Walking with the Commeownity
About
A documentation of the everyday care, conflict and connection that takes place in the void decks of Hougang.
Role
Researcher
Ethnographer
Designer
Photographer
Featured in
The LASALLE Show
2026
What makes people linger, stay a little longer and connect with one another in the void deck?
Void decks are used everyday through informal care, yet these practices remain unrecognised and unsupported. Walking with the Commeownity aims to surface these existing practices – with community cats as catalysts – to strengthen a shared sense of place and belonging within the void decks of Hougang.
Where cats gather, people often follow
Nocturnal and sensitive to changes in their environment, cats reveal which parts of the void deck are quieter and more habitable. In doing so, they indirectly also highlight areas where people may feel more comfortable lingering.
A map of the void deck pointing out the areas where the cats, cat feeders and residents linger
Everyday negotiations
As you enter the void deck, you will first notice the posters plastered on the walls, encouraging cat feeders to be responsible with feeding.
Residents have shared their concerns about feeding the cats; the food left behind attracts birds who eat the food and leave droppings, which in turn attracts pests and makes the void deck unhygienic to use.
As a public space, the void deck is continuously negotiated by different users.
Some residents may love cats.
Some residents may not like cats.
Some residents may simply see cats as part of the void deck's backdrop.
Some residents may simply see cats as part of the void deck's backdrop.
A photo essay documenting everyday scenes at the void deck
Photobooks of the cats, cat feeders and residents of the void deck
Care, conflict and connection
Across nine months, cats revealed themselves as quiet yet central residents of the neighbourhood, bringing people together through both moments of conflict and connection.
Walking with the Commeownity surfaces how the void deck is used by cats, cat feeders and residents. Through this, we can have conversations, get to know one another and develop understanding on why we do what we do – be eye level with each other and the cats.
The act of squatting or bending down to cat height, to be eye level with them.