Singapore | 23.06.10

I know I haven't been posting day pictures of Singapore. It's because I just think Singapore is so beautiful at night. Well, that and the fact that during the day, we were mostly hibernating in the air-conditioned confines of the malls. I'll try to post pictures of Singapore during the day in my next post.


Stay tuned for more pictures.

Singapore | 22.06.10

My last trip to Singapore was nearly 20 years ago. Hence, I have no recollection of that island nation. And since then, I haven't been back there. The only memory I still have of Singapore is the swimming pool of the hotel my family and I were staying in. I just remembered the pool. That's it.

Sure, I have been to Changi Airport during my layovers, but I've never had the urge to set foot onto Singaporean earth, to which I now fully regret. My recent trip to Singapore was beyond my expectations. It blew whatever perception I had about it right out of the water and in it's place was the image of an incredibly developed nation, systematic in its everyday life, glossy in its exterior and fast on its pace.

Incredible shopping malls with floors and floors of shops that I could spend countless hours in. And the streets are filled with stylish people taking large strides towards their future. The buildings were diverse and modern, the transportation was efficient; The streets, clean; The people were lookers; And the escalators were tuned a little faster then the normal ones in KL.

One thing though, this trip of mine was more of a shopping trip than a sightseeing one. Which is why, by the end of the trip, I was already wondering when could I ever come back here again.


Stay tuned for more pictures from Singapore.

Redang Island | 09.06.10

Our whole group vacation was a joyous ordeal filled every minute with fun, jokes and smiles. I feel as though this trip brought us closer than ever before. Why hadn't we done this before?

We stayed in chalets on Redang Island. Basically the cheapest we could get, although it came with 3 snorkeling trips and meals throughout the day which kept our schedules packed and our stomachs filled. But of course what I was really there for was the company. Nothing, not even the slight drizzle on the last day, the slightly below-average chalet conditions or even the fact that I lost my contacts could have hampered my euphoria. It was just that simple: I was in good company.

This is a scheduled post because I'm trying to keep you guys entertained with pictures while I'm gone for a short while.


But fret not, I'll be right back.
Stay tuned.

Redang Island | Night

Redang Island | 08.06.10

Day 2 started with a subtle sunrise amidst the heavily clouded skies. It was a day filled with activities. I only managed one snorkeling trip for the day because while swimming, I accidentally lost one of my contacts and had to wear my glasses for the rest of the trip. So, instead, we decided to build sandcastles and wade in the not-so-crystal clear waters.

Pure island bliss.


Stay tuned for more.

Redang Island | 07.06.10

Our Redang Island vacation was the culmination of the 3 years we spent together in our diploma course. It was a gathering of sorts before we part ways and carve out our own paths towards the future. The time we spent in college all these years would have been impossible without the company of each other and I wish to thank everyone who have shown me such kindness and embrace and have inspired me in their creativity and work and those who manage to put a smile on my face.

The 4 days 2 nights trip was a highlight in my calendar. There wasn't a moment without laughter and not a moment without euphoria. We talked, we shared, we ate and drank, we played, we swam and basically did everything together with the wind, sun, sand and water as our backdrop. I shall post pictures and just pictures in the coming posts. There is nothing else that could better express the emotions than the faces in the pictures.

Stay tuned for more.

Oh, Hi!

See what me and Farah did to the auditorium seating over there! It was like a blank canvas. Heh heh. Excuse the low quality pictures as I only had my cell phone with me. This was in the DECTAR Hall at UKM, Bangi; the place where I went to help out in an Architectural camp.


Stay tuned for more.

Post-Petaling St, Kuala Lumpur IV

As we finished our walkabout in Petaling Street, we then headed into the city center, passing by museums, the theater with beautiful moorish arches and onyx-black cast iron gates.

Stay tuned for more.

Petaling St, Kuala Lumpur III : Windows

Petaling St, Kuala Lumpur II

More snapshots in high contrast to really bring out the cracks, grime and grit that is Petaling Street.

Stay tuned for more.

Petaling St, Kuala Lumpur

We took a brisk walk along the colourful and often crowded areas surrounding Petaling Street in the heart of KL. Just one of the ways i'm trying to live it up before I return home to Penang. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Stay tuned for more.

Project Finale II

Here're my boards! I've finally been able to compress them to a suitable size to be posted up here. DO click on the image and magnify it to get a better look. Sorry if they're a bit pixelated due to the compression.

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Mean while, by this time tomorrow, I'll be soaking in the sun, sand and waters of Redang on our little class trip. Photos will come in due time.

Cheers!
Stay tuned for more.

Project Finale I

| The Semenyih Funerary Center & Plant Nursery

The theme for my Architectural Studio 4 throughout the semester revolved around the ideas of death and memories. For my final project, I was required to design a funerary center in Semenyih, Selangor of about 1500 sqm. which would also accommodate a complimentary facility which shares spaces and rituals with the funerary home and must be somewhat co-dependent with one another while being economically self-sustaining on its own.

My proposal for the complimentary facility was a plant nursery. Plants obviously play an important role in all funerary rituals and the relationship between a plant nursery and a funerary center would make perfect sense. The funerary center exists on its own, holding wakes and other funeral related rituals including a columbarium whilst the plant nursery provides flowers and plants during those rituals, renders services to the site in the form of landscaping and can also exist on its own for the sole purpose of selling plants.

Thus, my proposal centers around the ideas of plant life as a counter balance to death.

| The plant nursery consists of cores which cut through the building and form courtyards with timber strips which rise high above to give that sense of void and loss. Each void caters to a specific plant family.



| The ceremonial hall where funerary rituals take place is set against the serenity of waterplants in one of the nursery cores.



| I turned the typical columbarium and interpreted it as a garden. The place where a loved one is interred is made into a thriving landscape where people can come to converse, have a moment and perhaps come to terms with their loss.



| The staircase leading up to the topmost floor, an eatery. On the right as another plant nursery cores, dedicated to bamboo.



| The eatery at the top floor with views out into the surrounding lush landscape and hills of Semenyih and beyond.



| My hand made 1:200 scale model.



| A close up shot.

It may have been incredibly stressful to do all this work, but I'm very happy with the outcome. Of course, I do acknowledge that tremendous improvements could have been done, but that is always the case. You can just never stop designing because perfection could never be achieved.

| My pin-up and presentation spot. My boards are the three panels on the bottom half.

I shall upload my presentation boards soon.

Stay tuned.