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Paul Nickson Atia, a full time artist and part time architectural designer and educator, seems to embody the very notion of an "architect who is an artist". From his early formative years to his current projects, the interview and dialogue evolved seamlessly from art to architecture and back to art. In a personal and engaging manner, Paul touched on design philosophy of diversifying architectural practice to lessons learned before in architecture school and expressions of his art, thus Paul takes us into a journey of what happened before and what might come next. Architecture is his first love, he maintains, so why this absorption into art. Is it temporary or Part 2 architecture school is still in the cards? Paul's example, represents someone who really need to find out and express his 'obsession' and see where it leads him (as in the case with his solo exhibition of 'Forms of Prayers' in 2019-20). Good luck Paul on your projects. Hope to get an in-depth interview later on as suggested in this interview, delving deeper into one of the sub-topics, but for now, there is enough to suggest that, the 'architect is an artist'.
© 2021 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Photo (art work) in podcast called: "Obsession; O, Perpetual", 2019 by Paul Nickson Atia

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"One forms and reforms, affirms and reaffirms; perpetually, cerebrating
over one’s hope, desire, and faith of being - what gives?" 

Paul Nickson Atia (b. 1992), quoting the above statement, is a young artist from Kuching, Sarawak and currently based in Kuala Lumpur. Upon completing his degree in
Bsc. Architecture at University of Malaya (UM), Paul went on to practice at PORT25, a local architecture firm and as a part time lecturer at Taylor’s University School of Building Design for several years before turning his artistic pursuit towards drawings, paintings,
and installations. Paul now divides his time between art practice and teaching Design Thinking and Introduction to Spatial Design at Taylor’s College.

Paul is having an on-going exhibition, which we will ask him what it is about. As his former tutor, I would be interested to know some personal stuff like: why did you take architecture, why not go straight to art and design course? and; when did you know in Part 1 or after that, being an architect and pursuing Part 2 is not for you / or you still think of doing it in your future plans? Apart from discussing with Paul, the theme: Architects are Artists. 
Do listen to this interview, coming soon.
© 2021 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Photo (art work) in podcast called: "Obsession; O, Perpetual", 2019 by Paul Nickson Atia

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Amna A Emir, designer, architect and mother, and a director at Neuformation, discusses her time at architectural schools UTM and the AA, on the importance of architectural education and practice and how the architect need to realise the importance of creating meaning in their works, like what artists do. The inter-disciplinary discourse at the AA school of architecture, as the place to have the "convergence of a laboratory of thoughts", learning with the critic and diploma unit master, Jeff Kipnis, and being exposed to artists such as Jasper Johns, exploring the theme of "impermanence in phenomena", Amna realised the importance of conveying a "sense of meaning" in architecture, where we also learn from many artists and the idea of authenticity. From theory to practice and back, touching on the design studio learning, we hope that this podcast will give us some ideas on this topic of "Architects are Artists". 
Quote, by Jasper Johns: "Make something, a kind of object, which as it changes or falls apart (dies as it were) or increases in its parts (grows as it were) offers no clue as to what its state or form or nature was at any previous time. Physical and Metaphysical. Obstinacy. Could this be a useful object?"
-- quoted in “Jasper Johns, Writings, sketchbook Notes"
© 2021 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Photo (art work) in podcast called: Corpse pose view by Amna A Emir

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Architect's are Artists: Teaser on an Interview with Amna A Emir, architect, designer, mother.

We will discuss on this topic  with Amna who shared the following quote, by Jasper Johns: "Make something, a kind of object, which as it changes or falls apart (dies as it were) or increases in its parts (grows as it were) offers no clue as to what its state or form or nature was at any previous time. Physical and Metaphysical. Obstinacy. Could this be a useful object?"
-- quoted in “Jasper Johns, Writings, sketchbook Notes"

I would like to know from Amna, and hope that the listeners will do too, "Why would you say 'architects are artists'?" Is it necessary for architects to be aware of different perspectives and how can they accommodate different thoughts on architecture? Is it necessary for an architect to be an artist as well? What does that quote from Jasper Johns meant to you? Since Amna was with me in the studios all these years, working with our students, what would be a meaningful learning outcome (what the student did) which makes you feel some necessary exploration was done? How did the AA influenced you and was the experience in the AA helping the student to be the artist?
(Possible questions to ask Amna in the interview podcast)
© 2021 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Photo (art work) in podcast called: Corpse pose view by Amna A Emir

