The 10 o'clock Talk

People often think that to be a good architect, one needs to draw well. True but it is equally important to think clearly, speak well and listen carefully. A skill we are constantly practicing amongst our interns and colleagues. So when 30 students from Kolej Laila Taib visited our office, we arranged to share some of our work and ideas in a series of 5-minutes talks. During Q and A, someone asked Claudia, 'how did you convince your client to walk such a long way from his car to the house?' She replied, 'Give him a nice garden to walk through.'

Groundbreaking for the newbies, good practice for the experienced.

Young architect, Michael talking about Cat's Playhouse

Sara talking about her installation for World Architecture Day

While the others shared ideas..

...some of us baby-sat the tutor's young daughter.

Faces at the Mercato (2012)

After looking at the photos, I was inspired to draw a map recording our journey to the market

One bright morning in September while Sam, Robyn and the kids shopped for lunch in the Mercato, the mammal in me needed to catch some sunshine and the voyeur in me wanted to watch the local people in action. (and catch them with my camera.)

Selling endives

Italians are very expressive with their hands

Their expressions are so similar, these two are definitely married.

My favourite is this man, a barista with a counter full of little brioches filled with cured meats at 1 Euro each.

Most of his customers eat a quick breakfast while standing at the counter, but being Asian - we prefer to sit down to eat. So we joined 2 tables and ate many different types of sandwiches and drank many cups of coffee.

Visiting Louise

View from the winding driveway

Last Sunday, I finally had the chance to visit the Segu Bungalow when Louise invited USK members for sketching and morning tea.

I have passed this building many times as I was growing up – it is at the midpoint of my journey from my grandmother’s house and the basketball court at SUPP. Perched on a hill, the house itself is not very visible from the road (then called Pig Lane – recently sterilized to Park Lane) but its most arresting feature can be seen from the road, the ceiling covered with dozens of colourful native art murals.

Its most arresting feature is the ceiling covered with dozens of colourful native art murals.

Members of USK showing their completed sketches, our host Louise is seated far left

This historical building was originally located near the Segu River in the Padawan area; built as a holiday house for Rajah Vyner Brooke by Tan Sri William Tan, a former speaker of the Sarawak Assembly. In 1936, it was dismantled and relocated to its present location.

Since then, the bungalow has been the residence of Tom Harrison the former curator of the Sarawak Museum and many other expatriates including our friend, Louise who heads the non-profit, Friends of the Sarawak Museum.

I found two articles relating to the ceiling murals - one claims that they were painted by Tusau Padan, a Kenyah from Ulu Baram and Harrison cohort while the other by a member of the Sarawak Heritage Society informs that the murals were originally painted on paper and glued to the ceiling. Since the second article makes no mention of Tom Harrison as an inhabitant of the Segu Bungalow, I am going to discount it. 

The front verandah opens out onto a secret garden not visible from the road

The main house is linked to a servants' quarters

View from the top of the drive

The floor plan reveals that half the house is a covered verandah

First Sale

Recently I sold the first of my sketches to James who wanted it as a birthday present for a friend, I was not able to name a price for the A3 sketch and suggested that he simply paid a donation to the Sarawak Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), which he did handsomely.

James has the idea that I can display some of my sketches in his new bar for sale - I am torn between displaying scanned prints of my sketches, and producing originals which takes more time and commitment but contains the trace of hand and therefore, a touch of soul.