GSA Showcase 2021

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Interior Design School of Design Singapore

K M Nimesha Anarkalee (she/her)

 

real life designer-in-the-making, qualified designer in the sims 4.

 

Contact
anarkaleenimesha@gmail.com
N.KMudiyanselage1@student.gsa.ac.uk
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Biophilic Co-existence in the Garden City
PART I – LIVE
PART II – WORK
PART III – PLAY

Biophilic Co-existence in the Garden City

With biophilic design, my aim is to allow the city state to experience the outdoors and nature all whilst remaining safe indoors. Having plants and green all around us in our day-to-day lives elevates Singapore to the real green city it should be.

Singapore is known internationally for its excellent green and sustainable efforts, but is Singapore really a green city? Or, is it possible that Singapore is simply a ‘manicured’ garden that attracts tourists and foreign investors? It is clear that Singapore’s ‘green’ areas are carefully manicured. Now, with the current COVID-19 pandemic and the pause it has inflicted on our daily lives, the idea of a truly green city is something that can be made more prominent in the lives of Singapore’s resident community.

COLLAGE

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COLLAGE

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COLLAGE

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PART I – LIVE

THE WAY WE LIVE/HOW DO WE LIVE?

In this booklet we start with part 1 of the Project : “Live with Plants”. This project deals with the work side of “LIVE, WORK AND PLAY” and the idea of being safe indoors in the HDB block while being around nature and plants. I will be dealing with the idea of living with plants and biophilic design in the comfort of being indoors and near your home.

To live means to “spend your life in a particular way”. To live at home means to be able to do everyday activities in your own way – eating, sleeping, resting etc. It also means to be with family and loved ones. Basically, to be able to do anything you want in your way in the comfort of your own personal space. So how can this be placed in the scheme of living with plants? How do we live with plants?

 

DESIGN INTENTION

The intention is to integrate the idea of “outside” into indoor HDB spaces. The design intervention is mainly for residents in HDBs. The intention also removes the idea of inside and outside as separate spaces. The idea is to remove the invisible line that divides these spaces by using biophilic design/nature (which represents the outside) to ‘invade’ into the surrounding interior spaces of the HDB. The question is now how I can have the “outside” around while I am safe at home/ on the inside/ in isolation.

Bridge Area

To address the issue of lack of plants in indoor unit spaces, a new addition is added to the HDB blocks, (referring to the image) – a bridge that starts from the inside of the HDB till the outside. This bridge allows residents to be outside all whilst still being in their own homes. The bridge only has railings, allowing to be fully open and visible to the outside.
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Bridge Area 02

With reference to the drawing on the left, the bridge’s railings are of full glass and steel material and well covered and taken over by plants. The plants line up against the railings to act as the actual railing by covering up the true glass/metal material. (refer to plant study booklet page for more information on plants used) The openness and lack of walls encourages sunlight and rain fall into these bridge spaces allowing the plants in these spaces to grow and nourish well.
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Corridor

With the major lack of nature elements in the upper floors, the design intention now was to bring in nature into the indoor spaces of HDBs. Spaces including corridors, lift lobby spaces and even the small air condition system’s balcony spaces of the units. In this drawing, railings are covered fully with plants making it seem as if the railings are made of plants. The ceiling is also fully covered in vines and ivy plants. The empty walls that are not windows along the corridor will be replaced with urban farming set – ups to allow interested residents to grow their own plants or edibles.
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Corridor 02

In this drawing, The railings and ceilings have plants as “barriers” and “planes” in the spaces - taking in the form of walls, railings, ceilings to cover up the actual concrete ones. This allows the residents in the space feel as if they are surrounded by nature even when though they are still in their HDB blocks.
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Label of Plant Types used

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Label of Plant Types used 02

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Label of Plant Types used 03

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PART II – WORK

THE WAY WE WORK/HOW DO WE WORK?

This booklet continues with part 2 of the Project : “Work with Plants”. This project deals with the work side of “LIVE, WORK AND PLAY” and the idea of working from home while being around nature and plants.

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many of us had to stick with the mandatory “work from home” setting which entailed us to having our work life even at home. This caused a major disruption in many of our lives, having to juggle personal and work life in the same place. In this part, I will be creating a space where residents can comfortably work/study all whilst being around nature and having the elements of outdoors all whilst being indoors.

 

DESIGN INTENTION

The intention is to integrate the idea of “outside” into indoor workspaces. The design is mainly for working adults and studying children/adults (those who need a workspace). The intervention is having a “work from home” type of situation, but instead it is “work near home” with workspaces being available on two floors of the HDB. The reason for this “work near home” idea came out from the pandemic’s “work from home” movement.

However, instead of working from home and being cooped up in the same four walls every day, the work near home allows residents to leave their homes and work in other spaces near their homes. The work near home also prevents far travelling for the residents when in need on conducive workspaces other than their own homes. Nature and plants will be present throughout the building. This the allows residents to be near or cross paths with nature and the outside, even when working.

Workspace area for residents to use, the furniture are of wood material to emphasise on the natural aspect and are mainly of warm tones to allow the green colour of the plants to light up the space instead.

The once residential units will be converted into workspaces for both adults and student residents to work and study. The space will be easy access as it is located in the HDB flat itself. The exterior walls are replaced with full windows to allow direct visual connection to the surroundings which includes the Punggol Park and the Serangoon River. The double volume space allows those on the second floor to be able to have visual connection to the lower floor and the plants that are growing on the floors.
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A green wall is also placed in the space and covers the entire double volume, from the floor to the ceiling. This provides more greenery in the space apart from the urban farming and the tree canopy.
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Office/Study area in the HDB for residents to use. The office area allows direct views to the tree and plants in the space. Having visual connections to plants/greenery is extremely beneficial and allows residents to be less stress and more relaxed with the amount of nature in space.

