SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGNCentre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia (MASSA)Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN (ARC 1413/1412)

Paying It Forward ZOMI Education Centre

Project Proposal

Submit to: Ms. Tamil Salvi Mari

Submitted by:

Tan Hui Xian (0311719)Ling Gee You (0311338)PungJiaChyi (0309585)Tan AikKah (0303128)TeoKhaiShen (0310531)VoonJia Wen (0312703)Wong KienHou (0312104)Wong Soon Fook (0302953)YauCai Shan (0303325)Yong YihTyng (0312764)

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Content

Project Contact 2

Project Statement 3

Project Objectives 3

Issues and Solutions 4

Approval Letter 5

Design and Proposed Materials 6-7

Site Plan and Section 8

Visuals 9

Life Cycle Analysis 10-18

Expenditure List 19

Time Schedule 20

Timeline 21-22

Time Schedule Bar chart 23

Weekly Work Progress 23

Work Progress Report 24

Workload Distribution 25-38

Problems and Solutions 39

Finished Products 40

Group Personal Reflection 41-44

Conclusion 45

1

Project Contact

Organization Name: ZOMI Education Centre

Contact Person: HauSuanKhai

Address: 155 (A), 1st Floor, JalanMaharajalela 50150, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Phone Number: 012-367 4665 / 03-2142 6659

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Project Statement

ZOMI Education Centre has been established in the year 2007 and has been running for 6 years. It is a non-profit learning center that provides education for Myanmar refugees, children ranging from the ages 5-17. ZOMI Education Centre has up to 9 learning centers all over Selangor. In total, there are 400 students. Teaching is conducted at the centers from 9am to 3pm every Monday to Friday, with a 12-1pm lunch hour break. Lunch is usually provided. There are two full time teachers, and most of the others are volunteers who come only once or twice a week to teach at the center. The children studying at the center are refugees from Myanmar. Most of them stay with their parents. They are picked up by the school van in the morning and dropped off in the evening, and about 20-30 children stay at the hostel. Most of the children cannot afford to pay for their education. This learning center receives donation from the bosses of oil and rice companies to get by. The bosses of these companies provide jobs for those refugees who are jobless and old enough to work. When we visited the classroom below the office of the learning center, we saw that it was dilapidated and not very well kept. The paint on the walls is fading, books and stationaries are strewn in the corners. The furniture looked old and they do not match, as they were donated from different places. The windows and the floors are dirty. The exact need that we propose to fill is to make a bookshelf and a shoe rack from recycled materials. We wanted to build a bookshelf so that the books and stationaries will be kept in a proper place instead of being scattered all over. The classroom will look tidier and more organized. The children and the teachers will be able to locate the books and stationaries easily and there will be a lesser chance of things going missing. We plan to use recycled materials, like plywood from old furniture to construct the bookshelf. The bookshelf is designed with V shapes in each tier, for creativity and uniqueness. Every V shape is properly positioned to balance the overall weight of the bookshelf. We plan to paint the bookshelf with a bright array of colours to brighten up the dull and dim room. As for the shoe rack, we wanted to build one for the students and teachers to keep their shoes. The shoe rack will be placed outside the classroom, next to the door entrance, against the low window on the staircase landing. The shoe rack is designed in round, concentric circles for creativity and functionality. The shoes can be kept in the circles. We plan to use construction or drain pipes for the shoe rack. They will be required to take off their shoes before they enter the classroom. This is so that the classroom will be kept clean and free from dirt and dust. Besides that, we want to address the issue of the marks and dents on the table tops in the classroom, by removing them so that the sharp edges will not cause injury to the children, and so that the tables will be in a good condition for usage. The idea is to use varnish as a solvent to soak into the surface of the wood, scrape the finish and clean the top. If the damage is too severe, we will use recycled wood fillers for the tables. We will also dedicate a day or two to clean and tidy up the classroom before we begin our project, to create a conducive and clean environment for the students to learn in.

Project Objectives

The duties the organization needs us to perform are to observe and identify any problems or issues and to propose a solution for them. They do not expect anything from us in particular. The duration of the project will be once a week for as long as two to three months. The problem is that we will need to use public transport to get to the site, so carrying heavy and large materials along with us will be rather troublesome. We plan to work on the smaller parts of the bookshelf and the shoe rack away from the site, which is too small and too crowded to work in. When we have the parts done, we will transport the parts to the site before putting them together into a whole. The venue for making the bookshelf and the shoe rack will most likely take place in campus, in the architecture studio workrooms, and the bookshelf will be mounted in the classroom of the ZOMI Learning Centre in JalanMaharajalela. The ones benefiting from our work will be the students and the teachers of the learning center. The estimated cost of the project will be about RM570.15. We plan to use mostly recycled materials for the bookshelf and the shoe rack, so the things we will have to fork out for will be work tools like nails, abrasive and so on. We have no specific sponsor for this project yet, but most likely the money will come from our own contributions and charity from others. The environmental strategy adopted in this project is to use recycled materials to reduce wastage of materials, for example in using recycled wood from construction sites and factories to reduce the felling of trees and thus save the environment.

