This thesis aims to address the oft-overlooked issue of embodied carbon emissions within buildings and provide an alternative to the currently favoured construction material; concrete.

 

Proposing a viable alternative that is timber, the architecture not only fulfils its purpose as a community vessel, but goes beyond to double in function as a carbon storing structure.

 

By engaging the residents in the estate to participate in the life cycle process of locally grown timber, the project aims to inculcate a sustainable lifestyle within its inhabitants.

 

Through the use of a sacrificial timber facade pre-treated by the Japanese technique known as Shou Sugi Ban, the Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) units introduced are protected from weathering. This preserves the CLT members and allows them to remain in use for up to a century, the duration of occupancy within a typical HDB flat within Singapore.

 

Being sourced directly on site, the timber used for the facade embodies the characteristic of the residents and reflects the community’s identity and creativity whilst remaining carbon neutral.