Living Courtyards: WIP Thesis

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Living Courtyards: WIP Thesis

Apr 2025 - Graduate Studio

Mentor - Andrew Lee

A social hub integrated with an activated street that aims to empower public housing residents in Singapore with healthy food behaviours. "Living Courtyards" comprises a kindergarten, senior day care, supermarket and a family service centre. It is located at Clementi Ave 5, one of 3 sites in Singapore where the following institutions are located within a 5min walking radius: HDB rental block, supermarket, school & family service centre.

Here we see the soil based farms at the periphery of the senior centre. The paths between the farming plots are made from tarmac recycled from the carpark that was previously on the site.

Here, we enter one of the classrooms. The edge parapet is made from reused carpark pavers, and so are the walls of the toilet, which is seen in the center of the image. The inner side of the classroom is also lined with the rotating BRC fence screens.

Looking inward, we see how sunlight spills into the classroom from the courtyard. The pavers used for the toilet walls also creates a interesting play of light and shadow.

A 3m sheltered corridor flanks the classrooms. Here is a kitchen unit that is both adult and child-sized. Cooking demonstrations can take place here with children then returning to either the outdoor or indoor tables and chairs to carry out their food preparation. These tables also double up as a dining space. In this view we also see how the waffle ceiling transitions into a finer, permeable waffle structure. This structure holds suspended planters.

Children from the kindergarten exit east to a large shaded pavilion where they can run around and play sports that require a higher ceiling and larger space. When the children are not using this space, community gatherings for the residents in the surrounding blocks may take place here. We can then take this stairs up onto the rooftop of the kindergarten.

Goodlife Makan!

S17 Community Kitchen

Tak Takut Kids Club

Community Care Yoshikawa

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