Chen Juan, Hubert Halim, James Yong Jun Wei, Melina Jingting Binti Laimon
Academic Advisor: Ms. Sadaf Ansari
The sprawling NUS campus can be traversed using a combination of internal shuttle buses, bicycles and covered walkways. However, the steep forested ridge cutting lengthwise across the NUS campus increases travel time for pedestrian movement. Our project explored this limitation as an opportunity for a creative pedestrian solution by proposing a Canopy Walk across the ridge. Of the many variables that needed to be evaluated, we chose to focus on three – existing terrain, tree distribution and minimising disturbance to the ecology. We began work with generating a detailed terrain map for the campus using the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS). This was coupled with field visits to confirm the accuracy of the topography model as well as the tree locations and sizes. Using secondary data to extrapolate our findings, we finalised one potential route for the elevated pathway, and represented it using a physical model. Our design also assessed inevitable ecological/practical challenges, which would benefit from a more detailed study.
Keywords: Built Environment & Green Infrastructure, Green Design, Walking, Car-lite