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Issues and Solutions

1) Issue: There were boxes of stationaries and books scattered all around in one corner. The classroom looks unorganized and messy. It is an eyesore and is also difficult to retrieve something from the pile without having to wade through the mess.

Solution: We proposed to construct a multipurpose bookshelf for the stationaries and books so that it will be more organized and properly kept. A multipurpose bookshelf will also free up the space for the children to move around in.

2) Issue: Shoes were scattered all over the entrance of the classroom. People have to navigate through the sea of shoes when they enter the classroom. It is hard to find your own shoes when you want to leave the place.

Solution: We proposed to construct two shoe racks for the children to place their shoes when they enter the classroom. This will make the classroom look tidier and more spacious. The children will not have trouble finding their shoes anymore when they want to.

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Approval LetterDesign

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1) Bookshelf

Proposed Materials: Plywood, Recycled Timber Planks and Wood Pallets

2)

Shoe rack 1

Proposed Materials: PVC Pipes

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3) Shoe rack 2

Proposed Materials: Recycled Timber Planks and Wood Pallets

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– Position of bookshelf - Position of shoe rack 2

– Position of shoe rack 1

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B

B

Visuals

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The area with the red circle is where we plan to place the bookshelf. We will tidy up the place first before placing the bookshelf there.

The area with the blue circle is where we plan to place the shoe rack 1, against the wall, just after the entrance at the bottom of the staircase.

The area behind the green circle is where we plan to place the shoe rack 2, right next to the entrance on the small landing.

Life Cycle Analysis

Life Cycle Analysis: 1. Materials Used in Relation to Design

Introduction1. Bookshelf and Shoe Rack

Wood that we used in for multipurpose shelf and shoe rack construction were recycled wood,collected from construction sites and dump area. They were then being REUSED.We have proper wood pieces so we REDUCED of the amount new material.We only bought a piece of 3mm thick plywood.

During the production of the wooden book shelf and shoe rack, we have REDUCED the useof material by considering the type of wooden structure that involved.

Some sub materials that being used are paint, varnish, wood filler and sand paper.

2. Plastic (PVC) Shoe Rack

We have REUSE the unwanted plastic pipes. The plastic pipe with 20cm diameter has been cut intosmaller equal sized pieces as the element of the shoe rack.

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LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS

BASIC FLOW CHARTINPUT OUTPUT

Transportation

Transportation

ENERGYWATER POLLUTING

SUBSTANCES

Transportation

EMISSION IN THE AIR

VIRGIN RESOURCE Transportation

SOLID WASTE

Transportation

RECYCLE RESOURCE OTHER DISCHARGE

Transportation

RECYCLED RESOURCE

Transportation

Consumption/ Ultilization

Extraction of Natural Resources

Production of Raw Material

Production of Parts

Manufacturing of Parts

Distribution

Recycling

Disposal

Figure 1: Typica l Product System Used in a Li fe Cycle Assessment.

Source: http://www.env.go.jp/en/wpa per/1998/images/09_1.jpg.

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LIFE CYCLE OF BUILDING PRODUCTS

ON-SITE CONSTRUCTION

OCCUPANCY/MAINTENANCE

DEMOLITION

RECYCLING/ REUSE/DISPOSAL

RESOURCE EXTRACTION

MANUFACTURING

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Life Cycle Assessment: 2. Wood Specification

General Information of Wood - A carbon -neutral building materialProduction of wood products require less total non-renewable energy as compared to other non-wood alternative material.Highest energy consumption taken in the wood drying process (kiln-dry process), most often by the burning of sawdust.Carbon emmision from wood is less than the manufacturing process in other non-wood product.Trees store carbon during the period of growth, thus, by consideration of replanting of trees on a systematic base,the emmission and consumption of carbon counteract each other.

Wood is a low carbon emmision product and as a potential of carbon- neutral product.Wood used as construction material in this case consider as a potential carbon-neutral building materials.

Wood Store CarbonThrough photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide from atmosphere and convert it to sugars, and then was used as energy and storage material to build cellulose and lignin.

Carbon accounts for around 50% the dry weight of a tree.

Carbon only return to atmosphere when the wood is burnt in Carbon Cycle.

Technical Data

Embodied Energy- ranked by density MJ/KG

Wood Types MJ/KG

Plywood 4,821Lumbar 1,163

Source: GreenSpec, Embodied Energy, http://www.greenspec.co.uk/embodied-energy.php

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Embodied effects relative to the wood design across all measuresComparison between wood, steel and concrete Design

WOOD STEEL CONCRETE

0.75 1.00 1.40

0.75 0.75 1.10

0.75 0.75 1.75

0.75 1.00 1.45

0.75 1.25 1.70

0.75 4.00 3.45

Normalized to wood value = 0.75

Source: Data compiled by Canadian Wood Counci l us ing the ATHENAEcoCalculator with a data set for Toronto, Ontario.

