CULTURAL ADJUSTMENTS IN SINGAPORE

It may not look traditional, but the new Assyafaah Mosque in Singapore was designed by Forum Architects to feel comfortable to a multicultural population. Singapore’s ethnic complexity encouraged the architects to downplay overt references to Malay or Middle Eastern architectural imagery while signaling to the Muslim community, including recent Chinese converts to Islam, that the building is indeed a mosque. Next week writer Robert Such will show us the result (photo by Albert Lim K S).

PREFABRICATED ELEMENTS IN LONDON

Prefabricated building elements are generally assembled in a factory, thus transforming conventional construction sites. Ideally, the use of prefabricated elements reduces the waste of materials and time, while increasing accuracy and safety. Michael Hardiman used form-Z software to design prefabricated building elements, which were then built full size and incorporated into the London subsidized housing market. Next week writer Bill Jordan will explain how the digital technology is supporting improvements in construction technologies.