JiaJun Chok

Week 1 Introduction to CSI Module /Formation of groups
The following week, we were introduced to this module, Community Service Initiative (CSI). What we can understand is Community Service is a form of service learning that basically using the curriculum to help foster a sense of care and concern among students for the community and the world at large. More importantly, this module will help develop our personal and social responsibility.  In SABD, we aim to solve problems by architecture method, that is learning by integrating theories with design practice. We tend to incorporate the theory they have learned at school into real life environment and problems. The intention is to reveal the students to the real community and work together as a team for architectural, culture and environmental enhancing activities in the communities of different socio-economic status and social groups.

 

In a group of 8; me, Andrew Law, Yi Yang, Bridget, Sue, Aida, Sungjie and Yen Min discussed as a group and we have chosen to work on OCBC’s Metro Prima proposal to enhance/ solve social, community problems there. We roughly plan out our schedule and potential issue faced in that area before our site visit.

 

 

Week 2 CSI Workshop on 8th April / Site Visit
In this semester, a workshop was conducted to give the student a better insight on how to conduct a more organised/result-driven charity activity. Junior Chamber International, Lead Tropicana Chapter, a nongovernment organisation shared their experience and knowledge in charity work with us. They also introduced “JCI Active Citizen Framework” as a step-by-step guideline to formulate, plan and evaluate a community work. The workshop. On top of collaboration with OCBC and JCI, SABD continues to collaborate with VERITAS Architects. VERITAS will continue to support SABD in term of cash prize and internship opportunities for the students. Towards the end of the semester, an exhibition will be held to showcase students’ proposal as well as the prize giving ceremony.

 

Week 3 CSI Workshop on 14th April by Veritas
On that day, we attended the interesting workshop held by Veritas which give us a lot of encouragement to work on our proposal. We then prepared and went for our first site visit. We have observed and chose a walkway in between two apartments. The walkway has high-density circulation which connects to the hawker stall. Thus, our first proposal was to provide comfortable seats and also shading in between building the apartments. But at the same time, we noticed that there are another potential site and problem to solve around the Metro Prima lobby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Week 4 Submission of Initial Proposal

Week 5 Discussion to improve the initial proposal

After multiple discussion, we found out we have not much information and condition of the site and so we have decided to went for another site visit. When we were walking around the corridor of the building, we noticed there were actually a lot of residents seems like waiting for somebody around the lobby we saw from last site visit.Through our interview and observation, we have realised that the communities were having trouble finding seats in the lobby waiting area. Most of them are elderly and children which they are either waiting for their grandchildren coming back from school or waiting for the school bus to fetch them to school. Housewives, children, senior citizens and visitors were seen to be standing for 15 to 30 minutes to wait for their transportation.

 

Our group then discuss and come out with another few idea for our proposal 2. A  prototype consists of seats, tables, bookshelves, bicycle stand and umbrella holder. A small community place for the community while they are waiting for their children/transportation.

 

Week 6 E-poster preparation
Week 7 Submission of E-poster

To do the E-poster, again we as a group meet to finish the poster in short time with the feedback we got from our tutor. We submitted two proposals for our e-poster as this stage we can't decide which one will bring the better good to the community. Therefore we decided to went for another visit to gather more information and show our proposal to the locals to survey on the community preference.

Week 8 Site Measurement/ Prototype preparation

We then went for the visit and did some survey with the communities to strengthen our observation for preference of the local community. A comparison A3 sized poster proposal was printed out for the local community to choose which proposal they prefer. Throughout the survey, most of the locals and residents preferred the proposal of having seats in the lobby as it addresses the issue faced by the community which is a lack of proper seats in waiting area. Which then our group decided to stick to proposal 2 and decided to make a 1;1 prototype to test out in real life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 9 Prototype Making/ Video Filming/ Final Presentation Board

After the feedbacks from the community, we decided to make our proposal into prototype production. We managed to source our material around Sunway industrial site. We collected a lot of unwanted wood pallets and planks from that particular area. It was shocking that actually most of the wood pallets instead being reused, they just throw it away. From the help of Mr Affendi from the carpentry workshop, we started measuring and assembling the prototype. It was not an easy task because we need to remove a lot of rusted nails embedded inside the wood and to saw our wood to suit the measurement we want. Some of the wood was rotten due to improper storage and therefore we only can throw it away.

The following week, we moved our prototype to the site and it was very challenging. After installing our street furniture at the site, we started to observe how the residents and locals interact with the furniture. It was rather discouraging the at beginning there quite little people would interact with the furniture and most of them just pass-by considering that it was quite sudden and alien that the furniture suddenly appeared which would take time for the resident to familiar with it. But luckily, after some time and we try to fake ourselves as part of the community by sitting around it tends to draw more people and user to try out the furniture.  We managed to interview some of the people using it and the feedback was very good in generally with a minor issue such as more seating and more furnishing to look good (which we don't have enough fund and suitable tools to achieve it, but easily done if we win for the proposal). The residents like the idea very much as they say they could utilise this space to enhance the bonding among the community while waiting for their children/grandson coming home from school or place for them to wait for their transportation.

 

We get to interview with the management and they also quite like the idea too but unfortunately, the management also has their own concern regarding that some homeless people or thugs will use this space to sleep or hanging out, thus leaving a negative image on Metro Prima lobby and would disturb the resident. Therefore from these feedbacks from the management and resident themselves, we learned from it and made a few tweaks and proposed a better option for the furniture is just by installing a handrail on the seat and so would prevent it to be happening.

 

throughout this project, I have developed a strong sense of social responsibility and to work effectively as a team and develop relevant communication skills for collaborative work with the community to solve the issue for Vista Magna residents. Besides that, I have developed my awareness to think critically and analysed how the lack of seats in the lobby area should be approached and how to solve them through the integration of architecture and social analysis. I have also learnt to overcome my fear to interview the resident.

 

despite the hectic semester, it was a fun experience going through this module as we get to have hands-on experience on solving the problem for the local communities, giving out design ideas and also building the prototype. I have also managed to improve my language skills through the interview the local communities to understand more about their needs.