Latest news with #Serangoon
CNA
04-07-2025
- CNA
Despair, frustration and helplessness among delivery riders over foreigners working illegally in their midst
SINGAPORE: For some time now, part-time delivery rider Alvin Lim has noticed fellow riders who he suspected were foreigners working illegally in food delivery. Last September, the 33-year-old tried to take matters into his own hands. 'At that time, there were so many of them — around five to six riders — just at Serangoon Nex on a daily basis. They were all riding e-bikes." 'One other rider from Serangoon called the police on one of them, and a report was taken. We also submitted all the information to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM),' he said, claiming that they were here on student passes. 'Even after the police report, they continued operating, but became more cautious. They started hiding their faces and avoided going to Nex,' said Mr Lim, then adding that they have reappeared in recent weeks around the area. He is not alone in feeling frustrated over the issue. Speaking to CNA, several platform workers expressed their outrage over the lack of action taken against these foreigners illegally performing delivery jobs. There is a sense of resignation and helplessness – reports to the authorities did not stem the tide of these workers, and led them to believe that it was impossible to stop them from competing with them for the same pool of delivery jobs. 'What's there to be angry about? Can't control this. Many drivers have complained before and they are finally doing something,' said one delivery rider who wanted to be known only by his surname Chow. CNA has reported the illegal use of delivery accounts from as early as 2023, when it found multiple listings on online marketplace Carousell advertising Deliveroo and foodpanda rider accounts for sale. On Friday (Jul 4), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said that a trilateral workgroup is being formed to address the issue. The workgroup will involve Grab Singapore, MOM and the Ministry of Transport (MOT), who will work with NTUC and its affiliated associations. The group will collectively address platform workers' challenges and safeguard their well-being in view of the rapidly evolving economy, MOM and MOT said in a joint statement on Friday. It will be overseen by Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, and Grab Group Managing Director of Operations Yee Wee Tang. Only Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) are allowed to work as delivery riders for companies like Grab, Deliveroo and foodpanda. NTUC noted in its press release that foreigners who perform delivery jobs without work permits create illegal or unfair competition for delivery workers, directly impacting their earnings. Apart from this tripartite effort, a group of delivery food riders will be meeting privately with Workers' Party secretary-general Pritam Singh in the following days too, according to some gig workers who reached out to CNA. STRONG COMPETITION FOR LIMITED JOBS With less people ordering food delivery now compared to the past when the economy was doing better, Mr A Kenji, a delivery rider for six years, felt that illegal riders have also increased competition in the space. 'It feels like there are only 50 pieces of cake but 200 people fighting for them.' 'This undercuts fair competition and drivers' earnings down for everyone else,' he said. 'We are trying hard to feed (our) own family so when this kind of people start to break (the) law it is difficult for us.' Other delivery riders echoed his sentiments, saying that it is unfair to have to compete with foreigners working illegally. 'I do the work and work from morning to evening and I have to split with illegal workers, do you think that is fair?' Ms Tracy Chan, a full-time food delivery rider of five years, asked. Asked how they knew that these riders were working illegally, delivery riders said they suspect that some had "borrowed" existing accounts from legitimate account holders, and in exchange, given them a cut of their earnings. Ms Chan, 55, told CNA in Mandarin that accounts that go dormant for a long time and suddenly become active could indicate fraudulent usage. Fellow rider Muhammad Irfan Abdul Rahim, 24, who has been on the job just as long, said that these suspicious delivery riders have been flagged before in a chat group comprising riders around his Serangoon area. He said the suspicious riders keep to themselves as their mannerisms and accents give them away as foreigners. Other delivery riders who have encountered foreigners working illegally told CNA that they are also identifiable by their facial features and motorbikes bearing Malaysian licence plates. 'From time to time, I notice riders on Malaysian-registered motorcycles carrying large delivery bags. Often, these riders seem unfamiliar with our roads and behave as though they are in a rush to avoid being stopped,' said Mr Kenji. 'Ever since more and more illegal riders started doing food delivery, I have personally felt anxious when I see other riders beating red lights or cutting across lanes abruptly, because everyone wants to complete their drop-offs quickly and fight for the next job,' he told CNA. UNAUTHORISED RIDE-HAILING AND ILLEGAL HITCH DRIVERS NTUC had also flagged the issue of illegal hitch services, such as unauthorised ride-hailing services operating through messaging apps like Telegram which directly impact workers' earnings. "These illegal services undercut legitimate platform workers' job opportunities, creating unfair competition that affects workers' ability to earn sustainable earnings," NTUC said. 'Illegal drivers will mean there are less passengers for legit drivers, aside from being outright dangerous as they may not have undertaken proper training,' Mr Nash Tan, a full-time Grab driver said. 