P!D Public Interest Design Prize Winners 2023

Redevelopment of the Riverside Village by Choi Seung Hyeok

The P!D Public Interest Design Prize supports undergraduate and postgraduate projects which aim to achieve sustainable outcomes through equitable decision-making process and the deepening of relationships with communities. Administered by the Department of Architecture at NUS, this $15,000 book prize, in honour of the organisation’s late co-founder and NUS alumnus Ms Mizah Rahman, hopes to champion and promote understanding of participatory design and processes in making cities a better place for all.

Congratulations to Choi Seung Hyeok, a graduate student from the Master of Architecture, for being awarded the Participate in Design Award for Best M.Arch Thesis Project.

His thesis begins by establishing an understanding of the climatic and social issues of flooding on the Ciliwung River, reviewing the positives and negatives of government measures, community interventions and individual efforts in response to flooding. Social and financial aspects are reviewed through on-site presentations and interviews with the related people from Ciliwung River organizations (Gerakan Ciliwung Bersih, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Housing and land Indonesia, Rumah Pompa). By conducting field research visits to 12 riverside kampungs through interviews, surveys and field documentation with residents, their experiences with flood are shared, as well as published material reviews.

Congratulations also to Mariam Yusuf Rajkotwala, a Year 2 student of the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, for being awarded the Participate in Design Award for Design Studio Project or for Project in a Non-Design Module or Community Service Project.

This recognition is for her work in conducting community engagement work in Queenstown. Giving residents a chance to shape their environment to reflect their needs and aspirations while strengthening their social fabric is at the core of participatory design.

With the help of Queenstown Kakis, through the flyer-distribution walkabout and engagement workshop she understood the demographics, their situations, and daily routines which influenced the design of ‘Heart of Gold’. The concept of ‘Heart of Gold’ is to revitalize Queenstown ActiveSG Swimming Complex in a way that has yet to be explored.

Mariam Yusuf Rajkotwala Awarded the Participate In Design (P!D) Award