Architecture From The Experts

UCSI University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment (SABE) held its very first architecture festival on March 15-16, 2019 bringing in professionals from different fields of expertise to share their invaluable research and work with the students.

“We would like to broaden our students’ worldviews and encourage them to venture into different aspects of architecture/ interior architecture embracing the social values SABE embraces within the pedagogy,” said SABE head Assistant Professor Ar Chia Lin Lin.

Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment dean Associate Professor Ir Dr Jimmy Mok Vee Hoong was present to officiate the event.

PAM Council 2019 deputy president, Ar Sarly Adre Sarkum addressed pertinent issues that an architect has to face today. According to him, the number of architects in Malaysia is very few with a total ratio of 15,000:1.

Essentially he said that being an architect is not only about drawing and designing. Architects need to be a jack of all trades, involved in contract management, as independent arbitrators and businessmen.

“Success is measured in terms of talent and passion. Without passion it is difficult to move forward. So love what you do,” he advised.

Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia (BQSM) Consultant Quantity Surveyor Sr Jaspal Singh spoke on the roles and responsibilities of being a contract administrator.

He also reminded graduates to register with Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM) and be familiar with Architects Act 1967 and the terms of contracts to avoid disputes.

The highlight of the second day of the festival was a presentation by Justin Lee from Studio Bikin who demonstrated ‘Luna Macula’, a creative entity which creates and experiments with ‘projection paintings’.

He showed how to create dynamic and psychedelic visuals that are generated in real time, utilising coloured liquids and mixed analogue techniques.

Leon Long, a full time artist, talked about his exhibition ‘Cracks in the Wall” consisting of different works symbolising different people and places in the Razak Mansion which was built in the 1950s and has now been demolished.

UCSI SABE alumni Elaine Ng and Lam Sook Wan from Chaos Creative spoke about mural art and its advantages of having aesthetic value, being informative, conveying a universal message, being cost efficient and having the value of attention.

The festival ended with a workshop for the students led by Elaine and Sook Wan where the students were asked to create their own mural art pieces. First they had to understand the space and function, identify the values that contribute to the space, draft and design and then, finally, apply.

“We want to develop these events and make them into “knowledge sharing hubs" for all who are studying in the field, beyond UCSI boundaries welcoming all who are interested to join. These will be developed into a continuous progress development programme for our students,” added Assistant Professor Chia.