March 11, 2010 | Articles | Magazine

who to work for?

While we’re on the subject of start-ups; there’s also that other option: getting employed.

The whole question of which practice to join, and how much you’re getting paid for your work is a growing concern among many fresh architecture grads out there today; this came up as a topic of conversation among a few friends recently… continue >>>

February 19, 2010 | Articles | Magazine

Eastern promise?

“When it comes to interiors, Eastern design principles are more relevant than ever”

According to Denman, Shashi Caan- president of the International Federation of Interior Architects and Designers (IFI) - has called for a closer inspection of ‘Eastern’ design principles, citing that interior design has long been largely Euro-centric. While this might sound pleasing to some, further reading into Selina Denman’s article for ContructionWeekOnline.com had me doing a double take. From what initially appears as a call for a greater understanding of so-called ‘eastern’ principles, Caan’s - along with some other voices’ - effort here seems to be a hopeful construction of a faux-pas that can only help to confuse the innocent layman.

While it might be true that the recent focus on sustainability and “sustainable design” has led many - and not just ‘the West’ to consider the broader impacts of design, the IFI president’s particular focus on Japanese principles - Makoto, Heisei, Wa, Shizen, Kanji - to name a few, seems to resonate more like a cluster of marketing bells trying to usher in a new fad than a call for universality in design.

Caan’s call to Japanese principles in design looks increasingly thin when placed beside the work of practitioners of the modern movement in architecture; and even pre-modern architects like the American Frank Lloyd Wright, who had gathered inspiration from the so-called east, looking to examples like the Katsura Palace and Japanese modular systems, while gleaning lessons in the relationship between architecture’s interior and its exterior. Japan-ness in design has been around long enough for us to acknowledge that it is probably untrue that it is only now that these things are gaining in popularity; to put it in Marie-Noelle Swiderski’s words, “The growing popularity of Japanese food is mirrored by changing attitudes towards wellness, where eastern-inspired spas, treatments and attitudes are moving into the mainstream. Eastern music, fashion, artifacts and accessories have also travelled well, as have principles such as feng shui, which have been wholeheartedly embraced in the West.”

The realization of Swiderski’s blatant conflation of ‘Japanese’ with ‘Eastern’ comes as soon as we hear ‘feng shui’ and ‘Japanese’ in the same statement - and confirms the sweeping generalization that only a managing director can make with what one could call ignorance and superficiality. “Balance”, “fluidity”, “simplicity”, “precision” and “craft” are only some of the other name-dropped terms that are sounded out throughout the article, and it can only further serve to shock one how a journal like Construction Week can continue to publish such opinions.

To her credit, Caan’s clumsy call for eastern-adoption is softened by her emphasis on a cultural cross-pollination and some reference to colonial adoption of local influences - suggesting a careful courtship as opposed to a whole-sale cultural invasion. But Like Denman’s groundless rhetoric that asserts new paradigms of living and culture without supporting them, and the way in which restaurants like Nobu, Zuma, and Okku are taken as precedents for such a romance with Japan to blossom; one can only confirm suspicions as to the superficial nature in which some - and not all- interior design is self serving and self-referential, disconnected from context. And with its hands deep in the pockets of capitalism and hedonism (not to say that architecture doesn’t) , it can only serve to further hypnotize the customer and journalist.

If the growing divide between the architect’s sensitivity and the interior design’s heavy handedness is anything to go by, this article is a sure indication.

December 24, 2009 | Features | Magazine

Michael Lee Hong Hwee: National Columbarium of Singapore

National Columbarium of Singapore is an installation by local artist Michael Lee Hong Hwee featuring 100 lost Singapore architecture including 45 scaled models of demolished buildings, and those that are unbuilt or imaginary.

