Reimagine a river border
The Feeding Border: Reimagining Straits of Johor as Cross-Border Urban Commons
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The Straits of Johor, which forms the border between Singapore and Malaysia, has never ceased to be a site of power contestation, rendering the waterscape into terra nullius. In view of the fast changing international geo-political environment, this study attempts to explore the possibilities of transforming the border of separation into a shared territory that can facilitate cooperation between Singapore and Johor, a state of Malaysia, achieving common economic growth, greater social cohesion, and higher competence of the region
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SYSTEM
AQUAPONIC FARM > FLOATING COMMONS
Corporate invest in the industrial scale fish farm using the pre-determined boat modules and towers to integrate aquaculture and hydroponic farming. Tapping on the corporate’s nature of maximizing profit through accumulation, the farms are expanding horizontally and vertically into a new floating urbanscape.
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The boats are used by different users groups, tourists in the kelong chalet and eateries; residents in the shophouse and urban farm, while the villagers now have their new floating boathouse village, hence altogether the floating commons.
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MANGROVE FOREST > FRESH AIR GARDEN
The Mangrove forest are Algae farm that located to be neighbouring industrial zone to tap on the CO2 production from the factories, as the algae production require tonnes of CO2. The structure here is a biomimicry of mangrove which take in nutrients from the water to grow the algae, which will later be harvested into food and energy.
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The algae farm are turned into fresh air garden which is a educational commons for the public, especially students and tourists. The mangrove structure allow the addition of public loop of vertical access and horizontal connection. The food production plant is now a new past times and gallery for the public.
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THE LONGLINES > OFFSHORE PARKS
The longlines are the mussels farm which is also the water purifying machines that clean the straits water as mussels are known to have the ability to purify water. This becomes an alternative source of co-producing clean water, which has always been one of the key disputes between the two countries, the now Singapore fifth national tap.
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The longlines are converted into offshore parks where the eco-tourist can have floating park accessible by boats and underwater experience. The parks is also a commons for non-human, cross-border migratory birds have new homes and the artificial reef coexists with the mussels under the water.
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