major events

this blog's bloody buried in the grave. a few months passed. my engaged friends split up. took up ultimate frisbee. i finished my thesis. went on a few travels. my camera broke.



update about a few things here..

1 - "my engaged friends split up". both sides are few of my closest friends. heard from them both and i can't really take sides. sometimes things aren't meant to be dealt that way but it happened. my thoughts, look forward and look bright. life is a long train ride, people will get on and off.


2 - "took up ultimate frisbee". an interest in the sports turned out to be addictive. me, iyad and aban were just talking about this game when i suggested we buy a disc and start playing it. boy, how it grew within our architecture community. it became a daily routine. at 5:30pm we would all head down to the field and play a game of ultimate frisbee. it was great as either boy or girl could join in. as time pass, the juniors started to join in. soon it became like everyone's game. the one thing i will miss most after i graduate will be the voices and cheers across that small field where we used to throw every evening.


3 - "i finished my thesis". that meant finishing a 5-year degree. hell there were ups and downs all the way, even in my final thesis. just relieved to overcome it. so now working life will start in a bit. am i excited? i don't know. its a mixed feeling.


4 - "went on a few travels". this was the fun part. there were 3 separate travel trips, all for different purposes. 1st, was the whole island of Java. a few days spent with assisting my doctor and then almost 2 weeks off exploring the towns of Bandung, Pangandaran, Jogjakarta, Bromo and Surabaya. it was a nice introduction to "backpacking". 2nd, was to East Timor and Timor Leste. this was really exotic. experiencing the lives of people in the deepest indigenous places. 3rd, to a side of the world where i've never set foot, London. after sending sister off to Sheffield we walked around for a bit, visiting Manchester, York and  Leeds. I don't consider this exploring, but more of a touch-and-go. well you'll never get to be adventurous when you're around yer parents. on a side note: Princess was 'pestering' about New York since i said i've been to the 'old' York. will look to travel around the States one day.


5 - "my camera broke". just as i was thinking of making a switch to Canon, my Nikon D7000 broke in the middle of a tour inside the Natural History Museum in London. i think she's a psychic, getting all emotional after finding out i intend to replace her. gosh... ..back to the main topic, as i used my doctor's Canon 70D and the incredible Sigma 17-50mm F/2.8, i was impressed by how well it shoots and also its soft colour tones. impression grew to fascination, and thoughts of switching to Canon surfaced. anyway, its just a thought.

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while."


Jobs

Post Presentation of Final Thesis Assessment

Done with the first semester's final presentation. I think I did OK, but I'll record them some of the panel's comments so that I can revise it later.

INTERNAL PANELS:
Prof Taj
Dr Lim
Dr Tareef

Internal panels had no comments. As expected, since they are already familiar with our designs. It would be absurd if our own panels suddenly stand up to criticize us. The correct way: they sit there and monitor the situation, should any discourse rise among the external panels, they will take control of the situation. (through explanations, clarifications etc)


EXTERNAL PANELS:
Dr Doris
Dr Sani

Dr Doris liked my presentation a lot. She mentioned that it was very well structured and arranged in a systematic step-by-step way. Boy, glad to hear that. She did added something helpful which is how do I relate back the design to the original Peranakan village. Food for thought.

Dr Sani had not much problems, except for the complexity of my thesis. This issue has often been highlighted slightly by Prof Taj along the semester. Maybe I can integrate my residential types into one big complex. Kinda like Habitat 67. Thats some food for thought.

my thesis unit. We are HOME.