A tree is grown in the space to encourage greenery in the surrounding and promote well-being. How does this work (with reference to the case studies below): The type of tree used is a Willow Fig Tree; this tree type can grow with limited soil amount in a soil container and grows well in an indoor space. The soil container is also of appropriate depth to ensure well growth of the tree in the space.
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The bridge space consists of hanging chairs made of twigs and branches, allowing residents to sit and use their laptops, read, study or even simply just taking a break and looking outside. The full-scale window provides a sense of openness and a great view to the Punngol Park and also ample sunlight into the space.
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Resting bridge space that residents are able to sit and read or even take a break and enjoy the outside scenery

The enclosed bridge space has plants all-over the walls and potted plants in the space. Referring to NBBJ’s Amazon Spheres, this office space is airconditioned and enclosed with devices that changes the temperature and humidity in the space. NBBJ had devices installed in their enclosed spaces as well, in order to keep the plants in their spaces well and alive. The temperature and humidity changes with the device, to fit and cater to the needs of the plants in the space, allowing them to grow well and comfortably.
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Resting bridge space that residents are able to sit and read or even take a break and enjoy the outside scenery

There are plants on one side of the space and none on the other. The plants on one side of the space lies against the window that faces the interiors of the HDB, whilst the other window left bare faces the Punggol Park that is just beside the block. Doing this allows the residents to experience both ends of the ‘Living with Plants’ scale (refer to introduction booklet) - controlled and uncontrolled biophilia. The plants in the space being controlled as it is manicured and carefully curated for the space. And then the park on the outside being uncontrolled where the plants are able to go freely and widely. The residents simply just need to turn their heads left and right to observe this change.
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Referring to the drawing on the left, Indoor urban farming is introduced in the office space to allow the residents to be a part of the plant life cycle. Residents can aid in the growing of plants of even grow their own plants in the space. Even if residents do not wish to farm, just by looking and seeing the plants growing already includes the green idea into their daily lives. And looking at plants brings major benefits especially in aiding stress relief and boosting creativity and focus - qualities that are essential and helpful in a work environment.
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The residents will be facing the tree and the plants growing from the urban farming areas. Residents sitting on the second floor are also able to view the tree canopy on the first floor with the given direct visual connection. The large double volume atrium space allows the space to feel more open. The tree canopy also provides casual seating space for those who wish to work in a less rigid area.
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PART III – PLAY

THE WAY WEPLAY/HOW DO WE PLAY?

This booklet ties up and ends the Project with part 3: “Play with Plants”. This project deals with the play side of “LIVE, WORK AND PLAY” and the idea of playing and having fun indoors while being around nature and plants. The definition of play in this case is by making the learning of plants and gardening fun.

Being stuck at home during the circuit breaker we had in Singapore, we had to enjoy our leisure time indoors within the four walls of our own homes. This caused us to not be able to enjoy the outdoors and the nature as often as we used to. In this part, I will be creating spaces where residents can play/relax within the HDB building itself. The ‘playing’ will be with plants as plants represent the outside.

 

 

DESIGN INTENTION

The intention is to integrate the idea of “outside” into indoor spaces. The design is mainly for the children living in the HDB to be able to have some fun while they are indoors. Adults are able to use the space as well, they can join the children in their activities or simply just take a break and rest or even garden. The intervention is having a nature trail within the HDB block by having several garden spaces on different stories of the HDB.

The nature trail will consist of four gardens, three in the residential stories and the final rooftop garden. The trail starts off with the first garden – nonflowering plants, then it continues to the second garden – flowering plants, the third garden – vegetables and fruit garden and it finally ends with the main roof garden space. The nature trail allows both children and adults to have fun going through the nature trail doing activities and learning about plants and nature.

GARDEN ONE

The first garden is on the 6th floor and is a non-flowering plant garden. The non-flowering plant species has greater adaptability to the environment, no need a strict specification on the type of location needed. The plants are able to adapt to the environments characteristics and grow well in the space, thus a higher floor for more wind and sun is not really required. The corridor space is 5m wide, 7m long and a height of 3m. The openness and location of the space allows just enough sunlight, wind, and rain to come in.
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GARDEN ONE

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GARDEN ONE

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GARDEN TWO

The second garden is on the 11th floor and is a flowering plant garden. Flowering plants do not adapt as easily as non-flowering plant, thus requiring a specific amount of sunlight in the space. The space is located on the upper floors to then provide this ample amount of sunlight needed. The space is 6m long, 5m wide and 3m in height. Though located on the opposite side of the HDB from the other two gardens, the space is still widely open and allows plenty sunlight, wind, and rain to come in.
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GARDEN TWO

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GARDEN TWO

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GARDEN THREE

The third garden is on the 13th floor and is a edible plant garden (vegetables and fruits). Most vegetable and fruit plant require a lot of sunlight. On the 13th floor, they will be able to receive direct and stronger sunlight compared to the lower floors. The space is 5m wide, 7m long and a height of 3m, it’s on the exact same side as the first garden, just that it is on another floor. The openness and location of the space allows ample sunlight, wind, and rain to come in.
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GARDEN THREE

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GARDEN THREE

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GARDEN FOUR

The rooftop garden consists of all the types of plants from the three small gardens. The rooftop garden will be on the roof of the right block and it will have seating spaces and a small greenhouse for growing of vegetables by the residents themselves or the gardeners too. This garden does not contain many activities for the residents, but instead is a space for residents to relax or exercise on their own time. The seating is done in the shape of a flower with a shelter over with trellis ceiling and climbing plants above. The climbing plants cover the outline of the trellis in order to avoid blocking the sun for the plants in the seating spaces.
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GARDEN FOUR

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