OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOL AT PULAU UBIN

Abstract

The government has recently identified an unhealthy trend of Singaporeans turning towards an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. In one of her efforts to correct this, there are plans to promote Outward Bound activities as a means of introducing people, especially the youths, to the immense rewards of outdoor adventure in our land scarce situation. This thesis is thus about the redevelopment of the existing Outward Bound School facilities on the island of Pulau Ubin to meet with the anticipated increase in enrollment. The basic idea of Outward Bound training is to take a person away from his routine life and expose him to the unfamiliar and challenging environment. Through the use of the outdoors as a training medium, it aims to instill in the participants those qualities of resourcefulness. confidence, self reliance and service to others. It is a place where an individual can discover more about himself through experience gained in the interaction with the natural environment as well as his fellow peers. The thesis is an attempt to utilise the available land resource to provide an appropriate environment that will allow people to experience outdoor adventure training in a natural setting, away from the bustle of the city. Firstly, the environment should possess an identifiable character in a natural setting which the participants can identify with, and thus enhancing their experience. It should facilitate interaction between the participants thus encouraging the forging of a strong sense of team spirit. In addition, the architecture should also make visible the natural environmental qualities and bring about a close dialogue between the participants and nature. The thesis will be a vehicle to investigate into the following issues: 1. The character of a place is given by its formal and material constitution. 2. Through the treatment of the interface between the inside and the outside, Architecture can bring about in man, a better appreciation of his natural environment.