'A good part of our passengers are tourists. Providing safe means of transport equals upholding the nation's reputation of being safe, and protects livelihood for legitimate drivers,' he added. Another full-time driver, Mr Andy Lim, voiced his frustration over the growing competition in an already saturated market. 'I don't have a whole piece of cake and the market is not big ... if you add the illegal ones they will eat into the pie.' 'If the demand is 100 calls per day it will remain at 100 calls unless it's the weekend. The market is already like that. If other drivers come in it will eat into the 100 calls,' he added. The 50-year-old sees roughly 15 calls on a seven-hour shift, averaging about two jobs an hour. WHY THIS MATTERS TO PLATFORM WORKERS If illegal platform workers continue to increase the total number of workers in the sector, both earnings and the availability of work for Singaporeans will decline, said associate professor Walter Theseira, a transport economist from the Singapore University of Social Sciences. 'However, this effect comes about largely from the expansion of supply, and is no different from what would happen if more Singaporeans decided to enter the sector,' he said. In terms of safety, Assoc Prof Theseira said that there could be 'potential risks' if an account holder allows foreigners to illegally use their accounts as personal data can be easily accessed. There will also be risks to delivery recipients, he added. 'Part of what ensures safety in the system is being able to trace the identity of the delivery agent, which won't be possible when a different person is using the account.' Welcoming the formation of the workgroup as an overdue move, delivery riders suggested several measures to curb the illicit use of platform accounts. Ms Chan and Mr Irfan suggested random physical checks on delivery riders while they are out and about on the job. Ms Chan referred to how a particular platform used to have staff members who checked on delivery riders years ago, adding that the platform could bring back such enforcers. Mr Irfan said that the MOM could deploy enforcement officers for the task, pointing to how the ministry had the authority to conduct enforcement activity in other sectors. Mr Alvin Lim said that the authorities needed to investigate how foreigners who misuse delivery accounts obtain their accounts, and how they were bypassing the platforms' checks. 'What I hope the authorities can do is enforce the laws they have set. If the law only allows Singaporeans and PRs to work as food delivery riders, then there needs to be active enforcement. Otherwise, the rules are meaningless,' he said. There have already been improvements to combat this problem, said delivery rider Kelvin Lee, who has noticed platforms have introduced face verification. 'So it's going to be very, very troublesome for foreigners to do delivery using other people's accounts. (They would) have to meet up everyday to log in.'
CNA
04-07-2025
- CNA
Despair, frustration and helplessness among platform workers over foreigners working illegally in their midst
SINGAPORE: For some time now, part-time delivery rider Alvin Lim has noticed fellow riders who he suspected were foreigners working illegally in food delivery. Last September, the 33-year-old tried to take matters into his own hands. 'At that time, there were so many of them — around five to six riders — just at Serangoon Nex on a daily basis. They were all riding e-bikes." 'One other rider from Serangoon called the police on one of them, and a report was taken. We also submitted all the information to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM),' he said, claiming that they were here on student passes. 'Even after the police report, they continued operating, but became more cautious. They started hiding their faces and avoided going to Nex,' said Mr Lim, then adding that they have reappeared in recent weeks around the area. He is not alone in feeling frustrated over the issue. Speaking to CNA, several platform workers expressed their outrage over the lack of action taken against these foreigners illegally performing delivery jobs. There is a sense of resignation and helplessness – reports to the authorities did not stem the tide of these workers, and led them to believe that it was impossible to stop them from competing with them for the same pool of delivery jobs. 'What's there to be angry about? Can't control this. Many drivers have complained before and they are finally doing something,' said one delivery rider who wanted to be known only by his surname Chow. CNA has reported the illegal use of delivery accounts from as early as 2023, when it found multiple listings on online marketplace Carousell advertising Deliveroo and foodpanda rider accounts for sale. On Friday (Jul 4), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said that a trilateral workgroup is being formed to address the issue. The workgroup will involve Grab Singapore, MOM and the Ministry of Transport (MOT), who will work with NTUC and its affiliated associations. The group will collectively address platform workers' challenges and safeguard their well-being in view of the rapidly evolving economy, MOM and MOT said in a joint statement on Friday. It will be overseen by Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, and Grab Group Managing Director of Operations Yee Wee Tang. Only Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) are allowed to work as delivery riders for companies like Grab, Deliveroo and foodpanda. NTUC noted in its press release that foreigners who perform delivery jobs without work permits create illegal or unfair competition for delivery workers, directly impacting their earnings. Apart from this tripartite effort, a group of delivery food riders will be meeting privately with Workers' Party secretary-general Pritam Singh in the following days too, according to some gig workers who reached out to CNA. STRONG COMPETITION FOR LIMITED JOBS With less people ordering food delivery now compared to the past when the economy was doing better, Mr A Kenji, a delivery rider for six years, felt that illegal riders have also increased competition in the space. 