James Tan Design Portfolio 2023

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portfolio james tan

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james tan

about me

architecture school design projects

design competitions

graphic design

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about me

I am James Tan, currently an undergraduate

architecture student at the Singapore

University of Technology and Design. With the

childhood dream of being an architect, I have

had the insatiable passion for creation and all

things design since young, where I am able to

use my artistic abilities to formulate creative

solutions from my unique blend of individual

expressionism. This has translated to my

desire to work on various architecture and

design projects over the years that fulfils my

desire to make a difference to people's lives

and our communities through doing what I like

most and am passionate about. My aspiration

is to create liveable spaces for the community

and all to enjoy while continuously improving

the built and living environment in Singapore

and beyond. This passion for design further

extends towards my experience in recent

years as a graphic designer specialising in

logo and brand identity design. I value the

importance of developing distinctive, unique

and fitting identities for brands and companies

with a story to tell. All in all, I work on projects

for joy, and I strive to spark joy in the designs I

create.

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architecture

school - year two

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This final project tasks students to design a satellite MOMA, a place with no permanent collection, but where modern art can come and go. The satellite MOMA will serve as a dynamic space shaped by the founding mission to to educate the public about modern art. This exercise challenges students to engage scale and volume in conjunction with the logics of systems of displaying art and information. The design shall focus on the performative aspects of architecture, updating the concept of the museum and to call on architecture to play a new active role at the interface between the digital, the physical and the social. Additionally, adaptation to the topography, and site-nesting of the building will be crucial to the successful insertion of the design, where the building shall follow the ‘articulated landscapes’ principles of continuity and transitions between exterior areas and enclosed spaces.

architecture - school Core Studio 1 MOMA Satellite SG

With/In

Final Exercise

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architecture - school Core Studio 1 MOMA Satellite SG

Final Exercise Final Exercise

With/In is a satellite MOMA that strives to be a place where the boundaries to art-making are pushed and the lines between art and its environment are blurred. Explanding on this vision, With/In strives to rethink the journey of art experience. Circulation is carefully considered for users both inside and out as they travel across

“paper-like strips” made to rise gently from the ground. Corridors traditionally seen solely as transitional spaces are redefined as passages of art discovery, whether it be peering down at rows of stored art from above or peeking into performances from the outside. The smooth circulation through spaces guided by strips of programmes ensure the flow of art never ends at every spot and strip.

With/In

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architecture - school Core Studio 1 The Autonomy of Form

^{Exercise 3}

House of Three Sisters

This exercise prioritizes the autonomy of form, focusing on the building’s ability to communicate with its context from the inside.

This allows a building to establish its own identity while responding to the surrounding environment. The exercise considers resolving a cottage through the geometric encounter of a square, a circular, and a trianguular form. Through this restriction, students would obtain a game of probabilities and explore how to address circulation, visual continuity or fragmentation, different levels of intimacy and privacy, acessibility, and transitions, amongst others. From there, the exercise moves on to challenge students to explore the use of sections to create more complex spatial relationships and engage with the ground as a way to root spaces.

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architecture - school Core Studio 1 The Autonomy of Form

^{Exercise 3}

The House of 3 Sisters presents a safe haven for three close-knit sisters, each with their own unique personalities. The house presents a tri-functional concept converging at a common shared point, where the large central open space serves as a multi-purpose living and dining area. The three individual units, each with a certain level of privacy, are unified by the same geometry and roof that envelopes around. The concept of unity carries on with each sister being ensured the same total floor area, yet their different personalities translate to different ratios of indoor living area and outdoor courtyard that each command. The dipping of the roof's slope, which itself is respectful to the environment and terrain around, and the orientation of the individual courtyard balconies towards the center further strengthens the importance of the central space for the sisters to gather, play and bond.

House of Three Sisters

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architecture - school Core Studio 1 Subtractive Design

^{Exercise 2}

This exercise challenges students to create spaces that illustrate the harmonious blend of architecture and nature through subtractive design. Inspired by the form of Indian stepwells, Stepping Pools creates a communal spcae via the idea of steps as spaces. The pools invites one to relax and rejuvenate amidst nature in various cave sanctuaries. With the transition from open-air public pools at the entrance to cozier private areas further into the cliff, users have the opportunity for a myriad of pool experiences, from sunbathing in the public pool to reading a book in the private chambers.

