Legendary Architects

Throughout history, architects whose works are well known to the general public are few and far between, a natural fact, considering the vast number of architects at any given time or generation who have emerged from schools, colleges, worked or went into practice, and yet remained unknown all their lives. Of these few, some, like Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Sinan, I M Pei and Walter Burley Griffin among others, had gone so far as to become household names known to the average person, achieving legendary status for architectural works that made great impact on their community and its history. Some others are well known within architectural circles or people involved in design and construction, their works being featured in periodicals, or by having achieved a level of maturity or fame that numerous architectural publications have been written about them.

Unlike their counterparts in the middle ages who achieved fame by working under patronage of the State or the Church, architects of the modern era achieved reverence for their works mainly from recognition by their peers for important contributions they had made in the field of architecture, both from the philosophical and technological standpoint. Such achievements were initially publicized within the architectural community through magazines, college publications or discourses in architectural schools. In the twentieth century, by virtue of architectural theories being primarily concerned with the development of society and improvements to the built environment, many architects soon became featured in the popular press. In the post-war era, for example, Time magazine occasionally featured architects on its front cover, such as Le Corbusier, Eero Saarinen, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and in more recent times, Philip Johnson, Peter Eisenman, Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid.

Today, architects are honoured as laureates in many international and regional architectural prizes, among the most prestigious being the Pritzker Prize, the RIBA Royal Gold Medal, the AIA Gold Medal and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The selection process for these prizes is invariably stringent, with nominations received from all over the world, the eventual winner being decided by a highly qualified panel of jury comprising recognized professionals in various fields ranging from architecture, business, education, art, culture and publishing.

These prizes reveal important recognizable traits of the recipients as embodied in their works. Outstanding architects are people of character, integrity and genius. Most display great personal qualities as innovators who, with tireless devotion to their art, coupled with honest and correct intentions, strive to look for better ways to build. In doing so, they create architectural works that employ either cutting edge technology that change the way people look at construction and its paradigms, or in contrast, use the simplest utilitarian methods of local construction tradition, that revive public interest in hitherto little known regional arts or crafts as a means to address humanistic needs. Furthermore, they use materials that are economical and practical to its purpose, but arranged in new, thought provoking, unprecedented ways that place their buildings at the frontiers of artistic expression.

Now, architectural writers use a popular term, ‘starchitects’, coined as a neologism to describe architects who have achieved celebrity status, having produced outstanding works in the field of architecture. Giving celebrity status to architects is nothing new, but a natural tendency by society to recognize outstanding artists, a notion that had existed since the Renaissance. However, only time will tell if a ‘starchitect’ will become legendary, an outstanding individual whose timeless works will remain revered by generations to come.

Architecture and Sustainability

To address growing concerns about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources, and the consequences of that deterioration on economic and social development; a World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), also known as the Brundtland Commission was convened by The United Nations in 1983. In its 1987 report titled ‘Our Common Future’ WCED defined “Sustainable Development (SD)” as those that “meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”.

Over the years, SD has been established as the principal development catchphrase. A wide range of nongovernmental as well as governmental organizations have embraced it as the new paradigm of development. Architecturally, sustainable buildings, also known as ‘green buildings’ are structures designed to meet specific objectives to ensure that usage by present occupants will not diminish the prospects of future persons to enjoy levels of consumption, wealth, utility, or welfare comparable to those enjoyed by present persons. To achieve these objectives, buildings need to be designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.

Architects designing green buildings initially clarify with their clients from the onset of the project that sustainable structures may cost more up front, but will benefit the building owners in terms of long term savings as their buildings run on lower operating costs over its life cycle. Feasibility calculations for the green building approach compare the project’s up-front expenditure against increased rental net income due to savings gained through significantly lower monthly running cost, in a benefit against cost analysis.

However, less financially tangible benefits that actually relate to sustainable development, such as improving occupant health, comfort, productivity, reducing pollution and landfill waste are not easily quantified and are consequently not adequately reflected in a developer’s benefit against cost consideration. For this reason, tangible benefits in the form of government incentives for green buildings are vital to attract developers to embark on sustainable projects.

In Malaysia, The Green Building Index (GBI) rates buildings based on energy efficiency, indoor environment quality, sustainable site planning and management, materials and resources, water efficiency, and innovation. The Malaysian Government awards incentives based on GBI ratings whereby new and upgraded buildings awarded GBI certificate are given tax exemption benefit, and first owner purchasers of buildings and houses with GBI certificates from developers are eligible for stamp duty exemption. In addition, a Green Technology Fund of RM 1.5 billion gives soft loans to companies, suppliers and consumer companies for loan applications made through the National Green Technology Centre.

