STUDIO 500 I NBYOND
When the semester break in Singapore finally came, I had to start semester-08 project with information sent to me via email by my fellow undergrads Ar. Vivian and for such I owed my gratitude to her. My studio master in Singapore Dr. Edward Ng saw me working through the night alone in an empty studio came and ask as to what am I doing there while others are having a break. We had a long chat throughout my stint to complete my assignment and I must say, I am indebted to him for all the unreserved constructive criticisms he has showered upon me. I brought home to USM many of my completed models, employing urban design to an existing fine grained urban fabric in the new found architectural vocabulary of lines, shades and shadows. To the surprised of my studio masters in Year-Four semester-08, they had never encountered the MO of MBP. Practically without any water color presentation boards, my submission was absolutely monochrome with loads and loads of models for explanation and I found such ease of explaining using models that I had not managed to mustered using drawings. It was a total jaw dropping experience and I for once managed to make a paradigm shift back home in HBP.
EULOGY to CHE'WAN
A teacher of unconventional talents. The Godfather of Niat-Laku-Hasil and without it, The Architecture School of HBP would be lifeless and barren. Without boundaries, his provocateurs drove his students breaking boundaries, all the way to the Dean's office. Almost a maverick and well lived his golden days of Hippies, John Lennon's music and baby boom, his selfless dedication to live on with Bamboos andMushrooms, not forgetting teaching architecture in a Neo-Bauhaus traditions of Bucky-Balls, Confrontations of the COLUMNS, Mask-ed!, Play and all sorts of Jingles that can only be the brainchild of a reluctant genius.
Early encounter of him would be puzzled for he is draped in the defunct Al-Aqam's Jubah smoking his beloved Gudang Garam with his Teh Tarik in a lecture hall which proudly displayed the Non-Smokingsign. Who cares, as he lectured and criticized the inconsistency of translating Architecture from English to Bahasa-Whatever... and 2/3 of the Lecture Hall dose off to sleep. Yup, that is HIM!
Before long, he stood before me as the Studio Master with another maverick, Encik Haidar, as his assistant, in his most up-kept beard and GUCCI to ARMANI from head to toe, the Gelugor way of course. Local-U paycheck would not entitle you to dress liked Karl Lagerfeld. The entire year was a Blessing in-disguise. Instead of drawings liked all Architecture school does, we toyed withFire. Almost got the Studio burnt down while shouting Nodus dan Laluan. Just a leap away from beingObsolesces, we did what others view as Anti-Establisment. That is way before Namewee made his debut with his Negaraku-Ku, the Architectural Prodigee would have already transformed donated Tees, Boxers and all the discarded fabrics into the Malaysian Flag and hung it in the Foyer for Merdeka Celebration,although we already knew that we had never been Colonized.
There would not be another CheWan in HBP, for sure. Although we had all grownup out of his MOLD, somehow there is always a fraction of him that lived within us.
A fond memory of him as a teacher and a companion of our architectural upbringing.
May he rest in peace.
Early encounter of him would be puzzled for he is draped in the defunct Al-Aqam's Jubah smoking his beloved Gudang Garam with his Teh Tarik in a lecture hall which proudly displayed the Non-Smokingsign. Who cares, as he lectured and criticized the inconsistency of translating Architecture from English to Bahasa-Whatever... and 2/3 of the Lecture Hall dose off to sleep. Yup, that is HIM!
Before long, he stood before me as the Studio Master with another maverick, Encik Haidar, as his assistant, in his most up-kept beard and GUCCI to ARMANI from head to toe, the Gelugor way of course. Local-U paycheck would not entitle you to dress liked Karl Lagerfeld. The entire year was a Blessing in-disguise. Instead of drawings liked all Architecture school does, we toyed withFire. Almost got the Studio burnt down while shouting Nodus dan Laluan. Just a leap away from beingObsolesces, we did what others view as Anti-Establisment. That is way before Namewee made his debut with his Negaraku-Ku, the Architectural Prodigee would have already transformed donated Tees, Boxers and all the discarded fabrics into the Malaysian Flag and hung it in the Foyer for Merdeka Celebration,although we already knew that we had never been Colonized.
