SODL EXHIBITION "POSITION OPEN: [____]" EXPLORES THE EVOLVING ROLE OF THE SOCIAL DESIGNER
From 10 to 24 September 2026, the Social Design Lab (SoDL) exhibition 'Position Open: [____]' invited conversations about the future of work and the evolving role of social designers. Featuring projects from the NUS Department of Architecture (DOA), NUS Department of Design, LASALLE College of the Arts, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design), the exhibition highlighted hands-on engagement with local communities and explored new approaches to education and collaboration in addressing social challenges.
In his opening address, SoDL director and Deputy Head (External Relations) at DOA Associate Professor Thomas Kong framed the exhibition as a provocation that “invites reflection on what designers can contribute beyond buildings, landscapes, and products”. Head of DOA Professor Jeffrey Hou, as well as SoDL collaborators, PolyU Design lecturer Kam-Fai Chan and co-founder of urban research lab Islanders Kit Chan, emphasised the need for education to teach resilience and adaptability, and for interdisciplinary collaboration to create greater social impact.
Against this backdrop, the following NUS projects show how social design takes shape in practice:
“Once Again, Ubin! Education Through Heritage, Heritage Through Living” by Ramela Joey Delen Bunag and Laura Lim (Master of Architecture) reimagines Pulau Ubin as a place of learning where its cultural memory is carried through residents, stories, and landscapes. Guided by Associate Professor Beng Kiang Tan and informed by island residents and educator groups, the project centres education in heritage preservation through a masterplan of R&D sites and heritage trails that create new ways to experience Ubin while protecting its biodiversity.
In “Threads of Limbang”, Justin Chew, Yi Ting Estella, Heng Jun Kai, Jade Lee, and Elvina Lee (Bachelor of Landscape Architecture) explore how everyday spaces and routines shape community life in Limbang. Through conversations with residents, the work uncovers stories of change, maps lived realities and imagines community aspirations. Supervised by Assistant Professor Janice Tung and Adjunct Assistant Professor Larry Yeung, the project recognises residents not only as users of space, but as collaborators in shaping the commons.
In “Amanah: Between Faith and Health”, Syafiq Bin Rahim (Master's of Arts in Industrial Design) explores how kidney health awareness can be communicated meaningfully to the Malay-Muslim community. Through dialogues with mosques and organisations, Syafiq uncovered how health information is shaped by trust, beliefs and generational differences in how support is sought. Supervised by Associate Professor Patrick Chia and Assistant Professor Janghee Cho, the project shows how culturally grounded engagement can inform community-sensitive health initiatives.
“Social design starts with understanding people and their everyday lives, to create a future where they have a voice in the things that affect them.”
- Syafiq Bin Rahim (Master's of Arts in Industrial Design)
Learn more about The Social Design Lab and its work here(opens in new tab).
Reposted from CDE September 2026 Newsletter Highlights(opens in new tab)
