ARCHITECTURE DESIGN PROJECT

This semester’s Architectural Design Project offered two project sites, with each tutorial group assigned to one location. My tutorial group was assigned to Sia Boey, Penang, a historically and culturally significant site shaped by its former market, canal, railway, archaeological remains and surrounding urban development.

The semester was structured into three interconnected assignments. Project 1A involved group-based research and site analysis, Project 1B focused on individual design strategies and exploration, and Project 1C developed the proposal into a fully resolved architectural design.

Through these phases, I developed The Afterimage: A Visual Cultural Exchange Hub, a community-oriented project guided by the concept Exchange of Memories. It uses photography, oral history and cultural activities to document, exchange and preserve the memories of Sia Boey and its community.

The project was structured into three major phases, as follows:

Project 1A : Pre-Design Studies and Analysis

Group Assignment

Project 1A focused on understanding the relationship between People, Place and Project before beginning the architectural design. As a group, we investigated Sia Boey’s historical, cultural, environmental and urban context to identify an appropriate project direction and programme.

The study revealed that Sia Boey’s physical heritage is visible and conserved, while many personal stories, cultural practices and everyday community memories remain less documented. This led to the proposal of a community-oriented cultural hub that could document, share and preserve these memories.

Through P1A, I gained a strong contextual foundation for the following design stages and understood how site research should directly influence the programme and architectural response.

Link to the Presentation Board & Model : https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1581fD2wxYeu_vTDibcw0fbqCIhlQn5Ym

Project 1B — Design Strategies and Exploration

Individual Assignment

Project 1B required me to individually transform the findings from P1A into a clear architectural concept and preliminary design proposal. The assignment focused on design exploration through narrative, programme, spatial planning, massing, materiality and user experience.

The outcome was a preliminary architectural proposal organized as a series of interconnected memory clusters. The central courtyard became the social heart of the building, while the initial connecting route developed into the Memory Ribbon.

P1B established the project’s design identity and demonstrated how the idea of memory could be translated into programme, movement, views, light and community participation.

My design exploration included:

Developing the journey of Capture, Develop, Exchange, Preserve and Reflect.
Organising photography, oral history, batik, making, exhibition and archive programmes.
Exploring precedents, site planning, clustered massing, spatial relationships and the central courtyard.

Link to Presentation Board : https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1kdmJwlX7RBlg_OId-Rud8pm0TyzChxVw

FINAL PRESENTATION

Project 1C — Final Design Presentation and Report

Individual Assignment

Project 1C focused on developing the P1B proposal into a resolved, sustainable and buildable architectural design. The plans, sections, elevations, spatial experience and technical systems were refined based on tutorial and interim-review feedback.

The main areas developed were:

Refining the programme clusters, courtyard, Memory Ribbon, framed views and layered gable roofs.
Integrating daylighting, natural ventilation, shading, structure, materials, services, fire safety and accessibility.
Producing the final drawings, technical details, diagrams, renders, physical model, presentation boards and design report.

The final outcome was The Afterimage: A Visual Cultural Exchange Hub. The proposal allows Sia Boey’s memories to be captured through photography and oral history, developed through creative activities, exchanged through community and exhibition spaces, and preserved within the Living Archive.

Link to Final Board & Model Images : https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1iXZYcHzBc3-8ozBsy4Yp_PrnF5MY4sTc

REFLECTION

This semester was a challenging but meaningful conclusion to my architectural studies. The three assignments allowed me to experience the complete design process, beginning with collaborative site research in P1A, followed by individual concept exploration in P1B and the technical resolution of the final proposal in P1C.

One of my main learning experiences was translating an intangible subject like memory into a physical architectural response. Through continuous exploration and feedback, I learned to express the concept through programme, movement, light, framed views and community activities rather than relying only on form. I also learned that environmental strategies, structure, materials, services and safety must be integrated throughout the design process to create a realistic and buildable proposal.

Working in a group during P1A improved my research, coordination and communication skills, while P1B and P1C encouraged me to take greater responsibility for my own design decisions. Although the process involved many revisions and challenges, it strengthened my problem-solving, technical understanding, visual communication and time-management skills.

As my final-semester project, Exchange of Memories represents both my response to Sia Boey and the knowledge I have developed throughout my architectural education. Overall, the semester was demanding, memorable and a valuable experience that helped me become more thoughtful and confident in approaching architectural design.

TGC 4.0 Lifelong Learning

TGC 5.0 Personal and Social Competencies

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