Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
News @ BLA
Mariam Yusuf Rajkotwala (BLAY3) wins P!D Award for Design Studio Project
For her community-focused studio (LAD 2007), Mariam considered the existing demographics, their concerns, and daily routines in her design titled ‘Heart of Gold’, which seeks to revitalize Queenstown ActiveSG Swimming Complex in new and exciting ways.
For more information:
https://ugl.sg/2023/11/07/mariam-yusuf-wins-pd-award-for-design-studio-project/
SILA Student Design Awards 2023 announced!
Congratulations to following NUS students for winning the SILA Student Design Awards 2023!
COEN DESIGN AWARD FOR BEST DESIGN SHOWCASE:
Silver – Embracing New River Beginnings – Zhang Wen (BLA class 2023)
Gold – Surge-Binder – Sok Vin Tan (BLA class 2023)
ONG&ONG AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS AND INVESTIGATIONS:
Gold – Beyond the Market: Enhancing Kluang through Food Tourism – Alyssa Tee (MLA Y2 student)
Gold – Surge-Binder – Sok Vin Tan
LEN-TIL AWARD FOR SOCIAL IMPACT THROUGH DESIGN:
Silver – Beyond the Market: Enhancing Kluang through Food Tourism – Alyssa Tee
Silver – Revitalising Kluang – Amber Yong (MLA Y2 student)
Gold – Embracing New River Beginnings – Zhang Wen
For more information:
BLA Students participated in Challenge for the Urban and Built Environment (CUBE) 2023 organized by URA
BLA Y3&4 students; Wayne Tan, Izwan Shah Ismail, Cleon Lai and Dexter Lim has guided students from various tertiary schools (Hwa Chong Institution, Dunman High School and Victoria JC) as they tackled the challenge of rejuvenating an urban environment in Singapore.
For more information:
Please take a look at both BLA and MLA student works from academic year 2021-2022.
These remarkable accomplishments highlight the depth and breadth of our landscape discipline; from foundational studies to advanced research.
Find a link to the yearbook here: https://issuu.com/nusdoa/docs/nus_landscape_architecture_yearbook_2020-2022
SILA’s Singapore Landscape Architecture Awards 2022 ceremony was held on 12th December. Please congratulate our alumni for their achievements!
Young Landscape Architect of the Year Award 2022::
Winner: Mayura Patil (MLA class of 2014)
Jury recognition: Nur Syuhada Limat (MLA class of 2012)
Honourable mention: Hoo Xin Yu (MLA class of 2011)
8 BLA Year 3 students have visited northern Kyoto, Japan for Kayabuki Excursion; dive-deep into Japanese sustainable lifestyle, led by lecturer Kenya Endo. 5days immersive studies focused on the traditional system of thatched roof housing, and its relationship with surrounding natural environment, food, waste, materials, and the community members.
Date: 14 Jan, 2022 (Friday)
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM (Singapore Standard Time)
Registration link: https://forms.gle/mfG7VbPZfqyyQvCr8
Location: FORUM, School of Design and Environment (SDE) 4 Building, 4F, National University of Singapore*
*This is a hybrid session. The venue is accessible only to invited audiences. For others, the Zoom link will be emailed after your registration
Course Fee: Free
SILA CPD points: 2
About the event
Limited knowledge on urban biogeochemistry and a lack of holistic assessments of the role of vegetation within the urban ecosystem question the expected benefits of nature- based climate solutions. Based on a series of unique field experiments, the talk will explain how plants and soil regulate the exchange of carbon and heat in Singapore’s parks, gardens and lawns, and why it is important to develop planting schemes and implement gardening practices that promote carbon storage, improve thermal comfort and reduce the impact of maintenance activities. Bear in mind that the urban landscape is a disturbed ecosystem, and vegetation faces limits and underappreciated risks.
About the Speaker
Dr Erik Velasco has over 20 years’ experience working with other scientists, authorities, journalists and the general public to devise effective solutions to improve the atmospheric environment. He has paid special attention to the role of urban vegetation in cleaning and cooling the ambient air, as well as in removing atmospheric carbon. He received his PhD from Washington State University and has worked for various institutes and universities in Mexico, USA and Singapore.
