COVERED WALKWAYS
(connections that connect)

"How do we intertwine people, place and nature to create a place for memory, experience and growth?"

Let's ask nature...

UWCSEA DOVER MOVES TO TENGAH!

UWCSEA Dover will be relocating to Tengah in 2032, creating an opportunity to reimagine how a campus can serve both people and the planet. Your challenge is to design one specific area of the new campus (stated below) so that it strengthens community connections and deepens our relationship with nature.

Your design must draw on biomimicry—learning from and applying strategies found in the natural world as a way to achieve both sustainability and a sense of belonging. Think about how your space can bring people together, nurture wellbeing, and reduce environmental impact, while taking inspiration from how living systems solve problems.

Site specific information such as location, size, etc are linked below.

VIEW SITE-SPECIFIC INFO HERE

"Historically, we have designed buildings and structures to resist nature - to keep it out. We don't consider how we blend, how we embrace and coexist. We’re the only species that does this. We need to look at building in a new way, not look at it in an old way with new materials or processes.

There is no such thing as waste in nature - no such this as unemployment. Everything has a job."

Q.How can we redesign connective spaces that also connect us with nature, letting nature in, not out. How do we harness and utilise nature's ability to shelter giving it a job....?

CHALLENGE-SPECIFIC STATEMENT

Covered walkways on campus connect more than just buildings, they connect people. Could they also connect us with nature?

Students and staff need walkways that protect from heavy rain, hot sun, and haze. What if these walkways could also cool, collect water, or generate energy? Your challenge is to design a network of covered walkways for our new school campus that embodies these qualities.

YOUR DESIGN SHOULD:

Provide shade and rain protection across key transit areas.
Reduce heat buildup and promote airflow for comfort.
Collect or channel rainwater for reuse (e.g., irrigation).
Generate or save energy (e.g., solar integration).
Encourage biodiversity (e.g., green roofs, climbing plants).
Offer opportunities for social interaction or rest (seating, leaning rails).
Connect people and nature

"Can we create covered walkways that protect us and the environment? Could these walkways be regenerative and be grown, not built?"

POSSIBLE RESEARCH STARTING POINTS

AskNature: Shading strategies of trees, leaf water channeling, termite mound ventilation.
Inspiration: palm fronds (self-cleaning), cactus spines (water collection), bird wings (canopy span).

UN SDG LINKS: [11]Sustainable Cities & Communities + [13] Climate Action