This work was commissioned for the Lost in the City exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore, on display till the 3rd of January 2010, in-conjunction with the Singapore Art Show 2009.

images and audio after the jump…

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November 7, 2009 | Features | Reviews | books

Book Review: City Between Worlds: My Hong Kong

by Non Arkaraprasertkul

Harris Manchester College & The Oriental Institute
The University of Oxford
non.arkaraprasertkul@orinst.ox.ac.uk

–

Having for some time been a fan of Professor Leo Ou-Fan Lee’s Shanghai Modern: The Flowering of a New Urban Culture in China, 1930-1945, I did not hesitate to grab Lee’s newest book City Between Worlds: My Hong Kong from the shelves during my last visit to Hong Kong. Like other urbanists, I savor the study of Hong Kong with alacrity. Though I must admit I have never been very clear about what Hong Kong is all about. To me, Hong Kong is a city of hyper-industriousness, located in the point of transition between two political realms, which survives for the sake of China’s financial enterprise.  The culture of the place remains intact despite the shifting global economy (and, of course, global economic downturn). Don’t be frightened: it is my intention to obfuscate the previous sentence with conflicted ideas.  The sentence, in fact, is intentionally written to represent my confusing perceptions of Hong Kong. Quite simply Lee defines the place as such: “a city of confusion and contradiction.” For some time, in this city of mainly Chinese residents that had been foreshadowed by the colonialist enterprise for almost a hundred years, the use of a question of history – is Hong Kong Chinese? – is the principal manner by which scholars analyze Hong Kong.

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October 13, 2009 | Articles | Features | Magazine

Archifest 09

On a cool windy evening at the plaza of the Singapore National Library, Archifest ‘09 opened on 10th October 2009 to humble fanfare. Themed “Architecture for Humanity”, this year’s edition of Singapore’s annual architecture festival seems intent on rekindling the spirit of the local and society at large, preferring to highlight issues such as local building technology, environmental sustainability and challenges in the local community.

Largely a meeting of old friends, past colleagues, previous mentors- the opening of Archifest never fails to remind one of how small and tightly knit the community of designers and stakeholders of the built environment in Singapore is. But beyond the architects, sponsors and others who take an interest in the built environment, the opening ceremony of Archifest 2009 also attracted curious pedestrians who wandered around the exhibition and peered at the drawings on display, although one wonders if the unguarded buffet at the reception table had played a part in that.

Raw construction aesthetics were the order of the exhibition in what is perhaps a homage to the ‘humanity’ and ‘back to basics’ agenda of this year’s festival. Architectonic plywood pieces by students of the National University of Singapore define the boundaries of the exhibition while metal scaffolding and raw plywood made up the main exhibition pavilions which were arranged around a central seating area. The celebration of unfinished wood and joinery fixtures seemed inescapable.

The honesty of expression did not stop at the physical exhibition pavilions but seemed to have also translated itself to their contents.  The main exhibition served up the typical staple of student’s works from Singapore and the region, information on the Forum speakers and works of the event’s sponsors - but what made this year’s display different from the last was the kind of works that were selected for display - possibly most notable out of the selection of works and featured designers is perhaps its lack of headliner famous architects or voluptous buildings presented in a hyper-sexy manner that one would expect in an architectural festival. Void of such attention grabbing materials, what took center stage were emergency housing, community buildings, greening strategies and context-sensitive works.  “New Ideas for Recyclable Housing” , an architectural design competition co-organised by Singapore Institute of Architects & Habitat for Humanity Singapore counts itself as one of the flagship event of Archifest 09, giving an indication of the curatorial slant for the whole event.

Names like Chevadurai Anjalendran and Patama Roonrakwit, perhaps lesser known names to the audience, will also be given the stage to shine and establish themselves as notable architects in their own right alongside other keynote speakers such as Massimiliano Fuksas,  Ben van Berkel and Singapore’s Aamer Taher and Liu Thai-Ker.  However, for those who need the draw of a crowd-pulling name to attend the main exhibition at the Plaza, perhaps the sketches of Carlo Scarpa from  the Venice Biennale (1948-1968) (on display courtesy of the Italian Cultural Institute) should provide some impetus.

Expected to run till 31st October 2009, this year’s Archifest lineup includes the ever popular Architours which take place on selected weekends and the 2-day forum with a special talk by by Luca Molinari on the life and work of Carlo Scarpa.

For more information, visit www.archifest.sg

June 5, 2009 | Features | Opinions

Op-Ed: Breathe it, or leave it

A recent article by Rod McPhee for the Yorkshire Post in the U.K. began with the following words:

“They’ve always been an architectural elephant in the room. Awkward. Bulky. Grey…

…Concrete buildings have become a lightning rod for traditionalists who see them as blots on the blandscape, a scar on the otherwise unblemished heritage of our great towns and cities.”

