Wong Eng Geng
Photographer, Designer Researcher, Experience Designer, Writer, Adjunct Lecturer, 


A designer whose profound passion for photography informs his distinctive approach to research. A graduate of the National University of Singapore’s Division of Industrial Design, he leverages photography as a potent storytelling medium, capturing the essence of people and environments while seamlessly merging the worlds of photojournalism and design. 

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while with Agency

Project Commune:
Redesigning a More Human Dormitory Experience for Migrant Workers in Singapore.  


client
Dormitory Association Singapore Limited (DASL) 2021

role 
Design Research
Prototyping
Communication
Workshop
User Testing
project context
A migrant worker’s dormitory has long carried the stigma of being messy, dirty, and disorganised, with clothing and towels hanging from every possible surface. It is often used as a comparison to describe someone’s untidy room.

The question then arises: is this the result of migrant workers’ behaviour, or is it due to poorly designed living spaces in Singapore’s dormitories?

I was part of a cross-functional team tasked with reimagining this experience. The goal: to design living spaces that not only meet practical needs but also support wellbeing, social connection, and a stronger sense of ownership.

Setting new standards for what a ‘good’ dormitory can be.


How might we redesign the dormitory experience for Singapore’s migrant workers to foster comfort, community and a sense of home?


The project kicked off in 2021, right after the loosening of restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic. This project came at a most unprecedented time, as Singapore was facing its largest Covid-19 case clusters in migrant worker dormitories.

We were able to conduct our research with workers who had been confined within the boundaries of their limited dormitory spaces and deprived of the chance to return home or visit their families – all while having to adapt to a “new normal” within a dormitory environment.

The project involved 39 stakeholders from across the dormitory ecosystem, identified 8 behavioural archetypes representing both residents and managers, and took 19 weeks to develop a functional prototype.


Residents are more than just migrant workers. We need to place humans back at the centre of dormitory experiences and dormitory design.

To ensure that our interventions were grounded in real needs, we began with deep, human-centred research. Rather than relying solely on aggregate data, we sought to understand life in the dormitories as it was actually lived. We did this through primary research methods such as observation, conversation, and immersion.

We conducted site visits across a range of dormitories with differing layouts, management styles, and resident demographics. At each location, we engaged directly with residents and stakeholders through interviews, informal conversations, and ethnographic observation. Our goal was not just to understand what the space looked like, but how it was used. We paid attention to small human behaviours such as how routines formed, how relationships played out, and how culture was shaped within each dormitory.

This qualitative research led us to identify six distinct behavioural archetypes among residents. These archetypes were not defined by nationality or age, but by patterns of interaction, adaptation, and personal values. Some individuals prioritised social bonding and collective living, while others preferred solitude or leaned on trusted peers for support. These behavioural patterns had significant implications for how space was shared, adapted, and maintained.

Recognising and designing for this diversity became a foundational element of our approach. We understood that a one-size-fits-all solution would fall short. To truly foster a sense of community and home, our design strategies needed to accommodate a broad spectrum of human behaviours and needs within the shared living environment.


Residents are more than just migrant workers. We need to place humans back at the centre of dormitory experiences and dormitory design.
To ensure that our interventions were grounded in real needs, we began with deep, human-centred research. Rather than relying solely on aggregate data, we aimed to understand life in the dormitories as it was actually lived. We did this through primary research methods such as observation, conversation, and immersion.

Together with 39 participants—dorm owners, managers, and support staff—we ran a co-creation workshop grounded in three design principles:

  1. Design for the human, not just the worker. Dorms should support holistic wellbeing.
  2. Support evolving lives. Dorms must adapt to residents’ changing needs over time.
  3. Respect local culture. Each dormitory's social ecosystem is unique and should shape its communal life.

From our workshop, we refined a series of practical interventions—some immediate, some long-term—and focused on building a live showflat prototype to test our near-term ideas in the real world.






Bringing the Prototype to Life
Over 10 days, we retrofitted an existing dormitory room based on our co-created ideas. We introduced:

  • Hanging storage to free up bed space
  • Privacy dividers to reduce makeshift, often unsafe, solutions
  • Dedicated zones for eating, resting, and socialising
  • A welcome kit with essentials like a prepaid SIM card to ease the onboarding experience

We also added small but meaningful details, such as clocks set to residents’ home countries, which deeply resonated with them.

We invited eight workers to live in the show flat for a month, observing how they interacted with the space and with one another. The result: improved cleanliness, fewer fire hazards, stronger social bonds, and a sense of pride in their shared space.





The space we created:






Mid-prototyping check-in. We began to see the benefits of running a long-term prototype as residents' living habits started to shape the space. 

As the space gradually transformed, we made sure to have regular check-ins with our participants, just as dormitory managers would. We continued to make minor tweaks to our prototype throughout the entirety of the project.



The space we created, lived in:






“How do you know if your prototypes really worked? What if the participants are afraid to tell you the truth?”


These are valid concerns, especially when working with a vulnerable group.

During the project, we explored an alternative method of primary research to address this issue.

We gave disposable cameras to our participants, with a simple task: to take photos of things they cared about, whenever and wherever they liked. In return, we printed the photos for them.

The candid photos captured from their daily lives gave us glimpses into how our prototypes were being used. In the background, we could see the effectiveness of the privacy beds, bags hung on their designated pegboards, and even friends from other rooms gathering in the common areas to spend time together.


The space we created, in action, candidly:






Everything we learnt was translated into a handbook for DASL. 

DASL Handbook 5: Enabling a Sustainable Dormitory Experience through Design is now the go-to guide for any new dormitory being designed, or any existing dormitory undergoing renovation.


Project Commune concluded in 2021 as a research-driven initiative.

DASL Handbook 05 continues to be distributed today.

Many of the insights from Project Commune can be seen implemented in new dormitories across Singapore.