the new normal of muara gembong
thesis | coastal consumptions - lives & livelihood: modular autonomous living on water | nus | y5s2 | studio neo sei hwa | 2022
reimagining muara gembong as a self-governing and sustainable village of the future
For over ten years, rising sea levels made worse by coastal erosion and climate change have caused massive floods and damages in the low-lying village of Muara Gembong, Indonesia. Inundated by the grim combination of climate change and man-made environmental destruction, desperate residents have fled in search of better living conditions, leaving only 10% of the population to stay on. The effects of climate change are irreversible and humans should not resist these changes, but instead, accept and embrace the new normal conditions of living with the land and sea.
Set in the Year 2050, the thesis aims to reimagine an alternate reality of Muara Gembong, one that is freed from the reins of the government and where a new urban and social order is defined. Akin to the idea of a plug-and-play lego concept, the making of the new village is proposed through the implementation of a set of modular key parts that can be assembled and configured in any way, creating infinite possibilities of arrangements, and still be connected to one another. Local residents are given the freedom and power to be in charge of choreographing their own spaces according to their lifestyles and preferences, ultimately creating a continuum of spaces and programs that are part of an interconnected network of mobile communities that promotes a culture of sharing and collective decision-making.
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The project hopes to facilitate the development of Muara Gembong in the years ahead, and empower locals to build and work collectively together, ultimately establishing an independent and self-sustaining functioning society. The end manifestation presented does not end there, but rather opens up possibilities of the village evolving and growing further.
SUPERVISOR'S COMMENT:
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How do we find a new normal in an ever-deteriorating climate environment? This thesis speculates that while there are concerted global efforts to address climate changes, there must also be local attempts to learn and live with the inevitable impact of such changes. Jeslyn’s exploration into living with the rising sea levels proffers not only a new physical reality of living on water but also attempt to exploit the new physical environment to shape an equally new and egalitarian social structure. Can places and spaces modify and moderate not only how we live, but also how we think, behave and govern? The family of architectural solutions pushes the boundaries of essential living and toiling while forging social platforms for new ways of community interaction and integration. The goal is a new community that is as flat as the water it floats on.
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- Adj. Assoc. Prof. Neo Sei Hwa