These sentiments, probably ignited by the recent events surrounding the Chelsea Barracks scheme in London, (involving Prince Charles and a few architects) certainly aren’t new to our ears. The topic brings to mind something else that has recently surfaced in Singapore which many should hope will be undertaken with critical sensitivity.

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May 13, 2009 | Broadcast | Features | News | Opinions

Op-Ed: Disciplinary Transgressions: looking beyond architecture

“The field of architecture is poised to undergo dramatic changes…changes need to begin “at home” with our own cultural institutions—namely architecture schools…The value of design has increased in all aspects of society, at the same time that the pertinence of architecture has decreased. By remaining hermetic and, dare I say, self-absorbed, we run the risk of relegating to other fields the cultural power of design as an agent for social change. “  By Monica Ponce de Leon for The Architect’s Newspaper

The specific concerns that Ponce de Leon has cited (herself dean at the University of Michigan’s A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Planning) are perhaps pertinent to schools in the United States, but more so also applicable to architecture schools elsewhere in the world which are entrusted with educating new architects…    continue >>>

May 7, 2009 | Broadcast | Features | News | Opinions

Tierra Design wins ASLA Professional Award for Terminal 3 interiors

From the Awards Jury:  “The future of landscapes. The landscape architect created an amazing place that has plants growing where you can’t imagine they can grow. The plant selections are different and wonderful. ”

(Photo: © 2008 Albert K.S. Lim)

via ASLA.org continue >>>

March 12, 2009 | Features | Q&A

The Making of an Architect and Urban Designer: Interview with Jan Wampler

Non Arkaraprasertkul: Can you tell us about the purpose of this visit to Thailand?
Jan Wampler: I’m here with my students to study and design housing for the ancient city of Sukhothai. We are trying to see if we can design housing that is reflects the creativity of the Old City but does so in a new and modern way.  We are here firstly at the invitation of the Mayor of Sukhothai, but also from both the Department of Planning and Thammasat University’s Research Institute. We want to see if we can develop a new architectural form that is neither western nor an imitation of the past; rather, somewhere in between. We also want to see if can find a way in which the city remains a living historic monument. Otherwise the world heritage site becomes sort of a Disneyland; really bustling during the day, but a ghost town after the doors close. Our goal is to provide a balance between tourism and the life of an everyday city.
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January 28, 2009 | Articles | Features | Opinions

Japan’s Love Hotels

“Love hotels are a unique Japanese institution - hotels exclusively for sex. Places where husbands and wives who want some privacy go, as well as lovers who can’t keep their hands off of each other, prostitutes and their johns, male prostitutes and their clients, and people who just happen to meet each other and get the urge…”

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December 4, 2008 | Features | Q&A

UpFront

Marc Simmons, founding partner of Front Inc. - the specialist façade consulting practice of Seattle Public Library and CCTV China fame - was in Singapore recently for the Ong Siew May Distinguished Lecture Series held in the National University of Singapore (NUS) and FIVEFOOTWAY was in attendance to have a chat with him.

The OSM lecture series brings preeminent speakers from around the world to lecture based on an annual theme and this year’s was Sustain/Ability. It is hoped that the lectures will open up, challenge, and enrich the way we think through sustainability, to challenge our assumptions of architecture and its seeming ability to change our environment.

To the uninitiated, Front is a cross-disciplinary group of creative individuals with professional backgrounds in Architecture, Structural Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering and the firm provides design and technical consulting services through intensive collaboration to realize innovative projects and responsible design. Perhaps most significantly, FRONT has been involved in a series of the most innovative projects of late which includes projects such as the Seattle Central Public Library with OMA; the Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art with Sejima Nishizawa Associates; the Walker Art Center expansion with Herzog de Meuron; and the Morgan Library & Museum expansion with Renzo Piano Building Workshop.

What’s a skin?