The Malaysian Government actively promotes green technology by developing Putrajaya and Cyberjaya as pioneer townships in Green Technology, and gives priority to 'green' products and services, and the successful establishment of exhibitions and expositions. Towards this end, Malaysia Energy Centre has been restructured as National Green Technology Centre to enable it to perform its functions more efficiently. Such efforts by the government in the area of sustainable development will hopefully create conditions which in the long term will encourage people to save the environment.

Realistically, green building features cannot achieve their goals unless they work as intended. Architects, engineers and other consultants supervise the testing and commissioning of mechanical and electrical equipment to ensure that the installation and performance meet the required design criteria. This exercise also includes training related personnel on the operation and maintenance of equipment.

The trend towards sustainable development will prove beneficial to our future. Recent studies reveal that buildings with good overall environmental quality can reduce the rate of occurrence for respiratory disease, allergy, asthma, sick building symptoms, and in due course, enhance occupants’ performance. Ultimately, improvements in the quality of life would be the greatest gift our present generation could leave as a legacy.

Architecture: Firmness, Commodity and Delight

Unlike other arts, architecture is not concerned purely with producing creations that embody the personal philosophical or aesthetic pursuit by individuals. Rather, architecture is about building permanent structures that consider the average person’s everyday needs, symbolize the hopes and aspirations of a particular nation or society, achieve a sustainable way of using energy and technology to provide a livable environment without depleting the natural resources of our precious planet, and above all, contribute to the beauty and character of a place.

Architecture, therefore, can be described as the application of art and science to create places where the activity of living life as we know it, could take place.Throughout time, architects, in order to achieve this end, had developed numerous principles and theories so that their present community and the next generation could learn to make architecture better and more responsive to people and the way they live. These theories, in the form of philosophies and thought concepts, may be expressed differently at different times or era while ideas continue to change and develop. However, each and every one of these relate to the earliest known treatise on architecture; that by the Roman architect Vitruvius. In his book ‘De Architectura’ written in the early 1st century CE, Vitruvius stated that a good building should satisfy three important principles: firmitatis, utilitatis, venustatis (durability, utility, beauty). Today, these principles are better known and oft quoted as FIRMNESS, COMMODITY and DELIGHT based on Sir Henry Wotton’s translation of Vitruvius’ book in 1624.

These three principles of architecture remain true today as when they were first written and are present in recent contemporary architecture, regardless of their designers’ personal or collective philosophies. To fulfil the first principle, ‘firmness’, that buildings should stand firm and remain in good condition, architects do not leave the task to their engineers. Architects actively collaborate with other members of a project team to make a building structure as much a part of their architecture, rather than being merely the internal support system unseen from outside. They also consider material selection carefully to enable buildings, once completed, to be feasibly maintained by their owners.

The second principle, ‘commodity’, relates to the economics, practical function and purpose of a building. Although it appears to be quite straightforward, achieving this principle is by far the most difficult part of an architect’s work. To effectively plan the spatial relationships within a building and design functional exterior facades and fenestration, architects work tirelessly to resolve numerous design issues to fit the requirements of clients and local authorities, a time consuming activity which involves countless amendments to the concept and content of an architectural scheme before an acceptable proposal could be agreed upon by the stakeholders of a project.

The third principle, ‘delight’ or creation of beauty, is one that most people would expect to be the primary task of all architects, being the artists they are usually perceived to be. Yet for architects this is only a third of an all encompassing task of designing and managing an architectural project. It is within this third principle that aesthetical theories and philosophies become applicable, and contrary to popular opinion, only within a fraction of this ‘third’, can a building be given the attributes of personal expression. This is why architects often describe themselves as people who work diligently, using their knowledge and their art to serve the community they are designing for.

Kelab Sultan Suleiman, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, featured in Architecture Malaysia magazine

Our Kelab Sultan Suleiman project in Kampung Baru featured in Architecture Malaysia magazine November 2009 issue.

The Sultan Suleiman Club in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, founded in 1909, is the oldest and most prominent club created exclusively for the Malay community. The earliest clubhouse, of timber construction and thatched roof, was destroyed in a fire in 1930, and subsequently a new building was constructed in 1932, of bricks and concrete structure, with enclosure of timber panels and clay roof tiles. By the mid 30’s, the club had become a favourite gathering place for various Malay associations and became historically significant when the first Malay Congress that led to the formation of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) was held there in 1946 (This is a subject of debate between Johor and Selangor UMNO around the time of the officiation ceremony of this replica building, but nevertheless, our article refers to Bernama and other official sources). Lamentably, by 1967, this clubhouse structure had fallen into a state of disrepair and was demolished to make room for a new building, a modern clubhouse which is still operational today.

