Space is all around us. In the 21st century, the urban environment is heavily built up, colonised by buildings and structures for economic and commercial purposes. It is a good reminder when thinking about Southeast Asia, that the landscape is not static, and has in fact evolved exponentially over the last century.
Buildings may have been erected for an original purpose, and eventually repurposed to give it a second life. The reasons why we occupy and reuse buildings change over time, according to how we live. The viability of space and what we gain from it, through our experiences as well as an accumulation of ideas and knowledge, are tied to how we ‘read’ those spaces, through the style of buildings and our assembly and process of navigation within.
This workshop incorporates on-site exploration and learning in the examination of the former Ford Factory building as a space of memory, learning and experience. Both the first and second year degree students for Design Practice come together to explore the original Bukit Timah location of the Ford Factory, followed by in-house sessions of lectures and team workshops concerning landscape, environmental conditions, repurposing and design of historical architecture in Southeast Asia.
