The Green Link | Nasrin Fotohi Ardekani - Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD)

Option Studio: Above, Under and Beyond
Instructor: Khairudin Saharom

Site Context

Adam RFC opened in 1974 and was one of the dedicated food centres created in the 1970s. Even today, this hawker centre is a crowd favourite that serves both traditional and modern cuisines. Accounting for its strong cultural and heritage values tied at its core, this iconic nine-sided centre is proposed to go through a series of prominent upgrades that includes an increase in level as well as link to our proposed bridge.

A ‘green’ hawker centre?

Closer to home, food security is an important issue that Singapore needs to continuously focus on. Given that a vast majority of hawker stalls do use produce that could be harvested locally, would it be viable to introduce this food security system directly?

Hydroponics and aquaponics are some of the many possible practices we could further incorporate into our lives to potentially mitigate this issue. Vegetables, fruits and herbs used in hawkers could be directly harvested from this urban farm.

This intervention focuses on creating a green link that allows users to experience and understand the food production process before consumption in the hawker centre. This creates an opportunity to directly involve and educate the public on food related issues such as the amount harvested and environment needed for different produce.

Layout:

1. Farmer’s Market

In this intervention, a prelude in the form of ‘negative space’ taken from the courtyard of Adam RFC itself has been placed to achieve the result. Here, store vendors are able to offer fresh harvest from the link bridge whenever possible. This gives visitors and locals the opportunity to directly experience harvests from an urban farm before continuing with the journey.

2. Connection to ground level

In this connection to the ground that comprises of a large green space, users can understand the varying types of local produce as well as the process of producing it.

Diversity in spaces that are shaded and open also gives rise for the platform to engage people in understand the needs of different produces.

3. Direct connection to Adam RFC

A direct connection was created for those who require straight paths to the bridge and hawker centre.

This connection holds local seasonal produce that keeps things exciting.

4. Connection to rooftop

Making use of rooftops as a hub for solar energy was a possibility explored here. The flattened edge of the roof also allows practical use while still maintaining the iconic figure of Adam RFC.

Here, the aquaponics farm will be set up with supervision from proper management.

Deriving the link

In order to transform this 55m link into a more purposeful and prolonged journey, crucial connections were identified. Connection to the ground is important as it accounts for the largest human traffic with the vast green space.

Alternative pathways were also introduced to provide options for users.

The paths were subsequently altered, and the journey was prolonged by introducing spaces that can cater to different plant needs such as using shaded and unshaded spaces based on the amounts of sun exposure needed for the various species.

Sorting the hierarchy of produce:

A. Hydroponics: Low maintenance

Connection to the ground links to a high density of visitors.

Vegetation with lower maintenance is situated here to encourage and ease visitors in the process of production while intriguing them to continue with their journey.

Example includes bak choi, pandan leaves and carrots.

B. Hydroponics: Seasonal

Direct route to Adam RFC.

Usage of seasonal produce to attract them, keeps it exciting for frequent users of the link bridge.

Example includes strawberries, dragon fruit and watermelon.

C. Aquaponics: High maintenance

Consumption of the produce here (seafood) is important for hawkers; hence this has the highest privacy and requires authorised skills for maintenance.

Example includes tilapia, cod and sea bream.