Many buildings are recognized by their facades more than their spatial qualities and this highlights the obvious role of a facade beyond its purpose to keep out the elements of nature. As Marc Simmons puts it, beyond its functional role, the facade is a signifier that evokes thoughts about what the building is about. Having said that, Simmons concedes that not all architects are interested in creating facades that achieve an architectural effect that is capable of being a chameleon in the city and that there are plenty of architects out there who sees a facade as a formal and functional part of the building.

Some would comment that when a building is layered with meaning, it becomes architecture and when a building, or in this case a facade, is created purely out of functional  reasons, it loses its ‘architectural’ quality. However, that is of course a shallow understanding and this is perhaps best debunked by the design process that FRONT undertook with SANAA for the design of the Toledo Museum of Art.

As Simmons explains, the whole design conversation for the project revolved around lighting conditions and how the building should be an instrument to render and control light for the museum’s artifacts. The facade was thus designed from a performance standpoint where glass was treated differently for various areas and similarly, the usage of glass as a double-layered skin was a decision taken in order to make the skin behave as a thermal control device.

At the same time, the transparency of the landscape was important to the building and thus the facade had to be designed to achieve this technical requirement. If any, this simply showed that innovation in facade design can come from an approach that is purely technical in nature and the results of which, are no less marvellous then if it was done purely out of aesthetic effects.

On Collaboration

As mentioned, FRONT have collaborated with many of the most brilliant architects in the world to produce some of the most exciting facades in today’s world of architecture. Being involved in such powerhouse project teams, it is clear that there’s no room for large egos and Simmons shed some light on the dynamics of FRONT’s collaborative process.

Simmons explained that for a large proportion of projects, the source of the ideas and poetics would come from the architect and from a primary concept, both the facade specialists and the architects will work together to search for the best expression of the idea. In his words “the facade specialist is like a player in an orchestra led by the architect”.  But the true key to any successful collaboration is perhaps the willingness to listen and engage all parties in a discussion to push the project forward.

“A designer needs to bring something special to the table and the only way to make a meaningful contribution is to be deeply involved in the process”, says Marc. By that, he means that any consultant or designer must be able to go beyond speaking the design language and at the same time, become more than simply a technician. Marc believes that a designer brings greater value to a project when he is conversant in larger global issues such as politics, economy, legal issues; all of which are deeply intertwined with the architecture-making process but often overlooked.

License to be creative

Despite the fact that the architect tends to take the lead in most project, it is by no means an indication that the facade specialist have less creative abilities and license. In fact, it is the very ability to author work at such great detail was what attracted Simmons to become a facade specialist.

The fact should not be lost that the technical challenges that consultants like FRONT faces are just as challenging if not more, due to the scale at which the facade specialist operates. Through operating at such a small and intimate scale, the facade specialist is possibly the one who is in closest contact with the technicalities of facade construction in terms of materials and techniques. Because of this, it is perhaps not too far-fetched to suggest that firms such as FRONT are best positioned to push the boundaries of architecture.

To end off the conversation, we asked Simmons to imagine if every building developer in the world tried to have a fancy media facade or something to that effect. Now with that, we asked him to consider the possibility that a large proportion of it would go wrong and potentially the city could become a huge mess of incoherent design language. To that, Marc Simmons posed a rhetorical question, ” Would we rather then have a city filled with boring and mediocre facades?”.

November 26, 2008 | Features | Q&A

3 questions on 3 things about the 3rd spore pavilion to the 3 curatorial team members.

Singapore presented for the 3rd time at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008 with a pavilion entitled ‘Supergarden - an ecosystem of design thoughts’. Adib spoke to the 3 teams that made up the main curatorial body and asked them 3 questions each to dig a little deeper into thoughts of being involved in the creation of the pavilion.

[Torrance Goh, FARM]

3 things you set out to achieve when first submitting the proposal

Re:Act (RA)

• To push the boundaries of local design development and critical thinking
• To leverage Singapore’s position in the international design platform
• To explore new ways of collaborations among creative young people, allowing for fun and purposeful design experimentations

Torrance of FARM (T)

• To make a “garden”
• To create something fun, young and engaging
• To involve a community of people

May-Anne of Design Act (MA)

• To create interaction between people in Singapore and Venice via the media/ technology, hence answering to the brief;
• To involve a larger group of people, and hopefully the everyday man instead of keeping it within a niche group only;
• To record the interactions of people patronizing the pavilion in Venice and documenting such acts to be broadcast in the later stage back in Singapore hence prolonging the life span of the physical exhibition.

