HIGHLIGHTS
ALUMNI NEWS
From thesis to global stage: Eugene Tan's Pedra Branca map triumphs
Alumnus Eugene Tan Wei Jie from the Master of Architecture (MArch) class of 2023 has achieved international recognition for his design thesis under the supervision of Associate Professor Lilian Chee. His drawing ‘Archatographic Map of the Incomplete Landscape on Pedra Branca,’ developed as part of his thesis, emerged as the Digital Category Winner – The Architecture Drawing Prize at the 2023 World Architecture Festival. The drawing was showcased during the festival from 6 to 8 November 2023 at Marina Bay Sands and later featured at the Sir John Soane Museum in London in January 2024.
The thesis reflected on the nature of disputed islands, in particular the island of Pedra Branca and how their political significance meant they were more important as strategic sites or territory. As a protected island, the island was inaccessible to the public and could only be designed from a distance through archival material and scientific studies.
Read more about his work and other accolades garnered at: Eugene Tan
An alum's final year thesis continues to evolve
Alum Kwa Li Ying (Industrial Design Class 2022) believes in the merit of uncovering and investigating the history and stories behind our everyday objects, spaces and people. To her, good design starts with questions, both good and bad. Her final year project, Singapore Hawkerware Graphic Label Standards, was a graphic identity system to unify and communicate a cohesive Hawker Culture branding across the assortment of tableware used by hawkers.
Following her graduation, her supervisor, Associate Professor Hans Tan, evolved her thesis first as a survey website, Hawker Colours, supported by Design Singapore Council through the Good Design Research programme into a printed book. The project studied the importance of coloured melamine bowls and plates to the heritage narrative of Singapore’s hawker food and culture and the associations we make between particular melamine colours and dishes. The book was a collaboration with the editorial studio In Plain Words and can now be purchased at https://inplainwords.sg/hawker-colours/
Do check out the website Hawker Colours (on mobile) and contribute to the continued data collection for the project. Help the researchers learn how colours may be a part of your hawker food experiences. Your input would be greatly appreciated! https://www.hawkercolours.com/desktop