23.5.2025 Friday - hostel project

restoration of silos into residential units, using the silo as a structure (MVRDV)

The last day for one of the more promising interns who failed to live up to her promise. We spoke about this twice, and there were not significant results. So, I am glad I do not have to deal with her anymore. 

It is a burden to have interns because I have to prepare work for them, to make sure that they are occupied, and will learn from the process of doing things. 

Later in the evening, I text EJ and ask about the hostel project, does he get the approval from the Chief Planner. He answers - green light, we have a project. 
 

8.2.2025 Saturday - two birthdays

We have not been to the Sias for a while, they have been busy and also with his health; they have been taking it easy. Mostly it is because we have aging parents and that takes a lot of time from us. Belinda is able to attend for one hour or so only as her has to return to care for her parents. Sarah tells me that her aunties are not helpful; with one of them being non functioning. 

We see this as our duty, to care for aging parents and those sibling who can do while do their part and those who don't or can't or won't - we should not spend time thinking about that. I can't say I recall any tender moments between me and my parents as I was growing up. My Aunty Josie looked to me with more pride than Mom or Pa.

Earlier in the morning, I meet with a wayward girl - daughter of a friend of my brother to discuss training opportunities in our office although she does not intend to do architecture. I say yes because I know her family, because she is an orphan, her parents died within one year of each other (he died in China, there were some rumours surrounding his death, told to me by who else?). She seems wayward, the type of woman who could get her way if she wanted, she seem keen to escape family bonds - her grandparents and her brother although they are not close anymore - 'my brother and I grew apart'. 

To conclude, I tell her to have a thought for her grandparents, that they had to do two sets of parenting; and when they thought they were finally free of their responsibilities - they had to do it all over again, this time in their seventies. 

28.11.2024 Thursday - meeting Glennys

Glennys is the daughter of Pete's friend who studied Graphic Design and thinks that architecture is something she can manage with a bit of training in our office. But a few days later, she left. Architecture is not for everyone.

21st December 2023 Thursday - Metabolist

I left the house earlier to work on this, and finish it before the folks arrive - I prefer the privacy of the early morning for thinking and figuring things out.

 PH flies back tonight, so I invite a client for lunch with us. This client was a former intern at DNA, he trained with me briefly (he recalls that we worked on a house design but neither of us can remember the details, so it must have been unremarkable). He had since worked in a large commercial firm before becoming the Design Architect for a large developer in Kuching. 

He rang yesterday asking about a former project we worked on, I mentioned that we have some ideas which we can discuss over lunch the following day (today). He agreed, I think the decision was easy even though he is on leave - we have an easy and mutually supportive relationship and the conversation is casual and always fruitful. 

I quickly put together some sketches and pass to PH 'I draw, you talk later'. PH agreed. 

Simple sketches to describe the down-sizing of an earlier 3-storey scheme. It also looks as though we might have an opportunity to execute the earlier scheme on a different site. 

1st December 2023 Friday - Khaliq

Two days ago, I saw an email from a former student from UNIMAS looking for work. I pass it to SML thinking that they'd need more staff. But in view of the confirmed project yesterday, I thought that Sean and George might need a pair of steady hands.

I rang Khaliq, who arrive Friday morning ready to work. We did put him to work, he'll start officially on Monday.

I next receive a call from a project manager from our apartment project, his daughter is an architecture student and in need of internship. Good, she can start on Monday s well together with Anisha, Zayn's daughter. Zayn was my Co-tutor in Year 1 UNIMAS. I enlist the help of Sean, Melvin and Fiona to put these young people to good use. 

Just this morning, Jenny and I have a conversation about her charge, who has put himself to good use but is not able to learn new things from the process. In fact he seems to go out of the way to learn new things, we agree on this and she decides to frame some assignments for him to 'take away' back to school in January.

30th November 2023 Thursday - windfall

Today we get paid for a project proposal we did during MCO - we were not formally appointed but I filed in a fee claim and a letter explaining the situation. So, some spare money - just in time for next year's study trip.  

I decided to treat myself for lunch, a tosay with a book. At the cafe, I meet Nick and friend eating at a table nearby; Nick worked at DNA with me. I pay for their lunch; feeling generous

Moments later, a text message from a client's PA informs me that project that Sean, George and I worked on is given planning approval. Seconds later, he rings and tell me the same - with an added 'I needed the building plans submitted soon'. I congratulate him and rung off.

Windfall - our young people seem to get along so well, they work, eat and go out together and seem to sort out problems on their own as well. We have some good leaders amongst them

29th August 2023 Tuesday - spending time talking to people

Started the day early - at 615 a.m. I was in the office. I felt fine, I think that my body clock is still on Australia time. I sorted out some things for the website - Jenny has done a good job. Today's highlight? I sent the BSC link to the work group and HL posted it on FB immediately. 

I had planned to speak to the people in the office about work, etc - which I did but not all of them. Sorted out the RiverHouse with Syahidah; she is doing well, quietly dedicated and efficient. Spoke to Joanne as well, she is a steady pair of hands; working independently on the Toorak house and the School. 

10th July 2023 Monday - Michael learns to draw

Michael starts his one-week stint with us to learn about drawing, about design, and generally to get a feel about working in a design company. We dreamt up several assignments for him -

- make a model of a showroom; lesson in understanding drawings, scale, learning how to make things with his hands

- review the brief of a food court and pose questions to the client and formulate a design brief

- measure our conference room, kitchen and translate the information into a series of drawings. (Peggy's idea).

He seem to take our instructions well, able to articulate questions and opinions, and he sketches quite well. He ate our office-cooked lunch, after which he asked to leave for a nap in his car. 

Lighting points at No. 40

 

Bathroom details

the upstairs toilet has one open side which is screened with shower curtains

27th April 2023 Thursday - interns on the website

 Judging from the big hug Sam received from Yasmin (and Grace earlier this month) it is clear that we have a strong relationship with our interns and young colleagues. We were cooking lunch for some of them who returned home for Raya and some whom we have not seen for a while. We decided recently that we would invite the Min-ions alumni to be part of our website overhaul. I think it is relevant as they are part of our personal journey as well, and it will be an interesting task to curate and see if we can hit 300 interns (which Bryan think we have)

After lunch - Sean, Jenny and I dashed off to Singgahsana to meet Teck and Kamal to discuss the exoskeleton to support an extra 4 floors above a 3-storey building. 

5 May 2022 Thursday - patience

I have not drawn this way for a while - pencil/pen on paper with a straight edge, drawn to scale and with annotation and dimensions. I did this because two interns asked me what to show in their working drawings. I thought it was easier to show with a drawing rather than a text message. I also thought how strange is was that they do not know this at this stage of their education.

But if there is one thing I have learnt this year, it is patience - to take my foot off the gas and listen, to try and understand why this question is asked, to see the other person's point of view. So I sent this to them and waited.

One replied with some questions - whether the roof overhand was disruptive to the overall form. She suggested an alternative which proved more viable and one we will adapt for the final proposal.

summer