1ST STAGE THESIS

深圳第五园

万科第五园，骨子里的中国情结，依据“岭南四园”的思路，以现代中式的建筑语言探索中式人文生活的态度。

第五园总建筑面积约63万平方米，占地约50万平方米，计划共分9期开发完毕。第五园产品类型丰富，包括别墅、叠院及高层产品，项目1、2、3期均已入伙，在售5、8期。社区居住氛围浓厚，既有成熟社区的配套，也有后期建设的规划利好。第五园一个纯粹的中式小镇在距离福田中心区中轴以北的区域，依山依水渐成规模。 

小区规划、建筑、景观的方案设计由北京市建筑设计研究院、北京泊岸建筑设计咨询有限公司担纲。在设计理念上大胆创新，沿续第五园一、二期三期的现代中式风格，尝试将中式传统居住理念的精华，糅合现代建筑的简约，庭院别墅是第五园最为高端的产品形态，原创现代中式建筑的诗情画韵，中式建筑的精髓“墙”“院”“村”“素”“冷”“幽”六字箴言在这里被演绎得最为淋漓尽致和最具生活意境。通过瓦屋面、石材墙面、村落空间的运用，创造乡村田园风格，人车分流更彻底，极力倡导对中式居住生活方式的理性回归。 

景观园林设计 

在景观设计上，以层次分明的多重“庭院空间”为精髓，简约洗练的现代设计语言， 充分利用中国传统造园的隔、抑、曲手法，创造出一个有“起、承、转、合”的完整而富有变化的空间序列。灰色系为基调的硬质铺装为第五园提供最宁静、幽雅的底图，别具一格的园林小品及建筑物本身，将中国的人文精神与现代人的生活需求有机结合，全方位塑造社区文化和人居环境，达到了自然景观与人文景观的融合，体现了人与自然的和谐与对话。 

关于第五园老房子 

经过重建的清朝前期徽派老房子格外醒目。老房子是万科秉着“异地保护”的初衷，移到第五园原样重建的。老房子占地面积有300平方米，建筑面积400平方米，上下两层。这座老房子不只是万科保护文物的一种做法，还将成为第五园的一个文化精神代言品，是第五园的文化地标，是希望中国民居文化的精髓在第五园得到延续。

In the far northeastern part of Malaysia, there is a small group of Chinese immigrant called the rural Peranakan Chinese, who has been residing in Kelantan and Terengganu for the the past 300 years.
Also known as “Cina Kampung”(Kampung Chinese), “Cina Kelantan”(Kelantan Chinese), and “Cina Kita”(Our Chinese). Peranakan Chinese villages are mostly found along the riverbank of Sungai Kelantan, where they opened the villages right after coming on land. Their culture and architecture has gone through years of amalgamation, acculturation and adaptation to the local geographical setting, which has made them rich in cultural and heritage value.
Up to this day, the community still lives in their villages harmoniously with the surrounding nature.
At present day, as modernization and change in way of life looms over the fate of the Peranakan Chinese, there is need to ensure the survival of this unique group.



Thesis Statement - Issue - Objectives - Program: All are to be on a consistent note with critical thinking process, each item in sync with each other.

Each statement are to be presented by an issue. And each objectives must relate back to the issue, showing the possible solution. And finally the program will need to offer enough and logically carry out the objectives, quenching the issues in line.

STATEMENT



OBJECTIVES

1. Reunite the villagers by providing housing opportunities so that extended families can live together with their parents or the elderly.

2. To generate economy for the village

3. To strengthen the socio-cultural of the village by providing community and amenities

Scribbling some note on the main intention of my thesis. 

This thesis, with its results of the research, may raise new architectural discourses on the development of a Malaysian multi-racial architecture identity. It is undeniable that the harmonious of a multi-racial society has to start with the basic understanding of each race’s cultural heritage and ritual, which can be started by firstly understanding the architecture of their domestic house.

The Peranakan Chinese house which is a hybrid of Malay-Chinese elements, can be a medium to show us that the wisdom of this Peranakan community, who are willing to adjust, accept, share and exchange their cultural values and built heritage with the local Malay natives. This is deemed as a valuable architecture catalyst in determining a harmonious multi-racial architecture identity.

This thesis also aims to explore the hybrid contents of the stilt house, through the methods of investigation and uncovering its typological form from various viewpoints such as cross social-cultural assimilation, adaptation to the geographical setting, technological exchanging and adjustments that has given shape to this house typology.