Interior Design School of Design Singapore

Sheng Xian Ong

小弟! 没有人这样做​! 这并不意味着你不能这样做
(Nobody does it this way, doesn’t mean we cannot do it this way)

​As a designer, I believe that design is a tool that allows us to change the way we interact with our surroundings and environment. I am interested in exploring the way we experience our everyday spaces around us and constantly questions the preconception of how our cities should be. In the field of design, the term temporary or transient architecture speaks the way I am driven in my design in how we challenge the way we live, play, and work.

Hence, in my personal project, Transition; Connectivity in Little India, begins by questioning the possibilities of slowing down in our everyday spaces and I chose to explore this through transitional spaces. I have chosen to explore the subject in three parts and to focus on the different moments between the journey from one’s arrival to their destinations. The site chosen is Little India.

Part One seeks to investigate opportunities for design in the train station through the lens of the Indian design motif, Kolam. In Part Two, I looked into the streets of Campbell Lane in Little India to investigate how it could bring the different stores together in creating both inviting and intimate space. Lastly, Part three looks into how Indian architecture could influences the existing stores both architecturally and spatially.

Contact
ong_shengxian@yahoo.com.sg
sx-design.weebly.com
linkedin.com
Projects
Kolam
Courtyard Street
Sunday Home

Kolam

Arrivals; Rethinking Entrance Spaces

Kolam is an explorative installation design project which uses the design motif of Kolam as the starting point to begin my design . As the nature of the train station is a place where we spend about 3-5 minutes to get from the entrance of the next destination in the platform and takes about 10-15 seconds to notice our surrounding in fragments. The design concept seeks to investigate the opportunities in the train station with the understanding of the site context and how can I enhance the experiences in the train station. In addition capturing the hint of life of the places such that to allow both tourists and locals to know their whereabout through the design motif and displaying the different cultural values and identity of the place

Prologue of Transitional Spaces

A video capturing the elements of transition spaces such as Lights, Shadow, Patterns and the Colours. This idea of transition spaces is seen from the perspective of philosopher, Donald Winnicott and terminologies of transition in Indian Architecture

Commuter's Journey Map

Capturing the different touch-points in the MRT train platform

Kolam

Interpretation of Kolam

Capturing the patterns of Kolam in series and sequences

Textures and Patterns

Sectional

Capturing the different moments with the different exploration

Art Direction

To bring everything together in the station, I focus on the materiality and it's aesthetic. It seeks to display the train station as a blank canvas that is mundane and through my design to bring off the lively and the mood of celebration subtly.

Passageway

Waiting Area

Courtyard Street

Journey; Staging of Street Experiences

Courtyard Street is an urban planning design project which uses the understanding of Indian Architecture and its emphasis of courtyard in its spatial planning. The project looks into the streetscape of Campbell Lane in Little India. Streets are often a place for people to walk through to their next destination. Hence, it has little to no emphasis on the design of the street. The design concept seek to rethink about the potential of our everyday streets through the used of courtyards to bring both people and its environment together. In the vast range of ideas of the courtyard, intimacy and connectivity are the key focus of this project.

Proposed Design

Design Concept

illustration of the design concept with reference of its site context

Development

Interpretation of "Courtyard" with the site context and its connectivity between man and its environment

Structures

The structure seeks to be flexible and versatile to changes of its surrounding and programming.

Master Plan

With the different iterations, the plan seeks to slow down the spaces into three portion; the entrance, The Central hub and the interior space (Courtyard). This project will focus on the courtyard space

Final Idea

Creating of the canopy made with three elements; connectivity, air and light

Streetscape with Programming

Forecasting a moment when the street is filled with programme such as selling of traditional items, dining ,and etc

Empty Streetscape

Forecasting a moment when thee streets are empty and people experience its spatial qualities

Sunday Home

Destination; Reimagining Architecture of Dwelling

Sunday Home is an interior architecture design project which uses the understanding of design methodologies of Indian Architecture and its architects such as Studio Mumbai, Raj Rewal and Spasm Design Architects. This project is a continuation of part 2 as in the design process, I realised that the exterior is largely influences by its interior. The design concept is influenced by three elements that I have extracted from the studies of Indian Architecture; the relationship between the interior and exterior, the light and the air. The project also questions the framework of the studies of traditional science of dwelling. Lastly, the design questions on the possibilities of the existing programming to serve as a form “Home” for the foreign workers from India as a place for communal activities such as dining and resting in the place

Proposed Design

Design Concepts

Capturing of the important elements of Indian Architecture from the lens of Studio Mumbai's project

Brick Studies

Locality- It has an importance of understanding of site so the exploration lavish on the history of the site being a brick kiln

Explorations

With the understanding the elements, I beginning with the site model to further explored on the concept

Final Concept

Using the form and the perforation of architecture to anchor the final design

Concept Sketches

The design uses the core of the space to bring in light and air into the architecture

Layout Plan

The Architecture

Remerging Indian Architecture in Local Context

Mini Mart

The mini mart places an exterior mart at the core of the architecture

Perforation

Tailor Shop

Using the laundry drying concept at the core of the tailor shop

The Balcony

A space for the tenants to rest together at the second level

The Terraces

A space for the tenants and visitor to relax together