Launch of Recipes From The Heart, a cookbook featuring 40 recipes by 10 notable local chefs. 100% proceeds goes to Project Happy Feet and MILK’s beneficiary. To purchase a copy, email deborah@projecthappyfeet.org

Chefs for A Cause is an event organized by Project Happy Feet to raise funds for MILK (Mainly I Love Kids) and the beneficiaries of Project Happy Feet. The fund-raising initiative sees a gathering of 10 local chefs to share their expertise for charity.

Held on Monday, 28 December 2009 at Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore, the 10 chefs will specially cook up a 3-course meal for some 600 children beneficiaries of the MILK Fund.

On the same evening, sponsors and selected donors will be invited to an evening cocktail event. The standing cocktail event will feature the special menu items from each local chef. Donors and sponsors may move around the ballroom to try the selection of food from each chef station.

for more info, visit Project Happy Feet

a schematic design proposal for the design competition CONTEXT by mAAN*Y l Let’s not Talk about Architecture. Proposed by Amy, Hao Wen, Yu Chen, Wei Jie, Gareth and Stacy

Rojak, (a malay word means ‘mixture’) a traditional fruit and vegetable salad dish. A colloquial expression for a diverse mix, and usually often used to describe the multi-enthic character of Singapore. Hence, rojak is a metaphor to our proposed multi-generational common space. The chosen site is at Bugis. The area becomes a breathing zone whereby people of different age groups come together. Activities are catered to not only promote intergenerational play but at the same time learn from each other. Interaction may not only come in the form of communication through talking but also visually.
The proposed design aims to create spaces that the public will take ownership of. A space that changes constantly so that each time it is visited, a whole new experience is created.

It was quite a challenging competition, due to school / work commitments and the fact that it was also the first time most of us are working on such a large scale project. but i’m glad we came together the last two days to produce the video and panels :)

a long week ahead ! other than internship and freelance work, there are two models and panels to be completed for an upcoming exhibition at SCAPE, more details later :)

Project 4 marks the end of year 2 design, incorporating what we’ve learnt from the previous 3 project, materiality, atmosphere and structure. this project starts to look at the development of a backpacker’s inn and activity zone in the context of the different culture, activities and economy of a vibrant space in the city.

lembu square, little india becomes a breathing zone where people, especially the foreign workers come together. they tend to sit around the platforms in pairs or as a group of 5-6 people. activities such as exchanging of phone cards, playing of carom are commonly seen on site. the shophouses and stalls around the square makes it convenient for people, as the goods and services are concentrated within walking distance.

this constant exchange of goods and services has been the base of the community over many years, and that is what holds these place together. the idea of a market place is proposed, as it gives out a sense of informality and also a place for bargaining. everyone loves a bargain ! this form of exchange becomes more personal. the open and raised platform becomes a place where the backpackers lay out their goods to sell to the public or exchange with the other backpackers. no one is given a specific right to a spot, which becomes a first come first serve basis. therefore, the continual evolution of these small stalls allows the place a different experience each time it is visited.

the intention is to create a sense of porosity. existing activities are not eliminated but instead integrated into the building. simple architectural strategies are employed to create different degree of privacy and the demarcation of private/ public spaces with the focus on visual connectivity and spatial interaction. walls/ partitions are kept to a minimum to achieve a open plan.

the first storey holds the more public activities, (lounge, dining) where exchange between the public and the backpackers happens. use of floor plates at different heights and materials demarcates the public and semi-public spaces. the more private areas, (bedrooms, locker) are placed at the second storey.  Partitions are used to provide more privacy for the rooms. while the user sits on the bed, the wall at 1.5m defines the private space. however, when the user stands up, this private zone diminishes as he looks right across the room. existing trees are preserved to not only provide shade but also becomes part of the design. materials such as raw concrete / timber wood and steel are introduced.

lounge area

market area

food joint + dining area

backpacker’s lounge

double volume space

interior of rooms

exterior view from Lembu Road

exterior view from Desker Road

Congratulations to Youth Hands-On! @ South West for setting a record in the Singapore Book of Records for the largest number of people forming a giant hand shape ! It’s nice to see the logo i designed appearing on 1,200 tshirts, banners, TV and the papers :)

photos courtesy of Youth Hands On! @  South West 2010.

yoga session by the waterfront

2004 green badge st nicks girls :) photos courtesy of shuwei

The chosen artwork, ‘The Blind in the Field’ is by The Institute of Critical Zoologists. Local Artist, Zhao Renhui presents his works through photographs, which investigates the different modes of the human zoological gaze that is, how people view animals.

The blind is a series of images documenting a camouflage cloak for zoologists and nature photographers to observe nature. This cloak allows the zoologist to blend into the surrounding such that the user becomes invisible to the animals. The artwork shows an image of a man’s attempt to try to be one with nature and it is quite obvious that he is not entirely hidden, and a silhouette is formed.

The proposed design is an artist’s studio and gallery showcase for the artist, Zhao Renhui. The intention is to create an experience of one knowing that something is there but not seeing its totality. Through the use of continuous circulations and the translucency in the walls, it further enhances the experience of the interaction between the public and the artist.

There are two interlocking circulation that brings the public to the galleries and the artist to his studios. The two circulations are designed such that the artist and public do not meet directly but instead, through the translucent walls and placement of artworks, it gives them opportunities to interact visually.

The artist’s studio are divided and placed at different levels. While he walks through to the different studios, the public will see the silhouette of him. There are areas where he starts to reveal himself to the public such as having openings to showcase his art objects, while still having access to them. While the public is viewing his works, they are able to look through into his studio. Through the different levels, the public is also able to look down into the artist workspace. Therefore, the artist studios itself also acts as a ‘gallery space’ to showcase what he does.

