28.10.2026 Wednesday - Day 2

This morning, it rained but I went for a walk anyway. 6500 steps - good start to the day.

27.10.2026 Tuesday - slow jogging

 I am happy with my new morning routine, this is only Day 1 but I walk / jog for an hour starting at 430 a.m. pass the park, the hospital and loop home. 

At work, we meet early - each person reports their to-do list this week. Halfway through the meeting, two nice things happen; Belinda drops by with home made bread (I had earlier told them about World Architecture Day), and a client rings up with an offer of a new job. He had just signed us off on a new hotel project this week, he must be really fond of our work. After that, I felt like taking it easy but there were prior meetings arranged, so I have to attend to them.

Pity.

26.10.2026 Monday - the day is getting away from us

 A lesson from the Stoics - to wake up early and prepare for the day, for what might be difficult today, for what I can do something about (what is in my control), read something (a book not a screen), to decide today's purpose. 

Today I am going to listen and not say much. There is a meeting for a job handover, we will take delivery and make up our our minds. Be grateful with arrogance, and move on with the job.

This morning starts at 6 a.m. which I mark with a slow jogging (3500 steps) up and down a short incline near Mrs Eu's house. 

25.10.2026 Sunday - out of sorts until end of the day

When our young ones and some other young ones came by for dinner and drinks - I listen to their stories and learn about their childhood and schooling. One was in boarding school since she was 13, returning only on the weekends, the other maintains an almost cursory relationship with her mom - exchanging whatsapp messages and videos instead to speaking to each other. Another talked about how she was left behind in school, parents forgot to collect her and she had to walk an hour to get home, while one of our talked about how mom drove off without her after tuition class. All this while eating a home cooked meal and drinking nice whisky - a lovely way to begin the week.

 

24.10.2026 Saturday - are the greatest

 

23.10.2026 Friday - a good week

 

22.10.2026 Thursday - the King's house

 

21.10.2026 Wednesday - slowly jogging

 

20.10.2026 Tuesday - one job submitted

 

19.10.2026 Monday - the week continued through the weekend

The weekend was part of the working week, what with the talk we had to give, and the pickleball we played and work to be done for the terrace housing scheme. But it is not a bad thing, everyone pulled their weight and there were no complaints. In fast, when Fiona and I discuss who would do the rendering, TY turns around with a big smile on her face 'are you talking about me?'. She helped with the rendering, and does a good job. 

Some offices have politics; subordinates who do not take instructions, managers who are rude and over bearing - we have chat. People are constantly crossing the room to look at someone's screen, to have a chat (even if it is discuss where to have lunch). I see Calvin and LH coming to review Azrul's work regularly. 

Chat is a good thing, you can look the person in the eye, and gauge how she is feeling about things. And maybe catch a smile, crack a joke. 

18.10.2026 Sunday - a good work day

 We have pickleball 'training' again, and Jowie gets to meet the architects' team. She will play in the friendly against the engineers in November. After lunch, I sit in the green room and patiently work through the terrace housing scheme; the results are good. In the evening, everyone sits down for dinner including SW, listening to stories about Rudy's aunties during a recent China trip.

17.10.2026 Saturday - bring a friend

 

16.10.2026 Friday - a personal observation

 This is an article reviewing last week's PAMSC Design Forum.

PAMSC has been organising their Design Festival (PDF) for a number of years now; it is a popular event with the local members. The events start on a Friday and end on Sunday; it includes a practice seminar, a student competition, a trade expo, a networking dinner, the Design Forum and site visits to significant projects in town. The theme for this year’s forum was ‘Edges and Transitions – designing between worlds.’

Amongst the speakers for this year’s design forum was renowned architect Peter Stutchbury from Australia, I have always admired his work and he was the main reason  I signed up for the event. I have watched videos of his talks before and although his talk last Saturday started in a familiar fashion, he expanded on it to include recent works and some community projects. He talked about learning from nature, from our mentors and elders, and from making – it is clear that each project is an intimate journey for him. His lecture covered his civic buildings as well as his houses; starting with his church building in Papua New Guinea, and ending with his work on small pre-fab housing with DimensionX, and my personal favourite; the Night Sky House. His deep involvement in his work means that he is able to relate personal stories about the place, the clients, including ones he built for in the favelas in Brazil.

