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Publication TOWARDS A LOWER IMPACT URBAN HOUSES FOR THE INDONESIAN MIDDLE CLASS(2013-11-22) TEGUH ANDRIANUS SALIM; ARCHITECTURE; NIRMAL TULSIDAS KISHNANIWhile the Indonesian government has been providing public housing for low income household, both the provision and the financing of house ownership for the middle class has been somewhat lacking, resulting in a vacuum in the housing market for affordable urban houses. As Indonesia faces an increasing rate of urbanisation and significant growth in both the numbers and purchasing power of the middle class, this housing typology increasingly constitutes a significant proportion of future development and land use, establishing the significance of the middle class in the wider discussion of sustainability in the built environment. This paper will examine the local context of existing building practices in Indonesia against case study projects by local architects that attempt to address the demand for such houses by combining the needs for minimising both cost and environmental impact using certain alternative materials and design strategies. The findings firstly illustrate that it is possible to provide housing that addresses both concerns simultaneously and will subsequently be used in proposing adaptations to the Greenship Home rating tool to widen its appeal and applicability to establish a local standard and eventually guiding the direction of the urban housing market towards a wider adoption of lower impact designs for future housing developments.Publication USING EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHM AS A DESIGN TOOL FOR THE MULTI CRITERIA OPTIMIZATION OF CATENARY STRUCTURES(2012-01-17) LEE XIAO WEN RACHEL; ARCHITECTURE; PATRICK JANSSENThe aim of this paper is to demonstrate the use of Evolutionary Algorithm to optimize catenary models. The processes of optimizing structures using the conventional model of physically hanging strings and weights are long and tedious. The resultant model forms a catenary shape and hence is called a catenary model. During physical modeling experiments, vertical forces of the self-weight of the model and the predicted imposed loadings are taken into account. Evolutionary Algorithms is a method which is able to automate the above process. It is a set of rules, which follows the process of natural selection, in order to solve problem within a finite number of steps. This set of rules contains the parameters which dictate different variances of the catenary models. The natural selection comprises of evaluation criteria necessary for the selection of a successful catenary model. The advantage of applying this method is the ability to include horizontal forces, such as wind load. This paper will (i) introduce what Evolutionary Algorithm is and how it is applied; (ii) give a detailed outline of the experiment which demonstrates the use of Evolutionary Algorithm to optimize catenary models; (iii) problems faced using this method, future explorations of this topic and conclusion.Publication RECLAIMING FROM SEMAKAU LANDFILL : BETWEEN NATURAL AND UNNATURAL(2011-05-27) MARIA CATHARINA BONANG; ARCHITECTURE; CHEAH KOK MINGThe thesis is a comment on the current situation of Semakau Landfill and it has attempted to explore alternative way in utilizing the landfill without being constrained by the 30 years safeguard period, which usually applies to conventional landfill, before it can be developed. The existing Semakau Island, is abundant with biodiversity of flora and fauna. Although it is designated as Eco-park since 2005, public access and activities are limited. Semakau Landfill’s unique dichotomy between natural land with rich biodiversity and unnatural land of wastes provide opportunity for regeneration and remediation resolutions. The intervention, situated on a reclaimed land at the boundary between the natural and unnatural land, facilitates the landfill’s remediation needs through the ‘software’ while the ‘hardware’ supports the regeneration of nature on the reclaimed land through provision of biodiversity habitat. It is an attempt to strike balance between the needs of human and the environment. Meanwhile, the intervention facilitates a more comprehensive and organized activities with significant element of environmental educational program in Semakau.Publication EXAMINING APPLICABILITY OF FULL SCALE 3D PRINTING IN ARCHITECTURE(2015-12-15) LIN ZHENYI; ARCHITECTURE; SHINYA OKUDAThis research paper examines the applicability full scale 3D printed architecture. With the introduction of Computer Aided Data (CAD) and digital fabrication in the construction industry, new design paradigms and methodologies have opened up for architects and designers. Using 3D printing technologies will change the