The loss of community spirit in modern times is well documented. This has been expressed in various literature. Christopher Alexander termed it the autonomy-withdrawal syndrome, a huge net of cause and effect in which the breakdown of primary groups, the breakdown of intimacy itself, the growth of individualism, and the withdrawal from the stress of...
In continuation to previous article on disappearance of traditional wet markets and the challenges it faced, more thoughts will be shared in this article. Disappearances of traditional wet markets not only mean loss of an important social gathering point, a community shared space where interactions could be initiated easily and effortlessly. Closing of wet...
On a weekday morning, at a roof garden in some HDB Estates in Punggol West, what would one expect to see? Will we see (like in the HDB Websites) elderly playing taichi, or family enjoying some family time there? Architect for the estate had envisioned the roof garden to be a intimate communal gathering space,...
The HDB Community Building Seminar has spark off many participants’ passion to serve and connect with the community and at the same time left many provoking thoughts as the seminar came to an end. The entire seminar focused on using the concept of ABCD (Asset Based Community Development) to build strong relationships in a community....
In more ways than one, the void deck has come to be seen as a symbol representing community life in public housing in Singapore. However, this symbol has varied interpretations amongst a different demographic, where it means play space to kids, it is also a place of celebration and mourning to others. For some, it...
A recent walk at North Bridge road offered up some interesting questions and perspectives. Comprising of a higher than usual concentration of early HDB rental flats, of which a large majority are one-room studio apartments, this area is home to a large concentration of elderly, many of whom have lived here their whole lives. And...
A continuation from The Case for Incrementality In Singapore, it is general consensus that social interaction/communal bonding is generally on the decline. Statistically, we have explored previously the increasing disuse/failure of precinct and defined communal facilities as Singapore progressed on from its early days of the kampung. locally, there has been a resurgence in the idea of nostalgia and...
As part of the HDB Community Week 2013, My peers and I participated in the Community Building Seminar organised by the Housing Development Board of Singapore (HDB). This two day seminar allowed us to learn from various participants who are from different walks of life, and one interesting part was the opportunity to be part of...
Once, where the void deck stood as one of the primary requirements and characteristics of public housing blocks in Singapore, and part of the pillars of community bonding, today, new typologies experiment with creating a community, without the void deck. One such example is the Treelodge @ Punggol. Comprising of several blocks with 15 storeys...
Tiong Bahru Wet Market, used to be a single-storey market called Seng Poh Market. In 2004 to 2006, the market underwent extensive upgrading works at the cost of S$16.8 million. Despite its modern design and the addition of better facilities, the re-opened market blended well with its surroundings comprising mainly of two to five storey...
A continuation from “Mobility and Community” from left: Rocinha Favela[1] in Brazil and 95 Old Airport Rd, Singapore in the previous chapter, we discover that multiple theorists and advocates of the social-communal space, all concede that while architecture is able to facilitate the creation of communal bonding, it is hard, if not impossible to replicate the...
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) was established in 1960 in response to Singapore’s housing shortage problem. During the early formative years of the HDB in the 1960s, its role was to provide basic shelter to help solve the housing shortage problem at that time. It was during a time of much uncertainty, with massive...