Stepping Pools

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architecture - school Core Studio 1 Ground Articulation

^{Exercise 1}

This exercise challenges students to create models of space-making from the art of paper craft. Treehive is a community public space serving as a versatile hive of activity. Sporting a bifurcating tree-like network, its fluid form blurs the line between ground and structure. From the outside, slopes at different corners and edges concave gently upwards from the ground, whilst keeping to a simple and straightforward mechanism of curve folding. The variations in inclinations offer users a myriad of creative ways to interact with the surface, be it skateboarding or lying down. Inside, Treehive's inverted bubble-like ceilings create subtle disruptions to the expansiveness of the interior, allowing for a host of community events or gathering spaces at different nodes. The depiction of the branching-out system at its ceiling keeps the entry and exit

“branches” evident and easily navigable for human traffic flow.

Treehive Pavilion

Treehive Pavilion

James Tan Shi An ASD Core 1 Exercise 1

Ground Articulation

1 ^Emboss 2 ^Pinch 3 ^Sew 4

Drawing

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Drawing

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Drawing

5

1 ^Emboss2 ^Pinch3 ^Sew4

Drawing

5

James Tan Shi An ASD Core 1 Exercise 1 Ground Articulation

5

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Drawing

5

Drawing

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This computation design project tasks students to create a canopy design via the use of Python on Grasshopper. Bay Stage at Esplanade aims to cretae an attractive outdoor waterfront theatre that focuses on finding the right balance between ‘photo-philia’ and

‘photo-phobia’. The design takes inspiration from the aluminum sun-shade cladding on the Esplanade Theatres and its purpose to just let enough light in while blocking out the harsh tropical midday heat. The concept of ‘photo-philia’ is expanded on through the patterns of sunlight on the floor that illuminate the stage enchantingly. Sporting an overall seamless aesthetic, the “octopus saddle” roof doubles as the overarching ‘structure’ of the outdoor theatre while maximizing the number of entry points into the space to pull in larger crowds to the live performances.

architecture - school Design Computation photo-philia/photo-phobia

Bay Stage at Esplanade

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architecture

school - year one

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This project tasks students to find spaces and places of interest within Changi Business Park to redesign and improve user experiences. Flexi-Q is a versatile installation that offers a physical and restful respite to the office workers of DBS Asia Hub whilst its subtle placement of curved modules restructures the current uniformity of straight queues for the shuttle bus service into waiting

‘pods’. The flexibility that Flexi-Q offers not only applies to how users choose to wait and rest, but extends towards its function at different times of the day.

architecture - school Design Thinking and Innovation Encounters 2.0

Flexi-Q

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The final project of the Spatial Design Module tasks students to create a cabin on a given landscape, with the intention of form-finding and creating a space ideal for living through the use of three simple geometric blocks. Designed for the nature lovers, sports enthusiasts and the young and sociable, Creek House is a holiday home situated in the heart of a green valley and over a serene river. The layout of Creek House centres around a clear separation of private and private space within the cabin, while keeping in mind the flow of users from entrance to the pockets of spaces around the house. The river serves as the heart of Creek House, with the main block raised above the river to provide the experience of living with water and amidst nature.

architecture - school Spatial Design World Cabin Project

Creek House

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This project aims to design adaptive productive gardens for the community in Bukit Panjang. Paddy Gardens’ design stems from a special architectural feature of Bukit Panjang HDB blocks that feature varying heights, resembling the terraces of padi fields in Bali.

The paddy field terraced style served as the foundation of the design during our field approach. Using Rhino software, we created patterns of concentric arcs that stepped upwards and generated surfaces from them to be used as the structural form for vertical gardens, and where our planter modules would be arranged and placed upon. Meanwhile, the design of the planter stems from the intention to create planters that are user-friendly, safe for all ages, and promote visibility, while at the same time ensuring sunlight exposure for the plants are maximised. Sunlight exposure was determined by using the Ladybug plug-in for Grasshpper on Rhino to visualise the solar radiance levels.

architecture - school Spatial Design World Vertical Community Gardens

Paddy Gardens

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design

projects & comps

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projects - design & competitions 2023 CNY Chinatown Light-Up Centrepiece Designer

Chosen by the school to be the centerpiece designer for the 2023 Chinatown Chinese New Year Light-Up.