way we produce things, faster, better and more precise. However, 3D printing, namely Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) at the building scale has several design and construction constraints that have to be reorganized. New design and construction techniques have to be explored and implemented in order for full scale 3D printing to be feasible in architecture. Evaluating several case studies that have explored 3D printing at the building scale and physical experimentations using BigRep and MakerBot. Henceforth, the partnership between Architects, Engineers and Contractors is essential to study 3D printing and its potential to redefine architectural tectonics and design paradigms.Publication THE MAKING OF DETAILS : WOHA'S UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES ON DETAILING(2010-01-12T09:39:33Z) CHONG SIEW LING EDLYN; ARCHITECTURE; CHEAH KOK MINGA detail serves as a joint for the meeting of two entities. Without it, architecture cannot exist, as it would be devoid of joints, with no real parts to tie it together. It is precisely this belief in details as a synergy of technique and poetics that makes it a craft that imbues meaning in architecture. Local architecture firm WOHA, started out with small-scale houses. Recently, it has completed projects of a much larger scale – including commercial and resort projects. This firm makes a worthy study, as it is a practice that produces good quality architecture paired with good detailing techniques. Numerous studies have been done on the firm’s oeuvre of work, but not enough light is shed on the maintenance of quality in their detail despite a wide range of work with numerous project types and sizes. This paper will try to reconcile this gap by examining underlying principles that WOHA adopts towards detailing, with hopes to uncover strategies employed in the making process that is able to address issues transcending a range of design intentions, scales and sizes. While built works and drawings will be studied, this paper will also investigate the role of a management involving architects, consultants and technical staff that support the making of details from sketches to built work.Publication RE-ROOTING RAIL CORRIDOR - HOPE FOR SLUM UP GRADATION - CASE DELHI(2012-07-24) VINOD; ARCHITECTURE; RUDI MARIA FRANS ANNE STOUFFSWorld Bank 2008 survey stated that Developing countries will triple their entire urban built-up area, generating the same amount of urban area as the entire world had cumulatively generated by the year 2000. For a case Delhi, the national capital of India, has the country’s second-largest slum population. Due to the rapid urbanization process, the urban core of the city today is under intense pressure of growing demands; this pressure births urban slum. Attempt is to look at urban slum as a resource and effort at integrating it with the city for mutual symbiosis which assumes slums as very much part of a city, how physical design will come up which is process oriented rather than a pattern. Concern here is not to displace slum from urban fabric but holistically how can blend with existing urban fabric by the notion of place making in slums. The vision is to look at skills of slum as resource, which seeks integration with city, which is essential for mutual symbiosis. Major attributes will be decongesting slum through economic, community and environmental development, within existing urban fabric. Low cost development model on vacant land of railway corridor Delhi. Scrutinize potential of Indian railways to develop this project holistically.Publication INVESTIGATING OPTIMAL BIPV ENERGY YIELD IN CONSIDERATION OF DAYLIGHT COMFORT AND THERMAL GAINS IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS(2017-01-05) ONG BAO QUAN; ARCHITECTURE; ABEL ERNESTO TABLADA DE LA TORRESingapore faces a potential risk of an energy crisis due to its high dependence on imported energy. Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) on building facades is an ideal alternate source of renewable energy because Singapore has abundance of solar irradiance and BIPV do not require extensive land area. This paper investigates the optimisation of BIPV shading devices on residential building facades (North and South) based on solar energy yield, daylighting and thermal heat gain. Shading device angle, spacing and length were simulated using DIVA-for-Rhino plugin and compared to determine the optimum BIPV. The results in different experiments show that 30° incline, closer intervals and long shading devices are preferred. Thus, it is concluded that the longest (3/3) 30° double BIPV shading device is the optimum for building façades. On the other hand, 3/3 0° single BIPV shading device is optimum for the highest floor.Publication EXPLORING POSSIBILITIES OF REGENERATIVE