Hello SCAD, my name is Kiat. And thank you for taking time to review my portfolio submission as part of application for M.A Design in Sustainability.
What follows is a selection of 9 chosen works out of both my academic and professional portfolio to represent my design competency from ideation, development to execution with contextual consideration to sustainabilty.
For best viewing pleasure, please visit www.kiatng.com
Latch
LATCH is a complete set of functional low table comprising of three overlapping masses with the top layer latching onto the bottom layers, hence giving its anchoring support. The undulating contours of the form with the cascading architecture of the table reminisce the topographic landscape terrains.
The design aims to be reusable and adaptable for mobility, making up of 7 primary parts and is fully collapsible and flat-packable. User can then easily assemble without any tools by using the concealed wood socket nut with dual thread dowel screw.
This approach was later developed and adapted into a collection of various functions and finishes.
Stack
The way we work is constantly evolving based on situations—work spaces are undefined, and work hours are flexible. The notion to create private spaces for mobile working has become more popular.
Stack is a configurable divider can absorb sound, use as notice boards, and also divide spaces with interesting combinations and refreshing views. The user will have more freedom in creating their own sanctuary. Stack allows flexibility in personalizing colour palettes to suit personal preferences or di erent mood settings for work spaces.
How can design respond to a changing world since pandemic to improve everyday life?
Stack and Stilt are part of a collection that aims to encompass a more considered and thoughtful approach towards furniture designing by embracing a simpler and softer language in promoting a slower lifestyle, with aim to enhance user wellbeing. The design considers sustainable factors by means of adaptive designing to be repurposed, repaired, reused and eventually recycled.
Stilt
Stilt is a modular programme that can be adapted to various typologies — sofa system, side table, console, bed system, and other functional elements — with exclusive fabric selections in the variations of plain and multi-coloured texture design to create an eclectic plethora of living collage.
The concept is based around a base platform which supports the functional compositions that spans across horizontally. With its extended platform ends, the sofa can be utilized vertically with accessories of mixed materials to create a varied landscape.
Abode
With a pre-defined set of spatial segments that breeds a pre-defined set of lifestyle in a typical public housing apartment in Singapore, how can we re-construct a spatial quality that can allow adaptability based on user experiences as they age with time?
This 90sqm residential apartment project serves as a home and working studio for a young couple seeking to explore a cohesive relation between function, space and time.
The result is a pared-down space, deconstructed to house and integrate hybrid activities of live, work, dine and sleep; with modular and movable furnishings that allows flexibility for user to layout to specific needs.
Just like a product, when spaces become transitional to adapt to evolving needs, people can change style, form and function without having to go through major changes in life.
TarpHow do function plays a part between material and design?
Made of woven polyethylene, the ubiquitous blue striped tarpaulin is commonly used at construction sites in South East Asia to serve its function as a protective canopy. In this installation, we engage viewers to question its existential purpose of being a dust bag or an outer finishing that speaks of utilitarianism?
Volume
Reminiscing the 1950's Brutalist movement, we pare down furniture language to its basics using ergonomic rationales to achieve angular monoliths made of fiber reinforced concrete.
VOLUME permutates into furniture expressions; from stool and barstool, to chair and armchair, to bench and ottoman.
Pipe Pipe is a conceptual programme designed to explore adaptable functions in furniture designing, with consideration to sustainable and circular approaches in processes and materiality.
INNOVATE CARE SHARE
Care
The design is universal and adaptive to support di erent activities in various contexts. Being sensitive towards the entire process from ideation to prototyping, the process for production is streamlined for better e ciency, and being compact and recyclable to facilitate both consumption and disposal.
Share
The design aims for standardisation to be a ordable and accessible in providing quality necessities for everyone in everyday living towards an inclusive and democratic society.
Innovate
The design o ers collaborations with industry in exploring better quality craftsmanship and production processes through technology and material innovation.
The structure will be held together by screw adornments, adding an ornamental detail to the design. The clean aesthetic adapts and accommodate an array of functions.
Crystallizing into a simple and universal T-shaped aluminum profile, the design can translate into many expressions depending on various spatial contexts.
The entire design is produced in aluminum where its intrinsic quality is uniquely sustainable. It can be recycled without losing its quality; making the material a sustainable choice.
Having a 3-way joint profile helps to streamline work processes to allow extruded rods to be attached on making the components simpler and cost e ective. It can be flat-packed into a compact packaging to allow accessible globally; and energy and resources for transportation.
Bistro
This is a 1-week design challenge done during my undergraduate coursework given a design brief to design an outdoor furniture.
I reinterpret the classic outdoor archetype — the anonymous yet ubiquitious aluminium stackable bistro chair.
Admiring its humble utilitarian nature, it is highly economical and mass-produced worldwide, characterized by its simple construction, extreme lightweight and functional quality.
Plank
As part of a competition entry done during my undergraduate coursework in submission for Green Factor Design Award —
Plank is a modular seating made entirely out of pre-fabricated timber planks commonly seen in construction. They can flat-packed, self-assembled and constructed using dowel joints. The programme allows permutations of stool, chair or bench outcomes which can be stackable and composed to fit users' functions.