'It feels like there are only 50 pieces of cake but 200 people fighting for them.' 'This undercuts fair competition and drivers' earnings down for everyone else,' he said. 'We are trying hard to feed (our) own family so when this kind of people start to break (the) law it is difficult for us.' Other delivery riders echoed his sentiments, saying that it is unfair to have to compete with foreigners working illegally. 'I do the work and work from morning to evening and I have to split with illegal workers, do you think that is fair?' Ms Tracy Chan, a full-time food delivery rider of five years, asked. Asked how they knew that these riders were working illegally, delivery riders said they suspect that some had "borrowed" existing accounts from legitimate account holders, and in exchange, given them a cut of their earnings. Ms Chan, 55, told CNA in Mandarin that accounts that go dormant for a long time and suddenly become active could indicate fraudulent usage. Fellow rider Muhammad Irfan Abdul Rahim, 24, who has been on the job just as long, said that these suspicious delivery riders have been flagged before in a chat group comprising riders around his Serangoon area. He said the suspicious riders keep to themselves as their mannerisms and accents give them away as foreigners. Other delivery riders who have encountered foreigners working illegally told CNA that they are also identifiable by their facial features and motorbikes bearing Malaysian licence plates. 'From time to time, I notice riders on Malaysian-registered motorcycles carrying large delivery bags. Often, these riders seem unfamiliar with our roads and behave as though they are in a rush to avoid being stopped,' said Mr Kenji. 'Ever since more and more illegal riders started doing food delivery, I have personally felt anxious when I see other riders beating red lights or cutting across lanes abruptly, because everyone wants to complete their drop-offs quickly and fight for the next job,' he told CNA. UNAUTHORISED RIDE-HAILING AND ILLEGAL HITCH DRIVERS NTUC had also flagged the issue of illegal hitch services, such as unauthorised ride-hailing services operating through messaging apps like Telegram which directly impact workers' earnings. "These illegal services undercut legitimate platform workers' job opportunities, creating unfair competition that affects workers' ability to earn sustainable earnings," NTUC said. 'Illegal drivers will mean there are less passengers for legit drivers, aside from being outright dangerous as they may not have undertaken proper training,' Mr Nash Tan, a full-time Grab driver said. 'A good part of our passengers are tourists. Providing safe means of transport equals upholding the nation's reputation of being safe, and protects livelihood for legitimate drivers,' he added. Another full-time driver, Mr Andy Lim, voiced his frustration over the growing competition in an already saturated market. 'I don't have a whole piece of cake and the market is not big ... if you add the illegal ones they will eat into the pie.' 'If the demand is 100 calls per day it will remain at 100 calls unless it's the weekend. The market is already like that. If other drivers come in it will eat into the 100 calls,' he added. The 50-year-old sees roughly 15 calls on a seven-hour shift, averaging about two jobs an hour. WHY THIS MATTERS TO PLATFORM WORKERS If illegal platform workers continue to increase the total number of workers in the sector, both earnings and the availability of work for Singaporeans will decline, said associate professor Walter Theseira, a transport economist from the Singapore University of Social Sciences. 'However, this effect comes about largely from the expansion of supply, and is no different from what would happen if more Singaporeans decided to enter the sector,' he said. In terms of safety, Assoc Prof Theseira said that there could be 'potential risks' if an account holder allows foreigners to illegally use their accounts as personal data can be easily accessed. There will also be risks to delivery recipients, he added. 'Part of what ensures safety in the system is being able to trace the identity of the delivery agent, which won't be possible when a different person is using the account.' Welcoming the formation of the workgroup as an overdue move, delivery riders suggested several measures to curb the illicit use of platform accounts. Ms Chan and Mr Irfan suggested random physical checks on delivery riders while they are out and about on the job. Ms Chan referred to how a particular platform used to have staff members who checked on delivery riders years ago, adding that the platform could bring back such enforcers. Mr Irfan said that the MOM could deploy enforcement officers for the task, pointing to how the ministry had the authority to conduct enforcement activity in other sectors. Mr Alvin Lim said that the authorities needed to investigate how foreigners who misuse delivery accounts obtain their accounts, and how they were bypassing the platforms' checks. 'What I hope the authorities can do is enforce the laws they have set. If the law only allows Singaporeans and PRs to work as food delivery riders, then there needs to be active enforcement. Otherwise, the rules are meaningless,' he said. There have already been improvements to combat this problem, said delivery rider Kelvin Lee, who has noticed platforms have introduced face verification. 'So it's going to be very, very troublesome for foreigners to do delivery using other people's accounts. (They would) have to meet up everyday to log in.'
