In 2019, Ang Chin Moh Foundation and the Lien Foundation jointly commissioned the Design Innovation team from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to carry out the HappyUrns project.

This meaningful project aims to encourage conversations about end-of-life matters by using urns as the main theme of the project. As part of the HappyUrns project, customised urns were designed for seven elderly residents from St Joseph’s Home. Each urn was designed to encapsulate the personalities and life stories of each resident, thereby celebrating each of their lives. The urns were slated for completion within six months, but the project was delayed five times because of the pandemic. The urns were finally completed in 2021 and were given to the residents on Dec 6 last year.

The HappyUrns team also created the Celebration Kit and Life in a Year Book, which are print resources that help users begin conversations about end-of-life matters with the loved ones.

This month, HappyUrns is launching an international competition titled “Reinterpreting The Urn: A Symbol of Celebration”. HappyUrns welcomes participants from all walks of life to join this competition and design urns which reflect the celebration of life and introduce a novel and creative way of discussing the topic of death with loved ones.

Read more about the HappyUrns project and view the stories of the seven residents and their urns here:
https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2022/03/rest-in-peach/index.html?shell