mid-life musing

 

                                                                                               ALLTHATSISOLID ©

The more I practice architecture, the more I asks myself - have I done enough thinking and understanding of what I am building?

The worry I have is the thoughts of not exploring / exhausting the design options/process more. Somewhat where I am now particularly exposed of (and feel out of depth with)

Definitely not in younger days where we laid up the Client's brief, source out reference from dezeen or archdaily or pinterest, and trying to work out scheme (in record time, always) to wow the clients.

Client wants a bath overlooking the hill, looks for cool reference, adopt it in design.

Why stop at bath?
How do we intend to capture that moment?
Do we framed a peeking opening? Do we open bare it all? How does it direct to other spaces? How does this particular moment relates to the overall house?

We decided on the parameters, then only we're looking for reference that fits on our intention. Our design intention governs the reference, not the other way around.

The same thing with facade/openings; we're more often than not being utilitarian about it, and dolled it up with copings and materials. The window is there, with that particular standard opening, because the need is spelled in *UBBL. Paste on copings later and pattern paints so it doesnt look bare.

Why must all units of the terrace have the same exact position of the window? (because we dont want to spend time do extra drawing and window schedules).
Can we thought further of the window placement? What happened if we push it out? If we slanted it or angled it? Break the mullion? How does the facade reads as a whole?

We have a reunion over weekend, which Lan Lan points out something obvious to me for a some time;- why is our local practice/scenes so hung up on by laws and contracts?

By-laws and contracts is important; but we're bending hell over it at the expense of schematic & design development.

Reason being is business - because it only represent a portion of our fee. The bulk of fee, claimable, is from authority approval / tender documentation / contract implementation.

And of course, everyone wants it FAST.

And that is a lost opportunity. Anything good came up from a good foundation, base. And schematic @ concept is the base of any design.

More often that not we hear the phrases;- copy this and that from previous jobs, just wing it. Sell the jobs through pretty renderings instead of IDEAS.
RUSH the tender documentation. Settle things on-site and during construction. 

I found this article (click here) somewhat justifying; that investing more of your time and effort in design development, is more productive. Anticipating, instead of reacting.

Probably just a mid-life crisis.
Part of me is content, thankful for the journey to I am today.
I'm grateful (and proud) of the jobs I've completed.

But there's just niggling feeling I have more to learn, ALOT.

gesundheit.

                                                                                                                                     izzat othman, for ALLTHATSISOLID ©

 

                                                                                                    asyraf kamal, for ALLTHATSISOLID ©

*Uniform Building By-Law

ai yai yai yai yai

A few months back, there's an outburst / uproar of art community on the rise of ai art - on how it's non-ethical, damaging the art industry, and regression to art; because how it collects data from original artists (even copyrighted) without consent, and that the end product is a mash-up of styles of existing artworks instead of going thru meaningful thought processes.

is it fun? Yes.
But when one uses it to generate business at the expenses of original artists, then it is not.
Already there's alot brouhaha and disclaimer from developers absolving themselves from legal implications etc.

U can follow thru some discourse here;

And then we have this; 

To which my reaction is exactly this;

Yes. There's a new ai that generates your dream room, which is roomgpt.

And do i personally feel threatened by it? 

But this is an app that generates your dream room. DREAM ROOM. Surely interior designers / architects are sweating because of this?

Err no. And whoever thought of this;- 
a) never hired a proper design consultant / interior designer / architect before
b) doesnt have an inkling on how consultant's work.

c) is designers that rely solely on pinterest to sell their design ideas.

I dont blame the masses for (b); even our family think our job is scribble scribble on paper then magically pretty render images comes out. "Magic".

Lets run thru the app abit;

1. User friendly interface. Click theme, click type of room, upload your room picture - voila!

2. Theme; probably they'll upgrade it later on - limited, general. But there's like a tons of theme/style son. If client wants Gundam theme or some aviation dope, then how?

3. Room type; again, maybe improvement in the future. But like how bout cigar rooms? Musollah? Fancy some S&M room? (this app developer ought to hire me).