[Joshua of Re:Act]

3 lessons learned from working on the pavilion

RA

• Cross-country-borders collaborations is difficult but not impossible
• Huge amount of faith and support from the panel and teams are essential factors to the success of the pavilion
• The design community in Singapore needs to communicate more with each other. There are so much enriching resources from the design groups we met and most are very willing and eager to share.

T

• Venice is way more difficult to get things done
• The time is too short.
• We are very lucky to have the team together and had great support from our panel.

MA

• Cultural and language problem – a lot of misunderstanding due to cultural differences;
• Everything is very slow…very laid back (not exactly bad sometimes);
• It’s important to have a good team and a supporting panel.

[May Anne, Design Act]

3 things that you would have done differently

RA

• The whole process of developing the proposals for the biennale event could have started much earlier to allow more time for better estimation of budget, group coordination and curatorial directions.
• It would be good to have secured a much stronger technical and financial support for the pavilion design team.
• Continue with the selected 3 group proposals and develop them more intensely

T

• If there is time, I wish we can be more careful and curate it with more thought and not so much haste. We could have done our site visit and had a good cup of Venetian coffee.
• If there is money, I wish the earlier schemes we had as a team came true which discusses, experiments and answer the issues on digital influences on architecture
• Shop more in Venice! I thought there would be time but it was difficult and there was a lot of things to concern about while installing.

MA

• If we were given more preparation time to better develop the concept than having to rush to just meet the budget and the timing;
• If we had been more involved with the technological aspect which was the brief (that is, we were given a better budget)
• If we had stucked with the 3 different groups’ proposals.

November 26, 2008 | Features | Q&A

A chat with Fernando Menis

This is part of our coverage on Archifest 08, produced in collaboration with SA magazine. For a more detailed coverage of Archifest 08, check out issue #247 of SA Magazine with articles written by our very own FFW writers. Also,  For more, check out www.fivefootway.com/tag/archifest.

Despite presenting his works in his non-native language, established Spanish architect, Fernando Menis, still effortlessly charms the audience with his architectural works. Menis’ work conveys a sense of tension and energy, negotiating the seemingly conflicting relationship between the built form and the landscape in an effortless manner. This is perhaps a reflection of an architect who truly believes that every building is inextricably intertwined with the site where it is located.

Menis has always felt it essential for designers to think carefully about the environment, something which he emphasized a lot in his presentation during the Archifest 08 Forum. To him, the importance of striking a balance between the human desire and the environment isn’t something new but rather something that is becoming more necessary given today’s context.

Context is everything

When one looks at Menis’ works for the very first time, one would tend to associate his works with terms such as landscape sculpture, texture exploration and symbolism. However, the building is merely the architectural resultant of a design and construction processes instead of being the design intention itself. Like the person Menis referenced numerous times during the forum -“Le Corbusier, Le Corbusier, Le Corbusier” - he is very much concerned about understanding the space, its users and everything related to the site. Ultimately, his designs revolve around creating interactions between his building and the environment, both man-made and natural. This results in an architectural design which is unique to its context, standing within a community where design decisions are caused and at the same time affecting the surroundings.

Architect + People= Architecture

Menis believes in “thinking like a local architect”. This means finding out as much as possible, about the place, its history, culture, landscape and lifestyle and with these information, Menis attempts to design buildings that in some ways, contribute something back to the society and hopefully fulfills some dreams.

“Listen. Listen to the people. Find out about what they want as well as their dreams” - Menis

Unlike others who might prefer to focus on the larger scale; Menis’ research involves more tangible information such as human circulation and behaviour which perhaps provide an explanation to the charm of his works. His works are not just functional buildings but rather, places where people can find their small little dreams and delight within it. In a world filled with spaces that can get rather generic and monotonous, such architecture gives hope by bringing enjoyment and delight to spatial experience.

Inspiration

We then asked Menis which architect inspired him most, he pondered upon the question with the conclusion that it was hard to find an answer. He described, “It is like a dessert. There are many layers, one over another. It is difficult to know which layer is more important. Perhaps it was my father.”

