. The name of the firm is actually a pun on the phrase “Less is More”! They told me that Goethe was the one who first said it, so let’s remember that, and not attribute it solely to Mies. I was already immediately impressed by the fact that they do the layout of Mark magazine. They spoke about a series of really respectable works- a font inspired by escher’s multidimensional staircase, a huge digital clock that was lit up in an analog fashion by friends turning the fluorescent lights on and off, a stencil typography that was formed by two basic shapes. A fantastic piece of work was a short clip they did for Dave Clark called White Noise. The concept is white powder exploding and arranging to form text, the white substance being an allusion to the white noise we see on screen. Conceptually very fierce! Had a discussion with Ilmar during the break. I asked him what makes Dutch design Dutch. He observed that Dutch design has 3 characteristics: 1. Couldn’t-care-less attitude I find these points really befitting Dutch designers. The day ended with a nice chat with Karin and Alex from Lesley Moore. Netherlands 1.06pm, signing out! Who would think that an interview with Frank Gehry could be so entertaining? I like what he says about the Architect having to bring something of this own to the table in terms of aesthetics. He also speaks about collaboration, and I thought what was interesting from that was the people the person that he chose to collaborate with. While we often talk about collaboration with the community, with people from different disciplines, what was intriguing about this collaboration was it was between 2 brilliant people. I hope that motivates us to be brilliant at what we do. I believe, only then, can collaboration reach its fullest potential. Ganbante! The ArchRecord Interview: Sir Peter Cook, Page 2 | Features | Architectural Record: “But the architect at best has a wonderful mandate to create and dabble in almost anything. And I hope it will long be so. As long as you can say, “Look, the person sitting behind me is actually much more interested in sociology, and the guy sitting in front of me is into studying hedgehogs, and they both have something to offer architecture,” it’s a wonderful mandate for indulgence and speculation and creativity, if you make it so.” ...or too high, for that matter. A Saudi billionaire prince is keen on giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “joining the mile high club”, if this is anything to go by. Yes, a mile-high building. Dwarfing the under-construction Burj Dubai (585 m high) and a good two-thirds taller the upcoming Burj Mubarak in Kuwait (1001 m)... Might we have to coin the term spacescraper soon? Monsieur Jean Nouvel. Here‘s an article about it (courtesy The Independent, UK): Jean Nouvel looks like a villain from a James Bond movie. He is large. He is completely bald. He always wears black, except in the summer, when he always wears white. He is celebrated for his rages but also for his generosity and his long friendships, even with his rivals. Yesterday, Nouvel, 62, the French architect who has designed some of the most memorable buildings in the world in the past 20 years, won the Pritzker prize – the Nobel of architecture. It was a poke in the eye for his many critics. It was a riposte to those who believe that all modern buildings look the same. Famously, no two Jean Nouvel buildings look alike. He looks quite a bit like Lim Kay Siu if you ask me (see last picture)! That aside, Fivefootway has this to say about Nouvel’s award, in the context of the larger picture, with a slight dash of cynicism and a serving of wit. Me, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but here are some images for a bit of that instant gratification. Announcements / Competitions / Events, Design Moderated by Larry Ng, director of the Architecture and Urban Design Excellence (AUDE) programme at the URA, the forum was given its kick-off by Dr Wong Yunn Chii, the curator of the exhibition, who spoke on the processes behind curating the exhibition, and the mode of selection of its theme (and projects). In so doing, the audience was given a live commentary-cum-critique on many of the selected exhibited schemes, which felt like a Brief History of Modern Singapore Architecture 101 (in a most positive way, of course). It was enlightening, as it was my first time listening to a talk on curatorial thought processes, and on viewing the exhibition after the forum, it lended additional credence to the exhibition itself. The photography for some of these projects was pretty impressive as well. Mr Arthur Aw of Jurong Town Corporation later gave his insight on his eight or so years of working at the Jurong Town Hall, itself a Brutalist-styled design from 1969 (by Architects Team 3) which still commands much awe, if audience response was anything to go by. A quote from Mr Aw: “If someone joined JTC, in the old building (Jurong Town Hall), I would