There would not be another CheWan in HBP, for sure. Although we had all grownup out of his MOLD, somehow there is always a fraction of him that lived within us.
A fond memory of him as a teacher and a companion of our architectural upbringing.
May he rest in peace.
Thank You to Prof Edward Ng
Back in 1997, I had the privilege to study under the fold of now, Prof Edward Ng, formerly Senior Lecturer of the School of Architecture National University of Singapore (NUS) under the auspice of the Singapore International Foundation's or SIF, now defunct, ASEAN Fellowship Programme. He has been instrumental in departing his knowledge in the essence of Urban Design, where every building has its place within the matrix of any given urban morphology. Departing from the normal attempt to just addressing thy neighbor existing building, we were drilled to even correspond diligently to the scale, elements, connectivity of our neighboring "to be built" building. His inclination to architecture without a specific forms of style has been over glaring that had tormented us for the entire year. Often mistaken with his demeanor in unpolished outlook of a seasoned biker in jeans and T-Shirt, complete with a crew-cut hairstyle against a square jaw, with his heavily accent HongKy English, he often narrate his student years in Cambridge, toying architecture with personality liked Norman Foster and the liked. For once, his anecdote of - "Good design is very hard to create, but very easy to identify" and "There is one student who had only drew 1 presentation drawing that had brought him to graduation... I have not seen that yet" have been playing in my mind since then. Gladly to know that he had since elevated to Professorship in Chinese University of Hong Kong and had many awards for his pioneering work in Social-Architecture.
URBAN INFILL D' SINGAPORE
The semester break came and I had to pack and leave Penang for Singapore. I was granted transferring of credits from NUS back to USM as to allow for graduation at the same year despite having to consolidate the different schedule, I had to literary forgone my semester break to catch up things back home in USM. In Singapore I was placed in the graduating year of Year-Three for their Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BArchStd) as they only have 3+2 system. I was placed under the then, Senior Lecturer Dr. Edward Ng, formerly from Cambridge England. It was in NUS, I had a total re-education in Architecture especially so in the area of Urban Design and Tropical Architecture. The first project I had attempted in NUS is a design for a neighborhood center. Haven’t able to shed my preconceived mental constraint in postmodernism, I had repeated the same “sin”, that is to have drawn a “perfect” plan and later, to think about the best possible façade to go along with. That is a serious mistake. The MO of the Architectural Studio in NUS is mostly Model Based Paradigm (MBP) as opposed to our USM’s Drawing Based Paradigm (DBP). Eventually blending into the new MO, I began to realize that it was just too meaningful to actually conceived spaces and built form simultaneously using model making as a predominant method. By completing the study model, you practically left with a product that is architecture in itself. There is no need to gloss over with any “perfect” façade as the imperfection of the model itself transcend space and form simultaneously and any afterthought or “accident” were construed as part and parcel of architecture. In NUS I practically found Deconstruction.
The next project paved way to my deeper understanding of Urban Design. I had to immerse myself to the ongoing discourse of Urban Design in the Tropical City of Singapore. A short hiatus from the common studio work into the outdoor of Sembawang Camp, linked my connection with the legendary Tey KhengSoon again. He was responsible of designing the Sembawang Scout Camp and the toilet seems to be the best construed tropical toilet one could design using natural ventilation to dry the toilet. The undergrads were not given any camp. We literally built one using bamboo and building paper. What must we consider first in a tropical conditions? Postmodernism? Any idiot would know you have to first get rid of rain and sun. Orientation became important and locating your camp became fundamental. You would not want to use the most limited materials available to make a basic shelter. Time is ticking. Night is coming very soon. I had chosen a site sheltered by existing tree with a back higher so as I don’t have to construct the rear elevation. The natural property of bamboo was its tensile strength. So, it was the natural thing to do to bend it forward to make a natural curvature as the roof, lowering the entrance as to minimize exposure to wind, sun and water. Both sides were sandwiched with moveable walls to allow ventilations. That was all, simple unpretentious approach to Tropical Design – taking advantage of the elements. Now, experiencing such, I began to read Tey’s book, Line Sheds and Shadows. It began to make so much sense. Having researched that, my conclusion of topicality stems from the very notion of transparency, translucency and opacity. I took these themes as my fundamental in design vocabulary. My next question was, how would I make do with these?
