RE-IMAGINING TAMPINES: AN ALTERNATIVE TYPOLOGY FOR HOUSING INTENSIFICATION ALONG THE VIADUCT

Abstract

This thesis aims to provide an alternative model for housing intensification within mature Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates by inserting new residential blocks between existing ones. Situated along the viaduct between Tampines and Simei, the insertions will also house community facilities and act as catalysts to activate the ground plane and address livability. The proposal serves as a critique against the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) adopted by HDB which demolishes old estates and displaces communities. Daily routines of the residents and existing community bonds are disrupted and have to be formed again. Environmentally, the process of demolition and construction is ineffective and unsustainable. Unlike SERS, the thesis focuses instead on building upon the existing urban fabric to rejuvenate and intensify these estates. The demand for intensification is addressed by the Tampines-Simei viaduct, which will potentially become an important commute link with the introduction of Changi Business Park (CBP) together with the Park Connector Network (PCN) and existing train stations. Through these insertions, the thesis also seeks to explore new configurations for unit types suitable for various user groups such as the elders, singles or multi-generational families. Lightweight and prefabricated construction is considered to allow for fast construction. Clean alternatives such as photovoltaic panels and rainwater harvesting are introduced to encourage self-sufficient communities. The result is a higher plot ratio with an increased number of units while maintaining a porous ground plane for community amenities and green spaces.