The layering of a new façade over the original structure becomes a screening that allows various degrees of interaction between the inside and outside. The pattern is derived from the program within. The radius of the perforated metal gets larger at areas where the galleries and artist’s studios are placed. The silhouette of the movement within acts as a showcase to the exterior.

This event organized by Project Happy Feet, to raise funds for MILK (Mainly I Love Kids) and the beneficiaries of Project Happy Feet. The fund-raising initiative sees a gathering of 10 local chefs to share their expertise for charity.

Held on Monday, 28 December 2009 at Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore, the 10 chefs will specially cook up a 3-course meal for some 600 children beneficiaries of the MILK Fund. On the same day, the 10 chefs will also launch a cookbook comprising their specialties. All proceeds of the sale of the cookbook will be donated to the MILK Fund and Project Happy Feet.

Order your Chefs For A Cause Cookbook TODAY ! more info on www.projecthappyfeet.org

不管那是大江小江，
还是大海小河，
水到之处就有浪花。
浪花激起就能打开人们的视野，
甚至进而触动人们的心弦。 - 易一

The sharing sessions with the 3 beneficiaries, KOTO Hanoi (Know One Teach One), Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation and HSCV (Humanitarian Services for children of Vietnam) were good learning experiences and i was encouraged by how much these organizations had done for them. It is through their act of giving that transformed the lives of these youths greatly. They’ve not only provided them with the basics, food and shelter, they’ve also given them the right education. By equipping them with a precious set of skills, it becomes the key to their future, and in many cases, their family’s future as well. What truly inspired me was how the street kids that had gone through these life-changing processes, are looking forward to becoming social volunteers so that they could help the less fortunate around them. That’s the return. It becomes a powerful ripple effect that transforms lives, one at a time.

孩子们玩乐的笑脸，让我看到了世人神奇奥妙的一面。他们的内心照耀出如斯单纯的真善美。
他们要的很简单 : 能存活下来就足够了。

Money is one way that could help make a difference to their lives but does that really make a problem disappear ? Sometimes all it takes is to give some of our time to show some care and concern, be it painting of their houses or fixing a desk and chair. It is the moment when they truly smile.

孩子们是我们未来的主人翁，现在扶他们一把，对你我的未来，有深远的影响。

Special thanks to my dearest friends and teachers for the donations made. I really appreciate all the help given. These children have a whole life ahead of them, and it is because of your kind generosity and assistance that touched and made a difference to their lives in future.

Charmine Gan - $100, Geraint Wong - $200, Louis Ang Rong Hui - $100, Leow Jia Quan - $50, Lim Hao Wen - $50, Tian Min - $50, Tan Yun Liang - $100, Azizah Sudar, Eden Wee Guan Pu, Derrick Chua Wei Xiong, Chua Zhen Hao, Gay Wei Kean, Ho Hon Loong, Chong Wei Rong, Zun Pwint Phyu, Stephanie Choong, Zenas Deng, Oliver Ong, Lydia Chua Min Li , Stacy Peh - $157

Once again, a big thank you to all fans of Project Happy Feet ! Without your support and trust in us, we could not have done what we did :D More updates of the trip at Project Happy Feet Hanoi 2009 Blog

With Love, Stacy Peh

- Humanitarian Services for Children of Vietnam
- Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation
- KOTO Hanoi

During the trip, the team will be visiting schools to present them with school supplies, villages to present them with food and a culinary school that provides opportunities for street youths to learn a skill and gain employment.

Making footprints of change. for more information and regular updates, please visit
Project Happy Feet and Heading to Hanoi

Please spread the word for this cause. No Amount is too small. To make donations, send an email to stacypeh@hotmail.com

Suntec City, Halls 402 & 403 (Co-located with the Icsid Congress Exhibition)

The Portfolio Show for Young Designers presents the best collection of portfolios by young Singaporean or Singapore-based designers. It is presented as an exhibition across all design disciplines, presenting the progression and ambitions of Singapore design.It aims to benchmark the standards of young designers in Singapore, inspire current and future design students towards excellence, and to communicate their potential to established designers and design clients. The show provides exposure for these young designers, who would otherwise have little or no such opportunity.

The Portfolio Show features work from the best graduating designers from the Class of 2009 and young design agencies with less than five years of practice. For more info : DesignSingapore Council

will be bringing the models down for setup tomorrow evening. Weirong, Haowen and my works will be exhibited at this portfolio show. One of my st nicks classmate, Si Ping will be there as well !

A VOID EXPERIENCE is a collaborative design-based multi-sensory exhibition by Lim Si Ping, Pixel Pastry and Tribal DDB Singapore that observes the mainstream asocial behaviour of HDB residents in Singapore.

here’s my latest submission for the digital design module ! the assignment was to design, model and present a set of multi-level spaces connected by vertical circulation using 2D & 3D softwares like rhino and autocad, as well as Ecotect to analyse and test out insulation stuff. so the site is located at the Singapore Botanical Gardens, and my design intention is to allow interaction with the surrounding greens. haha, nature again ! mine’s rather simple and conceptual, the curved wire mesh was enough to kill my computer. seriously lags my lousy laptop. anyway, the main objective is to use digital media to present our stuff. getting the hang of rhino software, but sketchup is so much more friendly ! haha especially for 3D idiots like me : ) done with all submissions, two more papers to go ! cant wait for dec to come, vietnam trip ! Making footprints of change at Project Happy Feet