Page 7 - Darren Soh's Interview with Kanto_Neat

The gulf between awareness and the compassion needed to effect concrete change is a hard one
to cross. We have seen how mere awareness is not enough to save heritage landmarks around
the globe. In your opinion, what makes it difficult for laymen to make the jump from observer to
believer?

I think many people don’t believe that they are capable of effecting any change on a
personal level. After all, how many people can say that they have single-handedly saved a
building from destruction? And it is daunting, for sure. However, the Golden Mile Complex
case has shown that when enough like-minded people get together behind a cause
and keep engaging with the authorities and educating the public, miracles can happen.

I was once an observer, preferring to call myself a “documentarian.” But after seeing so many
of my “documentees” get destroyed, I decided I could no longer just sit on the fence and
present pretty pictures of endangered buildings and spaces to people and expect them to
take a stand. I had to take an active stand and work with others for change to be effected.

Any surprising insights about Singaporeans’ relationship with built heritage? As a sociology
graduate, what would you say is the rationale or explanation behind such behavior?

I have learned that for most Singaporeans, there will be a suitable price for them to give up their dwellings,
no matter how long they have lived in said dwelling. There are many reasons for this, of course, but the
most important must be that for years, the people have been told and then internalized that their home
is also their financial investment vehicle. This puts a price tag on every building and, by extrapolation,
one can deduce that no building is sacred enough to be protected from a sale and then redevelopment.

On the other hand, Singaporeans seem to be of the persuasion that VERY old is good
and thus worthy of conservation, which explains the many, many buildings from the
colonial era that have been conserved. Modern buildings are unfortunately old enough
to be run-down but, in the eyes of many, not old enough to be worthy of saving.

You have exhaustively documented Singapore’s revolutionary HDB flats, tracking down early
examples and tirelessly educating the public about their growth and continuing development on
social media. In your visual survey of HDB flats, what attributes of this mid/high-rise residential
typology would you say is special to Singapore?

I think the HDB takes a lot of pride in its work. It turned 60 in 2020, and some would say that it has run
the world’s most successful public housing program, second to none. I agree with this assessment
on many fronts. HDB flats are (relatively) affordable when bought new from the government. HDB
estates are clean and well-kept EVEN when they are nearly 60 years old. HDB estates are by and large
well planned to include amenities and transport options for everyone. HDB estates are safe, in fact,
so safe that no permanent on-site security or restricted access to common areas is necessary, unlike
the public housing estates of many other countries. The recently completed Tampines GreenRidges is
a remarkable example of this well-manicured and aesthetically pleasing new generation HDB estate.