Recycle of Wood In ConstructionTreated and rotted timber cannot be recycled but must be sent to land fill where it degrades andeventually gives up its 'carbon store'.

Treated timber is classified as hazadous waste because of the chemical content of the preservatives used. Special handling and disposal is required.

CATEGORIES MATERIALS/ATHENA ECOCALCULATOR RANGE

AIR POLLUTION

WATER POLLUTION

GWP

ENERGY

RESOURCE USE

SOLID WASTE

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

AIR POLLUTION SOLID WASTE RESOURCE USE ENERGY GWP WATER POLLUTION

ATHE

NA

ECO

CAL

CULA

TOR

RAN

GE

KEY MEASURES OF MATERIAL DURING FIRST 20 YEARS OF OPERATING

WOOD

STEEL

CONCRETE

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Life Cycle Assessment: 3. Plastic Specification

General Information of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)Plastic that made of rock salt (Sodium Chloride), natural gas or oil

PropertiesStrong, mouldable, cheap and durable. Use in wide range of products.

ExampleWater pipes, blood bags, window frames, containers, wall cladding

Technical Data

Embodied Energy, MJ/KG 67.50Carbon kg , CO2/KG 24.40Density, KG/M3 1400

Source: GreenSpec, Embodied Energy, http://www.greenspec.co.uk/embodied-energy.php

EmissionPVC products are inert and once manufacturing is complete they do not generate greenhousegasses during their life time.

Waste Management:"REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, DISPOSE"

PVC RecyclingPVC is a thermoplastic and is ideal for recycling. It can be mechanically ground into pellets that can be re-heated and molded into new products.

PVC also resilient. Recyclable up to ten times.

Recycle of PVC reduce the usage of raw material, expecially crude oil.

PVC Recycling In ConstructionStudy conducted by AJI Europe in 2005 found that within EU15, production waste from windowsand door manufactures, represented less than 10% of their total output and 96% of that waste was recycled onsite.

Major issue of recycling pf PVC is the contamination of other materials.Separating, sorting and recycling increase cost. New method has beenintroduced to solve the problem, such as Vinyloop®System.

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Life Cycle Assessment: 4. Steel Specification

PropertiesHigh strength, durability, and functionality, high recycled content and high reclamation rate

Technical Data

Carbon kg , CO2/KG 1.37 to 1.42Density, KG/M3 7800

EmissionsGreenhouse gas emission , Carbon Dioxide - 3.7-5.5 KG of CO2/ Tonne SteelMajor emission comes from use of coke in production process.Slag and heat also being produced.

Extraction and ManufactureOver extraction of steel is a potential source of damage to the local ecosystems due to improper water collection an waste water recycling system.

Embodied Energy Across Different Types of Steel

Types of Steel Embodied Energy, MJ/KG

New Steel 31.30

New Galvanized Steel 34.80

Imported Structural Steel 35.00

Recycled Steel Structural Steel Sections 10.10

Recycled Reinfocing Steel 8.60

Source: GreenSpec, Embodied Energy, http://www.greenspec.co.uk/embodied-energy.php

Waste Management"REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE"

Steel RecycleRecycling of steel reduce cost, conserving energy, reduces waste and extraction of raw material.

The amount of recycled content in steel products varies over time, both as a function of the cost of steel scrap and its availability.

Steel recycle can lower down the amounts of energy are used in the manufacture of virgin steel.

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Life Cycle Assessment: 5. Sub- Materials Specification

Technical Data

Materials : Wood VarnishEmbodied Energy, MJ/KG 50.00Carbon kg , CO2/KG 5.35

Materials: PaintEmbodied Energy, MJ/KG 97.00Carbon kg , CO2/KG 3.13

Source: GreenSpec, Embodied Energy, http://www.greenspec.co.uk/embodied-energy.php

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1) Hsu, Sophia Lisbeth (2009). B.S. Civil EngineeringLife Cycle Assessment of Materials and Construction in Commercial Structures: Variability and Limitations, 1, 8.

Typical Product System Used in a Life Cycle Assessment. Link: http://www.env.go.jp/en/wpaper/1998/images/09_1.jpg.

