A pick of my favourite happenings
For people who love design and buildings, Archifest (Singapore Architectural Festival) is a boon. Everyone can be a part of it and pick up nuggets of lessons and fun. Archifest began in 2007 as an annual festival to celebrate architecture and the built environment of our city. It consists of tours, talks, exhibitions, workshops and film. This year’s theme CRAFT shines the light on the bespoke, the artisans, the handmade, the technology and the materials that architects and designers work with to take their visions to a higher level. The annual Festival is organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects, and is curated this year by Formwerkz Architects.
TOURS
ARCHITOURS
7 Tours to choose
Start venue depends of respective tour
Saturday or Sunday Tours: 28 Sep-6 Oct 2019
8.30am-1.30pm or 1.30pm-6.30pm
S$60 per adult, $50 per student
Organised by The Architecture Society, and National University of Singapore
Work out your legs and senses, Architours consists of 7 different tours covering various architectural gems around Singapore from institutions to private homes. The architects who brought them to life share their insights on the processes of design, construction and artisanship, and the patina that good craftsmanship allows to form over time.
A few projects you can see on Architours include:
Aperture House
By Formwerkz Architects
Greenwood Avenue
The house is conceived to capture, calibrate and contain the right amount of daylight within. The car-porch, entrance portico and lap pool are shielded by a vast cantilevered canopy spanning the full length of the house.
Camo House
By WOW Architects
East Coast Avenue
Named Camo House, the concept of the architectural design comes from a desire to blend in with the surroundings of a neighbourhood located on the East Coast of Singapore.
Oasis Terraces
By Serie Architects in collaboration with Multiply Architects
Punggol Drive
The design is about the successive framing of community space with garden elements. The plaza at the heart of the scheme is framed by a series of garden terraces sloping towards the walkway. The architecture is also characterised by a sense of lightness and openness allowing daylight and breezes to naturally filter through.
Design Orchard
By WOHA
Orchard Road
A three-storey stepping structure with a rooftop public space and garden is designed as an incubator for emerging Singapore fashion designers. Designed with a clean and modern palette of concrete, glass, timber and landscape, the off-form concrete structural walls feature circular openings which allow views, shop front displays, light and ventilation through the building structure.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
THE IMPERFECTIBLE CRAFT OF OFF-FORM CONCRETE
The URA Centre, 45 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069118
Fri 27 Sep, wed 9 Oct, 9am-7pm daily
Free
Organised by Fabian Ong
I love concrete in all forms. It’s unpredictable, imperfect and stylish. The making of off-form concrete, a finish obtained as formwork removed from concrete, is arguably regarded as a form of handicraft in an increasingly mechanised construction industry. Like Chinese ink paintings, the outcome is hard to control and irreversible. Quirks and abnormalities inevitably arise from the process of construction and are often seen as “defects”.
TALK AND FORUM
WHY LIME MATTERS IN BUILT HERITAGE CONSERVATION
NUS Baba House, 157 Neil Rd, Singapore 088883
Tues 1 Oct, 6.30pm-8.30pm
Free
Organised in conjunction with the Architectural Heritage Season, an initiative by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
If I had a billion dollars I’d buy up all the historical buildings in Singapore to simply look at them and keep them safe. I would have to restore many of them. The use of lime in the restoration of historic buildings, and why this cost-effective and traditional method is superior to other treatments is discussed in this forum, which celebrates built heritage and well-restored buildings; cultivates the community and raises awareness for URA’s conservation work.
WORKSHOPS
WOODWORKING WITH LOCAL TEMBUSU WOOD
Roger&Sons, 115 King George’s Ave, Singapore 208561
Sat 28 Sep, 2-6pm
$100 per person
Organised by Roger&Sons
Wood is one of nature’s beautiful gifts. That dream Thai beach house of mine is mainly in timber. At this workshop, you will make a sustainable chopping board from a crosscut slab of local tembusu wood, finished with foodgrade beeswax from a local beekeeper. Learn one of the most crucial stages of woodworking: finishing. Discover different sanding techniques, how to apply finish, and how to choose the right finish for every project.
DRAWING: FINDING STORIES IN THE CITY – BY ARCHICRAFT
The URA Centre, 45 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069118
Sun 29, Sep 2-5pm
$35 per person
Organised by SUTDIO
The city is a place filled with stories. This fun drawing workshop shows us how to find stories in the environment that inspire our creations. How to start drawing, develop style and approach ideas towards craftmaking.