Independent Singapore
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Better support system needed for Serangoon seniors for accessing public services, says WP MP Kenneth Tiong
SINGAPORE: Newly minted Member of Parliament (MP) from the Workers' Party (WP), Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied Group Representation Constituency [GRC]), shone a light on the difficulties some seniors in Serangoon, the ward he represents, have with the digital delivery of public services, and added that a better support system is needed for them. In a Facebook post on Monday (Jun 16), Mr Tiong wrote that he had been at Serangoon North last weekend for food distribution and a walk around the area's coffee shops. He shared that some of the feedback he had heard from the people he talked to involved the frustrations of the older residents of Serangoon when it comes to dealing with digital services. 'A lot of our elderly residents are not tech-savvy, and they do not perceive Singapore's Digital-First delivery of public services as an ally in helping them navigate these services. ServiceSG is intended to be a key part of this, streamlining access to digital government functions,' he wrote. See also People still applying to join PSP despite Covid-19 outbreak Mr Tiong outlined the problems a senior resident might face, giving the example of a resident who, having found been unfamiliar with a specific digital platform, would be redirected to a ServiceSG centre for assistance with government digital services. 'This redirection immediately poses a significant hurdle,' he wrote, adding that there are no ServiceSG centres in Serangoon. The nearest one is at One Punggol, which could take around 45 minutes to get to. This would be a substantial effort on the part of the senior, particularly for those who are older, who have mobility issues, or who need to take a leave from work to do so. He also wrote that in February, when his fellow WP MP at Aljunied, Gerald Giam, asked for a ServiceSG Centre in Parliament, Minister Chan Chun Sing said, 'There is no plan in the short term to start a ServiceSG Centre in Serangoon town.' If and when the senior does take the trip to a ServiceSG centre, they may discover that the specific function they need, such as a certain application from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, may not be handled by ServiceSG. 'This critical information is often only revealed after they have expended time and effort to travel to the centre,' he noted, adding, 'This frustrating scenario is exacerbated by the absence of readily available phone numbers for ServiceSG. Residents cannot easily call beforehand to confirm if their specific enquiry can be addressed, or what documents to bring, leading to potentially wasted trips.' In cases when services do fall under the purview of ServiceSG, according to some residents, they were told, 'We cannot help you, please go to the agency.' 'This chain of experiences—from initial redirection, to a lengthy journey (especially for Serangoon residents), to discovering service gaps only upon arrival, compounded by a lack of pre-emptive phone support and sometimes unhelpful encounters—needs improvement to be the supportive, ally-like system we aspire to have,' he added. /TISG Read also: One to watch: WP's Kenneth Tiong may take Leon Perera's place at Aljunied
Independent Singapore
13-05-2025
- Independent Singapore
Young boys caught throwing chairs and bottles off rooftop at Serangoon Capeview; police investigating
- Advertisement - SINGAPORE: A group of boys was seen dangerously hurling objects off a rooftop at Serangoon Capeview on Wednesday (May 8), raising serious safety concerns among residents. An eyewitness who lives in the area told citizen journalism site Stomp that she spotted the youths climbing up to the rooftop access of Block 476 Upper Serangoon View at around 6:30 p.m. She said the boys had carried chairs and appeared to be hanging out casually atop the structure. 'I saw these boys climbing to the rooftop access at about 6:30 p.m. They brought chairs to sit on. It seems very dangerous,' she said. Photos she took show the boys perched on the rooftop with the chairs. In one of the images, the boys appear to be seated in a relaxed manner, while others stand near the edge. - Advertisement - However, it wasn't just their presence on the rooftop that raised alarm. According to the resident, the boys were seen throwing various items—including bottles and chairs—from the rooftop onto the street below. 'They were throwing items that may be dangerous off the roof, onto the street, and they made a very loud sound,' she said. A video clip she recorded shows the boys tossing objects off the roof, with loud crashes audible as the items hit the ground. 'Someone called the police, but they left before the police arrived,' she added. 'They were also throwing chairs up and down and bottles off the premises onto the streets below.' - Advertisement - In response to media queries, the police confirmed receiving a call for assistance at around 6:35 p.m. that evening. No injuries were reported, but the incident has sparked concern among residents, who say the boys' actions could have caused serious harm to pedestrians or vehicles passing below. Block 476 is part of the Serangoon Capeview Build-To-Order (BTO) development, a relatively new residential estate along Upper Serangoon View. Rooftop access is typically restricted in HDB flats, except for maintenance purposes. Police investigations are ongoing.