4. Render images. Yeaaay! now we dont have to hire interior designers anymore. Just shove this to contractor and let them build it based on it. (good luck son).

Should us consultants be IMMEDIATELY afraid? 

a) Best this app can do is generate images. For REFERENCE. Definitely not fit to issue for construction.

b) In our line of work, this comes during schematic stage, which is like 15% of overall consultant's fee (if in Malaysia, per Architect's Act Scale of Minimum Fee). And this render doesnt cover the full schematic phase works; - there's like site visit / investigation, preconsult with local authorities, etc.

c) The resulted image is generated from photos users uploaded. Will it stay consistent if it's from different angle? How does it tally/works/vibes with the rest of the house? What if u want to maintained existing built-in or appliances? Getting tricky now isnt it?

d) Simply generated images with provided existing photos is not the same as understanding the end user's briefing. Would one prefer less furniture? Would one want more consideration for their pets? Feng shui? Some nostalgic moments to be captured? This only comes with thorough discussion with the client instead of 'click click magic'.

e) Early warning - please, please, please dont just shoved images to your contractors and asks them to build it "as per images". They need drawings; proper measurements and details. And specs and budgets. 

f) U know the important part U got from GOOD consultants that U can't get from machines and apps? Design Thought Process; there's meaning in every single line / detail / placement of the overall design instead of simply mashing up images from pinterest. Legally - Professional endorsement and RESPONSIBILITY.


Conclussion;

This app is fun; it kickstarts the idea of u wanting to refurbish your room.
But its wayyyyy off to provide meaningful design discourse - more like another pinterest exercise, but with little bit accuracy to match your room's photo.

On another note, there's already startups doing massing and floorplan studies using AI.
So are architects / interior designer / design consultants irrelevant in this ever changing technology?

In my varsity days i recalled one of my lecturers saying along the line; "master sketchup (a software) instead of letting it mastering you". We will have to adapt to new technologies and tools. Always have, always been, always will be.

As the argument with ai arts, for me personally the process is what makes the design built matter more. Communicating with clients, understanding the need and briefs, painstakingly investigating / doing design iterations to make the built design meaningful, emotionally aesthetic and meeting all the variables along the way - that in itself is why this profession exists (and satisfying).


Unless you're building for numbers and profits with no regards to humane side, then yeah, heil skynet!

Disclaimer; personal opinion. Just blurting it out with all this brouhaha of doomsday of creative community imposed on us.

βeta is better

 

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distant ghosts

i concur with MJ in no way home;
expect disappointment, then you'll never be really disappointed.

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GIF's galore

This coming December will mark my 2nd year with the current office.

Personally I enjoyed the practice - there's a lot more emphasize on the design thought process than the previous offices I'm with. There's time where I struggled trying to digest and process the design intention  - but it all resulted in a well thought design result; rather than conforming to trends and style.

covid obviously hit the construction industry hard - across all economy sector even - but here's to better and brighter days to come.

Some gifs I did for fun from the projects I worked with in the office; design iterations / options / mechanism / materials study

My favorite piece was the 'tulip' mechanism for an outdoor stage proposal - alas the client understandably decided on a more conventional approach.

gesundheit.

exulansis

the luggage. seriously?
and 30th july. I wouldn't have guess.

Alchemist.

So I found a new interesting read, The Alchemists by Neil Irwin. If Paulo Coelho's is more of life and spiritual journey, Neil Irwin's is more on the fiscal history, role of economists and central bankers.

 Economy and history might sound a tad boring to some, but I really take interest into it.

I didnt finish it yet, but I came to recall how eliminating bank were what I'm thinking of to bring down the property prices down (here)
People justify that property prices is never going down, and even it does, only at miniscule amount.
But developers, traders alike, are brave enough to bring up the prices up, be it cars or property, because they know you can afford to pay them. Here comes the bank. Easier means to apply for loans at one point, even fresh grads can apply for a 100% loan without any downpayment to buy their 1st car. That's the danger. The impression that you have the power to buy anything. (Which is why, I never believe in using credit cards).
Some are against the RPGT (Real Property Gain Tax) as it hurts the property business. That's one of the reasons projects are slowing down as there are fear that the units on offer might not be selling as good as it used to be. For me, not so much. I'm all in for RPGT, because it tighten the chances for you to speculate and just merely 'invest' in property, thus increasing the property prices at astronomical fold.
I don't know how to put it into words, I have to be honest, and I can only grasps at only small things that I have read upon; but in my excitement reading the book, one thing is clear, debt, property prices, banks and central banking in particular, is all interconnected, and they make or break our community.