Menis shared with us that his father was interested in model and clock making and as a child, young Menis was taught to make his own toys. That could be the reason why his design process involves more model-making than sketches. Or perhaps as he adds, it might be because he could never sketch well.

And when it comes to giving advice and inspiring younger architects and designers, he quipped,

“Work very hard. Love the work you are doing.”

For the full interview, see Issue #247 of Singapore Architect Magazine.

November 2, 2008 | Features | Opinions

Intelligent? Archipo*n? Randomness?

There are a gazillion number of design blogs, websites, glossy magazines, books, journals and other form of publications out there today. There are so many of them that it has become possible to know everything there is to know about architecture, but at the same time, impossible to do so due to the sheer volume of information. For those who are overwhelmed by it all, i’m extremely confident that you are not alone.

Having spent some years surfing the web and buying magazines and publications of all forms, it is my hypothesis that at the very core of it, all publications - printed and digital, fall under the following 3 categories: Intelligent ones, Archipo*n and Randomness. Some of them straddle between 2 or 3 categories at the same time but the point is, the general grouping remains.

The Intelligent ones

Those that fall under this category usually aim to provide a ‘critical’ and an ‘academic’ angle to not problems but ‘issues’. These publications exist to create ‘discourse’ within the fraternity and advance the intellectual quality of the design field. However, some are more successful than others, leaving the rest of them being intelligentia poseurs and wannabes.

More often than not, these are written by academics and occassionally some architects who happen to have a lot of things to say and write about. Those who read these are:other academics, other architects who happend to have a lot to say and write about, others who want to become like them and also those with some degree of intellectual capacity and curiosity.

Examples: a+u , design observer, bd online, e10.

Archipo*n

It’s all about ogling at hot, new models, renderings, checking out those sexy curves (think Zaha; her works not her) and thought provoking forms. Everyone will be competing about who is bigger and longer. (i’m referring to the buildings and bridges my dear..). Those projects that flash some skin or better still, a new kind of skin would get more eyeballs than others. Welcome to the world of archip**n.

These publications feed the minds of those who love the new and exotic, catering to those with an appetite for the latest design news. They hunt down what is cool and post them in their zines, educating the masses on what is hot and what is not. This is where you can spot the rise of the next star designer and the downfall of the current. This is where you should hang around often if you want to be a tastemaker. And until your work gets published in one of these, you are not hot yet.

While some would argue that these archipo*n sites are shallow, one must realize that these publications have a very powerful influence on what the masses (and other designers) define as good design.

Example: dezeen, thecoolhunter.net, wallpaper

Randomness

There are of course others who cover a wide range of stuff, i.e randomness. Anything that is close enough to design and architecture will be written about and receive coverage. You can expect user generated content, event listings, interviews with whoever that comes along, opinion pieces from architects, news bits from various press releases, some softcore archipo*n, some pseudo-critical pieces, well, you get the idea.

These publications tend to take a geographical bias such as nation or region based although some others just want to cover as much ground as possible. Of course some will take a particular slant on things such as treehugger with it’s focus on sustainable design but anything that can be related to it by means of free association usually goes.

Examples: SA, Archinect

These 3 strands of architectural publication DNA will run in any publication, website or blog and this one that you are reading is no different. I am of the opinion that a good architect needs a bit of all 3. A good dose of intellectual stimulation, another healthy dose of po*n to keep the heartbeat racing fast and some generic news for breadth of knowledge.

I don’t think any one strand is better than the other, however it is when one has too much of one kind of information, that’s where it gets really unhealthy and worrying. What’s your kind of publication?

October 13, 2008 | Features | Opinions

Political Changes and Architecture

The close linkages between architecture and politics is the subject of study of many academics and a hotly debated topic among architects. While some would suggest that architecture should not attempt to be the conscience of politics, there are others who feel that it is a responsibility that is bestowed upon us to engage politics through architecture. No matter where we stand on this, the impact of the political transitions that is happening around the world today is something that should not be left unexamined.

At the point of writing, we are one month away from the American presidential elections, the political landscape in Thailand have remaimed unstable even with PM Somchai Wongsawat taking over, there is also the announcement by current Malaysian PM Badawi that he will make way for a new leader in March 2009 and Japan’s PM Taro Aso is barely a month into taking the reigns of the world’s second largest economy.