CNA
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
This home in Singapore puts the spotlight on the owner's extensive art collection
It was with delight that I encountered an artwork by local artist Dawn Ng the moment I stepped into this inter-terrace house. The archival pigment print Some Will Fall In Love With Life And Drink It From A Fountain That Is Pouring Like An Avalanche Coming Down The Mountain from her Clocks series offers a Technicolor punch to a white wall. Is it a rainbow mountain or a coloured-in pebble, writ large? The artwork itself is enigmatic but what strikes me more is the insouciant juxtaposition of the chromatic picture with colourful baskets atop an antique timber cabinet as if to say: Art, like a piece of furniture or even tableware, should be enjoyed without inhibition in a home. The home in question belongs to a 40-something medical professional who prefers to be unnamed. Art is her passion and here in this dwelling designed by Wu Yen Yen, the founder of Genome Architects, she can finally display many pieces that had for a time been stored away. Both client and architect were secondary school classmates and so working together on the house was casual and inhibited. 'I sat next to her in class! It was a fun collaboration. It's my first time building a house, but Yen Yen knew what I wanted and made the process easy,' said the homeowner, who had grown up in Serangoon, and sought to build a house here. The brief? To design a three-storey house to enjoy her art collection and pets in, and to future-proof it for her parents to eventually consider moving in to live with her, shared Wu. The pets are two cats that happily roam this spacious abode. The parents have not moved in yet even at the request of their filial daughter but after visiting the home, they are giving it serious contemplation. The art is a vital part of the narrative. The homeowner began collecting about 20 years ago, starting with Australian Aboriginal paintings and textiles. 'I was always drawn to ethnic and tribal designs and crafts, as well as contemporary sculptural and 3D pieces,' she explained, adding that she usually sources from local galleries and art fairs. Not surprisingly, gallery owners have become close acquaintances. 'Friends like Stephanie Fong from FOST Gallery and Richard Koh from Richard Ho Fine Art (RKFA) came by and gave suggestions on how to display some of the pieces,' said the homeowner. One such advice was the placement of Kwodrent's Arrangement in Monochrome installation next to the staircase. Being at eye level, one can come up close to scrutinise the acrylic polypropylene loop pins and polyamide cable ties 'bouquets'. 'The art installer also gave great ideas on where to hang certain works,' said the homeowner. 'I also wanted to display most of the bigger art works because I had limited storage space.' The house is a perfect foil for the art without pandering to the white cube art gallery typology. It is 'art-in-house' in the manner of mixing the elemental and prosaic, such as an abstract piece by Indonesian artist Syagini Ratna Wulan above the television. But Wu's architecture also makes this project 'house-as-art'. Firstly, the building looks nothing like its neighbours – a Spanish-style, terracotta roof and vanilla-walled building on one side, and an uncharacteristic white box on the other. Its facade is a considered jumble of features not typically associated with domestic architecture, particularly a two-storey, arched brick surface with arched screen doors and a three-storey glass curved wall that fronts a spiral staircase. The former is stoic, suggestive of ecclesiastical structures and blocks out the sun; the latter is fluid, transparent and lets in copious daylight. The pairing is unorthodox but then again, as Wu explains, the homeowner was most happy to explore unexpected materials, forms and colours. 'I've always liked brickwork, geometry and pattern, clean lines and quirky designs,' she said. 'I told Yen Yen that I wanted a house with good natural light, is well crafted and easy to clean. I also wanted a spiral staircase, and she delivered!' Wu approached the design of the outside and inside of the dwelling differently. 'Externally, the vaulted roof, which continues into the attic, the brick wall and screen, and the circular glass staircase, establishes a strong visual identity in its play of formal composition, depth and tactility,' she said. In contrast, distinct volumes and voids in clean, solid, neutral colours come together to create a 'quiet' three-storey interior, where art can be meaningfully displayed throughout, and the inhabitants can feel peaceful. Apart from many white surfaces, a colour-block of moss green on the first storey frames the entrance door, and hides the powder room door and a foldaway staircase to a mezzanine-cum-store room. It extends to define the kitchen joinery at the rear of the house where full-length glass doors open to the backyard. There is terrazzo too (cladding the pantry counter on the second storey), and metal framing the fenestration. Inside the house, white metal mesh is used for the balustrades and flooring at parts. 