On The Wall

Introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m Chu. I’m turning 22 and am currently an architecture student at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

What inspired you to pursue architecture?
I’ve always been interested in art and design, but I just thought of trying something that could come to life more on a bigger scale. And I like that architecture touches on a lot of different aspects of design—from the small scale to the really big scale, and even to how people function in and explore a space.

Do you feel like architecture inspires you in your everyday life?
Yes! I feel like nowadays, it’s very important to have empathy. You have to empathise with different people of different backgrounds, and not judge anyone by their covers. Architecture really teaches me to think about things like these.

It’s interesting how a single topic can relate to so many other aspects of life! Outside of school, what are some hobbies that you have?
Oh, I really like to walk around and go on city walks! I feel like no one really knows this, but Singapore is actually really walkable. I also enjoy people watching and drawing cityscapes—it’s really fun!

We’re sure these hobbies help with your architecture discipline as well. Is there a particular spot or route that you frequent?
Oh, my God, it’s so lame, but I feel like I always go to Orchard Road because there’s so much to see there these days, especially with 2nd Street open at Somerset now.

Yep, walking and shopping definitely go hand in hand! Do you do city walks in other countries or cities that you visit as well?
Yeah! I’ve been to so many different cities, and noticed that each city breeds a different type of personality in its people. You can really tell the differences, and it’s really interesting when you compare how people act in different cities. When I went to China, I feel like the people there didn’t really talk to each other, because of how life is there—everything is just scan and pay.

Having been to many different places and experienced so many different ways of living, do you see yourself ever moving out of Singapore?
Perhaps. I think living in Vietnam would be so cool because the people there give off really chill and calm vibes. You know the philosophy of stoicism? The Vietnamese really just live their lives until they feel really contented with it, and don’t feel the need to achieve much, which I really vibe with.

I recently had conversation with a friend, and she was telling me how a lot of her friends are from business school and are always talking about finances and how much they’re earning. It really reflects how Singapore is very fast-paced and materialistic. On the other hand, I’ve also met a lot of exchange students who have told me that Singapore is really different from their home countries in Europe, so I’d say all things considered, we’re really fortunate to get to live in Singapore.

Hey, the grass is always greener, right? Finally, what’s one thing that’s been on your mind of late?
Recently, I’ve been scrolling on Douyin a lot and I came across this creator talking about cartoons. Soon after, a recap of Gloomy Bear popped up on my feed. The video was about how the person who created Gloomy Bear was influenced by his cat who often scratches him. So what’s been on my mind is that something that’s so cute can be violent as well. And I think that’s the approach we should take with life sometimes—you can be cute and simple, but you have to have some rage in you!