Figure 1: View from the main entrance
Figure 2: View from the corridor of the offices and labs
Presentation video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QESCttVs4E
Project Final Report in PDF, download here
Key / Essential / Unique Design Features: The project focuses on the sustainable design of a building next to the NUS School of Architecture, taking into account the site features, local climate conditions, adjacent buildings, and public spaces. The building will be designed with the following key features:
- Reduction of solar radiation affecting the building
- Enhancement of natural ventilation
- More shading systems to protect the interior area
- Evaporative cooling and another active cooling system to maintain the indoor comfort
- Accessible green rooftop with a community garden
- A large body of water acting as a natural rainwater reserve
- Flexible and open spaces to foster natural ventilation
- Minimization of the use of concrete
- Reuse of material from a previously demolished building near NUS
- Construction and demolition waste management
- Use of recycled wood for the facade and incorporation of green facade
- Use of bamboo and wood for the interior spaces, flooring, and pavilion structure
- Assessment of quality transits and provision of bicycle facilities for users and visitors
- Reduction of parking footprint and provision of parking for green vehicles
- More public transit drop-off points and charging stations
Your Big Successes: The project successfully incorporates sustainable design strategies to minimize the building's impact on the environment and promote the efficient use of resources. The community garden on the accessible green rooftop is a unique feature that not only produces enough vegetables for the building's use but also serves as an archetype of urban farming and learning center. The use of a large body of water as a natural rainwater reserve and for regulating the hot temperature is another successful feature that minimizes the use of water indoors and outdoors.
Your Big Challenges: The biggest challenges of the project are developing a building that sits next to nature while minimizing its impact on the preserved green patch and meeting the high humidity and hot temperature of Singapore's weather. In hindsight, I would have focused more on using natural materials such as bamboo and wood from renewable sources to reduce the building's life-cycle impact. I would also have paid more attention to reducing the building's concrete footprint and incorporating more recycled materials.
Lessons Learned: The project teaches us that sustainable design is not only about minimizing the building's impact on the environment but also about promoting the efficient use of resources and improving the quality of life for its occupants. The use of renewable materials, reduction of concrete, and incorporation of recycled materials are some of the ways to achieve sustainability. The project also emphasizes the importance of considering local climate conditions and site features in the design process.
Final combined Revit model (Architecture, Structure, HVAC, Topo)
Figure 3: Accessible rooftop garden