Talk Architecture

Send us Fan Mail Concluding part: Conversation with Nur Izzati Mohd Khairan "Can Malaysian Architecture Schools be like the AA School?" (Part 2) Izzati and I continued with the agenda of learning 'theory' in the design studio programs and whether Malaysian graduates can compete globally. We found out that in the Part 2 MArch course, learning theory is an option, and in an elect...

Send us Fan Mail September Specials: Conversation with Nur Izzati Mohd Khairan "Can Malaysian Architecture Schools be like the AA School?" (Part 1) Izzati and I discussed further "prickly" issues that need to be addressed from our experiences and what we have learned from previous discussions. Recollecting important points that were not fully addressed, we also reflected on Izz...

Send us Fan Mail Coming soon. The second guest on this topic: "Can Malaysian Architecture Schools be like the AA School?" We will continue to frame and reframe the questions as Izzati is my partner in crime, who forages with me in clubhouse events on architecture education to dig up some nuggets of insights.  Izzati graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Inte...

Send us Fan Mail Interlude: The importance of theory in architecture design studio curriculum. This is my reaction to what had been said by Cheah Ee Von, wherein conclusion she said “Malaysian Architecture schools can be like the AA school”, and as for me, I have always believed that theory can be better assimilated in the architecture studio curriculum and in particular the Masters of Architectur...

Send us Fan Mail Selamat Hari Merdeka Malayans!  The Malayan 64th Independence Day Special: A Conversation with Cheah Ee Von "Can Malaysian Architecture Schools be like the AA School?" - Part 2 We continue where our conversation delved deeper into the questions asked before, on the importance of "theory", crits, reviews, and juries in the AA School, where Cheah Ee Von went for...

Send us Fan Mail The Malayan 64th Independence Day Special: A Conversation with Cheah Ee Von "Can Malaysian Architecture Schools be like the AA School?" - Part 1 We start off to know about the AA School unit system at the Diploma (Part 2) level. Ee Von takes us through her motivation and desire to will herself to get to the AA. She then describes what and how she chose the Diploma units...

Send us Fan Mail Coming up will be a series of conversations between the host and a number of guests talking on the topic of "Can Malaysian Architecture Schools be like the AA School?" We start next week's chat on the Independence Day Special with Cheah Ee Von, who recently graduated from the AA School in London, and did her first degree at Taylor's University in Malaysia. Do c...

Send us Fan Mail Introduction: Reasons Why Malaysian Architecture Graduates Cannot Compete Globally Continuing from the discussion in other clubhouse events MSIARCHIREVIEW club (which I attended as an audience member) notably on the 7th and 14th August 2021, the guest speaker said that, “The reason why I suggested that we talk about architecture education is that I want our graduates to be among t...

Send us Fan Mail This is a commentary on the design thesis of the MArch course based on what has been discussed in the MSIAARCHIREVIEW Club session at 9 pm on 7th August 2021. At the University of Malaya, we had conducted the design thesis course based on what the students proposed for their own individual self since 2002/2003. (It was B Arch then). The protagonist and others supported this approa...

Send us Fan Mail Fresh from listening in to the Clubhouse event on “Better Design Critiques” with moderators, Petrula, Leon, and Evan of the Design Career Masterclass, we were exposed to ideas on the criteria for design critiques; The designer will 1) Provide the context of whatever (design) he/she is showing (with the objectives and goals / talking to the brief; 2) Explain project goals to the au...

Send us Fan Mail Exclusive Interview: Khoo Salma Nasution suggested 'urban farming' as the way forward to resolve problems of access to edible and nutritious food in the cities and as a reaction to problems with pesticide-laden food and on the other problem, eating instant noodles by those living in urban poverty.  Talking about local government, developers, architects and society's...

Send us Fan Mail What does an urban and environmental activist has to say about architects and architecture? Khoo Salma Nasution graduated with a Liberal Arts degree from Duke University, U.S.A.  She is a friend to many of us, an activist who is multi-talented, campaigner, mother of three children and wife of Abdur-Razzaq Lubis, her partner in crime with Areca Books and Zero Sugar. Her activism st...

