World Architecture Day Kuching

Here is the link to a highlight video showing the design workshop - please share.

WAD 6.0 - Highlight

https://youtu.be/Yb7YrZ5J3_w

Visions of me

These different vignettes of me remind me of the various roles we (can) play in our daily lives, just by doing the things we do at work, at home and at rest. Sometimes the roles intertwine and the younger employees or interns become our borrowed children - fostered for a year or 6 months. And like our own children, they can infuriate us as much as they delight us with their 'unexpected' thoughtfulness. Nonetheless, they enrich our lives as how we try to enrich theirs.

In the past 6 months, I have become more certain of what I am able to do to enrich the lives of those under my care.

Procastinating

I sometimes sneak an early run to the office; get in 6 km before dawn. Then sneak in a few hours to start a conversation with a floor plan, or to end one with some construction details, or something in between. Something constructive...

But most times something gets in the way; someone calling for breakfast, playing with the office cats or like last Sunday - thinking about stuff..

...thinking about MW's new house which he hasn't even bought. But thinking about it seemed more interesting and important than the "paying" jobs - this is the result. The result of an hour of putting things off. Half way through my sketches reminded me of a building I visited with Sam in Madrid - the Caxia Forum. Herzog added to the existing building with an inverted silhouette of itself, built in aged steel perhaps to reflect its former brick walls. In this building, the lowest floor is carved out to allow the street to come into the building and give the massive block an appearance of floating.

(added later)
When MW found out about this blog entry, he asked if the title was a dig at him. I said no, and realised that his reaction was from knowing the sarcastic me. I told him that I was referring to myself - putting off real work for imagined work. I them added - it could well have applied to him, seeing how long he has taken to decide on buying a house...

Time on my hands

 I drew these sketches of Fort Magherita for Friends of the Sarawak Museum (FOSM). They were going to use them for their launching of the new Brooke Gallery, I was very busy yet quietly flattered. * Incidentally - I also learnt that the fort was named after Charles Vyner Brooke's wife, Margaret.

So, I put to practice what I tell my interns and colleagues - meet the date line first by putting something in. Book the place, get the conversation started (or going) and then if you're able - improve on the original item. And keep the conversation going again after that. That method of meeting date lines helped me get through architecture school relatively stress-free.

Several days after sending in the above sketches, I found myself with some time on my hands. A rare occasion. Which I put to good use by applying ink and wash over the original sketches. It brings out the forms a bit better and I like how the wash blurs the hard lines of the ball point pen.