Singapore has become one of the most hyper-productive countries. Work has infiltrated our intrinsic lives, constantly pushing us to present an image of competency and an endless cycle of self-betterment. It is no surprise that Singapore has been called one of the most fatigued and overworked countries in the world, with 85% of its working population experiencing extreme burnout. Singaporeans live in a fast-paced environment where we are always chasing time, often making us lose touch with ourselves, our environment, and our relationships. One aspect that the pandemic has taught us is the importance of slowing down, taking our time, and allowing ourselves and the environment around us to recharge. In this post-pandemic future, many Singaporeans have come to rethink the meaning of ‘work-life balance in a space suitable, relevant, and thought-provoking to modern citizens. In this new normal, It is time to reset away from the burnout culture we are dearly accustomed to. Can we slow down and mitigate our fatigue alongside our healing nature? Can we identify the possibility of creating a ‘leisure productivity’ space driven by nature in our ever-bustling metropolitan city?

TimeOut is Singapore’s first rejuvenation hub that advocates a healthy fatigue-free lifestyle to combat the infamous burnout culture. Rejuvenating the mind, body, and soul, TimeOut envisions a space that uses our connection to people, nature, and ourselves as the antidote to feeling burnout. Located by the Kallang bay and in the open field of Kallang MRT station, this is the first of many TimeOut hubs that will be built in other MRT stations with vast unused greenery. As MRT is a common mode of commuting to work, it potently responds as a welcoming and highly accessible contact point for adults at risk of burnout to visit and recharge.

Acting as a wellness hub, Timeout provides nature-centric spaces that help burnout adults get back in the right rhythm. Meaning a time for rest and recreation away, TimeOut is inspired by the circadian rhythm, a 24-hour cycle part of the body’s internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions. When a person is having a burnout, his circadian rhythm is disrupted, affecting diverse aspects of physical and mental health. Using this circadian clock as the guiding design principle and the incorporation of lush green nature as a stimulant, TimeOut creates a circulation of space that promotes a healthier rhythm where one can slowly alleviate their restrictive work cycle and commence the ‘leisure productivity’ model instead.

The structure, clad with ceramic tiles, is round in shape to allow the circulation of space to flow smoothly from one another. Divided like a clock, each angular division leads to a space that caters to specific lifestyle activity that corresponds to the circadian rhythm. The main structure is divided into two. The 1st story consists of ‘active zones’; spaces with programs that promote leisure productivity. The 2nd story includes the ‘reflection zones’, areas that allow burnouts to self-reflect through the provision of a clinic with in-house counsellors and relaxing patios with a 360 view of nature to connect with their thoughts. In the centre, a large circular pavilion with a pond occupies the space where it serves multi-functional and community-building purposes. As work begins its exodus out of the office in this post- pandemic environment, the ‘active zones’ showcase combinations of private and fun collaborative working spaces where working adults can feel less fatigue in doing their work. It consists of recreation workshops that can be used to do both work or activities and personal hobbies keen to be explored. It also includes a quiet study area where private meetings and conventional work are held with a breath-taking view of nature and Kallang bay.

Entering the world's new phase, TimeOut imagines a future where the coexisting of nature with Singapore’s modern workers can be a great contributor to minimising the burnout pandemic. It provides a community that allows Singapore’s fatigue fighters to support one another, encouraging the importance of paying attention to our health and creating more autonomy for ourselves as we reset into the new normal. We, in fact, can work better only if we are healthy.