The New Bukit Merah Bus Interchange

The goal of this project is to redesign a bus interchange in an aging estate of Singapore so as to provide the elderly living in the area with much needed aid in terms of transportation. With an easily accessible and elderly friendly bus interchange at their fingertips, the elderly will be able to move about Singapore with ease, connecting with other estates in Singapore.

It is already a known fact that Singapore's population will age in the future due to Singapore's low birthrate, thus causing an increase in the number of elderly in Singapore. Since most elderly will not be driving at such an age, they would most likely take public transport if they want to move about. Being an old estate, Bukit Merah's facilities are not as well-maintained as those of a developing estate, such as Tampines. Therefore, by redesign and upgrading Bukit Merah Bus Interchange, the elderly in the area will benefit greatly as transportation is much more convenient and less of a hassle for them.

Being an old Estate, Bukit Merah has very little land mass left to build facilities, such as recreational centers, for the elderly. By building the bus interchange underground, it will allow for the development of the land that the bus interchange once took up.

What makes a good Architectural Design?

Good Architectural Design makes people feel comfortable and at ease in the environment they are in, providing a pleasant look of a certain building or item. For buildings, good Architectural Design within the building can be making the interior of the building pleasant to be in, whether it be making it brighter, more spacious or cooling. A building with good design on its exterior stands out from its surroundings making it eye-catching to members of the public.

Criteria:
Brightly lit interior
Aesthetically pleasing exterior and interior

Spacious interior

Environmentally friendly

Layout of building is easy for people to navigate

Conveniently located facilities (e.g Toilets, information counter, building directory)

Building designs:
Source: http://www1.aedas.com/Retail
This shopping center has good architectural design for a variety of reasons. For example, it is naturally lit by sunlight coming through windows in the ceiling, making the shopping center environmentally friendly as lights need not be turned on when it is bright outside. The brighter shopping environment will also make people feel more energized and more willing to walk around and shop. The spacious environment prevents people from feeling restricted, trapped or lost within the buildings. This will brighten up their mood and make them feel free. At the bottom left of the photo above, a information counter is clearly visible which allows partions of the shopping center to find it easily should they get lost.


Source: http://www.mosaicmusicfestival.com/2007/images/venue-esplanade.jpg
A building with good design does not need to be tall to be unique. For example, the Esplanade in Singapore is barely as tall as surrounding buildings but its unique roof attracts a lot of attention from locals and tourists alike. Its shape resembles the durian, a fruit that is well-known in Singapore making its design unique.

What is Architectural Design?

Source 1:
Concept that focuses on the components or elements of a structure or system and unifies them into a coherent and functional whole, according to a particular approach in achieving the objective(s) under the given constraints or limitations.

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Source 2:
The art and science of designing and erecting buildings.

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Source 3:
Architecture design refers to the actual design and layout of spaces. Architecture encompasses many different elements including construction, design, and the manipulation of light as it relates to shadow. Throughout history, architects have found ways to create functional and practical spaces using any materials that were available.

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