work load

The lapse in posting is due to additional workload - the shortlisting of 4 of our projects for this year's PAM (Malaysian Architects' Institute) awards is one of the reasons; there are two invitations to speak at local universities and then there is plain old WORK to be done. Not to grumble - work is good, it results in more things built, which is a good way to test yourself and your ideas. Invitations to speak is a good vehicle to put your thoughts on paper, as oftentimes architects and designers are able to do things intuitively BUT when asked about the idea behind a particular scheme - they are at a loss for words.
So, in the meantime - these are the four shortlisted projects.

58 Iris Garden

 7th Avenue

Ben's House

Hilda's House

singapore sketches

chjimes

cafe by the river

This concept sketch is for a small cafe by the Rejang river in Sibu; the focus of which are two decades-old rain trees. The building was designed as a series of structures, seemingly suspended from the branches of the trees; transient and impermanent. And yet with enough presence to address the street and the river. Last year, this little building was awarded a Prize by the National Architect's Institute - we felt like the proud father of a child protege playing his first piano recital. But in reality, architects cannot be real parents for long; we hand over our 'children' to their foster parents - the clients - and wish for the best. 

This year, the client has completed the total destruction of the building's original intent through a series of additions. Apparently these were done to improve the business of this little cafe. The most damaging is the roofing over of the open-to-sky terrace on the first floor; shutting off the view of the sky and the trees' canopy. This used to be the only part of the buiulding where one could truly sit under the trees and listen to the wind conversing. 

The owner chose to open several other doors along the street front to induce customers to walk in - thus compromising the building's mystique and privacy. 

Of course architecture was not the cause of the poor business, the source of which lies in the kitchen. But architecture is a physical product, which makes it an easy choice for a scapegoat. 

NOTE: These photos show the building before the client's renovation

DATUM KL 2010

I was invited to speak at DATUM this year; I accepted of course - it is a great honour especially for a Sarawakian firm to present at the biggest PAM event on the calendar. Look at all the famous faces next to mine on the poster.

Morning walks in Sibu

Recently I spent a night in Sibu; the next morning I decided to walk through the town at six in the morning and sketch what I see.

This is a view of the rear of  shophouses are near the Tua Pek Kong temple; there are some interesting shops in them. Th Cafe Cafe is a good place for lunch with reasonably priced dishes in a cool inner courtyard space accompanied by nice music. The Transit bookshop is worth a visit as well with its off-the-beaten track selection of books.

  I like these old shop houses because the proportions are correct, with the pitched roofs and the verandahs running down the sides of the shops - they have a high degree of articulation. Sibu town at 6 is already busy with people shopping for produce and having breakfast.

 

This vista of the SMC would look even better lit up at night and framed by the two row of dark shops.

 These two buildings flank the Central Padang which is Sibu's version of the village green; people take their morning walks here, some ladies were practicing their folk dancing while children walk to school. My favourite part of the morning as a school boy - the anticipation of the day ahead. So different the things I looked forward to then - an interesting story from a friend or a teacher, getting marks back, going to the Park to sketch for art class. (I was a bit of nerd, as you can tell)
The nicest touch on the Sibu morning was the swiftlets circling around overhead as life went on below them.

Sarawak Museum

I have always preferred the small white buildings along the road leading up to the museum; their scale and their intricate detailing is a good contrast to the main building.

An tribal totem is a nice counterpoint to the low sweeping arc of single storey buildings. The main Museum building is a local landmark, and although its exhibits have not changed much in years - it is still a much better place to visit than the new wing. It is open on Sundays and admission is free, for many of us it represents a nostalgic reminder to our school days.

atmospheric sketches

The following are sketches done quite quickly and off the top of my head to describe a design concept to a client; I tried to do it as a series of serial vision vignettes. I do not feel that I have completely succeeded here as the sketches should be simpler and there should be more of them.