Concepts

AERATED BATHHOUSE

From bottling to bathing, mediating between urban wellness & recovery at the river’s edge

Aerated Bathhouse reimagines the former water bottling factory as a restorative bathhouse, located along the Kallang River and its vibrant park connector. What was once a place for an industrial water bottling factory is now transformed into a space that supports recovery and wellbeing. Instead of producing carbonated drinks, the building now offers water as an experience that helps people rest, heal and reconnect with themselves.

It is designed as a pit stop for joggers, cyclists and nearby residents who pass through the area daily. After long runs or rides, users are able to have a calm environment to slow down and recover. The spaces are planned as a sequence of experiences, from cooling down areas to warm baths and quiet resting zones. These help to improve blood circulation, reduce muscle tension and support overall relaxation. The design draws inspiration from bathing rituals, where water is used not just for cleaning but also to restore both body and mind. These ideas are adapted to a modern urban setting that fits the city's pace and needs.

By adaptively reusing this existing factory, the project keeps much of its original industrial character. The structure, materials and scale of the building are preserved to retain its history and identity. At the same time, new layers are added to soften the space and make it more welcoming. Light, texture and water are carefully introduced to create a serene atmosphere. Water flows through different parts of the building, through basins, pools, thermal baths and shallow reflective surfaces, allowing users to not just see but hear and feel it in different ways. This helps to reconnect people with the sensory and healing qualities of water.

It also extends beyond the building itself. Parts of the architecture reach out towards the river, creating spaces that sit between the land and the water. These areas act as gentle transitions, where people can pause, sit or simply observe the surroundings. By opening up the building towards the Kallang River, the project blurs the line between indoor and outdoor, between architecture and landscape.

Such a new connection encourages passersby to slow down and engage more closely with the river. In a city like Singapore, where water is carefully managed and highly valued, the project brings attention back to water as something we can experience in everyday life. It becomes not just infrastructure, but something personal and meaningful. In this way, the bathhouse is more than just a place for recovery. It becomes a shared space for rest, reflection and connection, where the body, the building and the river come together through water.

POROUS HOUSE

Communal herb & teahouse

Inspired by the quiet poetry of in-between spaces, Porous House reimagines the traditional herb and tea house as a site of slow ritual, sensory connection and material storytelling. Set within the layered context of Lavender’s shophouses, the project draws from the tactility of fired concrete, where heat forms cavities much like the firing of tea leaves unlocks their fragrance and depth. These porous surfaces invite warmth, light, steam and scent to flow through.

Herbal blends dry within crevices, infusing the space with subtle aromas, while filtered sunlight and soft shadows animate the textured walls. More than just a building, Porous House is an atmosphere, one where elders and young visitors gather not through formal programming, but through shared pauses, quiet gestures and fleeting rituals. It is a space that suggests rather than dictates, allowing the past and present to breathe together, through a cup of tea, a whiff of memory and the tangible presence of the in-between.

SEED PODS

Farm to table experience centre

The farm-to-table concept emphasizes the metaphor of family roles and food production coming together, contributes uniquely, creating a dynamic, layered experience where architecture itself embodies the values of collaboration, learning and family bonding.

The architectural form inspired by the lotus seed pod, embodies the essence of togetherness and interconnectedness drawn from nature. The overall layout feature a central communal area surrounded by smaller interconnected zones representing the different stages of food production. These zones radiate outward from the central core, mirroring the way seeds are organized within the pod. Forming clusters which reinforce the idea of bonding while retaining individual roles and functions, like family members or the stages of food production, are strongest when they come together.

CRAFT LEARNING CENTRE

An interactive learning experience, the spaces promote an understanding of making through active learning: making, collaborating and sharing

The Craft Learning Centre is one of the architectural experiments responding to the maker spirit of notable craftsmen, artists and trade exchanges at Arab Street. The idea of the building was to provide an inspirational space for children, families, long-life learners and also designers to engage and develop an understanding of the making processes. Conceived as a series of simple, delightful and adaptable interventions that enable an interactive learning experience, the spaces promote an understanding of making through active learning: observing, testing, making and sharing.

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