On 9 & 10 February 2022, two members of the Micro Builders Association, Singapore (MBAS) hosted several groups of Interior Architecture & Design students from Temasek Polytechnic (TP) at two bungalows under construction.
This is the first initiative by The Circle for Human Sustainability’s Ecological Design and Construction Working Group, in collaboration with TP and MBAS, to take the first step towards establishing craftsmanship and tradesmanship skills in Singapore. This is part of our endeavour to break down the separation between PMET and workers, to bring about designers who can construct and builders who can design.
Our intention is to let the students see that construction work is interesting, challenging and meaningful, and an important part of our journey towards low-consumption lifestyles, and low-wastage and low-energy construction methods.
For the majority of the students, this was their first time visiting a construction site and it was an eye-opening experience for them. It was also a rare opportunity, given the COVID-19 restrictions over the past two years.
Specials thanks go to Mr Ian Teo, Mr Nelson Tee and the Secretariat of MBAS for their enthusiastic support, and to Mr Dennis Ng, Mr Juniarto Hadiatmadja, lecturers and tutors from TP for managing and organising the students, and last but not least Mr Nelson Tee (again) and Mr Lim Yu Teck for offering their sites, hosting and organizing the logistics, providing safety helmets, etc.
Stay tuned for more TCHS initiatives to link architects & engineers (both students and current practitioners) with builders, to move towards a more holistic approach to design and construction.
See photos of the event here.
Written by Ar. Catherine Loke
on behalf of the
Ecological Design and Construction Working Group
Ar. Catherine Loke (coordinator), Ar. Ho Sock Yee & Ar. Kuan Chee Yung