2) Light House Sustainable Building Centre (2011). Green Building Rating System Guides

Link: http://www.naturallywood.com/sites/default/files/Life-Cycle-Assessment.pdf

3) AEA Technology Environment, Waste ManagementLink: http:// www.sustainability-ed.org.u/pages/pvc-3-1.html

Reference

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Expenditure List

Item Description Quantity Unit Price (RM) Total Amount (RM)1 KTH Wood filler 500gm 1 7.50 7.502 Varnish Bottle 1 LT 6 - 52.403 Nail 1 5.00 5.004 Paint Brush 5 - 18.005 PVC Glue 1 10.00 10.006 Sand Paper - - 12.807 Manila Rope 6mmx30ft 1 8.00 8.008 3mm Plywood & Cut 1 23.00 23.009 Screw 4 - 22.2010 Thinner 3 - 16.40

Total 175.30

Transportation Fee RM 120.00

Total Cost for the Project RM 295.30

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Time Schedule

TIME SCHEDULE1ST WEEK 2ND WEEK 3RD WEEK 4TH WEEK 5TH WEEK 6TH WEEK

MAY JUNE13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

27

31

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 12

13

16

20

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-Design bookshelf-Design shoe rack-Researching Materials- Tidy up the space in ZOMI

- Purchase and collection of materials

-Cutting material into sizes- Manufacturing of book shelf and shoe rack parts

-Assembling of parts-Painting of bookshelf and shoe rack

-Installation-Cleaning-Prepare video and report

-Compile video and report

Taylor’s University, Factory

ZOMI, factory Taylor’s Workshop Taylor’s Workshop Taylor’s Workshop , ZOMI, Taylor’s University

Taylor’s University

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Timeline

Sat 4 May– Site visit

Week 1

Wed15 May– Clean up and tidy site, taking measurements

Week 2

20-24 May(Mid-semester break) – Modification of bookshelf design, Collection of materials

Week 3

Wed 29 May– Woodwork (Dismantling of wood, removing nails, arranging wood according to different types)

Fri31 May– Woodwork (Sanding wood, cutting wood into different uniform parts, labelling wood)

Week 4

Wed 5 June– Woodwork (Sanding wood, cutting wood into different uniform parts, arranging and labelling wood into its uniform parts)

Sat 8 June– Shoe rack 1 (Painting construction pipes)

Week 5

Mon 10 June– Book shelf (Assembling parts)

Tue 11 June– Book shelf (Assembling parts)

Wed 12 June– Book shelf (Assembling parts), Shoe rack 2 (Cut and sand wood)

Thu 13 June– Shoe rack 2 (Cut and sand wood, Assembling parts)

Fri 14 June– Bookshelf (Applying wood filler), Shoe rack 2 (Painting)

Sat 15 June– Bookshelf (Applying first coat of varnish)

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Week 6

Mon 17 June– Shoe rack (Scraping paint off pipes), Bookshelf (Sand papering and applying second coat of varnish), Wooden shoe rack (Painting)

Tue 18 June– Bookshelf (Nailing the foundation of the structure), Wooden shoe rack (Painting), Shoe rack (Pipes are glued together)

Wed 19 June– Bookshelf (Wood bracing and wood bracket is added, Backing is nailed), Wooden shoe rack (Screwed together)

Sat 22 June– Site installation

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1St week 2nd week 3rd week 4th week 5th week

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

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MayJune

Design Bookshelf

Design Shoe Rack

Researching Materials

Purchase and Collection of Materials

Cutting Material into Sizes

Manufacturing of Book Shelf and Shoe Rack Parts

Assembling of Parts

Painting of Bookshelf and Shoe Rack

Installation

Cleaning

Compile Video and Report

Time Schedule Bar Chart

Light colored box: Initial plan

Dark colored box: Progress timeline

Weekly Work Progress

Bar chart of Weekly Work Progress

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 60

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

BookshelfShoerack 1Shoerack 2

1- Design and measurement2- Collection of materials3- Preparation of parts4- Construction5- Painting6- Installation

Table of Weekly Work Progress

Bookshelf Shoe rack 1 Shoe rack 2Week 1 Design and

measurementDesign and measurement

Week 2 Collecting wood Collecting pipesWeek 3 Dismantling, cutting,

sanding woodWeek 4 Cutting, sanding wood Painting pipesWeek 5 Constructing book shelf Design and

measurement, Cutting, sanding wood, Constructing shoe rack

Week 6 Screwing parts together, nailing wood backing, site installation

Sticking the pipes together, site installation

Painting, screwing parts together, site installation

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Work Progress Documentation

1 st Week

15 May 2013 (Wednesday)

A site visit was conducted on 15 May (Wednesday) for cleaning up and tidying site, taking

measurements and rearranging items on site. Those present were: Tan Hui Xian, Ling Gee

You, VoonJia Wen, Yong YihTyng, Wong Soon Fook, Wong KienHou, Tan AikKah,

TeoKhaiShen, PungJiaChyi

Figure 1: Clean up and tidy site, taking measurements

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2 nd Week

20-24 May 2013 (Mid-semester break)

This week was our mid semester break, and during the whole week each member is

assigned to find materials for the project. Materials like paint, construction pipes, wood filler

and varnish have been prepared. Wood pallets were collected and stored.

