Gregory Kovacs, Design Director, was invited by Xi’an Jiao Tong — Liverpool University Design School as a guest lecturer as part of the learning module for the Master of Architecture Studio, led by Prof. Davide Lombardi, Ph. D., Deputy Head of Department and Programme Director for the Master of Architectural Design (MArch Des).
The hour-long lecture focused on ways how contemporary cities tackling emerging and future urban challenges. Gregory shared project case studies which showcased environmental design principles and smart use of technology to achieve innovative and sustainable urban design.
Using Holland Village in Singapore and Yong Chuanli in China, Gregory compared and contrasted regeneration and renovation on an urban scale and on a building scale. These are both good examples of bringing together the three pillars of social wellbeing, environmental sustainability and economic success across two different scales.
Holland Village, Singapore
Benoy’s vision for Holland Village provides a human-scale, urban district that aims to deliver vibrant pockets of reformed space for the whole community to enjoy. The design brief for this competition scheme called for the revival of an existing retail precinct for Singapore’s Holland Village. The once popular shopping and dining destination, visited solely for its eateries and shopping, was in need of a revival; turning it back into the people-centric place it was once known to be.
Benoy’s design for Holland Village reflects a low-rise urban village with integrated, usable public realm. The design has mediated old and new seamlessly, whilst adding unique elements to curate a renewed identity for the district. The ground plane retains the commerciality of the development with a ‘shop front’ typology that serves retail and F&B offerings, intertwined with landscaped streets and public squares. An extensive green roofscape has been introduced to provide a flexible offering for its users, helping to reinforce Holland Village as a people-centric destination.
Yongchuan Li, China
The uniqueness of the project is that the structure was built many years ago and been sitting unfinished in heart of the Yongchuan District in Chongqing, as the built structure was no longer commercially viable. The architecture of the retail street is a contemporary reinterpretation of the local “Ba Yu” architecture, deeply embedded in the local culture, fostering a strong sense of ownership within the local community.
The new design of the main façade references traditional Sichuan shadow play theatres, given a contemporary reinterpretation. Using animated LED screens and a translucent building envelope to create a dynamic “light and shadow” spectacle along the main road of Yongchuan.
The development brings a revitalized town centre to the area with a unique mix of art, culture, entertainment, tourism, 2 hotels, and indoor outlet retail mall and an F&B outdoor retail street. The project strategically integrates social, environmental, and commercial sustainability.
There was great engagement amongst the audience of students, and Gregory left them with food for thought: how to address the key urban challenge of how to improve the existing structures around us as opposed to new construction.
