Archifest 2014: What’s Up

In its eighth year running, Archifest has been demonstrating why and how architecture is not as abstruse as it may seem. Organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), Archifest 2014 presents architecture in a relevant, and engaging way, strengthening the affinity between architecture and people, through a line-up of exhibitions, activities and speakers that architects, students and the public can look forward to.

“Archifest is an event for everybody, from architects and expertise from the industry to the public. It is also an invaluable platform to showcase the forward thinking ideas and technology in the name of design excellence. SIA hopes to be able to utilise Archifest as a valuable contribution to the profession and public,” declared by SIA’s President, Mr Theodore Chan.

This year’s theme, ‘CROWD’, seeks to open up the discussion to investigate how the notion of Crowd operates and contributes to architecture and urbanism. With the six key pillars, namely Archifest Pavilion, Urban Lab, Archifest Conference, Architours, Fringe and Archxpo, Archifest 2014 aims to continue bringing great minds and people together to share ideas, collaborate and form collectives to create even better places for the public.

Here are some activities you can still look forward to…

Architours
Date: 4-5 October 2014
Time: 9.30am – 1pm (4 October); 11.30am – 4.30pm (4 October); 9.30am – 3pm
Venue: Archifest 2014 Pavilion at Event Plaza @ Marina Bay Sands Place to Visit: Satellite Locations
Admission: SGD47 (public); SGD42 (students)

Presented by Singapore Institute of Architects and co-curated with The Architectural Society (TAS) of National University of Singapore, Architours is a half-day tour that allows you to experience a journey into local design and architecture.

Urban Lab – Student Showcase
Date: 26 September – 11 October 204
Time: 10am – 10pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Free

Design schools from Nanyang Polytechnic, National University of Singapore, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic partner with the festival on design projects relevant to their curriculum. Projects exhibited include revolutionary architecture design work on outdoor community landscapes located in different part of Singapore and self-sustaining ecosystem in growing and harvesting food.

Archifest x Haystakt: The Wholesome Co. – Home Farming
Date: 6 October 2014
Time: 10am – 12pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Register online for crowd-funded rates

Be empowered to start an urban farm even in your cosy apartment. The folks from The Wholesome Co. will impart some key home-farming knowledge and skills while giving you access to materials needed to start your own farms. Get your hands dirty to build your farms on the spot, with the help of upcycled materials that the workshop will provide. Some themes covered include ‘Growing Microgreens’ and ‘Vertical Farming’.

Archifest X Haystakt: Make Your Own – Copper Pipe Lamp
Date: 6 October 2014
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Register online for crowd-funded rates

Established in 2013, Make Your Own was founded to bring a new perspective to the D.I.Y culture. In this workshop, you’ll get to create your own industrial looking copper pipe lamp by bending the copper pipe and the using of brass fittings to assemble the product. At the end of the workshop, you’ll get to bring home the completed masterpiece. All materials inclusive. Suitable for age 13 and above.

Archifest X Haystakt: Synergraphic Design – Glass Kilnforming
Date: 4 October 2014
Time: 10am – 12pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Register online for crowd-funded rates

Synergraphic Design is a local creative studio established in 1986 that designs, makes and installs glass art for interior and architectural spaces. Join Woo Meng Fye, local glass artisan at Synergraphic for more than twenty years, as he shares his knowledge on a glassworking technique called Kilnforming. You’ll be introduced to the entire kilnforming process and have the opportunity to experience cutting glass and fibre paper.

Archifest X Haystakt: Tiffany Loy – Obscura
Date: 4 October 2014
Time: 4pm – 6pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Register online for crowd-funded rates

Tiffany Loy is a designer trained in industrial design and prototyping. The Obscura is a super low-tech solution to projecting images and directing sound from your smart phone. In this workshop, you’ll get to try constructing a card structure to house a lens and their phone.

Archifest X Haystakt: Andre Wee – Not Just for Writing
Date: 11 October 2014
Time: 10am – 12pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Register online for crowd-funded rates

André Wee is an illustrator, painter and virtual reality artist. With a focus on drawing the surrounding architecture of MBS, join him as he goes through some of his ballpoint pens drawing techniques such as contour drawing and mark making to give your drawings more character and depth. Put your charcoal and graphite pencils aside and turn your everyday ballpoint pens into a convenient yet expressive drawing tool for you to sketch with! Materials provided.

Listening to spaces: The Soundscape + Soundwalking
Date: 4 & 11 October 2014
Time: 2pm – 3pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Free

Zai Tang is an artist, composer and sound designer based in London and Singapore. Zai will be giving a short introduction to acoustic ecology (soundscape studies), a field of creative practice and research that reveal how sound mediates the relationship between living beings and their environment. He will then conduct a group soundwalk, leading the audience’s ears across the surrounding terrain, before ending with a sharing session about the experience.

Listening to space (part two): The Soundscape + Composing FUGUE 1, 3, 5, 7
Date: 11 October 2014
Time: 3:15pm – 4pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Free

Zai will be expanding on the subject of acoustic ecology, highlighting studies and projects of particular relevance to Singapore and its rapidly developing urban soundscape. Following this, he will be discussing how these ideas have influenced his approach to composing for FUGUE 1,3,5,7.

Archifest X KEEPERS
Date: 26 September – 11 October 2014
Time: 11am – 10pm
Venue: Orchard Green

In conjunction with Archifest 2014, Keepers: Singapore Designer Collective is centred around the theme of Crowd Building. Besides being a satellite site for Archifest and a tour location for Architours, Keepers is hosting some installations from Urban Lab. Pop by the little black diamond for more urban Lab installations!

Design Greenhouse by Naiise
Date: 27 September – 11 October 2014
Time: 10 am – 10 pm
Venue: Archifest Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza
Admission: Free

Naiise will be showcasing locally designed and made products at its first pop-up showcase “DesignGreenhouse by Naiise” at Archifest 2014 and will take on the look and feel of a community greenhouse garden, which is collectively farmed by a community. It is inspired by Archifest 2014’s central theme of collective capital and a reflection of how the local design scene is evolving quickly and becoming increasingly dynamic due to the collaborative efforts of designers, studios and agencies, consumers and other private and public stakeholders.

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Photos Courtesy of Archifest