Design Team
Tay
Kheng Soon
Patrick Chia
Design Data
Client:
Nanyang Technological University
Main Contractor: Lee Kim Tah (Pte) Ltd
Structural Engineer: HCE Engineers Pte Ltd
M & E Engineer: SPECS Consultants Pte Ltd
Quantity Surveyor: Rider Hunt Levett & Bailey
Site
Area: 12,818 sq m
Site Coverage: 34.25 %
Plot Ratio: 1 : 1.006
Gross Floor Area: 2,899.48 sq m
The Hall of Residence is designed for tropical living. Four rectangular residential blocks, built around courtyards, each housing 125 students, are placed in the corners of a larger rectangular complex. In the centre of the complex are the multi-purpose covered space, the administration block and the master's house. The link between these elements is a steel space-frame which is part-glazed and part-roofed. The centre of the complex is a focus for all the students. At the entrance, a curved perspex canopy spans two cantilevered concrete beams, beyond which is a light-filled central space.
The effect is that of a rather grand entrance finely balanced by a sense
of permeability and the layering of the interior. However, the spaces
are of intimate human scale, designed to foster a sense of belonging.
The residential blocks are constructed using a strongly-articulated concrete
frame with each module being that of a typical student's room. The in-fill
is of glazed metal windows, set behind the concrete frame to provide partial
shade. There is a deep recess below the windows to allow air to circulate
freely into the room. This is the contemporary equivalent of the traditional
'monsoon window'. Post-occupancy evaluation has shown that Hall of Residence
No.V is 16% more energy-efficient than the average for newly-built halls
on the NTU campus. This is achieved partly as a result of efficient planning,
cross-ventilation and partly as a result of the use of low-energy electrical
light fittings.
The four residential blocks have the same basic configuration. Each has its own central courtyard and is identified by the panels of bold colours below the window. Students may sit out-of-doors in the evening in shaded courtyards, while students' bedrooms overlook communal spaces which become the foci of activities. The practicalities of student life are tackled in robust details like the shoe rack outside each student's door.
The Hall of Residence is modern, yet it reinterprets traditional ways
of responding to the tropical climate. Light wells, Overhangs, covered
walkways, open-to-sky spaces, deep reveals - all work well within the
context of the steeply sloping and restricted site. Because of the dispersed
nature of the campus, the design is deliberately compact to focus on hostel
activity and to achieve a lively and interactive environment.
