THE PROMISE OF ARCHITECTURE: INTEGRATION OF PROCESSES IN ARCHITECTURE

Abstract

Contextually, the conversion of the convulsive tropical jungle paved the way for Singapore’s development. It had renounced the wild conditions of its swamplands through continuous deterritorialization of primeval vegetation. At the same time, greening initiatives were introduced to renegotiate sentimentality with the urbanising population – from Garden City, to City in a Garden and now, City in Nature.

In this case, nature was used as an urban apparatus to transform a Third World Country into First World. On one hand, it influenced the urban fabric of Singapore while on the other hand, it was used as a persuasive device to assert the political and economic will onto its citizens. Henceforth, the current mode of planning results in a growing tension between the increasing population density and the requirements for accessible green spaces. Furthermore, ecological concepts are obscured in the process of the state’s conquest of nature. To affirm the new nationalistic identity, decorative and tractable plants are arranged in a simple geometry as a comprehensible metaphysical symbol of a submissive and orderly garden, created by the state. The fixation on ornamentality has manifested in artificial ecosystems that are governed by man. Further, the perplexing processes of an ecosystem, requires references from nature, predicated by visual cognizance. Possible misperception may have disrupted natural processes from occurring within the city: ranging from ecological imbalance to ecological mismatch.

This thesis works with the state’s paramilitary gardening. Advancing existing greening dogma to begin acknowledging eco-complexity, while, shifting away from methodical approach in design to one that is all- encompassing for both humans and non-human species.

This thesis questions existing urban model, and the systematic development of different scales. An architecture framework, that enables natural processes in the urban environment and subsequently, mediate nature with urban living.