PHASE 5 

BETWEEN BORDER

The government of Singapore starts an anti aging campaign to get rid of the elderlies for that they contribute little to the society and also a waste of resources. With wanting to keep Singapore going on with the new generation, the old has to leave.

A proposed building that would “span” across the border is divided in between by an imaginary line of the two countries; Singapore and Malaysia. Placed on the rural sides of both countries. A “8” shaped building is proposed which is also an importance of numerology in Chinese culture as a lucky number. The building acts as a reflection on the differences between the two countries. The political border that sets the rule. Creating a double condition to the building as a mirror project. The space is based on the country’s situation. Singaporeans still work even at the age of retirement to earn money. On the Malaysian side would be a retired community. Encouraging the old to leave Singapore’s condition, attracting them to move to the other side, Malaysia.

CONTEXT PLAN

PLAN

SECTION

SINGAPORE

MALAYSIA

SINGAPORE

MALAYSIA

"SNAPSHOTS"

Differences and similarity of daily lives of elderlies 

Singapore vs. Malaysia

     

     

     

     

     

     

An island of independence

Commerce and business

The land of new bloom

The city of plume

For now I am old and grey

Everyday is on replay 

The only way to stay 

Is to pay

People milling around 

As I walk through the town

But in my own despair 

With no one to share

That same hawker there

Chillies and pepper to be cleaned 

For another day to be over

Only wishing to be clover

- singapore 

Within the realm of diversity 

Dress in unity

Colors and races 

Freedom of faith

Merdeka, the land of glory

For it has been a long story

Along the water

Saturated in color 

I have seen 

I have been

Now welcome from the sky 

The apple of my eye 

Young and loud 

Old and proud 

Circling around the lawn 

From dusk till dawn 

- malaysia

PHASE 4 METASPECULATION

PHASE 4 METASPECULATION

Phase 3 Metaspeculation

Phase 3 Metaspeculation

Cross-Border 

Speculative Narrative

The letter I wrote to Lucy

“ Dear Lucy, far across the sea, how long have we not seen each other. I love reading all the things you say through these letters. It’s been a long time since I’ve got one from you. Do you still remember me? I’m sorry that I was always working and many times that I didn’t reply. For many times that I started trying to write you but I wrote and discarded and I rewrote. So many things I wanted to tell you but I don’t know if you still remember me. I thought about you and where we played when we were just two little kids having fun. I miss the green backyard, I miss Mona, your dog when you were little. We used to run around playing fetch with Mona everyday after school. We only live across the border line, but yet it seems so far and different. I had been living all by myself in a small place and nothing near the word home that I used to know. Home for you is way different. Not that I don’t like it here, there are so many good things about this place, but now that I’m reaching my final chapter in life, I really want to settle down somewhere I could grow old and be happy. Everything here is in order and so have my life. All my time here I’ve been working and working. I don’t want to keep on working because I have too. I’m tired of working. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in a nursing home here. How nice would it be to be able to relax and lay back everything. To wake up in the morning without needing to go to work. To worry about the paycheck and all the costs. I live alone and I need to support myself. If I retire, I don’t know if my savings will be enough. I would always look out my window across the sea and kept telling myself that one day I would go back.  I thought maybe I could stay here and be happy but everything here is now pushing me to leave. I feel the silence in my everyday. My room seems smaller like the walls are pushing in. Maybe I could use the rest of my savings to find a home there instead of spending it here where I could only afford a small box. How funny it is that there’s so much differences between this imaginary line.”

I wrote this letter to Lucy hoping she would reply, hoping that she would come and see me when cross back to the place where she is living. Hoping maybe we could spend the rest of our lives in a home where there’s grass on the front and back, a dog and a happy ending.

Phase 2 De-coding the Little Red Dot

Phase 2 De-coding the Little Red Dot

"Aging"

Singapore deals with aging in several aspects. How

each one overlaps another in similar ways. The

intention of aging in Singapore is to foster a society

where older people are valued as contribuiting

members to the society ; Active Aging. Overlaping with

the financial security of the individuals, Central

Provident Fund (CPF), responsible for planning and

saving their financial security. The elder-friendly housing

is integrated into the community which the key is

“aging-in-place” where it allows tem to grow old in the

home, community, environment that they’re familiarwith.

Some needs to be employed as long as possible to

fulfilled their needs, which the employment of elderly

can cause conflicts to the young. The inter-generational

cohesion is to ensure that the young and the old do not

see each other as compeitors for the limted resources.

“Many Helping Hands” policy us towards the seniors

which is guided by a principle of personal responsibility

in securing well-being in one’s old age. The community,

family and seniors themselves must work in partnership

to ensure the well-being of the aged.

Phase 1: Micro-Speculation

Phase 1: Micro-Speculation

Backwoods

Even after all these years 
I can still recall the breath of fresh air.
I said goodbye to the same old
tree, and then one by one I said
goodbye to the rest of my little
woodland.
Across the sea we went, a new
journey has begun. A far cry
from home, miles and miles
away, where they’re out of sight.
I have lived my life in the city of
lights, working in the skyscraping
towers.
Time flew by, everyone went
their separate ways and I am now
losing my purpose in life. Wasn’t
I supposed to live a joyful
balance life? Holding ourselves
back from spending our life
savings.
Years have gone by since we have
waved our goodbyes. Now that I
no longer live there, we meet
once again.
Suddenly, it all became subtle. A
flash of memory appeared. It
drew me back to my childhood,
where I’ll always be.