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National Parks Board organized the Landscape Design Challenge (LDC) 2024 in conjunction with Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) (3-11 Aug 2024). This challenge aims to engage students from Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and enable them to put landscape theory into practice and apply design, planning, plant selection and construction skills by implementing a thematic landscape. This is the fourth edition of LDC which profiles IHLs offering landscape related courses and programmes to showcase the students’ knowledge and creativity to the public.

 Senior Lecturer, Idris Bidin mentored two teams of students who represented Singapore Polytechnic (SP), Diploma in Landscape Architecture (DLA) to participate in this competition.

Images above: The first DLA team, Belle Blossom is made up of Ko Zi Le, Chong Jin Yi and Braydon Goon Jin Wei. They designed and created “Nature Untouched” which showcases the rare and biodiverse habitat of tropical montane forests; and highlights the importance of conserving these unique ecosystems. While lowland rainforests experience warmer conditions, these high-altitude forests are cooler and wetter, caused by dense cloud formation.

Images above: Chong Kar Hee, Lim Jiin and Cai Zhenning were the second DLA team, Sol Tropicana. This team conceptualized “Frames of the Past”, rooted in Singapore’s heritage, they recreated an immersive kampong experience to remember and appreciate the humble beginnings of the Little Red Dot, celebrating tropical nature. With Singapore’s urbanization, people have grown accustomed to living in the concrete jungle. Sol Tropicana wanted to bring people back to what it was like in the past, living amongst lush greenery in traditional kampongs. “Frames of the Past” won Silver Medal in LDC 2024. 

This competition enabled ten participating teams from different IHLs to have first-hand experience to this industry related activity that measures students’ hands-on skillsets. From beginning to the end of LDC, students were challenged in various aspects: conceptualizing ideas, presentation ability, resource management, working within time constraint, coordinating with various organizations, logistics and construction. Students were exposed to various ideas, execution of their landscape proposal using hardscape and softscape materials; their skills in composition, arrangement, construction, and integrating lighting were put to test. 

Images above: The young designers from SP DLA in action on the day of implementation on 3 Aug 2024 in Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. DLA students hard at work in executing the landscape design, applying skills, technology, and techniques to ensure excellent final outcomes. At the competition venue, all teams were given four hours to implement their design proposals that they have worked on for months. After the landscapes were built, the students presented their designs to the judging panel.

Images above: A close-up of the plant textures and composition by Belle Blossoms for “Nature Untouched” and Sol Tropicana integrated nostalgic items in “Frames of the Past” with a surprise element peeking from the lush greenery

When DLA students reflected on what they have learnt at LDC 2024:

Braydon from Belle Blossoms expressed:

 Competition day was the most memorable! We met with setbacks in composing the plants, configuring the lighting system, securing the modular system to create the ‘mountain’ and fixing the pocket system to install the plants on them. After overcoming these struggles, my team and I were satisfied with our landscape. It was the first time we have created a landscape from drawings to on-site installation in a tight timeline.

 Though disappointed as we did not win, we gathered feedback from the public for improvement. We were advised to have better positioned our layout to capitalise on the vantage points, selecting plant species that are more vibrant considering the event was catered to the general public and we could have done better on interactive elements of our design as well.

Kar Hee from Sol Tropicana pondered:

“We learnt the importance of communications with different groups of people when we had to coordinate for all LDC matters, conveying what we needed and wanted in a respectful manner. Our planning and organizing skills were put to test when making sure everything goes smoothly.

 We created “Nature Untouched” based on cloud forest of the tropical regions because we want people to value rare habitats that are not well known to many. We feel that we have achieved our objective in educating the public of such habitats.”

It was challenging to source for sustainable timber, we did not give up because we strive to spread the message about sustainability through creating “Frames of the Past”. We learnt to be resourceful and managed to get the essential material from a carpenter and even learnt the techniques to cut timber and construction details for the overhead structures of our design.

 On competition day, we were not able to achieve the desired height and lushness as planned, we had to be quick-thinking in problem-solving, so we started stacking pots to increase height and used appropriate plants to create the dense effect we had in mind.

 Teamwork was a huge part of the whole journey. Even when we are friends to begin with, we had to learn patience and how to compromise; constantly reminding ourselves our common goal. I am grateful for this strong and smart group of girls, being able to lift the timber frames with teamwork and coordination, it was physically challenging, but we did it together.   

Overall the experience was so fun, trying new things with a close group of friends. It was super rewarding to see our design come to life and we would definitely do it all again!”

Images from top: Poised presenter, Zi Le from Team Belle Blossom invited the judging panel to walk through “Nature Untouched” and Team Belle Blossom on stage with GOH Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal. The winning team, Sol Tropicana were presented with silver medals by GOH and Lim Jiin explained “Frames of the Past” to GOH. Group picture with GOH in front of the winning landscape design. 

Student mentor Idris (above image second from left) expressed his appreciation for the students’ hard work and thinks the most valuable of LDC was enabling students see their design materialise from ideation to implementation. He believes when students gather feedback for their designs, they are actively seeking improvement and will gain more confidence.