dilemma

1. Client vs end user. inevitably, big C wins.but we architect always try to make the best for both ends.have you tried pleasing the needs of both your mom n wife and mother in-laws? it's somewhat familiar. (so now u know the EQ that architects comes with)

2. With all the recession and inflation and cost of living rocketing, there's more and more high end living (note. RM450G for 20'X70' link house) instead of affordable housing. and now calls for micro housing in urban area. KL to become tokyo?

3.My First Home Scheme (MFHS) is a good idea, unfortunately to get a house in the range of RM220G you'll be living far far away from the urban epicentre my friend (and that is before we delved deeper whether your loan get a preferential 3.5 % interest rate. even a RM3G earner will be hard pressed. marriage first?). so, long distance working?

4.to curb property speculators (be aware people), should, or should not, 30% real property gain tax (RPGT) comes into view?

5. dear architects or wannabe, perhaps architecture of relevance should be our priority instead of architecture of excess. click here. (dont stop at the article, follow on the discourse)

6. I've always like this quote by Mok Wei Wei (he's one of the speaker in Datum some years ago);

" Why we need to build taller and taller towers -
in Asian culture the void is imbued with
a lot of meaning and strength,
and we should be designing space as an icon,
rather than object as an icon,
because they are memorable, imageable and
definitely more enjoyable"

architecture doesn't stop at visually arresting breathtaking image, we deal with built environment. visuals and images can lie, but architecture, built architecture, is ever presence. I think Billy Tsien (a speaker in the same Datum as Mok Wei Wei) said something along that line.

There's no harm in exploration, its a must, but we should explore meticulously, more so in space, practicality and function, instead of just hovering about form and facades. that's superficial, to me in my opinion. Justification is the keyword to our works, never stop at being 'pretty'.

Eugene Raskin, in his writing "architecturally speaking" said something along the line (of which I hold very dearly) ;

Architecture is not like movies - as movies didn't make sense when it is played backward, architecture is not. It goes both way.


each to his or her own opinion mates. just be honest with your work. gesundheit