Terrence Tan CL, Senior Lecturer of Landscape Architecture, has co-authored a paper titled “Trends and gaps in global research of greenery systems through a bibliometric analysis” in Sustainable Cities and Society (SCS). A bibliometric analysis regarding greenery systems was carried out with 1918 documents found in the Scopus database for the 1974–2019 period. Research trends and main knowledge gaps were analyzed.
Please visit here for more details on the paper.
Senior lecturer Ervine Lin and lecturer Kenya Endo have published a paper titled “Recovering Public Space in Jakarta – A Landscape Architectural Approach” in the 3rd International Conference on Dwelling Form, organized by Department of Architecture, Universitas Indonesia. Referring to student works and the learnings from the MLA studio in Jakarta (AY2019-20 Sem2), the paper argued the perspectives and roles of landscape architects in socio-culturally diverse Asian mega cities.
Please visit here for more details on the paper.
Lecturer Kenya Endo has collaborated with PUB (Urban Liveability Division) and World Bank (Urban Disaster Risk Management) teams to run a community session at Understanding Risk 2020 online forum. The session included a virtual tour of 4 featured ABC projects in Singapore that demonstrate solutions to (1) mitigate the impact of heavy storms, (2) detain and treat stormwater runoff, and (3) achieve social and environmental co-benefits. 360-degree images were introduced as part of immersive learning experience.
Please visit here to learn about Integrated Green Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Flood Resilience in Singapore.
Visit here for the details of UR2020 forum.
We invite you to join us as we celebrate 10 years of NUS Master of Landscape Architecture 2009-2019, on 23 October 2020 (Singapore time, 5 – 6.30pm), in a virtual webinar to mark this important milestone for the Master of Landscape Architecture at the National University of Singapore.
Click here to read more.
NUS LA BRIDGE is a platform where the seniors/alumni help the freshmen connect to the new environment, where freshmen and current BLA students could ask questions and seek advice for school life and pursuit of studies in a more peers level, which might be more casual and fun.
As Bridge is always two-way, we also look for opportunities for alumni and current students to learn from each other.
Join NUS LA BRIDGE here: Or via the QR code:
Warm welcome to NUS BLA program and congratulations to all the students who made it to this stage! August 6th marked the very first orientation for our brand new program, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture. We were happy to see all fresh faces—maybe half excited and half nervous for their new learning journey to begin.
Congratulations to our faculty member, Dr Shawn Lum for receiving Public Service Medal.
Please find more information at:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/sharing-insight-on-water-issues-shawn-lum
NParks Scholarship is for individuals who look forward to an exciting and challenging career, with opportunities to be exposed to various professional portfolios in NParks. Outstanding scholars will also be given opportunities to be exposed to work in the Ministry and other Statutory Boards.
THE ONLINE APPLICATION WINDOW WILL BE OPEN IN 2021 VIA THE BRIGHTSPARKS SCHOLARSHIP PORTAL https://brightsparks.com.sg/
ELSA SIM RUI JIA, MLA GRADUATE IN 2020, RECEIVED THE GARDENS BY THE BAY AWARD
It is my honour and privilege to be receiving the Gardens by the Bay award, which would have been impossible without my professors, mentors, schoolmates, friends and loved ones who have supported me. I remember the very day I submitted the application to commit to specialise in Landscape Architecture. It was a decision that felt so right in the gut, even when I didn’t fully comprehend what the profession entails. Since then, my journey in NUS MLA has been humbling, enjoyable and eye-opening, as I begun to be exposed to the ways landscape architecture can meaningfully impact our built environment. I am very thankful for the passionate people I have met along the way in this journey who inspired, guided, motivated and walked alongside me. I am deeply encouraged and excited to continue building on the foundation the MLA program has provided me with to critically question, inquire and explore design solutions for better landscapes in the future.