A small group has been formed to redesign the bookshelf as the previous design that was

initially proposed appeared to be unsuitable for the site. Instead of confining to a bookshelf,

we planned on constructing a multi-purpose shelf to contain not only books, but stationaries

and other items from the learning centre as well. The group of designers consists of:

PungJiaChyi, TeoKhaiShen and Ling Gee You

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Figure 2: Collection of construction pipes Figure 3: Collection of recycled wood

3 rd Week

29 May 3013 (Wednesday)

On 29 May (Wednesday) we gathered at the university to begin our woodwork by

dismantling the wood, prying out the nails, separating the good wood from the ones that are

in a bad condition, arranging the wood into different types and sizes. The ones present were:

Tan Hui Xian, Ling Gee You, YauCai Shan, VoonJia Wen, Wong Soon Fook, Wong

KienHou, Tan AikKah, TeoKhaiShen, PungJiaChyi

Figure 4: Dismantling of wood, removing nails

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31 May 2013 (Friday)

We had another group work meeting on 31 May (Friday) where we met up to sand the wood

that had been dismantled, cut the wood into different uniform parts which we will later

manufacture into the bookshelf, and to label the wood according to its specific parts and

sizes. This is to enable an easier reference and guide when we refer to the bookshelf design

for construction. Those present were: Tan Hui Xian, Ling Gee You, YauCai Shan, VoonJia

Wen, Yong YihTyng, Wong Soon Fook, Wong KienHou, Tan AikKah, TeoKhaiShen,

PungJiaChyi

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Figure 5: Sanding and cutting wood

4 th Week

5 June 2013 (Wednesday)

We had a group meeting for wood work on 5 June (Wednesday) where we met up to

dismantle another wood pallet, which we collected because we realised that we lacked wood

after doing some calculation and assessment. After dismantling the wood pallet, we sanded

the wood and cut the wood into different uniform parts. We recalculated the measurements

and labelled the wood. We still needed more wood, so we decided to purchase a piece of

plywood. We also planned on screwing the parts together as that would enable easier

dismantling and assembling of the bookshelf during installation at the site. Those present

were: Tan Hui Xian, Ling Gee You, YauCai Shan, VoonJia Wen, Wong Soon Fook, Wong

KienHou, TeoKhaiShen

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Figure 6: Sanding and Cutting Wood

8 June 2013 (Saturday)

A small group of us met up on 8 June (Saturday) to paint the construction pipes for the shoe

rack. Those present were: Wong KienHou, PungJiaChyi, TeoKhaiShen and Ling Gee You

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Figure 7: Painting construction pipes

5 th Week

10 June 2013 (Monday)

There was wood work practically every day in this week. A few of us met up on 10 June

(Monday) and stayed up till the night to assemble the book shelf. As the wood is assembled,

the designed is modified to form slots in the corners of some of the wood so that the wood

can be slotted in together and be held secure. The ones who were present were: Tan

AikKah, PungJiaChyi, TeoKhaiShen, Ling Gee You and Yong YihTyng.

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Figure 8: Constructing Bookshelf

11 June 2013 (Tuesday)

We had another group work session on 11 June (Tuesday) whereby we continued to

assemble the book shelf. Two of us went to buy and collect one large piece of plywood,

which we needed for the book shelf. Those present were: Tan Hui Xian, Ling Gee You,

VoonJia Wen, Yong YihTyng, Wong Soon Fook, Wong KienHou, Tan AikKah, TeoKhaiShen,

PungJiaChyi

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Figure 9: Constructing bookshelf

12 June 2013 (Wednesday)

We met up again on 12 June (Wednesday) to continue with assembling the book shelf. The

book shelf design and drawings were finalized today, for the construction to carry on till

completion. An idea for a small shoe rack came up, to make use of the leftover wood that we

have. We sawed and sanded the pieces of wood for the shoe rack, and cut the large piece of

plywood for the book shelf. Those present were: Tan Hui Xian, Ling Gee You, YauCai Shan,

VoonJia Wen, Yong YihTyng, Wong Soon Fook, Wong KienHou, Tan AikKah, TeoKhaiShen,

PungJiaChyi

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Figure 10: Constructing bookshelf and additional shoe rack

13 June 2013 (Thursday)

A few of us met up to construct the second shoe rack on 13 June (Thursday). Those present

were: Ling Gee You, PungJiaChyi and TeoKhaiShen

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Figure 11: Constructing the second shoe rack

14 June 2013 (Friday)

We came together to apply wood filler to the bookshelf and to paint the additional wooden

shoe rack. The wood filler took about an hour and a half to dry before we could apply

varnish. The shoe rack was painted with inspirational words to make the shoe rack

educational and more attractive. A wood bracing in the shape of an ‘X’ was made to help

stabilize the bottom part of the bookshelf. Those present were: Tan Hui Xian, YauCai Shan,

VoonJia Wen, Yong YihTyng, Wong Soon Fook, Wong KienHou

15 June 2013 (Saturday)

Two of us came to apply the first coat of varnish to the bookshelf. They were: Yong YihTyng

and Wong Soon Fook.

