Cartographic Architecture: Specific Interventions that project the Rural Revenge of Ulu Papar in 50 years
Cartographic Architecture: Specific Interventions that project the Rural Revenge of Ulu Papar in 50 years
My Thesis began from a personal question of how and when Architects should act when the site presented hosts predominantly untouched landscapes and lacks Architecture. In a site where there is little to no architecture, should we, as Architects, still approach the site with an analysis that is similar to how we would in an urban or even suburban site? Focused around the Papar River in Sabah, East Malaysia, my Thesis explores the representations of such a rural site to realize the silent Ecology of what occurs above and underground. It repositions the surrounding topography, buildings, and inhabitants around the Papar river as the main axis. This is the silent architecture of the Papar river and serves as a lens that allows me to design specific architectural interventions that projects a path in the Ecology of the river that benefits the environment and hence, the indigenous population.
These interventions exist on two intersecting planes – the Aesthetics of representation, and the Architectural product. I look at how representation and aesthetics affect our perception of a site and how it can be dissected and redesigned to serve as a lens, guiding how an Architect traverses the Ecology of the site in relation to its themes. On the flipside of the coin, the Architectural product manifests these concepts into realisable construction details, Architecture and programmes. These together act as seeding points and examples for the growth of Ulu Papar for the next 50 years.
The Resort is introduced into Kampung Kigandang as it hosts white water rafting activities, while the Sawmill is introduced into Kampung Tabilong, an influential indigenous village which focuses on plantations and agriculture. these interventions houses specific programmes and systems that embed and capitalize on the unique way of life of the Indigenous population and their mindfulness of Ecology. These interventions give them more economic leverage, and act as seeding points for a growth of Ulu Papar that will not render them invisible.