Yun Hye Hwang, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, has co-authored with Deepika Amonkar (MLA 2016) in Journal of “Sustainability”
The article, entitled “Urban Green Space Distribution Related to Land Values in Fast-Growing Megacities, Mumbai and Jakarta”, found that the lower land value districts had more vegetation coverage with a higher vegetation density, mainly due to a large quantity of unmanaged greenery. The paper argues to optimize the use of unmanaged UGS as a socioecological asset for poorer districts, and point to the practical consequences of incorporating the study’s findings into policy and planning towards the creation of ecologically inclusive cities.
Please take a closer look from here!
MLA 2020 student works from Geodesign LA5301 were compiled into a single submission poster on display at the 2019 International Geodesign Collaboration (IGC) meeting, which is now included as one of the case studies in the recently published book by ESRI: “The International Geodesign Collaboration: Changing Geography by Design.” The project was titled: Enhancing ecosystem services in Housing Development Board Estates – Singapore.
Please visit here for more details on the book.
Project of Lixia Bao (MLA 2020) from the MLA Studio LA4702: Landscape of Necessity – Re-envisioning Productive Urban Landscapes, a Community-based Design Studio in Yelahanka, Bangalore, was awarded by SILA’s Student Design Award 2019.
Productive Landscape A Framework for Women Empowerment
SILA STUDENT DESIGN AWARDS 2019 Winner, Best Design Showcase (Honourable Mention)
Award ceremony photo credit: SILA
Jessica Diehl, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, has co-authored with Amanda Chandra (MLA 2019) in journal of “Land Use Policy”. The article, entitled Urban agriculture, food security, and development policies in Jakarta: A case study of farming communities at Kalideres – Cengkareng district, West Jakarta, argues that in order for the government of Jakarta to generate policies which support the continuity of diverse urban agriculture practices, there is a need to systematically understand different typologies of urban agriculture across form and function.
Please visit here for more details on the paper.
Kenya Endo, Lecturer of Landscape Architecture, has written 2 short essays for International Federation of Landscape Architects, Asia Pacific Region’s online newsletter, as part of his Detail Design LA5302 module.
Please visit here for article on Singapore’s City in Nature vision by referencing Jurong Lake Park project.
Please visit here for article on integrating hydro-calculation with landscape design.
To all local Polytechnic Diploma holder interested to apply to NUS Bachelor of Landscape Architecture course for Academic Year 2020, application is closing on 𝟐𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎. Wait no longer and apply today!Click on this link to access the online application form and the submission requirement:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/apply-to-nus/application
Here’s a snippet of our interview with recent MLA graduates, Pearlyn (MLA 2017), Ashley (MLA 2018), and Victor & Helen (MLA 2019).
Join Us for our BLA Sharing Session this November, on 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟮𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝘃 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 @ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗨𝗦 𝗦𝗗𝗘 𝟰, exclusively organised for current Polytechnic students & past Polytechnic graduates who are interested to apply for the BLA@NUS programme!
Interested Applicants are invited to attend the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects (SILA) Student Design Awards 2019 where more details will be shared.11 October 2019, 7pm
Library@Harbourfront
#03-05 Vivocity
Harbourfront Walk 1
Singapore 098585
NUS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE is a core programme of Asia’s premier tertiary institute for design and the built environment. Distinctively Asian and pantropical in its geographic attention and urban in its emphasis, we aim to provide a landscape architecture education that is sensitive to the myriad challenges facing Asian cities, as well as the opportunities provided by the sheer richness of heritage and cultural, socio-economic and ecological elements of the region. The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) and Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) degrees offered by NUS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE are the only tertiary-level programmes in Singapore that qualify graduates for accreditation by the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects as practicing landscape architects.The BACHELOR OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (BLA) is a four-year Honours degree programme that prepares students to respond to multifaceted socio-ecological issues in Asia through critical thinking, analytical inquiry, and creative expression. BLA provides core foundation training in skills and knowledge that equips our graduates for professional practice or entry into advanced Master degree programmes.More information coming soon.