February 13, 2007 | Broadcast News
Welcome to the Five Foot Way.
by Adib J & JJ Yeo
Welcome to Five Foot Way; founded as a medium for the exploration and discourse of Asian architecture. FFW aims to engage in the critical discourse of Asian and predominantly Singaporean architecture and building by discussing themes through a series of articles, interviews and reviews.
In so doing, FFW will bring the people who live, breathe and sleep architecture – the architects – together, to establish a voice; a place for us to speak our minds without being censored. In this profession, the act of critique is common practice, a habit that many of us cannot kick. More than a habit, critique is a skill and a design tool for all of us that can, if channeled in the right directions, can lead to great things, tangible and intangible, built and unbuilt.
Five Foot Way owes its name to the distinctive architectural feature found in the shophouses of Singapore, Malacca, Penang and other Asian cities. Here in Singapore, they date back to the time of the British Colonial Government, when Sir Stamford Raffles included this and other details in his Town Plan of 1822. There were also those who were known as five-foot-way traders – craftsmen – who conducted their business along shophouse walk-ways which were five feet wide.
The five-foot way is essentially public space on private land, where the boundaries of inside and outside blur and overlap. It is a space where life inside mingles and merges with the world outside, a place for the exchange, interaction, and cross-fertilization of ideas.
To foster this exchange, Five Foot Way will bring fresh issues to the fore, on a quarterly basis, to allow enough time for each discourse to be passed around, talked about, eaten whole, trampled on and digested, until all avenues have been exhausted, and until You, and We, are satisfied.
– [FFW]
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Adib is the co-founder of FIVEFOOTWAY and a senior designer at FARM. He is also sometimes known as misterdibster.
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Hi Adib and JJ
I’m glad you both finally have this website going first. At least, you can also test market, find out how well received this website is.
It’s a good insight for me, who dont know much about architecture as well I hope it allows discussion and debates from fellow architectures. I also do hope you are able to reach those in the same field abroad.
Another thing – not sure if it’s inline with your mag but would it be good to have a column where you have pix of buildings or interiors and you both write your views or further discussion on it? Just a thought.
All the best to you both!
Maya