There were 4 other speakers; Caleb Ong from FORMZERO (Malaysia), Nicholas Yeo from POPULOUS (Singapore), Eric Chen from ARCHIBLUR LAB (Taiwan) and Marcia Jesus from 100 ARCHITECTS (Shanghai).

Caleb Ong and Eric Chen similarly spoke from personal involvements in their featured projects. Caleb tailored his presentation to the Forum theme in a series of 6 stories/projects, using edges, boundaries and transitions to frame his talk. He speaks about blurring the boundaries between the inside and outside which was successful within the confines of the houses. The siting of his houses within the urban fabric is less seamless; often towering over their neighbours, the Borderless House delineates itself from the neighbourhood with imposing concrete walls. The Canopy House is perhaps the most successful in this case; it hugs the terrain with a steadily pitching roof that shelters the terraced living spaces below.

Eric spoke about collaboration with other designers and architects; brief encounters which often result in a built project and lessons learned for himself and his students who are sometimes the construction work-force. He spoke from a vast portfolio; mostly temporary installations, in the city, in the forest, near the sea – a sort of architectural acupuncture that is designed to stimulate or activate a response. Although these projects are often temporary (some allowed to decay and return back to nature as part of the exhibition), he tells us that their impact is long term and continual. I would have preferred a smaller selection of projects, and for these to be presented in more depth because I am quite certain there are back stories and lessons for us in the audience as well.

For me, the forum is clearly divided into two parts – one in which the architect speaks from a personal viewpoint having executed the projects themselves with their team, while the other half sees the architect presenting what their company has done – a portfolio presentation of sorts. I was amazed by 100 ARCHITECTS’s presentation; a catalogue of playscapes of dizzying colours and contortions and impressed by the scale of POPULOUS’s projects in the US, in Japan, in China. But I am not able to recall a project of particular interest to me. Design forums are meant to cater for a wide field of attendees, but I feel that the speakers can do more research on their audience and make an effort to tailor the lectures.

There is a final chapter; the moderation/Q&A session which was poorly handled. The questions were read from the SLIDO app which was posted on screen without prior editing or curating. A summing up of the day’s presentations by the moderator would have been useful to channel first questions to the speakers. Instead, the questions from the audience were read verbatim from the screen. Organising an event like this takes a lot of effort; I know first-hand what it takes, and I know first-hand what it took for the organising Chairman and his committee to make this a success. As PAMSC successfully concludes another PDF, it would be good to see how we can all help to improve the next one, and make it less taxing on the organiser so that he would consider continuing his good work in this role.

15.10.2026 Thursday - an early day

 I feel better today, especially after returning home at 330 p.m. to have a nap. I must have eaten something that disagreed with me. I am cheered up by my children who arrive for dinner and gave hugs and biscuits (a brand which I first tasted on a plane to Helsinki.

14.10.2026 Wednesday - we have work to do

courtesy of Yoshi who is reminded of his dog by our Jellybean

 I am in no fit frame of mind for dinner, my tummy is acting up so I go to bed earlier to try and sleep it off. It does not work. But it is ok, we receive confirmation that we have a hotel project, so I treat myself with a pickleball session.

13.10.2026 Tuesday - eating dinner together

 

12.10.2026 Monday - visiting the Tays

 

11.11.2026 Sunday - life in small towns

 

10.10.2026 Saturday - Design Forum

 

9. 10.2026 Friday - on fire

 

8.10.2026 Thursday - taking a friend to work

Y has been asking to visit one of our job sites, and today I had some free time and decide to make time for him. We are there to meet the sub-contractors as well, so the timing is good. It is good practice, to explain the project to him from a planning, architectural and engineering stand point. This cause me to think about some aspects of the building's design which I have not framed properly in my mind before. 

This is why it is good to 'teach' as it forces you to think more deeply about your work, and causes you to frame questions (and answers) that may arise when present this scheme to a group of students for example.

After the site inspection, we take him to Kim Joo where he enjoys his first set of 'zheng-thng and kolo mee'.

7.10.2026 Wednesday - clearing a spot in the garden

On the way to work, Sam and I decide to clear a spot in the garden for new planter boxes. I have the bright idea of getting Beko to do this, which he does beautifully - I look forward to the weekend when we can get the veggie patch ready.

