“The built environment today requires knowledge and collaboration across multiple disciplines. The projects you see in the exhibition today give us the opportunity to reflect on how much we learn from each other, and in turn, allows us to understand how we can work together to address the complex issues we face today.” - Prof Jeffrey Hou, Head of the Department of Architecture.
It was a special moment for the Department of Architecture at the opening night of the Joint Gradshow for the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA), Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), Master of Urban Planning (MUP) and Master of Arts in Urban Design (MAUD) at SDE1 and SDE3 on 8 May 2025.
This is the first such joint exhibition across these four programmes and features projects that study the intersection between urban development, nature and human interaction.
Some of the amazing projects on display include:
Fresh Tropicality by Izwan Shah (BLA)
With an interest in understanding how planning policies affect ecological systems and social interaction, Izwan’s project studies the urban morphology of Bugis and Kallang from the days of early settlement, through industrial expansion, and into the present-day developments we see. He notes how the growing architecture and infrastructure have led to the erasure of ecological systems and reshaped social and cultural interaction in the area.
Izwan proposes reimagining the spaces through a “Fifth Nature” lens, which sees urban development as a co-evolving system where nature, people and architecture grow together, challenging rigid zoning that treats greenery as an afterthought. His speculative proposal embraces water, vegetation and community as co-agents in shaping an adaptive, inclusive urban .
Heart of Gold by Mariam Rajkotwala (BLA)
Mariam proposes a design for Queenstown in Singapore that aims to restore the area through community identity, closed-loop water systems and inclusive public spaces.
Through participatory workshops and interactions, Mariam learned the value of listening carefully to people’s needs, stories, and aspirations and translating those conversations into thoughtful spatial design that everyone can enjoy.
“Good design is and should be participatory and collaborative because spaces become even more powerful when they are shaped by the voices of the people they belong to,” said Mariam.
Heart of Gold was the recipient of the Participate In Design (P!D) Award for Design Studio Project in 2023.
The Last Cat Island by Xu Xuezhu (MLA)
Xuezhu’s capstone project is an insightful study into the “Cat Island” of Tashirojima in Japan. Using the island’s history as the backdrop for her thesis, Xuezhu notes how Tashirojima has grown to become a popular tourist destination, but this has relegated the cats to become merely symbols of consumption. This raises the broader issue of how capitalism shapes and simplifies ecosystems.
A cat-lover herself, Xuezhu says, “Choosing this topic wasn’t just an academic decision, it was a personal need to respond to something I care deeply about, and this became the starting point for my research. I wanted to explore whether design could act as a catalyst for ecological recovery—not to dictate the future, but to open space for new possibilities.”
The BLA/MLA and MUP/MAUD joint graduation exhibitions run until 29 May 2025 at the SDE1 and SDE3 level 1 exhibition spaces.
