Talk Architecture

Send us Fan Mail An intriguing book by Christopher Alexander called "The Nature of Order", and a chapter that caught my attention: Chapter 10 on Pleasing Yourself, compelled me to review section 7 on "A group of architecture students who were not pleasing themselves".  I thought Alexander's observation was very insightful and related to my own experience when dealing with...

Send us Fan Mail After listening to even 10 minutes of this podcast interview (YouTube link below) on the topic of : Your Toolkit for Preventing Burnout and Improving Resilience In Tough Times| The Mel Robbins Podcast   We discover some phrases like "toxic achievements" and "toxic pressure"... and in this episode, I attempted to introduce these phrases in the architectural cont...

Send us Fan Mail I would like to make the argument for all 17 Sustainable Development Goals 2030 to be disability inclusive in this podcast episode, although SDG goals 4, 8, 10, 11, and 17 are the obvious ones.  It is projected by 2040, that 17% of the Malaysian population to be 65 years and above, plus now 16% of the population in any country is estimated to be disabled persons. (US data states t...

Send us Fan Mail This is the concluding episode of a two-part series, where Part 2 discusses 'job burnout risk factors, ' the consequences of job burnout' and, 'handling job burnout'. We referred to 2 other articles from Architizer and Monograph, including the article found in the link below, "Job burnout: How to spot it and take action" by the Mayo Clinic staff....

Send us Fan Mail Job burnout for an architect and designer could be based on many factors and if not resolved or identified early could lead to depression. Part 1 episode discussed based on the article found in the link below, "Job burnout: How to spot it and take action" by the Mayo Clinic staff, is discussed in the architecture practice context. Content included: 'job burnout symp...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing the discussion exploring the two subjects of 'adaptability' and 'visualization' in the context of architecture (education and practice) and mental health balance (human being and cognition from a psychological perspective).  ©️Talk Architecture 2023, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.  Photo credit Image from the internet of Stewart Brand's book &quot...

Send us Fan Mail Reading Stewart Brand's book "How Buildings Learn - What Happens After They're Built", for the first time in 1995, I see now the relevance of the idea of adaptability more than ever.  Whole attitudes can be changed with regard to architecture and education.  This is the first thought in thinking about the importance of 'visualization' comparing archit...

Send us Fan Mail What is missing in the first degree of architecture course (Part 1) where graduates are confused? Example: I miss design but I cannot get work with an architecture company. It has been 2 years now, and I am working in an engineering company...  A recent development where one of the oldest architecture schools in my country decided to do something about the lack of creativity in th...

Send us Fan Mail This is the first part of a ‘common sense’ series on mental health and well-being for the architect focusing on “connection and community” as important factors to growth and development.  (Disclaimer: I am not a therapist. I have 35 years of working experience in architecture education and practice) Talk Architecture 2023, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.  Photo credit: Naziaty Mohd Y...

Send us Fan Mail This is a serious proposal on how any architecture course in Malaysia especially, needs to be revised or create a new architecture curriculum in the higher institution of learning. The approach is based on the philosophical approach and from the point of view of Architecture's roots in Arts and Humanities, however able to assuage current needs and problems in architecture edu...

Send us Fan Mail A topic that has not been recognized enough and a concern that needed to be raised. An architect can be triggered in the workplace environment by the lack of mental health balance. What are the underlying reasons for being triggered or feeling distressed or uncomfortable after receiving the sensation in terms of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching? More often than not...

Send us Fan Mail Creative expression is more of an individual act rather than a collaborative one, hence 'creativity' does not happen as we think it needs to. So how do the architect deal with the lack of creative expressions in their everyday? The big question: Is being an architect your destiny?  However the topic explores the missing 'creativity' in architecture, reflecting...

Send us Fan Mail What is the work-life balance of the architect?  This episode proposes what the architect needs to do in order to achieve work-life balance, changing attitudes and perceptions of the use of their time, to their advantage for growth and development. Knowing about that advantage means that there is a way the architect can take over and control their own destiny, rather than being st...

Send us Fan Mail The subject of intuition in the architectural design process by the designer is explored further, by defining and interpreting in the architectural context using this reference:  How to Develop Your Intuitive Decision Making BY WINSTON SIECK UPDATED SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 LINK: https://www.globalcognition.org/intuitive-decision-making Talk Architecture 2023, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaaco...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of a series on what and how intuition works in architecture design. This episode takes us on a deeper understanding of the process intuition plays in architectural design. Focusing on architecture education and the defense of the design in the context of critique, the author proposes how intuition needs to be developed from architecture school even, as the basis for the &ap...

Send us Fan Mail Part 1 of a series on what and how intuition works in architecture design. This episode is the introduction with a cursory explanation of the process intuition plays in architectural design. Taking the idea that visualization and visioning a goal or outcome over and over again (like striking a ball into the goal, in football) and how detailed one needs to be to get the outcome one...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is an interlude and necessary broadcast on why this podcast "Talk Architecture" exists. It lies in 'righting the wrong' in architecture, starting with education and the link between what is wrong in architecture and the lack of proper 'architectural criticism' as the core learning component as well as a method of inquiry in schools of arc...

Send us Fan Mail The second installment to the 2 part episode entitled: What architecture school did not teach you? DRAWING BY HAND IS A NECESSARY SKILL TO MASTER ARCHITECTURE The argument is to make sure that architecture is rooted in the arts and humanities and not entirely a technology-driven endeavour.  The essential mastering of spatial experience drawn by hand, over and over again, developin...

Send us Fan Mail Discussing one important skill that architecture school did not teach you. ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION This skill relates to other sub skills such as thinking strategically and tactically at the same time, seeing bigger picture and details together which is necessary in getting a good grounding before working and ease of becoming an effective project architect. This is also imperati...

Send us Fan Mail Why did you take 'architecture'? Because something in you, intuitively resonated with that idea of learning architecture. Whether you end up being a practicing and professional architect or an artist or filmmaker, you once learned architecture and that journey had you asking at least subconsciously the “purpose of your life” and here you are - listening and still wanting...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 dives deeper into the aspects of the design process where the “feedback that tutors give” depends on whether it’s the 'coach', 'consultant', or 'expert' role in the studio program. I talked about what is a “well-run program” compared to a “not well-run program” with respect to the design and execution of the program and whether the different ro...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes an opportunity unfolds itself and you need to take it. In this case, in the form of a chat with a former student. I took notes but I hope that in the future I could do a podcast with the ex-student for now, I concentrated on a couple of points: 1. Feedback that tutors give during the design process and, 2. Learning from doing academic programs (studio projects) and worki...

Send us Fan Mail This is the concluding part of the three-part episode on “Is the Architecture Culture in an Office, a Club?”. We defined further the definition of ‘club’ under the sub-topic of “ a new culture that respects time” is needed, where ‘time’ is currently perceived as a commodity to argue and for the sake of mental health but 'time' is needed to be seen as a ‘rights’ to leisur...

Send us Fan Mail A summary of findings from a Facebook group discussion focusing on the meaning of 'club' to be “boys club” where there is a "glass ceiling" that limit women architects to be promoted in an architectural company. Some interesting insights from quotes discussed on what is an “architecture culture”, where we can start our research on this topic by asking the quest...

Send us Fan Mail A series on Creative Expressions as one of the pillars of the work-life balance program, however in this episode a discussion on what are the similarities between music and architecture that we can learn in terms of pace, chords, and harmonies. This includes the idea of structure in architecture, but the argument of the problems of how architecture is practiced and approached. ©️T...