Heong Peng from Kampar

Luxury 'heong peng' from Kampar

On Sunday, a package of 'heong peng' was delivered to my front gate, from Kampar; a gift from a former trainee and now friend.

Singapore Adventures

Singapore Polytechnic (SP) invited me to give a talk at their campus and prepared this nice publicity poster for circulation - only thing is, I feel that I should change my photo - look at how seroius the others are. They look as though they can change the world! And me? - I look like I ll be happy just sitting and drawing cartoons. (which is essentially what it amounts to when your design sketches don't take shape)

What do you think? Change photo?

Original sketch done on site while Michael was taking photos.

During the 4-day trip, we met many interesting people and visited inspiring offices and job sites - our hosts really made the effort.

Streetscene from the Tiong Bahru wet market

Sketch of Tiong Bahru shops after being introduced to them by Kok Ming

H House

This is one of our recent houses in Kuching; I am showing a chronology of sketches and (sketch) models which resulted in the final house. It was completed late last year.

So...you want to be an Architect ?

Last month, we attended a series of career guidance talks at the HIP cafe at the Spring - we went after I was earlier invited to give a similar lecture to students in Architecture as a career. Not many of them turned up. Apparently, it coincided with their tuition classes.

Perhaps Architecture is not something that folks are interested in anymore - perhaps it is too long a course; too expensive, maybe they feel that there isn't enough money in it (is there ever enough money in their world?). Or perhaps they feel that it is simply too hard; too much work. Especially when disgruntled architects complain about bad clients and even worse contractors; too much work for too little return. The problem is that these architects are thinking of the returns as purely financial, and also looking at a glass as half empty rather than half full most (if not all) of the time.

The HIP cafe at Spring, Kuching

The meagre fruits of our labour?

Newspaper Article on our recent success at the PAM Awards 2010.

People often ask if there are any financial rewards in winning the annual PAM Awards; we tell them 'no'. 

So...., what do you win? - they are curious. We tell them - a trophy and a certificate.(visit www.designnetworkarchitects.com to see the trophy). 'That's it ?' - they are incredulous - sure that there must be more to gain than a trophy and a pat on the back by the National Institute of Architects. Well, of course there are rewards and most times, we reap them even before the winners are announced. For the past 4 years, the process of compiling project material for shortlisting is an excellent team-building exercise and an avenue for design discourse and even a little friendly competition amongst colleagues. 

Of course, the awards themselves are a form of recognition from our peers; important for a young architectural firm like ours from a 'remote' part of the country. 

Sketching outside Adrian's office window

 Jalan Chew Geok Lin
When I travel, walking around town early in the morning is a pleasurable adventure; it is as though you catch the locals off guard and see them in real life. Perhaps they do not expect an outsider to trepass into their world at this hour. Food stalls that disappear after 7 a.m. - they serve local fare to the locals - the tourists are expected to eat something else. People washing on the pavement; laundry, vegetables, small children, grownups too. A man bathed with a water hose piped down from the floor above - humming blissfully to himself with a cigarette in his mouth the whole time.

Vignettes of city life such as this are hard to come by nowadays. But if you wake up early enough - even my hometown of Kuching has the ability to surprise me at times. Re-introducing me to local characters (and food) not seen since Primary school days. The rewards of waking up earlier and going for a walk in your town.

Market Road, Sibu\

Jalan Bengkel, Sibu

Romance in Fuxing GongYuan

We came across this park on one of our walking tours; Sara said it reminded her of the Paris parks she had seen in movies - and it is clear why - the tree-lined avenues with lawns in between them, vistas guided towards fountains and statues, further enhanced by the crunchy gravel underfoot and couples cuddling on park benches. Clear signs of the French influence in Shanghai's past - so it seemed appropriate that we would meet this spritely couple; not young in years but still youthful in their step.Sara took this series of shots; as they practiced - coaching and encouraging each other - quite oblivious to the crowd which gathered to watch them; envious of their dancing skills and obvious enjoyment of each other's company.

I will take a break from Shanghai entries after this one and come back to them later in the month.