Hi, I'm Eu Jin!
I'm currently an MArch 1 student in the CPU Atelier.

I grew up in Malaysia and Singapore, where I completed my Diploma in Architecture at Singapore Polytechnic. I have always been fascinated by the building blocks that shape and influence the ever-changing skylines of the built environment.

My appreciation for craftsmanship has deepened my empathy for human-centric design and spatial experiences. Through my passion for current affairs and my understanding of the social fabric and climate emergency, I aspire to create a lasting impact by enriching communities and societies at large. In my pursuit of advanced parametric design, I aim to enhance sustainability and building system efficiency.

Having worked on hospitality and theatre architectural designs during my industrial placements, I look forward to applying and sharing my knowledge of placemaking with my peers during MSA Live.

Our plan for the two weeks working with us includes a variety of exciting activities! We’ll start by welcoming you to the team and providing all the information you’ll need to get started. You'll meet our collaborator, and if all goes well, we may even arrange a site visit. Along the way, we’ll have group tutorials and creative sessions designed to foster collaboration and skill-building. Our goal is to create an engaging and informative environment that closely mirrors a real-world working experience.

In week one, we’ll focus on laying a solid foundation, setting us up to hit the ground running in week two. During this time, we’ll pay special attention to placemaking within a heritage setting and other key aspects of the project. In week two, we’ll dive into refining the final designs, visuals, and presentations to share with our collaborator. To wrap up, we’ll have a presentation and handover to potential collaborating architects, followed by a celebration to mark the success of our time together!

The team held several preparation meetings internally and with the stakeholder to finalise plans ahead of the MSA Live week. These meetings helped confirm our plans, ensuring everyone is clear on their roles and that everything is in place to minimise miscommunication later in the project.

Emanuil and I visited Buttress Architects' office prior to the start of the MSA Live project, where we met with our stakeholder, Nigel, to present our plans and gather valuable insights to share with the students the following week. The meeting covered discussions on Grade II listed heritage buildings, the user participation activities planned for Week 2, and a CPD session on 'Colours in Design,' which helped us explore how colour can shape the atmosphere of our proposed space.

DAY 2

The creative outputs from Day 1 were useful in abstracting initial impressions of the chapels, setting the tone for the next day’s programme. Day 2 focused on understanding the site in relation to its wider context. By exploring the significance and history that make the chapels stand out, such as their design features, historical background, and the work of architect Alfred Waterhouse, students began to develop a more meaningful relationship with the site, equipping them to observe more critically during the on-site visit.

Given the limited availability of building plans and survey information, we conducted an activity using a Miro board to investigate the chapels. Our research drew from photographs from our prior site visit, documents provided by Buttress, basic point cloud scans, and online sources—mirroring typical industry practices. To encourage critical thinking, we posed thought-provoking questions, such as comparing the design features of the chapels with other works by Alfred Waterhouse and identifying differences between the chapels and nearby structures. Each student then selected a detail from the chapels to illustrate in their own style.

In the afternoon, we carried out an exercise to remap the site at a 1:1500 scale, speculating on areas where people gather, green spaces, and points of access, in line with Kevin Lynch’s five urban elements. This proved to be a valuable exercise, enabling students to creatively and visually interpret the site.

DAY 7 - Morning

The team arrived early at the site to set up for our public engagement session at Ince Community Centre. The activity began at 11am, with residents gradually making their way in. We engaged in conversations with them, introduced the models we had prepared, and asked for their thoughts on the site's shared cultural memory.

We also used question prompts focused on the community, local cultures, and everyday life in Ince to spark discussion. These conversations provided valuable insights into the site’s current issues and areas where we could offer design interventions.

Although attendance was lower than expected, we made the most of the opportunity, embracing the realities of public engagement where flexibility and adaptability are key. The staff at the community centre kindly offered us tea and breakfast, creating a warm and welcoming environment for the session.

DAY 7 - Afternoon

After lunch, the team returned to the site with the stakeholders to further explore and test our initial design proposals. We were joined by representatives from Buttress Architects, who guided us on a tour of the cemetery, revisiting key features identified during Week 1.

Seeing the chapels in person added depth to our understanding of the site. We brought along our models and were pleasantly surprised by how closely they resembled the actual structures, affirming the accuracy of our interpretations and the strength of our design process.