27 Feb 2023 Monday - setting new targets

Monday morning is when we usually have a short office meeting to plan the work in the next 2 weeks. We tried one week, but I found that some of the targets are quite long and require a fortnight to complete. In any case, the team is quite independent and usually go about their roles without prompting from me. 

We zoomed to talk about the new hotel project and also the design development of the hospital - I wanted to hand the task to George for a while for him to see it with fresh eyes, and for SL to have a short break to think about something different for a while. 

Design strategies should be simple, I like to think that they should be simple enough for everyone in the construction team to understand. 'So we are going to throw everything at George and leave him alone for a few days. And then on Friday, we can have a short meeting to see what he comes up with - he might come up with nothing (but that's ok, because it is only a few days), or he come up with several options (and we select one), or he might say everything works quite well already (and he simply tweaks a few minor elements). 

And with that I leave the meeting. So that they can start talking about me...

 

26 Feb 2023 Sunday - raining heavily

It rained continuously

25 Feb 2023 Saturday - different strokes for different folks

Still groggy from yesterday's late night and drinking, the morning rain softened the day's activities - originally planned as a tennis morning with Ni. Instead EH arrived with Or Kuih made by his sister visiting from the States. 

What remained was a lunch with the PAM council members, I sat with Ivy and Datuk PI and a light conversation ensued; about ArcAsia, about Sri Lanka, about mutual friends, and traveling with difficult dietary restrictions. I divide people I meet into two broad groups; ones that I would have lunch with, and ones that I won't. From this visit to Kuching - I counted 4; the editor, the co editor and past chairperson and an outcast (whom everyone avoided like the plague), whom I thought was sincere in his quest to be vocal and difficult. 

Their approach is quite different from ours; we are less bureaucratic, we reach out to contributors personally, and they respond to us directly. This way we know what is in store in the coming months. We speak to sponsors directly as well, and they tell us what works for them, and what does not. We out ourselves in their shoes, and provide the service and feedback that we would like to enjoy ourselves.

24 Feb 2023 Friday - a good week's work

A continuation of yesterday's work - it is lovely once I get started, the drawing gathers momentum and I am able to record many ideas and thoughts on paper. George completes something we started two weeks ago, I told him that he can take the rest of the day off (I was pleased with the outcome of our joint effort). 

In the office, we sent our the last of the Impiana steel details - a task that has been on my mind for many weeks so I am relieved. Fiona released two projects (Huising and Tasik Biru) for planning submission - a good milestone and team effort with Louis and Melvin. Sean went to the Stampin renovation site to confirm the scope of the tender with the contractor. Peggy is getting stuck in the details of drawing up a floor plan, she is earnest so I am sure she will get there eventually. Sara - I am going to work more closely with her, perhaps a daily sit down before I leave the office, I can only guide and encourage.

 

23 Feb 2023 Thursday - drawing quietly and solving problems

Helping with Mac2 layouts, they were easy when I started.

I realised that I have not done this for some days - buckling down and looking at drawings up close; to review work done by my colleagues. This is careless of me - it is a wasted opportunity to improve our work and a chance to educate the team (and myself). I am going to set aside the morning from 7 - 9 a.m. for drawing (longer if possible) the results will be posted here.

L6 - insert a section into this photo

22 Feb 2023 Wednesday - meeting James

 Something which I have not done enough in my professional life; meeting authority figures in planning departments, making contacts with the people who can support or decline our project submissions. In the past I have had to depend on my partners to do this. Nowadays, the people I meet at the Lands and Survey Divisional office are surprised to see a 'new' old face like mine. They are wondering why they have not seen this man, someone who has obviously been around for a while, and have projects large enough to warrant meeting them in person. 

In any case, I am very glad that Basil arranged for me to meet James who seemed pleasantly surprised to get a briefing on our recent submission. Sean was with me, I wanted him to take on this role at some point. I have not seen the spurt in the his 'ownership' of the project; the urgency in getting the project on ground. But then he has only been working here since August.

21 Feb 2023 Tuesday - Sibelius Monument

A memory from 2012

The bus dropped us off at the park and we wandered over to look at the forest of steel pipes; some textured like tree trunks. Sean poked his camera into one of them and photographed the sky, Sam and Sara were distracted by some wild ducks in a nearby pond.

#sibeliusmonument #helsinki #eilahiltunen

20 Feb 2023 Monday - a good life

3pm - I was seated by the club pool side, trying to finish several steel details after the morning's site visit. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied a familiar face at the next table - an architecture enthusiast and retired lawyer enjoying a quiet glass of beer. We left each other alone for the time it took for him to finish his beer, and for me to send off my sketches. He came over and pointed at the objects on my table - 'these are signs of a good life!' 

 

19 Feb 2023 Sunday - making furniture again

 

18 Feb 2023 Saturday - detailing No. 40

 

17 Feb 2023 Friday - young ones

 

16 Feb 2023 Thursday - portfolio

 

15 Feb 2023 Wednesday - Valentina

This is Valentina, who's very lucky because Sam found her before she joined her 3 other siblings who departed the night before. Her eyes have not opened, and she's not learned how to suckle yet. Sam is feeding her with a syringe, and the next few days will tell if she's getting enough sustenance to survive. 

And if she does, she's going to be Sia and Ivy's office cat. 

 

14 Feb 2023 Tuesday PengHui visits

13 Feb 2023 Monday - back from KL

 

12 Feb 2023 Sunday - fencing

For the past few weeks, I have been trying to engage with a young person; to coax productive work from within. I know that there’s creativity in there, perhaps the person is unaware, or maybe aware but reluctant. Why would one be reluctant if you can be productive? Unless it is a sign of rebellion. So it’s like a fencing exercise; advance and retreat, lunge and parry, and riposte. 

This is an idea for the fence at No. 40, passers by would think that we are casting a concrete wall because we’re building a fence using the reinforcement steel as a fence. But it will stay as it is and the concrete will never be cast. The timber sections usually used to brace the form work are free standing and use for mounting outdoor lights.