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Figure 12: Applying wood filler to the bookshelf and painting the shoe rack

6 th Week

17 June 2013 (Monday)

We met up and managed to accomplish many things on this day. We sanded the bookshelf

and applied a second coat of varnish. We completed the painting of the wooden shoe rack

and applied varnish to it. We scraped off the paint from the pipes so that glue can be applied

to the surface and the pipes can be glued together to form a stack of pipes. Those present

were: Tan Hui Xian, Ling Gee You, YauCai Shan, VoonJia Wen, Yong YihTyng, Wong Soon

Fook, Wong KienHou, Tan AikKah, TeoKhaiShen, PungJiaChyi

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18 June 2013 (Tuesday)

We gathered to continue our work, using a nail gun to nail the bottom foundation of the

bookshelf and glue the pipes together. A second coat of varnish is applied to the bookshelf.

Those present were: YauCai Shan, VoonJia Wen, Wong Soon Fook, Wong KienHou, Tan

AikKah

19 June 2013 (Wednesday)

We met up for one last time to complete our work. The wooden shoe rack is screwed

together, and the structure of the bookshelf is screwed together, whereas the backing of the

bookshelf is nailed to the structure with a nail gun. Metal L-shaped wood brackets are

screwed to the four corners of the bookshelf to stabilize the bookshelf. Those present were:

VoonJia Wen, Wong Soon Fook, Wong KienHou, Tan Hui Xian, TeoKhaiShen

Workload Distribution

Design team: Ling Gee You, PungJiaChyi, TeoKhaiShen

Construction team: Yong YihTyng, Tan AikKah, Wong Soon Fook, Wong KienHou, YauCai Shan, VoonJia Wen, Tan Hui Xian

Expenditure details: VoonJia Wen

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Figure 14: Nailing the backing of the bookshelf

Timeline barchart: TeoKhaiShen

Life Cycle Assessment Report: Yong YihTyng

Video editor: Wong Soon Fook, Tan AikKah

Report and Progress Documentation: Tan Hui Xian

Pictures and video: Tan Hui Xian, VoonJia Wen, Tan AikKah

Paint sponsored by: N F Cheong HardwaresSdnBhd

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Problems and Solutions

During the process of the project, we encountered a few hurdles that were a hindrance to the smooth progress of our project. Here are the problems we encountered and the ways we resolve them.

1) PVC glue unable to bind the pipes together after painting.

After testing out the PVC glue on 2 pipes, we proceeded with painting all the pipes. However, after painting, we realized that the PVC glue isn’t effective on the paint itself. Therefore, we had to scrape out certain parts of the paint to place the glue.

2) Poor condition of the recycled woods.

We had to allocate quite some time to improve the condition of the wood by smoothing the surface using sandpaper and filling the holes with wood filler.

3) Lack of a plank wood.

When searching for recycled wood, we couldn’t find a large piece of plank wood to cover the back of our bookshelf. In the end, we had to buy a large piece of plywood. Also, one piece of our plywood went missing. Luckily, Mr.Fendi gave us a piece of plywood as an act of kindness.

4) A large excess of wood from making the bookshelf.

Instead of throwing the leftover recycled wood away, we decided to use most of them to construct another shoe rack for the children at ZOMI as one shoe rack made up of pipes will not be able to fit all the children’s shoes there.

5) Stability of the bookshelf.

After the construction of the main frame, the bookshelf wasn’t very sturdy and stable. We added an X-shaped wood bracing to support the lower part of the shelf. Furthermore, we also used L-shaped metal brackets on the four corners of the bookshelf to stabilize the bookshelf, making it less shaky.

6) Lack of equipment to assemble the bookshelf on site.

We planned to disassemble the bookshelf and reconstruct it on site as the size of our bookshelf was quite big, and we were afraid that it will not be able to fit through the staircase to the first floor. However, none of us had a nail gun and an electric screwdriver. Thankfully, the people of ZOMI measured the width and length of the staircase for us. And since our bookshelf could fit through the staircase, we opted to hire a lorry for transport.