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During these times of pandemic strife, we are beset with the conundrum of wanting to embrace online teaching for studio based learning but the essential ingredient of informal studio interaction (problem of social distancing) such as lack of peer review activities is being felt as a crucial missing ingredient in the architectural education experience for the students especially in the lower years. Can we adapt ourselves to make sure though remote we can feel socially connected? Some thoughts on this for us to ponder and we will have a podcast in the future discussing this between us educators.

© 2021 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Photo (art work) in podcast is a non remote studio interaction at UM.

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We revisit the diagram that could be applied to any project that deals with a real site rather than hypothetical site or issue, which we introduced in April 27 2020 podcast, where the idea behind the diagram was done in an introductory manner. Now we explained how this design process can work in both the lower years and in the final year, comparing our current second year project with the design thesis project.

© 2021 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Art work in podcast is the diagram by Naziaty Mohd Yaacob called the design process diagram proposed for all architecture design studios for any architectural courses.
Diagram  © Copyright: Universiti Malaya, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob 

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We proposed a study on whether Malaysian architects, urban designers and planners refer to precedents of urban shophouses in the inner city streets of Malacca and George Town when coming up with concept and ideas in their work. Based on Michael Gibert's doctoral thesis, Kisho Kurokawa said that: "the difference between Western and Japanese concepts of space is the difference between spatial confrontation and spatial continuity", so do we Malaysian architectural designers think about these theories and put into practice and further that "the Japanese concept of space, on the contrary, reaches out to embrace nature, and to achieve unity and harmony with it, with always a conscious effort made to allow inner and outer space to inter-penetrate", so is that similar to our streets? I believe that the Malaysian precedents mentioned provided this sense of scale, intimacy, sense of proportion and materiality when I walked on those five-foot way and entering in and out those shophouses. Kurokawa also said: Asian public space is the street (no spatial or functional clear demarcations), and I felt that too when walking around in, it's close up and personal, but does that inspire Malaysian designers at all?
© 2021 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob

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This podcast marks a new series on the investigation on architecture design processes in 'design thinking' starting with the concept of 'spatial awareness' in the architecture discipline and finding similarities in psychological meditative technique relating to mindfulness or being mindful. Emphasis is on the importance of "doing the thinking" and understanding more about what is going on when that happens. This further helps to define further what is 'space' in architecture. 
© 2021 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob

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Is designing and producing architecture a political act? Or are architects merely serving the client and the building they had done has nothing to do with politics.  (That is what Patrik Schumacher, a star architect suggested). When architects and urban planners and other professionals need to deal with issues on sustainability together, are they collaborating to create a better society, hence is a 'political gesture' ( our counter argument).

Another factor is designing for social equity.

Dr. Robert Bullard, climate justice pioneer and Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University in Houston, states that architects and urban planners need to tackle social challenges with an interdisciplinary team approach.
“Today, there are a lot of projects dealing with issues around sustainability, climate resilience, walkability, and equity. But if the architects don’t build equity and health into the framing for these projects, you will get more gentrification and more exclusivity. You’ll get more places that are somehow islands – that don’t provide any heterogeneity in terms of ethnicity, in terms of income, in terms of kinds of occupations of the people who live there,” he states in an interview.
© 2020 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Art work in podcast is elevations by Wong Chiang Her on his Old Town Botanic Gardens design thesis project 2019-20 
Drawing  © Copyright: Universiti Malaya, Author: Wong Chiang Her

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A brainstorming session based on the outline we set out for the book on the proposed working title of: "Re-examining community architecture: site specific issues in local context situations", we discussed on the points we started with and how the podcast contents will help us greatly on writing this book. We relate this to the audience (our listeners) in anticipation to getting the first draft done by the end of the year (which is a delay!), but we keep on pushing to get it done and when we get to the first draft (70%), this will help us to push for the end of this journey. (Quoted from the podcast interview with Yasmin Naziha Hazizulden, which artwork is also featured here).

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