have got to know him within three months. Now, if someone joins JTC, in the new building (Jurong Summit), it would take me a year to get to know him.” This simple comment brings forth further, deeper questions of modern office-space typologies, and is a silent criticism on developers’ quests to go for taller, lower-footprint skyscrapers. The latter little more than fulfilling efficiency, and, in the case of Jurong Summit, are probably far less of an architectural marker in time, than buildings designed to make their presence felt - Jurong Town Hall would be a case in point. Ms Rohani Baharin from CPG Airports then gave a detailed talk on everyone’s favourite airport - Changi, documenting the progress it’s made since the opening of Terminal 1 back in the 1970s. This was a very refreshing point of view - one uses or views an airport on a very microscopic level, compared to the people who are actually planning it, everything from its masterplanning to its infrastructure to the little architectural details that contribute to the airport being runaway best-in-the-world for several years running. (Nugget of interesting information: There are baggage carousels running underground from terminal to terminal, below the existing MRT line!) The audience was treated to a video of the conceptualisation process behind T3 as well, with details of the now-famous skylighting flaps, and the green walls and large expanses of curtain-wall glass. Ms Baharin’s talk ended off with optimistic hope for T4, which has now been confirmed to be in the pipeline. Mr Tan Kok Hiang of Forum Architects gave an enlightening talk on the thoughts and design processes behind three of his projects - the Henderson Community Centre, the Assyafaah Mosque (model pictured above) and the new entrance for the Singapore Science Centre. Cultural significance and relevance lend themselves to Forum’s projects, and these show up in details, both highly microscopic - for instance, in the Arabesque screens of the Mosque - and macroscopic, in the primordial Fibonacci Sequence system that guides the new landscaped plaza leading to the Science Centre. It left the audience with the feeling that architecture indeed innovates, and is meant to innovate, while serving more fundamental demands of space, form-making and client/programmatic demands. The forum concluded with a colourful Q&A session, in which the speakers furthered their respective talks with commentaries on the future of architecture and architectural innovation in Singapore, while keeping true to what we’ve held proud thus far - efficient and “pleasant” design. This is a timely shot in the arm as we are seeking a myriad set of answers to the perennial “So, what’s next?” question, in the context of local architecture. All in all, it was a talk that neatly wrapped up the Singapore 1:1 Island exhibition, itself a neat set-up. I bought the concomitant book - even with slight reservations on its graphic design - as I know it will become a handy historical document on how far Singapore architecture has come, as it is itself a history-documenting book. Announcements / Competitions / Events, Architecture in Singapore and Asia, Design, Discourse This is an article written by Lyn-Anne, the Managing Editor of Five Foot Way Magazine on the recent YUP. She did such a good job, we thought you should not miss it. Find out more about Five Foot Way Magazine here. The objectives of YUP were to raise awareness and educate students on the importance of a well-designed built environment, as well as to introduce simple Urban Design (UD) and planning concepts, so as to build up an urban design-conscious culture from young. Matthew Chong, a teacher at River Valley Primary School, said it was important for the students to learn about their environment at a young age so they would be aware of their surroundings and be careful in the way they live. The programme also hoped to encourage students to nurture a keen sense of observation and interest in their built environment and to inspire students to think, design and plan as architects and planners through a design exercise and presentation session. Using URA’s City Gallery as an aid to introduce Singapore’s urban planning & design and coupled with games to add interest to the learning, the workshop was intensive, fast-paced, energetic and creative.
Armed with the YUP Activity Booklet produced by URA, the students were broken up into teams of 5, each led by a facilitator and a teacher. They went on an outdoor site study in the vicinity of the URA Centre and returned to an art and craft session on model-making, site-planning and designing to simulate the real work of architects and urban planners. The students were all in laughter as they cut out pieces of cardboard windows and dabbed their Styrofoam trees with glue. Claire McColl of Radin Mas Primary School said she learnt how to be creative with cardboard and plastic bottles and also how to work in a team.
