Executive summary

Over the next few years, a Jurong region line will be built at the western part of Singapore, connecting residential areas and schools to the central business district (CBD) through an interchange at Chua Chu Kang or Boon Lay. Over the course of this internship programme, we studied the western area, specifically Gek Poh, to propose a station design that can be built feasibly. This station design will be displayed through a physical prototype with a proposal of the type of the station platform, types of materials used, and its design principles. Following the station model, we created a poster to market the station to the residents. The design process of the station is done through many drafts, from sketching the 2D image of the station, to building the station model in Minecraft, which will be covered more below.

Over the three weeks of internship at LTA, we visited many various areas to guide us in our learning process. We visited a project information centre to learn more about the stations being build on the Thompson east coastline and the models for its stations. We visited the Mobility Gallery to learn more about the transport features and the transport systems at LTA. We also visited Gek Poh to study its dimensions and the context of the area for the designing for our station. Lastly, we visited Kim Chuan Depot and Caldecott construction sites to study more on the materials used for the station. Over the course of this internship programme, my group mates and I have learnt many interesting information on architectural design and civil engineering and were able to improve our design thinking skills.

Background Information on the project I was involved in

Our project targets the stations in the Jurong region line (JRL), specifically on the new Gek Poh station. Our research involves the comparison between island vs side platforms, and base on the site context of Gek Poh and the design aspects of different types of platforms, evaluate which type of platforms in more feasible. We are tasked to research on the JRL background to find out more about its purposes and how it functions. We are also tasked on studying the station design and layout of existing side and island platforms, and understand the rationale behind the designs of the existing platforms. We also had to organise a site recce to the Gek Poh area to take measurements of the road where the station will be built, so we can provide evidence to support why the station should be side platform. These measurements also provided us with the dimensions of the model which will be covered later.

We are provided with Architectural design criteria (ADC), Civil design criteria (CDC), and railway protection documents to study and analyze. These documents provide us with the design requirements of the stations. For example, the minimum headroom clearance of the station has to be 5.4 meters, or the viaducts have to be functionally efficient and aesthetically pleasing, with the minimal use of bearings. From these documents come up with a design of the new Gek Poh station which is able to fulfil the criteria stated in the documents.

From a rough sketch and online rendering of the station, come up with a 3D physical model of the station that has a 1:300 scale. We are given a budget of $50 and a period of about two weeks to construct the 3D model. This 3D model will feature all of the exterior designs of the stations, including the location of the pedestrian overhead bridge (POB) connecting from the ground level to the station. The main purpose of the physical model is to exhibit the exterior design of the station, and display how the model will fit in the surrounding areas of the station.

We are also tasked to include presentation slides which include our studies and findings over the course of our internship. This presentation will be broken down into three parts. The first is context setting, where we find out more about the JRL background, Gek Poh station background, design features of station and site context. The second part is the technical part of the station, where we present our side vs island platform study, exterior design process, and station prototype. Finally, we included a poster to market the station for commuters to express the station’s effectiveness on the JRL.

Elaboration and record of activities done

The first step of designing the station was to study and analyze the ADC, CDC and railway protection documents. Through the 300+ pages of documents, we were able to understand and utilise some of the basic measurements and protocols required for the MRT stations. The documents gave us a deeper understanding of existing stations and gave us a rough guide on how to design and build our interpretation of Gek Poh station.

We were also given floor plans for Boon Lay stations, which provided us with the main components and the respective dimensions in the MRT station, such as the E&M rooms, elevators, lifts, and back of house areas.

The next step is to research on the side vs island platform study of the station and evaluate which kind of platform should be adopted for Gek Poh station. This research process includes looking at existing stations with each kind of platforms. For example, we looked at Dover and Canberra station for side platforms and understood that it is a side platform due to it being built on an existing station. On the other hand for island platforms, it is more convenient for the elderly and the disabled and is able to withstand more crowd, thus is being adopted in most of the station. However, based on the site context of Gek Poh, we proposed a side platform due to the narrow shape of the road at where the station is being built. It also reduces noise disruption, as there is a residential building right next to the station.

To get a better understanding of Gek Poh, our group organised a site recce to Gek Poh to measure the dimensions of the road widths and bus lanes. I also recommended that the group interview some of the nearby residents and ask for what kind of station designs or features that they would like to see in the station. This interview process allows us to gain a deeper understanding of Gek Poh’s background and their needs. However, this is also where we faced a challenge, as not many residents are keen to conduct an interview with us.

Once we have decided on the station platform type and the rough size of the station, we begin to design the station. Our first step was to sketch out possible exterior designs of the station that will allow the station to integrate with its surroundings, and be structurally stable. With the 2D sketch, we decided to use 3D modelling software that could display the design of our station at more perspectives.

However since none of the members in our groups is familiar with any 3D modelling software, I proposed that we use “Minecraft” an online sandbox game developed by Mojang. Although it is a PC game, Minecraft offers so much more, that many people actually use Minecraft even for creating art sculptures or city designs. This is because Minecraft offers a wide variety of blocks, is easy to use and scale, and can simulate day and night with shadows and shaders, which is helpful for us to visualize what the station would roughly look like in real life. Thus we begin experimenting with the software and came up with a few initial designs.