While I am no academia who can analyse the impact of these changes to the profession, I would like to offer my attempt in articulating the questions that might be running through the minds of many architects.

Continuity of projects in the pipeline.

Will the project that was initiatied by the previous leadership happen? Or will the new administration pull the plug on it? How then do I project my firm’s future earning’s and manpower requirements? Will I have enough projects to survive?

Political Stability

How will the people react to the new administration? Will there be demonstrations and destruction due to it? Will the administration that comission this new project that I’m working on still be around till the end of the project or is there a chance that they will be removed in a few months?

Ambition of new leadership

Each new administration will bring about its own ideas and ideals. What role do they see architecture playing in shaping a nation? Is it merely a technical role that architects will play? Is good architecture a means to improving the economy? Or is good architecture something that will enhance the intangible qualities of a country?

Political Ideologies

Do I share the ideologies of the new administration? How will my work respond to these ideas? Will I even respond to these ideologies or will I just keep the boundaries of architecture and profession clear and separated?

These are serious questions that many architects will be asking themselves and will seek out answers to them. Coupled with the present day economic conditions, political leadership will be critical in tiding the storm. This makes the questions above carry an even greater weight; each decision potentially having a significant impact on the survival of an architecture practice.

What are your thoughts and opinions on these political leadership changes? How will these changes affect your practice? What do you think will be the strategy to navigate these difficult times? Share it with us in the comments or email us your thoughts via office at fivefootway.com

October 13, 2008 | Features | Opinions

Architecture in times of economic crisis

“The worst economic conditions since the great depression“. That’s what we are in, according to authoritative sources such as The Economist and the International Herald Tribune.

What started as a US sub-prime mortgage issue has since evolved to become a worldwide problem. With the collapse of the US investment banks,  its repercussions have been felt all across Europe and Asia. The International Monetary Fund have recently called for a “collective commitment” by finance officials around the world to combat the current credit crisis and these events simply goes to show how interconnected our world is.

It will be a few more quarters before the construction industry truly feels the impact of the problem and when it finally comes, we can expect new building projects to slow down considerably. Perhaps there will be a few government projects to work on but other than that, all signs point to a rocky road ahead. Here’s my take on the possible impact on architecture due to these trying times.

On Projects

With the rapid rise in material and labour costs over the last few months, this recession will probably ease some demand and keep a check on these. It might mean some breathing space for construction to take place but nonetheless, the overall impact of the economic crisis will be something that the profession will need to brace itself against.

Similarly, developers and home owners will start to tighten their belts and we can expect the word ‘value-engineering’ to become pervasive in consultants and client meetings. Perhaps there might be some architects who would begin to worry that design will be compromised in this financially tight context but I beg to differ.

Might be good after all

This financially challenging situation might be the catalyst that we need to improve and evolve the profession. For far too often, we’ve seen big budget projects produce less than stellar architectural quality.  I like to believe that constraints separate the creative architects from the geniuses. At this juncture, it is important to point out that clients need to understand the context that we architects are operating in and adjust their expectations accordingly.

In these tight times, I would also like to believe that clients might be more willing to experiment. In fact, it almost necessitates them to do so. Consider the following case;  With X amount of dollars, would you build a ‘normal’ building that will fade into oblivion or take a risk and experiment with a new material that would give your building a higher perceived value? To stand out in a world which is filled with mediocrity due to financial challenges, a wonderful building is probably what’s needed.

Also, the increasingly busy schedules and timelines that we architects face everyday have, on some occasions, taken the pleasure out of designing and this might be a good time for all of us to breathe and take a good look at ourselves. This is perhaps the time to examine the administration and management of the firm. It might also be an apt time to explore how the creative processes in the firm is being nurtured. In other words, rediscover your architectural soul.

Here are 5 thngs that I would recommend to those who want to do some soul-searching.

1. Self initiate experimental projects.
2. Take a much needed break and go travelling. (Backpacking recommended)
3. Read more, Draw more. Write more.
4. Spend the time to develop local talent, talk to your local community, learn about local products and help develop local technologies.
5. Learn something completely new. Maybe try fashion? Furniture? Web Design?