The tasks given to the students helped to reinforce their learning and understanding of the built environment. Teo Hui Ting, a student of River Valley Primary School, said that through the workshop, she finally understood how hard it was to plan and build a city. At the end of the workshop, students got to present their findings and designs to professional planners and architects. Parents of these students were also invited to sit in the presentation to give encouragement and support to their children. As such, the workshop reached out not only to students, but also to teachers and parents.
Chong Keng Hua, of [re:act], said they are in talks with URA to organize more of such programmes and they hope to include students from polytechnics, ITEs and even parents in future workshops. FFW was at the workshop and we noticed that even though there were chaotic moments at times (kids will be kids), the students were genuinely serious about making their models as realistic as possible and almost did not flinch when they presented their works to the professionals at URA. This collaborative initiative by [re:act] and URA was a rousing success and everyone involved left with a greater appreciation of our city’s architects and urban planners and new friendships.
Dean and team during this morning’s briefing
Dean and team seem unfazed by the incident, giving pragmatic steps on how to go on running the faculty. TU DELFT ARCHITECTURE FACULTY DESTROYED BY FIRE / BRAND BIJ BOUWKUNDE TU DELFT
Janita Han on Wed, May 14, 2008
SANFORD KWINTER @ BERLAGE for FAR FROM EQUILIBRIUM BOOK LAUNCH
Janita Han on Sat, May 10, 2008
left to right: Salomon Frausto, Sanford Kwinter, Peter Trummer
my signed copy of Far from EquilibriumPecha Kucha Beijing 2008
nk on Mon, April 28, 2008
PECHA KUCHA IN ROTTERDAM
Janita Han on Sun, April 27, 2008
Friend Ren Horng Yee, who presented at Pecha Kucha, with me and Ilmar Hurkxkens
View from the front row
Lesley Moore
Pecha Kucha in Rotterdam! There I was, yesterday night. (Yoda like…)
2. You have to make a joke out of everything
3. There has to be some subliminal message in the design
4. No sense of aesthetics (my addition)Frank Gehry asks “Then what?”
Joshua Teo on Mon, April 14, 2008
The ArchRecord Interview: Sir Peter Cook, Page 2 | Features | Architectural Record
oomoo on Thu, April 3, 2008
A Burj Too Far…
hann on Wed, April 2, 2008
Well it seems to me like tall buildings in the Middle East is very much a burj-eoning trend.And the Pritzker goes to…
hann on Tue, April 1, 2008
A nice bald shave and a dapper black suit for whoever guesses the names for the three projects above correctly! (Images courtesy of rightful owners.)Singapore 1:1 Exhibition at the URA
hann on Sun, March 30, 2008
Had a chance to attend the Singapore 1:1 Forum last week, held in conjunction with the Singapore 1:1 Island exhibition at the URA Gallery, the second in what I hope is a (longer) series of exhibits on architecture in Singapore. The first was Singapore 1:1 City two years ago. The exhibition documents key architectural highlights in Singapore, chronologised into ‘ages’, from the 1960s til today.
The Singapore 1:1 Exhibition has been extended til April 11th, and can be viewed during the URA’s opening hours.
The Modern Day Architect
hann on Wed, March 26, 2008
Life as an architect/ architecture student can get pretty daunting sometimes. Here’s something that I hope would bring a smile to your face amidst all those unimaginable datelines.A game of Go
sernhong on Wed, March 26, 2008
What has a game of Go to do with Architecture, one might ask. For those familiar with the chess game of Go (Weiqi), one will relate to the principles of STRATEGY, PATIENCE, FAR-SIGHTEDNESS, ETHICS.
But, there is more. Let me share this rare moment of personal relevation. I was re-watching one of the ending episodes of Hikaru No Go anime (about the Weiqi chess game) when one particular part of the anime touched me so much, it actually made me tear.