Our first design features terracotta walls of various colours as a facade for the station, as we thought that the vibrant colours might be able to integrate the station well with its surroundings. We included a roof with a large number of glass panels supported by steel structures. Lastly, we included wood walls at the concourse level to create a more tropical feel for the station. After completing the design for the station, we had the opportunity to consult with an architect from LTA, Mr Adriaan, and look at what needs to be changed for our station. He pointed out that our station lacks natural ventilation due to the glass fully covering our platform level. Due to a large amount of glass in our station, it may cause the station to be too glaring under the afternoon sun. Furthermore, our glass may cause privacy issues between the commuters and the residents living nearby. Wood on concourse level can also pose a safety hazard, thus we had to change the design of the platform level. Mr Adriaan suggests that we can use louvres for our station, as it allows both natural lighting and natural ventilation. Thus we included the design feature of louvres in our station.

Building the model

We are unable to replicate the same detail of the model since we only had a budget of $50 and a duration of 2 weeks time. Mr Adriaan also advised us that we should focus more on getting the scale of the station accurate and precise, instead of colouring the station. He recommended us to use balsa wood, but due to our budget, we used PVC foam boards instead, as they were very sturdy and easy to cut. However, we also had to experiment with different widths of the board, to test which areas of the station should use a 1mm width board, and which areas should use a 2mm width board.

One of the tasks I was assigned to was choosing the materials for the station. I came up with a five criteria flowchart as recommended by our mentor, starting with the most important criteria of Strength and durability, safety, cost, comfort and the least important criteria of aesthetics. Creating this flowchart ensures that the materials used can be feasible enough to be used in the station, and helps me have an idea of what kind of materials to choose. Based on some of the existing stations such as EXPO and Dover station, I have come up with some materials to use for the station. These materials include stainless steel, Aluminium and Titanium. I compared the physical properties of these materials to evaluate which material used will be economical for the station, and should be used in which areas of the station. I also brought in some materials that may be uncommon in constructing MRT stations, such as Bamboo and Slate, to see if there is any possibility that it can be used in the station. Bamboo has a very high tensile strength, even higher than steel. Thus I considered to use Bamboo possibly as a structural component for the station. However, based on the flow chart, it does not fulfill all of the criteria, as it degrades in the presence of water and does not integrate well with the surroundings and thus has to be rejected. Slate on the other hand has a very high durability. However due to its high construction and maintenance cost, it does not fulfill the criteria of cost and have to be rejected. We chose to use aluminium and stainless steel for the roof and structural support of the station respectively. This was because aluminium and steel has a high strength to weight ratio, is corrosion resistant, and has high durability. Once we are done with the selection of materials, we moved on to the last step of marketing of the station.

Elaboration on our results

Some parts of the station, such as the roof was quite difficult to be fit onto the station. We thought of various ways but finally decided to score the roof and create a thin flat layer with holes on the sides of the station, such that the roof can be curved easily and fitted onto the station. Looking at our physical prototype at the end of the internship, my groupmates and I were all proud of this model, as we were able to challenge the process and produce a model to scale with just $20 and two weeks time. However, I feel that our station can still be improved. Given more time, we could have planned how to insert the plastic sheet in the station as the glass louvres of the station, such that the sheet fits more precisely into the station. This will prevent the sheet from falling into our station as seen in our model.

My reflection

Across the one month of internship in LTA, I was able to learn more than expected, and gain deeper insights into architectural designs.

Content knowledge/skills learnt

• During the first week of internship at LTA, we were tasked to read up on Civil Design Criteria (CDC) and Architectural Design Criteria (ADC) for project appreciation. Although it was difficult to understand all the contents in the documents, I was able to gain some foundation knowledge of how we should design our station. Through reading the ADC and CDC, I was able to learn some of the standard procedures and measurements required when building a station.
• During the drafting of the prototype for our station, we consulted LTA’s architect Mr Adriaan on how we could improve the station design. Through our consultation, I learnt that there are a lot more factors to consider when making the design of a station, such as making sure there are natural lighting and natural ventilation in the station. The station must be designed such that it allows wayfinding and clear orientation for the passengers in the station. It should also not include too much glass, as it may cause the station to be too glaring and at the same time pose as a safety hazard. These are some factors which we learned to include in the station design, and allowed us to have greater guidance on how we build the station.
• With a keen interest in architecture, it is important to know how to build a basic prototype to scale for a project. Through the consultation with Mr Adriaan, I learned some helpful tips on how we can build an effective prototype. First of all, he stated that we should consider using balsa wood for our station, but due to our budget, he mentioned that using foam boards are fine as well. He also suggests that we should not colour the station, but focus more on getting the details and clear overall shape of the station, thus making the station clean, professional, and easy to look at. Lastly, he recommended us a scale of 1:300 and 1:250, which most architecture models adopt. Making the model smaller also helped us to build the station within the given timeframe.

Takeaway for life

I was tasked with carrying out research for the materials that we should use for our station. This challenged my design thinking process, specifically on the way I choose the materials to be considered for the station. I researched the current MRT stations and looked at what kind of materials are used to construct the stations. After considering the existing stations’ materials, I then looked at some other unorthodox materials that could possibly be used to replace some of the station’s materials with respect to the station’s site context and climate. This process of evaluating what material is appropriate for which area of the station is a big takeaway for me. I found out more about the properties of materials such as slate and bamboo, with the application of Physics and Chemistry to understand the properties behind these materials. I also learned a new design thinking method, through coming up with 5 criteria for the station, which differs from the most important to the least important.

After this process of researching materials, I was able to have a greater appreciation for the MRT stations in Singapore, and able to see the deeper layer behind each station and understanding the rationale for each design of the station.