Just dont get into debt that much. Think it over before you swipe that credit card. and not all properties is a must-buy-before-it-turns-too-expensive. Some are already overpriced anyway, and this coming from an architect.

Start looking at alternatives; rent a house if you have to to live in the city; but you can build your own house, look at other location which will cost reasonable for you in the long run.

You want to live in a crowded and over-populated/polluted in the next 20 years? or live in your old grands kampung house like for like?

Up to you.

Disclaimer; I wrote this for my own food for thoughts, for my future self to look back; not to impose, or to impress.

Fideicomiso

Found something from archdaily;Fideicomiso. (click here)


Some time ago, Hisham and I have this idea to tackle the ever soaring of property prices; container homes - they cost less than conventional constructions, reusing materials, less time for construction. Its not exactly a new idea, its just that the reception of our current community and adaptability (tho there are actually few in malaysia, while its widely being used as site office as well).

I tried to step it up a notch; to take down the properties cost, eliminate the bank and developers. Why? because developer act as a medium between architects and end users (purchaser). They produce (buy lands, marketing, hire architects, contractors etc) the product (properties) via architects (design, working drawing, submissions and approval etc) and sell it to the purchasers. Along the way they will work along with the bank (its too tedious to write about; those in the banking and construction industry knows better).

Imagine if you, purchaser, just engage directly with the architects (and fellow consultants) and contractor. you dont need to go thru the developer. That's where this fideicomiso comes in; the architect himself takes on the risk of development; residents collect their assets and provide them to the architect, who buys the land, funds the project and oversees the design/construction.

Now, here's the setback. Simplifying from Housing Development Acts, for development of dwelling properties of 4 units and above, it is categorized as housing, which in effect must be develop by a licensed developer. Now, if potential purchaser (note: end users, not people making properties to sell them) grouped up among themselves and creating an entity to become a developer, it might do the trick (as per fideicomiso). but here's the catch; to be a licensed developer you will need to register with RM 1 million fee. How many purchaser do you need to gang up with to come up with such fund?

But, for a property of built up area below than 3000 sq.ft, you can easily engage registered draft-person to built a bungalow for you (of course, you need a land which wouldnt comes cheap).

I tried to play along this idea, looking for loopholes of our building by laws and local authorities; to provide a reasonable price for really serious purchaser (Again; meaning to live in, not selling - I might go around this by inserting it in the S&P agreement). So far, i'm targeting to cut the price by;

• Expedite construction via IBS (container house comes with this) - faster completion lesser cost (labor, material etc)
• Purchaser as developer
• Small built-ups - engage registered draft-person instead of architects (designs can be completed by a so-called design consultant, or the client themselves)

But then comes the major point;  LOCATION, with it comes the land. So i came up short and hit the wall on that.

There's this view where instead of buying properties in the city, make do with renting one, and invest property on the outskirt instead. It depends. When you retire, do you want to live in a kampung-like environment, or living on the upper-east side?

I'm just blabbering here aloud. gesundheit

Dusty ol' blog. Fuhhh.

This blog is getting dusty. Ignored even.

pax vobiscum.

Anti-cullen

I just hate the idea of vampires being goeey romantic, and sparkles in the day to boot. Personal opinion, hence the callous unicorns below. I preferred lukyanenko's vamps more.
Too many brain freeze at workplace lately, so end up sketching here and there.
Watched Into the Darkness, Man of Steel, World War Z, and Despicable Me. Who says you can't watch movies alone?
p/s; more into instagram than fb for the past months or so. gotta give credit to nik for ever relenting urge for me to have my own account.