The next project paved way to my deeper understanding of Urban Design. I had to immerse myself to the ongoing discourse of Urban Design in the Tropical City of Singapore. A short hiatus from the common studio work into the outdoor of Sembawang Camp, linked my connection with the legendary Tey KhengSoon again. He was responsible of designing the Sembawang Scout Camp and the toilet seems to be the best construed tropical toilet one could design using natural ventilation to dry the toilet. The undergrads were not given any camp. We literally built one using bamboo and building paper. What must we consider first in a tropical conditions? Postmodernism? Any idiot would know you have to first get rid of rain and sun. Orientation became important and locating your camp became fundamental. You would not want to use the most limited materials available to make a basic shelter. Time is ticking. Night is coming very soon. I had chosen a site sheltered by existing tree with a back higher so as I don’t have to construct the rear elevation. The natural property of bamboo was its tensile strength. So, it was the natural thing to do to bend it forward to make a natural curvature as the roof, lowering the entrance as to minimize exposure to wind, sun and water. Both sides were sandwiched with moveable walls to allow ventilations. That was all, simple unpretentious approach to Tropical Design – taking advantage of the elements. Now, experiencing such, I began to read Tey’s book, Line Sheds and Shadows. It began to make so much sense. Having researched that, my conclusion of topicality stems from the very notion of transparency, translucency and opacity. I took these themes as my fundamental in design vocabulary. My next question was, how would I make do with these?
Coming back to the studio, the design brief called for an urban intervention of Balestier Road Singapore. My group led by Dr. Edward Ng took an unconventional approach as he allowed us to choose our site. Not only shall we choose our site, we had to “link” our proposal with that of our neighboring existing building or in some instances, our neighboring proposals. All hells broke loose, as I found convincing others, negotiating, give and take, mediation and sorts were very time consuming often resulted in emotional outcomes as if everybody stick to their egos, nothing can be achieved. That ultimately strung a chord in me as to what Urban Design is really about – Your Building Design is NOT IMPORTANT, what matter most is Your Building Design elevate your neighboring building, that is URBAN DESIGN. At the very end, we managed to put down our dented egos and produced a link megastructure that sits comfortably with the existing building. We produced models at table length.
In the very same exercise, I was a changed person. I no longer seek solace in something of a comfort in postmodernism. I discarded the limitation of DBP and embraced MBP that resulted in me accepting the inconsequential approach of Deconstruction. I managed to put meaning into the discourse of Dialogue-Do-Document, something that has not been fully understood in my Year-Two of HBP. I attempted to prioritize spatial linkages before actually designing the necessitated spaces according to the brief. These were priceless take home experiences that had molded me in my Thesis Year to come.
In the very same exercise, I was a changed person. I no longer seek solace in something of a comfort in postmodernism. I discarded the limitation of DBP and embraced MBP that resulted in me accepting the inconsequential approach of Deconstruction. I managed to put meaning into the discourse of Dialogue-Do-Document, something that has not been fully understood in my Year-Two of HBP. I attempted to prioritize spatial linkages before actually designing the necessitated spaces according to the brief. These were priceless take home experiences that had molded me in my Thesis Year to come.