DESIGN IN CHINA AND TAIWAN(2015-12-09) BAEY YAN LING; ARCHITECTURE; NIRMAL TULSIDAS KISHNANIChina faces problems with rapid urbanisation and misuse of resources while Taiwan faces challenges in water and energy self-sufficiency. Prevailing notions of sustainable design would not make much impact in tackling these issues, as current paradigm of sustainable building focuses on the notion of doing less harm or at best achieving net- zero resource use. The paper will challenge prevailing notions of sustainable design by introducing the concept of “regenerative design”, which posits that a design can produce multiple net-positive outcomes in economic, social and environmental realms (specifically in the case of China and Taiwan). To illustrate the concept of regenerative design, the paper examines on three case studies in China Ningbo Eco- Corridor, Shanghai Houtan Park and Taipei Flora Expo Pavilions. These case studies illustrate the applicability of regenerative design at building and infrastructural scale, while critically highlighting the differences in thinking of regenerative design at varying scales. The paper will also critically analyse current frameworks of regenerative design and for its applicability in China.Publication PREFABRICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR LOW-COST HOUSING : AN APPROPRIATE MODEL FOR KOLKATA(2010-01-05T06:25:37Z) BASU AHANA; ARCHITECTURE; SHINYA OKUDAAt the heart of this dissertation lies the subject of architectural technology’s relevance to the housing shortage in Kolkata, India. It sets out to compare three levels of manufacture in prefabrication- manual production, semi-industrialized production and total industrialized production. A partial prefabrication model using semi-industrialized production is predicted to be most suitable. This hypothesis was formulated through an understanding of similar and alternative views put forward in existing literature where arguments referred to cost, labor, facilities and so forth. Further readings, case studies, discussions and interviews with industry players, including a short field trip, led to a detailed conclusion tailored to Kolkata’s industry. A holistic structure drove the evaluation through parameters of cost, time, quality, labor, transport, customization and environmental consequences. The scope here is limited to prefabrication construction methods, though many other issues should be addressed for low cost housing in the realms of technology, planning, society and politics, all of which require consideration in improving the livelihood of those for whom architecture must not be an exclusive profession.Publication EXAMINING APPLICABILITY OF EPS (EXPANDED POLSTYRENE) COMPOSITE AS A NOISE BARRIER IN SINGAPORE CONTEXT(2012-01-13) BHAGRA, SAURABH; ARCHITECTURE; SHINYA OKUDAA modern city evolves with an extensive transportation infrastructure of streets, roads, expressways and mass transit systems which are necessary to provide seamless connectivity of social infrastructure, i.e. the residential, commercial and industrial and educational hubs. Singapore is one such example where a lot of HDB housing, commercial, institutional and industrial estates have come up next to the transportation loops conforming to the design intent of the planners. The planning of these buildings however, has a few disadvantages due to its proximity to the transportation infrastructure. These are namely increased levels of polluted air and high decibel levels of sound. Air pollution lately has been controlled by implementing stricter emission norms but few measures have been taken to address the increasing noise pollution. The highways and expressways in Singapore have come a long way in the past decades to insure improved road connectivity and smooth traffic flow across the island. Increasing traffic volume and faster travel times translate to higher noise levels next to the roadways. The LTA Singapore has been approached by irate residents in the recent years of the constantly increasing noise pollution in residential estates. This has posed new challenges for the LTA and preliminary studies on noise abatement solutions are being conducted to come up with a sound proposal in the future. Noise barrier systems are one of the alternatives with extensive application in densely populated cities across the globe where noise pollution is a bane. Their fundamental principle lies in insertion of a physical barrier between a noise source and a receiver. The profile, material and composition of this physical barrier have profound effects on its effectiveness. Today, few choices exist when a sustainable alternative to conventional noise abatement systems and materials are sought. New materials like EPS have their own limitations but can they prove to be a good alternative?