In early 2007, Jafri Merican Architect was appointed by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Malaysia, to design an accurate replica of the 1932 clubhouse, to be reconstructed as authentically as possible, given the absence of any of the original working drawings, which after consulting with numerous sources, were deemed no longer available. To overcome this constraint, old photographs were studied, interviews conducted with senior citizens who frequented the club prior to 1967, and site visits carried out on various colonial buildings of similar period and construction type. These type of buildings, predominantly located in old towns such as Taiping , Kuala Kangsar, and Tapah among others, were studied and photographed to ascertain the type of materials used, sizes of timber elements, method of construction, and the prevalent architectural style used in expressing building details during the 1920s to 30s colonial period.

Initial working drawings were prepared and presented to the Museum and Antiquities Department of the Ministry, and the Sultan Suleiman Club committee. Based on their feedback, drawings were refined to produce the final agreed scheme, approved for submission to authorities; and due to constraints of a tight construction schedule, the calling of a design and build tender. Upon award of the contract, our firm was appointed to work directly under the design and build contractor to produce details concurrent with the progress of construction work.

During this stage our efforts were directed towards preparing construction detailed drawings and advising the contractor regarding material selection and sizes of timber elements to be used. Timber sawmills which could produce the required plank sizes were sought and identified, as were suppliers for materials such as clay roof tiles of the ‘Marseille’ profile and u-shaped metal gutters and rainwater downpipes similar to those used during the colonial period. Ultimately, It is the selection of correct materials and construction details that gives authenticity to the completed building.

Construction works were certified practically complete in late November 2007, and the building was officiated by HRH The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on the 8th of December 2007.

Precinct 11 School Complex, Putrajaya, featured in Architect Concept magazine

Architect Concept magazine July 2010 issue. The accompanying article by editors Ms Chloe Lee and En Mohammad Zani b Mohammad Zain, based on the information given is very impressive, accurate and well phrased. We hereby extend our gratitude and heartfelt thanks for their efforts in publishing JMA's projects in this magazine.

Wisma Tani 4G2 featured in Architect Concept magazine

Featured for the first time in a magazine, the dominant features of this building together with plans and elevation/section drawings are presented within 8 pages of the July 2010 issue of Architect Concept magazine.

Architecture: Designing places

Architecture, good or bad, will inevitably leave an impact, whether it is to a visitor entering a place, a casual onlooker just passing by, merely catching a fleeting glimpse of a building, or to those who are directly involved in the process of creating architecture, be them the client, the end user, the specialist consultants, the approving government agency, the designer themselves, or the numerous stakeholders who are inevitably intertwined in the complex arrangements of a modern construction process. What makes it crucial to create good architecture, which is an arguable term given the subjectivity of the expression, is the very fact that its impact is far reaching and in most cases virtually permanent.

In practice, the architectural community is often torn between two distinct directions: One emphasizing the theoretical aspects of architectural form, space, order, expressionistic symbols, and design principles; and another that is purely pragmatic, considering mainly the clients’ needs and budget as the primary determining criteria in generating an architectural solution. In defining ‘architectural community’, one must no longer be constrained with the outdated notion that this should mean only practicing consultant architects. Architects, especially in recent decades, have become assimilated into various segments of the economy, finding opportunities in property development corporations, government agencies, and various entrepreneurial ventures. For this reason, decision makers and stakeholders in the property sector have now begun to realize the importance of designing architecturally significant developments that could add value, prestige and marketability to their projects. This common awareness has brought about a resurgence of architectural interest in Malaysia which permeates all levels of society, that even the average family looking for a new home will consider acquiring a property that is more ‘architectural’ than the other.

As for me, personally, I believe that proficiency in architectural theories and principles alone will not suffice. Architecture, even at its most iconic, is not about designing stand alone structures. Each building has to function as part of a larger urban framework. Therefore to create successful places, which in my opinion is the most important objective for designing buildings, it is vital that architects understand contemporary and traditional culture, history, and the complex changing relationships within each society. Architects should also keep themselves up to date with the development of contemporary ideas and philosophies. Only by understanding these powerful, often conflicting, forces that affect the way we live, will architects create works which are purposeful and above all, relevant to the community for which their projects are built.