EXOSKELETAL I EXPERIMENTATION
RURAL INTERVENTION
In the final semester the final project required by the Board of Architect (LAM) Part 1 Accreditation Requirement shall be a multi-storeys building in high complexities allowing for residential inhabitation with complex Mechanical and Electrical (MnE) requirement. The brief called for the 4 star hotel in Langkawi. The site gave the context of a Greenfield with no neighboring lot to address to. The brief called for and has to be a multi-storeys building, challenging the brief will be a straight fail, no question asked as it is a mandatory requirement by LAM. Wrapping books as my mass model, I investigated a few options and finally drawn to an option that most justified in terms of financial and architectural feasibility. I took the option to further break down the vertical mass into 3 portions capitalizing the 360 views. By such doing, I am able to treat the building mass as though it was horizontal, now being vertical. In other words, I was making a horizontal proposal, vertically. As a result, my proposal comprises of 3 translucent forms having different structures stacking above one another. I had not forgotten about my “Roof-roof apartment” in Year-One and now, being morphed further. I am lack concerned about how my space planning may end up as I employed an existing built 4 stars hotel as my precedent studies with all the MnE services intact. I concluded my final year in BScHBP with no flaw in technicality yet enable me to embrace a significant paradigm shift in design exploration notably in the area of Urban Design and Tropical Architecture. For this effort I was awarded my degree of BScHBP with Second Class Upper Honors.
Year-Four, the final year for my Bachelor of Science in Housing Building and Planning (BScHBP). The semester-07 begin much earlier compared to the semester in NUS, Singapore. Meaning, I had to stay put to complete a few more studio assignment before leaving to Singapore. The opening semester project called for a design of a golf club in Kedah. We visited the site on the way to Langkawi for an undergrads excursion. Came back to the studio, the undergrads were mobilized to produce their very own architectural design. As my mindset was rather fixated to the late Michael Grave’s version of postmodern façade-ism and Tang GuanBee’s version of postmodernism for Singapore, I borrowed the superficial form of postmodernist vocabulary in my work resulted in having arch roof, classical order of base-torso-head and rounded windows in-lieu of the common rectangular one with unreserved splashes of muted color palate to work on. In the spirit of tropical architecture, I took the easy way to marry the use of natural materials, in this case, granite stone wall as the base with louvre and huge overhangs. I continued to religiously abide to the use of water color as my medium of design communication, somewhat has become a hallmark of HBP since time immemorial as my seniors were awarded heavily for using water colors.
Year-Three is a year of grinding. The studio was broken up into majoring or specialization in Architecture or Interior Design. The Architecture Studio was led by a team of lecturers who believed into execution and management of design rather design for design sake. For the start of semester-05 the brief called for a performance hall within the university’s ground. No provocation, no exploration, only dry execution of precedent studies and application onto the design that entailed compliance to uniform building bylaws (UBBL). It is more technicality inclined and less flamboyant in design approach. I took the precedent studies of the newly minted Tokyo International Forum by Rafael Vinoly and I took the most undignified means to bastardized it and incorporating it as my design. I am fully aware that my emphasis is mainly on technicality, not design. By this time, I had a good grounding on technicality such as column grids, buildability and functionality, while having a very hard time confronting Ar. Yeoh OnnSoon our master at that time that seemed to have been biased towards my fellow undergrads from the technical school or polytechnics.
The second assignment came as to design a fairly reasonable sized restaurant in a fictional given site. Again the MO was the same, dry execution of precedent studies and application onto the design that entailed compliance to uniform building bylaws (UBBL). Contextual-less and clueless, most of us undergrads took the liberty to salvage from Time-Savers, took a few local case studies here and there and synthesis what made tropical architecture ticks. Marrying these – another obscene creation has been created. A product of literally soulless. For such, I took the liberty of garnishing the stale plate into applying the most rotten core of Post-Modernism into my work – Façade-ism ala the late Michael Grave in pastel color. I had to admit, I was a lost soul and semester-05 was the most torturing part in my education as an architectural students, lifeless, soulless and truly a zombie. I decided to move on by applying to the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) for a fellowship in the National University of Singapore (NUS) to further my education as I don’t quite see the light at the end of the tunnel in USM. I seek solace from my Year-Two studio master, Che’ Wan and he wrote me a very strong letter of recommendation just to make sure that I got the fellowship. However, the fellowship didn’t came in time and I had to hover on to the next semester.
