CLIMATIC CONDUIT - EXPERIENCING THE CLIMATIC ATMOSPHERES

Abstract

The thesis critics the conventional approach of viewing the climate only as a harsh and unwanted element of the environment. While the word climate has strong associations with its scientific quantification of the weather conditions prevailing in an area, it can also be read as an experience that is appealing to our senses. The focus on Climate as a condition has resulted in an architecture that interiorizes spaces to create its own thermally controlled micro environment. The excessive use of air conditioners to achieve a constant stable thermal condition also have serious effects to the environment especially in a densely populated urban setting. This also deteriorates spaces outside the buildings, making these spaces almost inhabitable for an extended period of time. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the reliance on air conditioning to cool down interior spaces but instead to promote passive strategies that intensify the climatic experience in spaces. The thesis chooses its site at Raffles Place, the CBD area of Singapore, where pedestrians volume is high. Instead of designing a building that only serves its own occupants, the thesis proposes an urban infrastructure that caters for the pedestrians and other users of the city who also seeks to experience the delights from the climate. While the infrastructure is about a kilometer long, the thesis has selected a few interesting moments along the infrastructure to be develop in more details.