Group 5 (Gary,Na Fang, Emily, Fatimah, Shifa, Therecia)

Overview of the site

 
trees used for Forest Adventure are about 13 metres tall


Materials and Texture of leaves and barks found on the site

Temperature
Morning: 28 deg 
Afternoon:29 deg
Evening: 27 then 28 deg 

Wind speed: 8km/ph (morning/afternoon) 13km/ph (evening) 
Humidity level: 65.7% (morning/afternoon) increased to 80% in the evening 

Users: Young adults mostly, joggers. 
Couples strolling along park. 
Elderly people doing light exercise (morning)  


Trees casting Shadow on the benches

SWOT:

Strengths:
- Windy especially, in the morning, which is perfect for joggers to exercise in the cooling mornings.
- Shaded by the trees.
-Good view of the reservoir, that is very peaceful for many to exercise in or walk past or just sit at the benches to enjoy the view while they read or hang out.

Weakness:
-No functional hardscape such as shelters to shield passer-bys and joggers and cyclists from the rain or when it gets very sunny.
-When it rains it gets humid and we will start feeling very sticky and uncomfortable.
-Sometimes when it is windy there isn't much shade, the canopies of some trees might move and if that day should be very windy and sunny, benches that are covered by those particular trees might not be sheltered from the sun for a period of time.
-limited benches

Opportunities:
-Open up F&Bs , people who are there to jog can grab some water or light snacks.
-Can open a bike/rollerblading kiosk for the park.
-Can  divide the road into 2 paths, 1 for walking and 1 for cycling.
-Paths can be widened further for more people to run and cycle at the same time without causing any accidents when trying to overtake.
-With the towering trees in the park, recreation besides the Forest Adventure can be built there using the trees such as sky walks and observation decks overlooking the reservoir.
-A water feature can be built in the middle of the reservoir or along the perimeter of the reservoir, that is both interactive and educative for students and the public. Kindergarten students can have field trips there to learn about the different trees or the environment or whatsoever.
-Some areas of the park can be maintained for picnics. Such as areas that is nearer to the reservoir, the areas can be less rocky and messy and cleaner for picnics.
-Water coolers can be placed at a few milestones of the park. Joggers can stop and take a short water break before continuing their jog around the reservoir.
-More toilets can be built around the park. Instead of just one main one. maybe have on directly opposite or a few small ones around the park so that it is easier for people go to, and the main toilet at the front will not be crowded if there were to be runs organized there.
-Events such as charity runs can be held there at the reservoir.

Threats:
-During bad weather, the heavy big branches of the towering trees in the park might break and fall onto the pathways and create obstructions for joggers, vehicles and cyclists that might be difficult to remove. Such as heavy branches, there might be splinters sticking out there will be difficult to remove.
-Too much direct sun at some areas of the parks. Those areas are not covered and are very warm.
-The inner pavement that is closer to the reservoir is very rocky and there are many sharp edged stones there. When cycled on, unlucky cyclists might get their tyres cut by the rocks. Or if joggers were to trip over any stones or branches, they might cut themselves badly on the inner pavement.
-there are a lot of insects such as red ants on the benches, making it uncomfortable to sit and relax after a run


Reflections:
1.  I like the site, because it is windy and shaded most of the time. Sitting on the bench, facing the reservoir makes me feel relaxed. It is a really good place to chill and hang out with friends.  -therecia

2. I like the greenery,the reservoir and the wind , the tranquility and peace there makes me feel relax and the environment is very conducive, is a good spot to chill and hang out. -Yan nafang

3. I like the coziness of the environment of the park. The trees are big and green and with the huge reservoir as the background, to me, it gives out cool and comforting vibes that is able to de-stress anyone from school, especially Design School. The park is very big and good for exercising for those living or working or schooling near by. -Emily

4. The site is has a combination of passive and active spaces, the conducive and quiet environment provides a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere for both joggers and passerby to feel at peace. The sunset is quite a sight, however, the afternoon sun is a killer. The site is a good place to chill and hangout and has a picturesque scenery at the right time of the day. -Gary

5. Since I went to the reservoir during the evening, I realised there were generally more people jogging. There were people jogging with their children as well. However, there is not a significant difference in temperature in comparative to the temperature in the afternoon, even though it is relatively less sunny. Overall, I personally prefer to visit the reservoir during the morning than in the evening. On  different note, I think some measure should be taken so that users can "interact" with the reservoir more, instead of just running around it and enjoying it visually only -shifa'

6. The reservoir stands a great chance of providing a natural and urban design. I think currently, the site is not being used to its best possibility, as people are only using the track provided to jog or stroll around the perimeter of the reservoir. Personally, i think that the humid weather and lack of shelter is the reason why not many activities is carried out there. On top of that, the huge trees, nice scenery and cool breeze covers up the humidity and discomfort.- Fatimah

Sketches Of The Park