KETAHANAN KAMPONG AYER

PERFORMATIVE AND ADAPTIVE INFRASTRUCTURES FOR A SUSTAINABLE WATER VILLAGE IN BRUNEI

(Achieved distinction in the master planning design research)

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SUPERVISOR

Sean McMahon

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Located in Brunei at the heart of Borneo in South East Asia, Kampong Ayer, or directly translated as the water village is the birthplace of Brunei and the world's largest settlement on stilts. It is also one of the most important tourist attractions proudly introduced by the country. However, the water village is long overdue which requires self-sustenance due to age, economy depletion and lost sense of community. The government has been encouraging people to move from water to land even during the British colonisation. Instead, the people are trying their best to seek expertise to tackle these issues whilst preserving their heritage, enhancing local interaction and cultural aspects.

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This project attempts to improve the economy, ecology, health and design of the area. Since the government is exploring into the agricultural sector, implementing aquaponic system takes advantage of the existing aquaculture in the village and the new hydroponic interventions. This creates a strong foundation for a new network-based infrastructure in which a single instance of retrofitting design are applied to three main typology scales - housing, nodal hubs and schools. This will potentially improve the existing conditions whilst considering cost-effectiveness and high adaptability for the people living on water. 

 

Being the 'largest water village in the world' by name does not suffice, but that might change by introducing new interventions via means of adding value and retrofitting. This project also acts as an introduction to the topic for the country to explore. Although it may not be about how well the infrastructures are being executed, but rather, the possibilities of what this could achieve in the years to come.