Semester-06 started with the undergrad hoarded to a resort up north to Kedah. Apparently visiting a privately owned orchard by one of my lecturer whom I believed had vested interest in the resort itself. The undergrads paid heftily by their own pocket money for a one night stay. That was our site analysis, jungle tracking only to be served with “rotten” overnight durian in a humid wet and hot summer in Kedah. Back to the studio we were grouped and we had to present our finding of site analysis. Led by my fellow undergrads from the polytechnic, now senior lecturer in his alma mater, Halim Baharudin, the undergrads managed to produce a rather significant site analysis. Individually, we crafted our own masterplan as to what we seen deemed fit.
Capitalizing on the site given contour and a natural stream, this exercise had given me the first time opportunity to design in a Greenfield context. Taking cue from the nearby resort that was designed in such an insensitive means of Post Modern Architecture mistakenly construed as Tropical Architecture, I moved away from consolidating the building mass as a huge megastructure into fragments as nodes and linkages as paths, something that has been in-built in me. Clustered of chalets power generated by solar voltaic had been designed taking cue from my earlier work on Intervention of Georgetown. A connecting bridge to a common structure – a restaurant that I had recycled from my earlier assignment. Even with a displaced soul I had managed to glue myself together awaiting the result of my application for a fellowship to NUS Singapore. No doubt that I may not be entirely happy with my work in semester-06 as my estranged relationship with my lecturers in studio and how I perceived them to be lacked in coaching and leading the studio, my tropical architectural exploration and technical inclination has given me a foundation as to how my architectural direction is going to take its form.
Before the closure of semester-06, the final assignment was a site specific boutique as an insertion to the existing fabric in Georgetown. The task is what you would do to a site smacked in between rows of existing shop office in Georgetown? By then, I had received an offer letter for the fellowship to Singapore and in the delight of having to leave behind my living nightmare, I had to attempt such exercise clueless. Less spoken about this, in my opinion, was better as I had deliberately inserted a monstrosity within the double storeys pre-war commercial shop houses in Georgetown. Indeed, it was some works that wished I had never had done.
Semester-06 started with the undergrad hoarded to a resort up north to Kedah. Apparently visiting a privately owned orchard by one of my lecturer whom I believed had vested interest in the resort itself. The undergrads paid heftily by their own pocket money for a one night stay. That was our site analysis, jungle tracking only to be served with “rotten” overnight durian in a humid wet and hot summer in Kedah. Back to the studio we were grouped and we had to present our finding of site analysis. Led by my fellow undergrads from the polytechnic, now senior lecturer in his alma mater, Halim Baharudin, the undergrads managed to produce a rather significant site analysis. Individually, we crafted our own masterplan as to what we seen deemed fit.
Capitalizing on the site given contour and a natural stream, this exercise had given me the first time opportunity to design in a Greenfield context. Taking cue from the nearby resort that was designed in such an insensitive means of Post Modern Architecture mistakenly construed as Tropical Architecture, I moved away from consolidating the building mass as a huge megastructure into fragments as nodes and linkages as paths, something that has been in-built in me. Clustered of chalets power generated by solar voltaic had been designed taking cue from my earlier work on Intervention of Georgetown. A connecting bridge to a common structure – a restaurant that I had recycled from my earlier assignment. Even with a displaced soul I had managed to glue myself together awaiting the result of my application for a fellowship to NUS Singapore. No doubt that I may not be entirely happy with my work in semester-06 as my estranged relationship with my lecturers in studio and how I perceived them to be lacked in coaching and leading the studio, my tropical architectural exploration and technical inclination has given me a foundation as to how my architectural direction is going to take its form.
Before the closure of semester-06, the final assignment was a site specific boutique as an insertion to the existing fabric in Georgetown. The task is what you would do to a site smacked in between rows of existing shop office in Georgetown? By then, I had received an offer letter for the fellowship to Singapore and in the delight of having to leave behind my living nightmare, I had to attempt such exercise clueless. Less spoken about this, in my opinion, was better as I had deliberately inserted a monstrosity within the double storeys pre-war commercial shop houses in Georgetown. Indeed, it was some works that wished I had never had done.
