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Design My Place 2 - God Save the Queen!

Friday, May 15, 2009 Posted by Daniel Lee
A group of students from junior colleges and polytechnics, together with the assistance of aspiring architects and designers, were on a mission to ‘save’ Queenstown estate from its desolate present!”

Volunteering as facilitators for this edition of Design My Place, an urban design workshop organized by Really Architecture (re:ACT), we knew that it was going to be an unforgettable experience. Initially we felt scared and concerned, but at the end of the third day, we were extremely proud of the work that the student participants had produced. We were scared and concerned because they seemed quite lost at the beginning, but they managed to progress so much within a short period of time. Unpredictability is probably the best word to describe the workshop, as we were immersed in the company of wacky teenagers who called themselves either “12 funky bunnies in rugged jeans” or “we rock, pebble & roll!”.

Their ideas were shooting around like missiles in the air, but it was more hilarious than treacherous. They wanted to ‘zeng!’ (Their colloquial term for ‘inject life’) Queenstown in a number of radical ways. Below are two examples,

1. They proposed a cemetery in the estate since there were already so many old people who were approaching their afterlife. However, the cemetery was also meant to incorporate a restaurant or cafe as well. The older generation might like the idea of dining or hanging out with their deceased friends & family. The big plus was also that the living could be assured that after they had passed on, they would have visitors to their graves, assuming they had friends of course! Loneliness after life is cured.

2. They agreed that the older generation should still lead an active sex life, and even though the years were catching up with them, the old folks should not be deprived of a second chance in their love life. Thus, a dating agency for them was proposed, for the single or widowed amongst them of course! Having a mate keeps them happy & active.

The above is just the tip of the iceberg.

By the third day, the students had sacrificed probably a million brain cells, but they still persisted on despite the demanding requirements of the programme. They drew, they crafted, they argued & they acted to sell their ideas across; and were also able to withstand the harsh comments of the evil critique panel. It was indeed a commendable effort for these first-timers in urban design. We as facilitators felt that the objectives had been met, and we hoped that the student’s minds had been opened and their thinking challenged.

Finally, the best way to end off the workshop was watching a group of studious looking boys let their hair down, monkey around and practice their break dancing moves while we had our dinner. We (or rather, I) finally understood what it felt like when people say that old folks enjoy seeing children play.


Ong Sheng Hua


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