PAULINEp o r t f o l i oTANZIL

one two three fi vefourhousecasestair

incubatorfashion culturalarts &buddhist

centre residenti/industri/ commonto ourwelcome

backlane!

housecasestair

the house was designed for two characters based on the movie Rear Window. Jeffries, an ad-venturous photographer, likes to keep his privacy and observe his surroundings. on the other hand, Lisa being the fashion-able socialite loves attention and has the habit of inviting people over for parties at their place. this confl ict between public and private spaces sets the parameter for the design: to separate the two while always allowing framing and visual connectivity across spaces in the house.

original concept & module derivation

this page: model photo, opposite page: construction section and details

incubatorfashion

The project is intended to help diversify the im-age of Geylang as a red light district in Singa-pore, by introducing a fashion incubator into the site - a place where fashion designers live, work and display their works in the form of runway shows and shops. Here, staircases are used to signal the different uses of the spaces, with the landings to signify change in func-tion. Hence, staircases are no longer merely the means of moving vertically, but also for display - fl attering elongation of proportions; and to suggest directionality and boundaries between private and public spaces, as well as boundaries within inhabited spaces.

It is also made contextual by the references made to the parti walls that are adopted in the shophouse typology. Similarly, the notion of shophouse - being a shop at the ground fl oor, and a house on the subsequent fl oors - is refer-enced but is instead inverted due to the need for privacy.

The creation of two sides of shopfronts, one from Geylang Road and the other from the back lane connecting Lorong 14 and Lorong 12 is an attempt to activate back lane spaces, aimed to encourage more activity in the back lanes, mak-ing the urban fabric of Geylang more vibrant than it already is.

study of relationship between stair-case dimensions and the elongation of proportions for fl attering effect

this page: typical living space/ground fl oor plan, next page: typical display space/ 1st fl oor plan

sectional perspectives

The project aims to create a journey through a series of spaces with variations of light moments. However, in order for one to appreciate light, shadows and darkness are es-sential for a contrast, particularly to suit the programmatic requirements of the building - as an exhibition galleries for Buddhist artefacts.

The idea of journey is translated into separate circula-tory paths for public and staff, with programmatic volumes plugged into it. The volumes being solid and grounded are contrasted with the transparent, lightweight and fl oating circulatory paths. The architectural expression is kept as pure and as simple as possible - fair-faced reinforced con-crete cast in-situ and double glazed glass held by alumini-um mullion-like columns - to express the idea of purity in Buddhist philosophy.

The three main exhibition centres in the cultural centre were designed with specifi c lighting moments, which take reference from Buddhist philosophy. The underground ex-hibition gallery pays homage to the enlightenment of Bud-dha. While the temporary exhibition space on the fi rst level is divided into two equal yet opposing spaces, which is de-rived from the idea of Yin and Yang. For the permanent exhibition space on the second level, the concrete block is elevated on double glazed glass walls to give the monolithic walls a lightweight effect, to portray one’s achievement of enlightenment.

culturalarts &buddhist

centre

conceptual unfolded section showing the journey with vari-ations of lighting moments

plans (left to right): basement, ground fl oor, 1st level, 2nd level

The site is situated along the main rail route of Munich, which used to be an industrial area with a large hall struc-ture (150m x 125m) in it. In the past, the hall becomes a side terminal for trains carrying parcels and letters into the city of Munich. However, after the shift of the postal oper-residenti/

industri/ ating system into truck delivery network, the large structure was repurposed into a parcel sorting area.

The city of Munich has always had an issue of housing shortage, forcing the industrial area along the main rail

route to be turned into residential area. The project started with the intention to maintain the green cycling corridor along the south part of the site, together with the intention to make the hall of great importance in the site. This re-sulted in a point of convergence, which is translated into

a public plaza where people can have a picnic and shop in the marketplace. The hall itself will be repurposed into a public space shared between the school on the northwest of the site and the general public, connecting the school and the public plaza.

After some study of the existing housing typologies in Mu-nich, 2 types of typology was selected - the perimeter block and the open block - for the interesting nature of courtyard spaces in between. Different arrangements of the residen-tial blocks result in courtyard spaces of differing nature

and degree of publicness/privacy.

The site is bound by two major roads, Wilhelm-Hale-Str. and Arnulfstr. No connecting road was created within the site to prevent traffi c jams in the residential estate due to

cars making shortcuts. A car-accessible road surrounds the commercial area and connects to the neighbouring residen-tial area across the expressway. While most part of the site is only accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, as the cars can easily access the residential units from the perimeter.

concept diagram

transportation network building height building height public vs private spaces

public plaza

hall programme

public plaza

hall

concept diagrams

public plaza

residential unit plans

perimeter block typology open block townhouse typology

commonto ourwelcome

backlane!

The project aims to sustain the town’s heritage continuity and build up on the existing kampong spirit. In order to address the issue of ageing & shrinking population in the town, there is a need for injection of residents into the town. This means that the town should offer job opportunities and communal amenities to support the lives of the prospective residents. On top of that, a masterplan was created for the town to address the issues identifi ed in the current townscape. Because there are socio-economic and social heritage embedded in the town, a town conservation plan was also made. In addition, a con-servation guideline was also made for the row of shophouses along the seafront as it forms part of the authentic experience of the town.

As an attempt to provide more public spaces for visitors and island residents, a seafront promenade, a town square and a community square were introduced into the town. The com-mon backlane is another public space introduced behind the shophouses, with the intention to allow both frontages of the shophouse to be activated for commerce, and foster relation-ship between the residents of the shophouse and the new co-housing block. By sharing a path to the main entrances of their houses, the residents of the co-housing block and shop-houses are given the opportunity to meet and interact with each other. This opportunity is further enhanced by having the threshold spaces of both typoogies facing the common backlane. With a laidback and non-energy-intensive life-style, the residents are likely to spend most of their leisure time relaxing in the threshold spaces.

A guideline was created for the new co-housing block be-hind the shophouses to suggest a possible new typology that can foster kampong spirit in the town. In a co-housing, a group of people with similar ideologies and lifestyle choices consciously decide to live together as a community, sharing spaces and facilities. The architecture intends for sharing of spaces at different levels to not only encourage interactions within the community, but also to maximize space effi ciency.

learning island masterplan

central ubin zoning relationship of ubin town with other programmes in the island

public spaces in the town

main jetty upon arrival ubin town square ubin community square

issues to be addressed conservation plan transportation network infrastructure

conservation guidelines

degrees of sharing

room unit plans

2nd storey plan

co-housing block

co-housing block

co-housing block