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Finished Products

1) Bookshelf

Bookshelf made from recycled wood

2) Shoe rack 1

Shoe rack made from pipes

3) Shoe rack 2

Shoe rack made from recycled wood

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Group Personal Reflection

Tan Hui Xian (0311719)

Being a part of this environmental-community service project has enabled me to understand the meaning of charity and giving back. It was a lot of hard work, meeting up almost every day to work on the bookshelf and the shoe racks, but knowing that my contribution has benefited the children and teachers of the ZOMI Education Center brought me a sense of wellbeing and joy, making it all worthwhile. Through this project, I have developed the skills of being able to communicate with people, to work on a team and especially in taking on the leadership role, in learning to delegate tasks and leading my team from the start to the end of the whole project. These are skillsets that cannot be taught from classes and books, they have to be learned through experience. Throughout the project, there were some problems that occur along the way, which we managed to solve as a team. This has enhanced my problem-solving and decision-making skills. I have also learned to work under pressure and to deal with different situations and people. This project has helped me to recognise and understand the role and responsibility of an architect towards the environment and society, and it taught me the importance of serving the community and giving back to the society. Besides that, I have also learned the importance of environmental sustainable design and recycling to preserve the resources of earth. Through my knowledge and experience as an architecture student, I long to make a difference by giving back to the community in building healthy homes, buildings and communities for people in need.

VoonJia Wen (0312703)

As an architecture student, we are never aware of the needs of the people and the community. We are being taught to be design with a creative mind and to come out with an aesthetic design. Yet we just end up with a design of our own desire. We never consider how our design can help the needy people and community around us. This project provides a good chance for us to get in contact, to explore and work with the community that needs our help. This project has provided a good chance for me to get in contact with, as well as to explore and work with the community. I had the opportunity to work as a team in identifying and understanding the needs of the people and to solve the problems with our creativity and thoughtful ideas. We are also able to use low embodied energy material by reusing recycled wood to produce a design and construct a small thing which can benefit them. Throughout the process of this assignment, I strongly believe that as an architecture student, we all have gained a better idea on the importance of design. The utmost rule of design is that it must be compatible with the user. Design that we do must be user friendly and can benefit the user. Lastly, to be a good architect in the future, we must not forget the most important principle which is that sustainability from the environment and social perspective must all come in together in prior consideration for our design.

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PungJiaChyi (0309585)

It is a rare occasion for us to conduct this kind of activity during our school time. With a group of ten, I have gained a lot of experience about teamwork during the progression of this project. Through this project, I realized that there is a specific connection between architecture and our community as well as the surrounding. This reminds me of a quote: “Architecture is not only for special occasions.” It can be proven through this project, in that we did something to accommodate their situation and requirement, in building a bookshelf and two shoe racks for them, using recycled material prominently. This is quite a challenge for us because we have to follow strictly the properties of material and use them in the right way. Those kids from ZOMI have been neglected by our community. I wish we could publicize the Myanmar Refugee Centre to our community, in the hopes that they could have a better life.

TeoKhaiShen (0310531)

I feel excited when I was given an opportunity to do community service for our ESD project, not by charity or by donation but by using architecture knowledge to provide a better place and facility to the children from ZOMI. Through this project, we learned to explore the opportunity to work with the community and for the community. As a team, cooperation and communication is very important in making decisions and working together. Besides that, we learned to construct a shelf by using our creativity and basic wood work knowledge, such as measuring and cutting the wood using machine, painting and vanishing. As an architect, we have to recognize our role and responsibility while constructing our shelf, to make sure that it is safe and functional. In addition, we have to consider the current environmental circumstances, material and budget while constructing the shelf. I sincerely hope that I can spend more time to help them especially with their education. Education is the key factor in changing their lives and they deserve a better life because everyone has the rights to one. Society should pay more attention to them and provide a proper learning environment for them.

Wong KienHou (0312104)

While carrying out this project, I've come to mull upon several matters. Firstly, my awareness of the local environmental issues and concerns such as the importance of recycling has improved. When searching for used wood, I've seen a lot of scrap materials that would've been better off recycled instead of being trashed. Furthermore, I was also able to explore various approaches to sustainable architecture through designing things with environmental friendly materials. Through the design process, I've also come to learn to try and meet the needs of our clients. When designing, an architect should always integrate the needs of the user into the structure. During our site visit, we see that the children of ZOMI were very happy and eager to study despite the unconducive environment. Seeing them has made me appreciate more of the simple and finer things we have in life. As a whole, this project has given me a sense of satisfaction and happiness, in being able to help out the people of ZOMI. I have also further recognized my role and responsibility as a future architect towards the environment and society.

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YauCai Shan (0303325)

This project has enabled me to understand the need of the society and the ways we can help them.After interacting with the people from ZOMI, I realized that there were many people in our society who needed help. As architecture students, I understand that our design is not only for our needs, but for the user's needs as well. Our environment is getting more polluted, thus, I was happy to be able to use recycled items to help them. I feel proud and happy to be able to successfully design by adapting into the environment. Even though what we did does not really resolve the issues of pollution, I believe we have set a very good example to the society. I hope more people can be involved in recycling and going green in helping to save the environment. I hope that through this project, the importance of environmental issues have been instilled in the children of ZOMI. If everyone practices recycling and going green, we can probably save our earth.