A quick introduction before I elaborate. This anime is about this boy who learnt the weiqi game and became very passionate. However he experienced a setback(his mentor left the world) and decided to quit the professional world of Go. But a sudden turn of events made him realise his undying love for the game and the support from his “friends/comrades” in the world of Go. He decided to return to the Go matches after a prolonged break. Upon his return, one of the master instructors who has been following the boy’s development made a brief but deep comment to another instructor: (here’s the exchange of words between the 2 instructors, A & B)
A >> Friend, do you know that Go is a two player game? B >> Of course I know that A >> No, you don’t A >> You can’t play Go by yourself .... B >> I said I know that A >> No, you don’t. You need two people .... A masterful game cannot happen with just one genius. Right, friend? You need two people with equal genius. Two….... When you have two, you can finally take a step towards the divine move.
I would like to paraphrase this:
Friend, do you know that Architecture is a multi-player game? You can’t play Architecture by yourself ... You need many people. A masterful stroke, a meaningful design, an impactful outreach to humanity through architecture .... cannot happen with just one genius.
Right friend? You need many people, many with passion, intellect, will and drive. Many people playing the game .... when you have all these people, you can finally take a step towards the divine move.
I am not sure how clear I am able to express this. Maybe it is already something several of you have felt. Maybe it’s just a naive thought of my own. Nevertheless, it has struck a chord within me and ... .... very few things in the world can actually make me tear…Young Urbanist Programme Season 1
hann on Tue, March 25, 2008
The Young Urbanist Programme [YUP] held on Monday 10th March 2008, was a 1-day workshop initiated by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and executed in collaboration with [re:act] and held at the URA Centre. It was an enrichment programme for primary school students during their school holiday and was attended by 30 P5 students from Radin Mas Primary School and River Valley Primary School. [re:act] was engaged by URA to plan, organize and facilitate the workshop, as well as to curate the exhibition. Through problem-based urban activities, the programme aimed to instill creativity and sensitivity in our future generation, while giving them a taste of being an architect or urban designer for a day.
Lyn-Anne is the managing editor of FFW and she loves photography and film-making.
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The Penguin Effect
hann on Mon, March 24, 2008
No profound philosophical or architectural debate here, but I thought this was a rather straight-forward and easy-to-understand clip from National Geographic which demonstrate on strategies that architects use in building small spaces. It does bring out certain issues for further thought though. I was just thinking, Japan’s really tight space constraints has resulted in many innovative solutions. The refinement of these solutions result in architecture that is often efficient, clever and almost appear effort-less. The Japanese designers have managed to take something challenging and turn them into opportunities. That is certainly something we can learn from in Singapore.
So far, our space constraints have mainly led us to the same typology of HDB blocks year after year. As competition for space increases, the only thing that has really changed, is the HDB block growing higher and expanding laterally into a screen. Time for a re-think? More like overdue. Why should landed property only be for semi-detached houses and the like? Would it work to have a cluster of Penguin Houses, which though small, make it affordable for more people who want an alternative to high-rise living? It’s all about creativity and offering choices, no? Which brings me to another interesting thought. Notice how penguins who live in some of the coldest, harshest environments still manage to look mighty gentlemanly and sophisticated in their simple but almost designer-like black and white suit ensemble? Now, that’s some creative designing for you!
Architecture in Singapore and Asia
MR ARCHITECT
oomoo on Fri, March 21, 2008
Gustav Terragni, Danteum, 1938
I am listening to a radio commercial about beautiful homes and rolling pastures, the homes designed by architect john shurre. Now there is something disdainful about architects being in commercials, and the word architect spoken by non-architects. I ponder on my feeling of disdain and I’ve come to think that outside the architecture world, the word architect is equivalent to the word decorator, one who panders to the needs of client and developer. Who in the world would think architects are intellectuals/avant gardes/social reformers? No one, except architects themselves.
There is something distasteful - and sad - about that.
Pessimist me.
MVRDV
oomoo on Fri, March 21, 2008
I was at MVRDV today!
OMA, check.
UN studio, check.
MVRDV, check.
Architecture in the rest of the world