A client wants to re-visit a project we worked on several years ago, and tells us that they have reviewed the project with a third party architect which resulted in a series of new design requirements. I would have reacted differently last year, but this year I would respond this way: 

1. we will write in for additional fees, and treat a new project
2. the client did not have to tell us they consulted another architect, they could have simply told us that they changed their minds. 
3. it is another reason to talk design with GW who will not doubt have something to say about this. But it is likely quite a simple assignment once we get into it. 
4. Take our time, get Sean to lead this exercise.

6.10.2026 Tuesday - arguing about good things

Today, there is a meeting with an important person whose objective is to get a good business deal out of our relationship. He is a good negotiator with an experienced business mind. So, I go with an open mind; to listen, to understand but not necessarily to agree off-hand. 

So, it looks like we might have a new job, with full control over the design - and although we debate about this and that, those are small points in the big picture. The main issue is that when jobs are slowing down - it is good to have a new one to work on especially one in a new typology.

In the afternoon, he and I argue about the design for the house on the hill, I feel that his roof pitches the wrong way; it allows views of the sea only without addressing the hillside. I can see that he sees my point and in his heart agrees, but he is unable to concede. Our young assistant does not help the situation as she agrees with my points when I make them to him. I am not interested in scoring points; I am interested to having points to underscore our design narrative when presenting our scheme. 

It rains heavily in the evening, and I go home and sit in front of the telly instead of going to pickleball. I like to end my evenings with a bout of physical activity, I feel better about eating a good dinner then.

5.10.2026 Monday - good news at the bank

 We go to the bank this morning and get some good news. After which we treat ourselves to lunch in a cafe, the food is good but the portion is small. 

for my own lunch, I blitz up some green juice and enjoyed drinking it. it also kept me quite full for the rest of the day - I will continue with this.

Later in the evening after pickleball, at our kopitiam dinner I decide that I will not eat at these sort of places anymore. I would rather cook two eggs and eat them on toast at home. It will be cheaper, taste better and definitely better for me. 

I make good progress at work; the house with Leong, ID with Rachel, the masterplan with JY, the toilet upgrade with Clarissa and talk about money with Fiona. I also send out the masterplan queries for the Home, the client promises to revert soon. I am very happy with how the ball pen takes onto the recycled blueprint paper, which I have made into sketchbooks.

4.1.2026 Sunday - one day more

 A stay at home day today, up early to draw on the green room which is nice and cool and quiet at 6 in the morning.

3.10.2026 Saturday - exams and a nice sit down dinner

 

2.10.2026 Friday - more changes on site

1.10.2026 Thursday - good meetings followed by a lunch

 

30.9.2026 Wednesday - list three things

1. PD piping for pump room
2. Kitchen details
3. Terrace masterplan

29.9.2026 Tuesday - concrete framing

I have been starting my day very early these few weeks; I write here, sometimes in the journal as well and make some marks in my sketchbook. Or make some sketchbooks from old drawings. Good morning therapy - everything is quiet, then I cycle to work, have a coffee, read a little. I have rediscovered so many new books to read in the past week; books which have been in Sara's room all this while.

Leong is working with me and Ty on the house on the hill. I am trying to work on the Toorak house with the girls - I think it will work even though we are not in full control of the ID. I finish the new housing scheme with Sean and JY. HP finally issues the new toilet layouts to site. 

I cycle down to play pickleball and have dinner with David who is in town for a Health design conference. Speaking to Westies always presents a different point of view, some are worrying while others are refreshing. 

 

28.9.2026 Monday - several pomodoros later..

I sometimes think that if I work deliberately, and use my time to brief the team - I might get away with working for half a day only. And take the afternoons off. 

I have been thinking of taking Friday afternoon off. But it does not always work out. 

Ar. Wee Hii Min has made significant and sustained contributions to PAM, the architectural profession and the built environment of Sarawak. His longstanding service to PAMSC includes serving as Vice Chairman, Publication & Media Chair and Design Festival Chair, alongside organising lectures, World Architecture Day programmes and professional initiatives. His architectural contribution is demonstrated through numerous award-winning works, including Gold PAM Awards for the Sibu Heritage Centre and Showroom at Jalan Rock, as well as a Silver Award for the ASEAN Bintulu Fertilizer Headquarters. He has also played an important role in promoting Sarawak architecture through INTERSECTION, The Borneo Architecture Journal and professional lectures, while contributing to architectural education, community projects and pro-bono works. His sustained leadership, professional achievements and commitment to shaping a distinctive and sustainable built environment in Sarawak strongly support his elevation to Fellow Membership of PAM.