'They are expressed as lightweight and porous so that the connective areas are not visually broken up,' Wu highlighted. This is also genius in enhancing light and airflow through the narrow section, and allowing the artwork to be seen from the different levels. Along the left party wall, Wu has designed parts of the house to be entirely see-through from the front to rear, as well as from the first storey up to the attic level where the homeowner has her bedroom and an art storeroom. This wall is where the homeowner mounts her largest pieces: Yeoh Choo Kuan's Sun Rays Through the Clouds, Sabri Idrus' Flux, Wayan Novi's Tropical Happiness #2 and Khairulddin Wahab's In the Margins. She chose to place these colourful pieces facing her parents' room. They become the view through large swivel doors that double as canvases with art hook incorporated into them. These doors are part of a future-proofing strategy, explained Wu. Inside the parents' large en-suite bedroom are sliding doors that provide the option of creating two adjoining private rooms, connected to a potential caregiver's room toward the front of the house. The second storey and attic have open spaces that overlook the tall void like internal terraces. Here, cabinets exhibit the homeowner's other curiosities, such as an amazing collection of baskets collected from travels, auctions, thrift stores and flea markets. 'I've always found weaving to be a fascinating craft, as it requires significant mathematical skills and a great memory,' said the homeowner. Her dogged passion saw her hunting down Werregue baskets woven by local indigenous communities of Colombia where she travelled to a few years ago. 'The weaving technique was unlike any I had seen. I spent the entire trip looking out for them and luckily, found some on the last day,' she shared. Sometimes, the pieces come to her in star-matched ways, as she recounted: 'One of the first baskets I collected, which is still one of my favourites, is the huge Lombok basket that I got from the previous tenant of a black-and-white rental home in the Seletar airbase. I had always wanted one and it came together with the first place I stayed on my own!' On the third storey is another wondrous collection displayed on open shelves, of Isan betal nut boxes that the homeowner purchased over the years from a good friend who runs Isan Gallery in Singapore. 'I generally gravitate towards geometric designs and I like how some of the boxes have seemingly 'modern' motifs but are actually more than 50 years old.' Wu highlighted that while the house was designed to display art, it was also meant to be functional. For example, the front elevation screens shield from the southwest-facing sunlight. She used solar simulation to inform some of her design decisions, such as where to place a triple-volume space (the front of the house) and windows to mitigate stack effect, enhance air movement, and frame views. Being a transitional space, the spiral staircase was also placed here as a solar buffer. 'We have designed this circular staircase to be as lightweight as possible, so that it is a see-through sculptural form that is backlit from the inside while still letting in abundant indirect natural light,' Wu elaborated on the design. The curved windows at the front next to the spiral staircase can be slid open to help create airy interiors. This is a crazy detail, I commented as I observed the curved sliding tracks. Wu agreed that it was difficult to both design and construct. 'We also overlapped glass pieces at the higher areas so that the stairwell can be constantly ventilated passively. Considering the steps, landings, material sizes, dimensional tolerances and need for structural rigidity, working with curved glass, curved steel and a curved staircase.' On how the house has met her expectations, the homeowner commented: 'It has a lot of natural light and great volumes of space, which give greater visual impact to the artwork. Friends have remarked that the house has good curb appeal, an interesting internal layout and the spiral staircase gets great reviews!' With more space for her art, she would love to add 'a sculpture by Kim Lim, an ecriture by Park Seo Bo and a basket by Jeremy Frey'. So far, none of the artists whose work she has in her home have visited but I would like to think they would be more than happy to pay a visit and see their art bringing joy to both the home and homeowner.