Wong Soon Fook (0302953)

Throughout this project, my awareness of current environmental issues has increased. By using recycled wood to construct a brand new homemade multipurpose shelf, I believe that our shelf still has the same grade and quality as the shelves at IKEA! In attempting to explore the current environmental issues, I was able to explore the opportunity to work with the community and for the community and expand my creativity. Before this, I was not aware of my ability as a student in providing help to the people and community, but I realized that only after I saw their happiness and appreciation after we had completed the installation on site. Besides that, this project also helped to create awareness of the importance of creating environmentally sustainable product, design and also services. We are using the low embodied energy material (recyclable wood) as our material in creating and constructing our own design. I think that our design is so successful in that it is fitting and compatible with the user and it is also environmentally friendly and beneficial to the user. Lastly, I am able to understand and explain the principles of sustainability from the environmental and social perspective for the whole process (material choosing, woodwork process, contact with the user and understanding what they lack and need).

Ling Gee You (0311338)

This project is not only about giving to people but it is also about establishing a sound relationship with the group of people that are far apart from our life. When people make a conscious effort to care for the people from another social group and give them some respect, some love or even some used appliance to them, our society will be peaceful and harmonious. Besides that, this is also a good opportunity for me to learn how to turn waste into something useful, and this has been instilled in my life. If everyone knows how to use the sources of earth effectively and sparingly, the earth will remain clean and green. Regarding this project, I am very happy to see the smiles on their faces when their classroom has become cleaner and tidier with the shelf that we have made. Although I can only do so much for them, I hope that what little contribution we have made will warm their hearts and they can share their joy with others in the future.

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Tan AikKah (0303128)

This community service has been a valuable experience for me as an architecture degree student as I was able to conduct a space settlement for people who are in need. It took us several days to analyze, interpret and design the space, and we came up with a multipurpose shelf and a shoe rack. We are now more familiar with the process needed for the conduct of a settlement and are more tolerant in facing problems and also in communicating with one another for further design exploration. During the construction period, we learned a lot of basic construction ways in bringing more stability for our shelf, the use of technology (wood cutter, drill, and sanding machine) and also the importance of teamwork which enables us to finish our assignment on time. The environmental issue that caught my attention is that many waste materials which can be reused are discarded along the road side, causing pollution to the environment. This inspired me to explore the area of environmental sustainable design and I have set this as my goal in pursuing my Masters in architecture.

Yong YihTyng (0312764)

This project has given me a chance to keep in touch with the society, to understand and thus distinguish between human basic needs and desires. It helps me redefine the term "design basic". The initial motive of designing is a form of crave against the necessity of a solution, return to the basic, it is all about ways to adapt and survive. As in the architectural design, the basic design motive is to provide a shelter, a functional space, or in other words, a multipurpose tool to adapt into the environment which later leads to survival. This is the main idea of the basic needs of a human. In contrast with human basic needs is the term "desire". Desire is influenced by human wish, not to the point of necessity. There was a charity organization in our list that has been concluded to be well supplied in terms of material while the other has a problem in the financial area, so we chose to help the one with the greater need. I have notice a great difference between these organizations. I would personally view them both as needy, but in a different way. According to Mr Zul whom we met at the first organization, I have noticed that although they are equipped with sufficient supply, spiritually they are in lack. The girls in the house came from different backgrounds and thus they have psychological issues to tackle. The sense of harmony is not there yet. While the other charity organization that has been selected - ZOMI, although lacking in material supply and being foreigners in a foreign country, their spirit to survive is there. There is a unity and intimacy between the members. While we were helping out at the site, I was greeted by this little girl, who gave me a hand on the cleaning work. We both spoke different languages, but when communication became a need, creativity flows. At last, we completed the arrangement of things in boxes without even a spoken word. We just use hand and sight. Back to the question of whether an over-furnished home with a negative impact on the environment is a need or barely a desire? I shall quote a phrase, "Go Back to the Basic, Go Green".

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Conclusion

Throughout the course of this project, we have learned many things and gained many experiences. During our site visit to ZOMI, our eyes were opened to the poor and simple lives of the young Myanmar refugees. Although in lack, they seem very happy and grateful with whatever little they had. Despite the unconducive environment in the small and crampy classroom, they still strive to study hard in seeking to improve their lives. The children are very kind to us and have really polite manners. Seeing them makes us feel grateful and more appreciative of what we already have.

Besides that, we further developed an awareness of the local environmental issues. While searching for and gathering recycled wood, there were plenty of scrap materials soon to be transported to a waste site. We decided to recycle these scrap wood by using them for our project. Recycling would be a much better route to save our Earth’s resources.

Besides that, through learning various ways to design our bookshelf and shoe racks with environmental friendly materials, we were able to expand our creativity in designing. This brought us another step closer to understanding environmental sustainable architecture. Although the path to completing this project was filled with many hurdles and challenges, we are glad to be able to serve and help the needy children of ZOMI. Their appreciation and joy gave us a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. Furthermore, this project helped us to recognize our role and responsibility as an architect towards the environment and society.

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