What was the client's brief and objective?

Phua Hong Wei (Associate at WOHA): SG Enable, our client, is an agency that supports people with disabilities with information, grants, training and employment options. They also engage family, community, stakeholders and public to adopt inclusive practices to enable people with disabilities as integral members of the society.

Together, we worked to transform the former Bukit Merah Vocational Institute into the Enabling Village. The objective was to ensure we did not create a place purely for people with disabilities. It had to be for everyone – a place that connects people with disabilities with the rest of society.

What 'problem' does this design solve?

Hong Wei: The site is located in the mature heartlands of Redhill. There was a lack of public amenities and focus on community. The existing site was fenced up with limited frontage. Internally, the driveway and carpark cut off connectivity with the edges. The site turned its back on the surroundings.

Our proposal opened up the site, so that it became a new community ‘heart’ that connects people with disabilities, residents and the public. We stitched together the separate buildings with landscaping so that the entire site becomes a park – an inclusive space with variety and diversity that caters to everyone.

To achieve these goals, we reclaimed the ground for public use, improved walkable links to plug into the neighbourhood, and increased the viability of the public realm. Our basic tenet is that the more meeting points we create, the more opportunities people can get to know one another, maximising the potential for a socially successful environment. In this way, a village environment emerges naturally.

What challenges did you encounter during the design or contruction process? How did you resolve them?

Hong Wei: The buildings at the site were built in stages from the 1970s. Information about them was sketchy. The team steered through many unknown territories. So it took two years from design inception to transforming and completing the project.

In the bigger picture, we think Enabling Village is a good reference for the remaking of a Singaporean heartland. As we continue to reimagine the neighbourhoods and repurpose existing properties, we can create new ‘hearts and lungs’ to serve the existing community fabric.

How does the end-user experience motivate you as a designer?

Hong Wei: We put in the ‘hardware’ at Enabling Village with the end-user requirements in mind. Since the Village opened, we have been delighted to witness the wide variety of community activities that have been organised there by SG Enable, Autism Resource Centre, the Ministry of Social and Family Development, agencies and partners.

The day-to-day interactions and participation in these activities create shared memories, encouraging and strengthening community bonds. The ‘hardware’ creates common ground that cultivates the ‘heartware’, a collective kampong spirit. This is very gratifying for all of us.

Singapore was designated UNESCO Creative City of Design in 2015. How might you or other Singaporeans contribute to this creativity?

Hong Wei: As designers, we have a responsibility to create a better world, small or big. We must constantly question, innovate and invent to create new experiences and typologies that engage and benefit society as a whole.

Enabling Village demonstrates how old buildings can be effectively repurposed to serve the community and neighbourhood, without demolishing and rebuilding, which is often the easy solution. It also showcases how nature, greenery and shared amenities can be integrated to invigorate the everyday experience.

What existing design do you think has a positive impact on society?

Hong Wei: Steve Jobs once said, “Design is not how it looks or feels like. It is how it works.” In that sense, the smartphone has transformed a humble communication tool into a multi-purpose platform whose functionality is constantly evolving. It is an all-in-one gadget Singapore was designated UNESCO Creative City of Design in 2015. How might you or other Singaporeans contribute to this creativity? watch, alarm, calculator, diary, camera, apps for working, gaming and learning. On a social level, it is transforming how we connect with each other. The design of the gadget and media platform has to be simple, intuitive and accessible to enable communication, social presence and exposure. If designed well, it has a positive potential to bridge and bond.

How does the end-user experience motivate you as a designer?

We put in the ‘hardware’ at Enabling Village with the end-user requirements in mind. Since the Village opened, we have been delighted to witness the wide variety of community activities that have been organized there by SG Enable, Autism Resource Centre, the Ministry of Social and Family Development, agencies and partners. The day-to-day interactions and participation in these activities create shared memories, encouraging and strengthening community bonds. The ‘hardware’ creates common ground that cultivates the ‘heartware’, a collective kampong spirit. This is very gratifying for all of us.