Some will be screaming out loud, stressing on the fact that there is not enough money in the pocket to indulge in the things that I’ve mentioned. However, I feel that it is about us managing our expectations and learning to enjoy the journey that life brings along. If work is going to be difficult to come along, why not make the best out of the extra time that you have?

Do tell us your thoughts on the impact of this crisis on the architectural profession in the comments. Or drop us an email at office [at] fivefootway.com

October 10, 2008 | Emerging Studios | Features

Lekker

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The SINGAPORE EMERGING ARCHITECTURE STUDIOS video series produced by 5ft Creatives features talented up-and-coming architectural personalities and studios that represent the future of Singapore’s architecture scene.

This episode features Singapore based firm, Lekker Design who have risen to prominence recently with their selection by Pritzker-prize winning firm, Herzog and De Meuron to be one of the designers in the Ordos 100 Masterplan. Lekker were also recognised for their entries into the 10 touchpoints Design competition and were also selected as one of the presenters in the Singapore pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2008.

Further

Lekker Design Official Site

October 2, 2008 | Features | Opinions

Beijing Contemporary

While the minimum wages of average middle-class Chinese is no more than 50 Yuan per day, a cup of coffee you see anywhere in Beijing on the street starts at 20. Wait a minute, this is not right? Why is that? It is a life style of modern China. Yes, I bought that cup of coffee just to see if I could enjoy being modern visitor of China and continued to walk around the city.

The East part of Beijing — which is pretty easier to get to these days via super cheap subway — has changed dramatically due to the birth of the new Central Business District (CBD), which has been modeled after any metropolis in the West you can think of the name. The CBD has not only tall buildings, but also the infrastructure that support the expansion and the ‘culture’ that has been fabricated to satisfy the becoming modern business district of Beijing – yes, I think the 20 Yuan coffee is part of the game. In fact, I like the taste of the coffee although I know that it was not properly brewed (a shot of espresso poured into hot water rather than, what I would expect, a fresh brew coffee from ground). I have tried to avoid saying cliché thing anyone can read anywhere such as ‘Beijing is a city of unexpected growth’ because, essentially, everything in China today is expectable. The studies on China have been overwhelming but no one has actually suggested the way to cope with the growth with carefulness and sustainability mind.

It is the speed ‘per se’ that is too fast to comprehend. Outsiders wonder how could the mega-business and government of China get the money to actually erect all the awe-inspiring structures in the capital city — if not the cost of opportunity acquired from other parts of the country, say, people in the rural areas might need to accept to fact that Beijing is more important than any cities because it is the fabricated facade of the nation; therefore, they, in the regional parts, have to wait. Same deal with the Olympics, it seems to everyone that the spectacularity of the event has a specific connotation on the way in which the Chinese see themselves in global stage: no matter how hard they have to slab their own faces to make them look red and healthy (it is the belief that the more read the face is, the more healthy the person is), they will have to do it to convince people that China is in the good shape.

I continued to stroll down the CDB of Beijing and tried to catch a bus to the inner part of the CBD due to the inefficient subway system that only serves preliminary the periphery of this new financial district. Unfortunately, the bus system, the true friend of Chinese commoners, does not have much room for people and I was not strong enough to fight for a space in the overly crowded bus; therefore, I had to walk, still, with my 20 Yuan cup of Americano (I am pretty bitter about this, you can tell). The more I see Beijing, the more I realize that China is definitely hybrid territory. One could find the extreme contrasts between the rich and the poor by just looking at the curves: People who makes 50 Yuan a day and expensive shops for whom?

I just came back from Beijing where I regularly visit on business purpose at least once a year. This time I have observed many radical changes: the culture, the way people see themselves, the built environment, and the cultural geography – let alone the humongous existence of the 3 mega architectural symbolisms, the CCTV building, the ‘Bird Nest’ National Olympic Stadium, and the Grand National Theater, all designed by prominent architects overseas. I asked around when I was in Beijing about how people think about what they have today in Beijing, despite the fact most answers are anonymous and random; there are certain consensus: people like it because they are fancy, representing an opportunity for China to orchestrate the symphony of wealth in the global scene.