Dare to Design

by Johana Hassan

From the most basic to fanciful, awe-inspiring structures, architects shape our towns and cities. Johana Hassan talks to Hijjas Kasturi Associates on what it takes to succeed in this industry.

Serina Hijjas

Taller, bigger, more beautiful … or ugly. An abode for the eternal rest of an ancient king or an office for a thousand modern workers. No matter what one thinks of a structure, there’s someone responsible for it. And that someone is the architect.

The first great architect was probably Imhotep, who built the Great Pyramid of the Pharaoh Khufu in 2560 BC. The great modern architects, among them Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry, Sir Norman Foster, Sir Christopher Wren and Antoni Gaudí, have stamped their vision across the globe and across the centuries.

Le Corbusier was not only an architect, but a designer (of chairs), artist and writer. He pioneered modernism in architecture and laid the foundation for the Bauhaus, or international, style. American Wright pioneered organic architecture – building into the environment instead of on it, best illustrated by Fallingwater, a house in rural Pennsylvania. Gehry is very fond of using unorthodox materials like corrugated metal and chain link to create unexpected forms far removed from conventional designs, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Malaysia, as befits a developing country, has been building furiously. And the local architects who have contributed to the changing landscape include the late Dato’ Ikmal Hisham Albakri, Hijjas Kasturi and ‘the green architect’ Ken Yeang.

Ikmal Hisham Albakri made his mark when he helped design the National Mosque (with two others), Menara Bank Bumiputra and the Putra World Trade Centre. Hijjas Kasturi was the founding head of Institut Teknologi Mara (now UiTM) School of Architecture before going into private practice. Among his designs are Menara Maybank, Tabung Haji and Lot 10. Ken Yeang is well-known for his environmental solutions for high-rise buildings in the tropics – an example is Menara Mesiniaga in Subang Jaya.

SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ARCHITECT?

From ancient times until the dawn of the modern age, the architect was the masterbuilder/ stone mason responsible for the construction of great monuments and buildings.

Today’s architects have to embrace a range of other responsibilities and skills – from urban planning and property development to interior design (including the furniture!) and teaching. The modern architect needs more than a creative imagination and drawing skills – you must be proficient in engineering, computer use, and oral and written communication. Discipline is also something you must have as it takes up to eight years of studying and post-qualification professional internship to be recognised as an architect. And you need passion and patience before you can see the fruits of your labour.

fruits of your labour. But it’s never too late. Take the case of celebrated Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, who found his true calling at the grand age of 38 (after studying English Literature and Law!). Bawa is revered as the force behind ‘tropical modernism’, which turns the tropical house inside out – bringing the ‘outside’ inside, as it were – with expansive screened-in living areas, atriums and louvered walls. From the start to finish of a project, an architect typically has to:

1. Prepare a design brief based on the client’s expectations and budget
2. Develop concept drawings and models based on the design brief and site conditions.
3. Prepare the technical specifications with the project team and obtain the required documentation and building approvals.
4. Implement the project and oversee that its construction is in accordance with drawings and specifications.
5. Follow up after construction. Building projects have a warranty period called the ‘defects liability period’. The architect has to follow up on any issues or outstanding work with the client and the contractor.

In a nutshell, architecture brings together the arts, sciences, technology and environmental issues.

Architects must be multi-skilled. Besides design, they have to co-ordinate the work of engineers, surveyors and contractors. Architects have to be adept at lateral thinking, negotiating and mediating. They must also be good at details and have strong people skills to balance the requirements of many people.

FROM RAW TO GOOD TO GREAT

If you’re driven by passion and design, then an architectural firm is where to hone your skills. But if money is your main motivation, then your best bet would be to join a developer, says Serina Hijjas, the current driving force behind Hijjas Kasturi Associates (HKA).

But it’s not for those who “gila glamour” she quips. “Developers in China and Dubai make it seem as if architecture can be produced overnight. Well, it can’t.”

Serina acknowledges that the Olympic Stadiums in China pushed the boundaries in projecting a new image and a new frontier. The Olympic arenas were a long way (and time) from the Great Wall (more an engineering than architectural marvel), but “I’m all for stretching the scientific in architecture. It’s fantastic,” she says.

She cannot stress enough that architecture is serious. “It’s not media or advertising, and definitely not interior décor.” Serina advises would-be architects to bone up on critical thinking. “At HKA, we invite young graduates to question. We are very serious about sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. It’s in vogue now to be sustainable, but 10 years ago, we were already doing it with Menara Telekom and the Securities Commission buildings.” Menara Telekom and the Securities Commission incorporated many firsts, even on the international level. HKA’s latest project – Bank Negara’s Financial Services Resource Centre – will have titanium, glass and interesting spatial arrangements.

PROJECTS FROM HIJJAS KASTURI ASSOCIATES

Would-be architects should answer these questions truthfully:   Do you have the ability to analyse and critically assess problems and come up with solutions? Do you have the ability to see the big picture, yet pay attention to the smallest details? Can you communicate effectively? (ask other people this) Are you imaginative and creative? Do you understand human behaviour? (ask other people this) Do you have a good grasp of history, culture and environmental concerns

At HKA, considered a medium-sized practice with 55 staff, architects are encouraged to think differently and to explore new ideas. The seniors, including Serina, are hands-on and involved in all projects.

One important aspect of architecture is to know about materials and how to use them, but Serina laments that many Malaysian architects lack technical abilities. “Knowledge is power. An architect is the ‘commander’ of a building – it is essential that you have the engineering knowledge to show the engineers who is in control. After all, architecture is applied art. And even artistic genius is improved with proper technique.”

Architecture is also not for quitters, as it requires discipline, drive and commitment. “The gestation period for a big project could be as long as five years, and you’re constantly tested the whole time.”

You also have to be a multi-tasker, coordinating and assimilating with diversified groups of people, including your client. For those who find designing and producing a bit much, Serina says there is the option of project management.

WORKING YOUR WAY UP

“We’re looking at better rewards, career progression and experience. Our trainees follow a project architect for 2-3 years. After that, you’ve got to take on that responsibility (of project architect).

“Progression and succession is important at HKA. We’d like prospective trainees to come with a tick box in terms of areas of experience.”

Those who last the course, and have not defected to developers or switched to project management, could either stay with an established practice or strike out on their own, either at home or abroad, she says.