With the vision to create a familiar piece of art that calls upon a return to festivities and the coming together of families after a tumultous few years of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the centerpiece is a 10m tall portrait of a multi-generation family gathered together to enjoy their reunion dinner the eve of Chinese New Year.

CNY 2023 Light-Up

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projects - design & competitions

As part of (PARK)ing day 2022, Headspace is an installation based on the thesis of designing the perception of crowding in urban spaces. In this installation. With the notion of creating a space to destress through mobile layered environments, the design is a interactive play area where users can create flexible environments by moving around an agglomeration of pool noodles inserted into wooden crate slots.

PARK(ing) Day Singapore 2022 Installation Design

Headspace

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projects - design & competitions others 2017-2022

Top 6 for SIA x SUTD 2021/022 Design Upcycling Challenge, where aspiring designers and engineers are invited to breathe new life into these aircraft parts by upcycling them and designing innovative products with them to help build a better world. Our product is a carpet-woven lamp that doubles as a planter, constructed out of recycled carpet from retired Singapore Airlines planes and recycled life jackets.

SIA x SUTD Upcycling Challenge

Attained Commendable Award at the 2017 URA Challenge for the Urban and Built Environment, where my team created a masterplan and physical model based on the vision of turning Mei Chin into a vibrant active community hub that caters to the elderly and promotes inter-generational bonding.

2017 URA CUBE Challenge

Participated in JTC’s i3 Case Challeneg in 2018, where I worked with my school team to propose new features in future Bulim Industrial Estate in Jurong Innovation District that will encourage community bonding between residents, students and firms.

2018 JTC i3 Case Challenge

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projects - design & competitions others 2017-2022

Selected as the lead designer for the V-Tee, Victoria Junior College’s new official college T-shirt, which is now worn by students every Friday. The design is intended to be a timeless classic that radiates the vibrant energy of the school spirit through the iconic red and yellow school colors.

Victoria JC New Cohort T-shirt

Designed the book cover for an A-Level Geography model essay guide and reference book, which was published in Popular Bookstores islandwide.

A-Level Geography Book Cover

Shortlisted in the Top 10 submissions and awarded certificate of commendation for the 2018 MPA-SEC Waves of Change Poster Design Competition.

Wanting to play a part in protecting Singapore's marine environment during my JC days, I designed a poster to spread the message of the dangers of marine litter to the ecosystem

MPA Poster Design Competition

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projects

graphic design

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projects - design & competitions New Logo and Rebrand Cafe Kreams

Worked on a full rebranding project for Café Kreams in 2021 that included a new logo, website, menu and packaging designs and promotional materials

Cafe Kreams Rebrand

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projects - design & competitions New Logo Puma YCL

Created the logo for Puma Youth Champions League, a new professional youth football tournament in Singapore and the region organized by Lion City Sailors Football Club. The logo aims to capture movement and the youthful energy and passion for football. The symbol of the ball being kicked up high represents the mission to continue elevating the youth football scene in Singapore and beyond. A clean, and easy to recognise symbol that will exude confidence on silverware too.

Puma Youth Champions League

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projects - design & competitions Logo and Packaging Design Saap Saap Thai

Created the logos for Saap Saap Kopi and Mama Saap, new sub-brands under Thai cuisine restaurant chain Saap Saap Thai, as well as the design for Saap Saap Thai’s packaging materials, including cup seal designs.

Saap Saap Thai

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projects - design & competitions Logo Redesign Delta League

Winner of the nationwide Delta League logo redesign competition organized by Singapore Police Force and National Crime Prevention Council. Delta League is a biannual, island-wide youth engagement programme that aims to engage youths through football, keep them meaningfully occupied during the school holidays and steer them away from crime. The new logo has replaced the original with effect from the 2021 season.

Delta League

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projects - design & competitions Marketing Collaterals Lion City Sailors FC

Worked with Lion City Sailors Football Club to redesign their marketing collaterals, such as a new template design for the slide deck that will be used to present to potential sponsors of the club.

Lion City Sailors FC

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Logo Design Others

architecture - school

Designed logos and brandin projects for over 50 clients worldwide as a freelance logo designer since 2021, ranging from small-scale tech and online start-ups to F&B businesses and medical companies.

Logos and More

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