SCRIPT - Kheng

The future of workplaces in the wake of Covid 19 is still being discussed within large companies
in order to provide a workspace that is safe, habitable and also restores the lost communication
between workers during the past couple years. How are we able to provide workers with an
office that would make them feel comfortable, protected while reconnecting them back with
people?

[Talk to overall panel] The Emerald is a rehabilitation office project of Lake Weeroona that aims
to foster a workplace experience that becomes an antithesis to the typical urban high-rise
offices. It aims to resonate with people on an emotional level that reinforces a positive
perspective to work life and to the community that they are surrounded by - fostering human to
human interaction and human to environment interaction at its highest potential.

[Talk to research/diagrams/work catalogue] Upon researching and analysing the site conditions
of Lake Weeroona, I have noted down multiple issues and opportunities of the existing site that
will be further implemented into the proposal - such as the shared path issues between the
pedestrian and cyclists, as well as the lack of light that would make the lake unwelcoming at
night. Apart from that, I have compiled a catalogue of different kinds of workstations that would
also be included within the project.
 [Talk to site plan] The project consists of one large horizontally spreaded out building that is
located on the extension land of the existing park and a separate building for the rowing centre -
which is preserved from the existing site to encourage the traditional activity of boat rowing - by
providing canoe warehouse and a training centre in which the rowing match can also be
watched by workers within the office. The project itself aims to eliminate the boundary between
the interior and exterior by providing the users with a space inside, outside and in between.

[Talk to renders] From the project there are several specialised spaces that are designed for
activities specific to the site. Those include the rowing centre and canoe storage that are located
on the edge of the lake. Next to the main building there is a playground in which it's more of a
renewed playground of the existing one right in front of the lake. On the roof of the building
there's also a large open area in which users can come up to stargaze at night as you can see
from render as opposed to the current Lake weeroona which is lacking light and quite
unwelcoming at night. There are parts in which the lake extends onto the project with the
building designed around it. In that area, users can experience both the interior and the exterior.
Within the building, there are various forms of collaborative spaces in which one of them is the
tiered seating slope combining two stories together.

[Conclude] The Emerald is an office workspace that heals the users from the impact of isolation
due to Covid-19. It reconnects people, not just from the office but also tourists, joggers,
passersby that interact with the lake. Apart from that, it opens people to nature by shifting away
from being stuck in large high rise offices with no access to public open space by expanding the
project over the horizon.

Throughout the process of coming up with the concept and form, I have initially been stuck for
weeks progressing the form of the building. I have limited myself with a circular design - in which
it became too much like a regular building that overlooks the concept of the Emerald. However,
after I decided to completely get rid and let go of the previous form and restart the entire mass
modelling, I have achieved this final form and experiment with much more freedom.