taspublications
#FOTM - Pause in Transit
by Ching Wai Lum
Y1S2 Landscape Architecture Design Studio 2021
Overall Plan
Pause in Transit is a project that redesigns transitional space, allowing users to live in the moment. As university students lead a fast-paced life with submissions and exams at every corner, how can we counter work fatigue? Can the spaces we pass by daily be transformed into enjoyable spaces where users can relax in?
From personal experience, I found myself degree chasing at the start of the term and that made me feel burnt out even before my first submission. I felt the need to slow down and enjoy the process of learning without being overly results-oriented.
With that in mind, my project aims to improve students’ wellbeing by spending more time outside engaging in physical activity. With the use of biophilic design, native plants of the ridge are stretched out to the students through the creation of passive spaces.
This project takes place in carparks 14 and 15, in front of Temasek and Eusoff hall. The location was chosen based on its proximity to the halls as the house users who stay in school the longest.
Overall NUS Site Analysis
Amenities
Permeability Map
Activity Analysis
The analysis of the carpark, amenities, hydrology, and topography around the site, affected the design as pockets of opportunities arose. The topography and hydrology analysis played an important role as they were used to redesign the drainage on-site to improve the quality of ecology on site. Taking inspiration from the parking lots as a space divider, the essence of the carpark was then improved through its design language. It makes use of the widths of the lots and staggers the length, creating an interesting winding path.
From multiple site walks, it was key to create a human-scaled carpark to make the site feel human-centred. The creation of smaller and more intimate white spaces can be observed in image two where a selection of spaces on site are accompanied by their suggested activities.
Section Analysis: Carpark
Section Analysis: Halls
Section: Social Spaces
The repurposing of carparks, if adopted by campus, when multiplied across the school can possibly alleviate overall students’ mental health while improving the biodiversity on campus. With this project, it is possible to transform transitional spaces into enjoyable spaces where students can take a break.
Tree Planting Plan Over Time (5, 10, 15 years)
Active spaces - white spaces are outlined throughout the site to cater to the needs of the student community.
The program of these spaces is dictated by the users, for example, the space seen can be used as a court or a stage according to what the user needs.
Active spaces - sheltered areas can be found closer to the entrances of the halls.
This allows for residents to have meals or even study together outdoors.
Active spaces - cues to care (e.g usage of flowering plants and manicured shrubs) are heavily utilized to increase human comfort for those who are not used to being in nature.
Passive spaces - flexible spaces are created in areas with medium traffic. Here, cars, human-centric activities, and the growth of plants can co-exist in a shared space. Since there is no dictated program, the wide space can be changed according to the user’s need and hold crowds of larger capacities than the ones inside the active spaces.
Passive spaces - plants throughout the project are planted in specific manners to allow the trees to act as a form of screening. This helps to maintain areas that require privacy or create suspense to views that are unexpected.
Passive spaces - changes in flooring are made throughout the project to subtly inform users in the transition of the treatment of spaces.
Quiet spaces - water is an important element of the project as it is used as white noise for meditative spaces.
Quiet spaces - instead of concrete drains, rainwater and runoff are collected and exposed throughout the site through swales that add to the white noise onsite.
Quiet spaces - planting throughout the slopes along the road aid with noise dampening especially around quiet spaces.
Small gathering spaces are created throughout the hall to allow for residents to gather outdoors and enjoy the intense planting/rain gardens.
Additional pockets of nature are added into the hall to improve the bio-philia onsite.
Outdoor spaces are created right by the hallways of the hall allowing students to spend more time outdoors. Some possible activities may include shifting CCA meetings outdoors instead of holding them in enclosed spaces.
Model Photos
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