Send us Fan Mail In psychology, the sense of self concept is one of the important primary understanding for self growth and awareness. 'Being present at the moment' and aware of the situation we are in, is the phenomenological thinking principle, from the human being perspective. Establishing from a meditative state we can begin to unravel the complexities of phenomena in relation to our...

Send us Fan Mail We traced back some ideas on the future of design education. The context of the conversation is that architecture may relate more to the construction courses in some universities, but in this case some conversation was caught on a Clubhouse app chat hosted by the Design Careers Masterclass clubroom, hosted by some really good moderators, focused on the design courses and in this c...

Send us Fan Mail The second and concluding part interview with Ar. Ch'ng Sao Inn of Saoinn Architect. Architecture is a process of discovery. In this session we continued on the subject of the importance of some learning in school that would be carried on into practice. Insights on Sao Inn's approach managing a design team in JDW a design and built company was explained in Part 1. Discus...

Send us Fan Mail The first part interview with Ar. Ch'ng Sao Inn of Saoinn Architect. In this session we started with Sao Inn's architectural journey from school (University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur) right up till working life and establishing his own practice since 2016. We touched on architecture education including some insights on the first degree learning for architecture students wh...

Send us Fan Mail A teaser on an upcoming interview with the Principal Architect of Saoinn Architect. What does design mean to you?  Why do you think school is important?  This featured podcast will be a dialogue on everything and anything about school and design between Sao Inn and Naziaty. Born in Penang Island, Sao Inn received both of his architectural degree from University of Malaya. He joine...

Send us Fan Mail What is the fundamental difference and similarities between a building and a furniture? Some of the characteristics we can guess correctly and some are not obvious. Why is it important for the student of architecture to design and build a furniture? One answer could be that it's impossible for the student to design and build during their school program, as there is a set curr...

Send us Fan Mail This is the first part introduction of the series on "inclusive education" prompted by recent social media reports of accusations of discriminatory practices by institutions of higher learning to deny disabled persons who are qualified to take some university courses. I had the experience of being trained by a blind master trainer in 2000, in a "social mobilization&...

Send us Fan Mail The last in a 3 part series on the site-context issues driven design thesis studio, describing some issues and what are the hurdles and challenges when facilitating and moderating the year-long academic program (36 weeks in total), hence the focus on the studio masters team. How do we create the momentum and motivation to keep the students focus in this process and how much in syn...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast session concentrates on the design thesis studio learning experience, the importance of the design studio philosophy and the studio masters team. Theory and Practice goes hand in hand. And the learning experience for the student of architecture should reflect theory and practice that blend together.  We need to focus on the design process and how it is important for t...

Send us Fan Mail Further to the previous podcast discussion on site, type and issues , three main factors for design thesis projects, I deliberated in this podcast, on the " site-context issues driven design thesis project " ( context specificities ) which is based on two batch of students, 2018-19 and 2019-20, based on the area of Kampung Kerinchi and Petaling Jaya Old Town, respectivel...

Send us Fan Mail Gearing up to this Sunday, 8:30 pm date 20 June 2021, on Clubhouse app, where I will be hosting a session on further explanation of " theory in the design studio work ", this podcast, I gave a brief explanation of what is a design thesis? Namely touching on: site, type and issue, which is more important in a design thesis? Which one should we start with first? Find a sit...

Send us Fan Mail I prepared a script and discussed further on the topic of the Application of Theory in Design Studio Work - Part 2. In this session, I further explained the questions made earlier and defined what is concept and theory and the point about the importance of the narrative to explain the concept and that is the closest to having theory being applied in the studio project. Obviously t...

Send us Fan Mail I'm discussing “The application of theory in the studio design work (60 min)” on  Sunday, 13 Jun at 8:30 PM MYT on the clubhouse app .  However, on 12 June 2021, I had the great opportunity to meet many people in an Ar. Lok Wooi moderated clubhouse event on "Theory of Architecture in Malaysia", and I took notes and address some points in this podcast, in particular...