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The Street Market provides the settings for many aspects of urban life, as a social space, cultural activities, small businesses and enterprises, logistical flows of traffic and pedestrian, processing of waste both organic and inorganic, and other aspects that could either be social-cultural or economic. The local authorities find the street market a nightmare to deal with but like many Malaysians, acknowledges the uniqueness and necessity of this urban entity at the same time. 

Low Joo Yin's Street Market at Kg. Kerinchi provokes the idea of complexities in designing such diverse needs and expectations from the sellers and buyers and more so, the local authority and residents around the area, and provides a realistic solution that is commendable by recommending a temporary movable structure that can be collapsible when not needed and extended when there is a heavy downpour or the need to demarcate areas to sell goods. At the master plan level, Joo Yin resolved the street system and re-planned the market for better efficiency and proper operations and management. 

This teaser is to remind us on the up-coming interview with Low Joo Yin.

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There is a banal argument that is going around with regard to the complexities of a design thesis project. Banality means: the fact or condition of being banal; unoriginality. This goes against the learning outcomes and objectives of the curriculum of a design thesis, in which students should be innovative and explore topics worth examining, often regarding issues, be it site-context based and/or building typology. Any typology under the sun is relevant and worthy in pursuing as long as there are problems to be solved and can be a challenge to the final year student of architecture (equivalent of the graduating architect at Part 2 or Masters of Architecture level). The argument is that a small building is less challenging than a large complex. That is if you debate that the complexities is only the technicalities of quantifying architecture. That 100 feet of soil pipes is more complex that 20 feet of soil pipes. That mechanized and air-conditioning for a 20,000 square feet of building is more complex than a naturally ventilated building of 2,000 square feet. There are so many other factors in designing a building, street environment and park, in terms of environmental, social, cultural, transportation, recreational and many more. Challenges in planning and studying the operational aspects are as challenging to how to detail the roof (which is more of a 3rd year Part 1 level anyway). The clue of how complex a design thesis project is in the word "thesis" and that is setting out with a set of questions and keep on questioning every step of the way regarding the project in the design process. The conversation in this podcast starts a series of discussions on "design complexities". Going back to the curriculum, the debate should shift from the project to the student and ask the question, how ready is the graduating architect is to be challenged in employment?

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Two parts: The Client's Brief and The User's Review of PPUM.
An explanation on the importance of the client's brief to an architecture project. It may be simple enough if you have a client to deal with, but who is the "client" for the University of Malaya Campus projects? Of all the stakeholders to the project, which one would have the most impact to them? The student? Their parents? The Board of Directors and top management? The academic staff? Other staff and workers? The local authorities? The second part of this podcast is a brief user's review of Universiti Malaya's Medical Centre (Malay acronym PPUM) which was called the University Hospital in the early years. Where is the demarcation line between the hospital and the faculty? 

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Next U2 design thesis studio podcast episodes coming up: all 13 students and 3 tutors met online today to discuss about our site visit around University of Malaya campus starting 13th July 2020, the first day of the pre-thesis course and the entire design thesis courses that would take 35 weeks long until June 2021. Here is an account by one tutor and what that tutor thinks (if being a student) the topics interesting enough to be tackled. This episode marks the first intention to do a series of podcasts "action-research" style, meaning, reporting as we go along week by week and from time to time doing impromptu "interviews", or reporting any interesting incidents during the process of design. 

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A quick 5 minutes update previewing on the next batch 2020-2021 design thesis projects on University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur Campus. 13 students have signed up for Unit 2, and with the studio tutors gearing up for another year of site-context issues driven approach to design, we can expect 13 different projects on dealing with a variety of topics from, redesigning the student union facilities and the library, or maybe redevelopment of the lake area, a few faculties being redesigned, some hostels and connections to the neighbourhood in Petaling Jaya or even Bangsar perhaps. We shall see. The podcasts on this "action research" and "on-going design" would provide for insights and fresh input on aspects of the design thesis approach in-situ and hopefully we can feel the close connections to the design process. These podcasts will start in July 13, 2020 onward for the special semester, while the interviews with graduated and graduating students will still proceed until August 2020.

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An in-depth personal account of Yasmin Naziha Hazizulden's Kampung Kerinchi Secondary School design thesis journey, starting with a question when she went to visit the site of a majority of the population of a low income group: "Why are the kid's not in school?" This led Yasmin to question the values of education, outlining social problems found after interviewing the teachers and parents in context, with findings on the problems that beset the community of truancy and students dropping out of school. The future felt bleak and apathy is rife, but what the architect do in this regard? Her proposal of  breaking down the walls of perception that the school is a "fortress and alienating" the community by instead bringing the community into the school. The link to her drawings are at: https://designthesis.wordpress.com/2020/06/27/yasmin-naziha-hazizuldens-kampung-kerinchi-secondary-school/
© 2020 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Art work in podcast is the sectional perspective by Yasmin Naziha Hazizulden's design thesis project 2019-20  named The Kampung Kerinchi Secondary School
Drawing  © Copyright: Universiti Malaya, Author: Yasmin Naziha Hazizulden

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Yasmin, another graduate architect who were part of Unit 2 design thesis studio at Universiti Malaya, batch 2018/19, has a lot to say regarding what she thinks a secondary school education should be like in a B40 (low income) population such as Kg Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur. TEASER:  The design thesis proposal by Yasmin reviews the aspects of urban design and the school typology and how elements in a school can be taken out from inside by creating a layered interface of canteen, small eateries and shops. Yasmin called this public layer enclosing the boundary, the "food corridor" and "living corridor" and this architectural interface acts as a natural surveillance arguably to solve the problems of education, motivating the students and bringing the school closer to the population who constantly worries about surviving day to day, never mind going to school. Let's listen to the interview, coming soon.

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 An honest talk with Saifull Yusop regarding his design thesis journey; whether that final year of doing the "Habitable Waste Infrastructure" project was worth it, his review on the studio masters and how he had to make a key decision after figuring out the complexities needed to make his thesis a success. His account proved that the site-context issues / community architecture approach set out by the studio master requires the student to set aside pre-conceived early ideas and to embrace the surprise that the site has to offer. We are grateful for Saifull to explain his project and and this is the podcast link and the design thesis drawings are available via this link: designthesis.wordpress.com/2020/06/20/saifull-yusops-habitable-waste-infrastructure/ 
© 2020 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob
Art work in podcast is the sectional perspective by Saifull Yusop 's design thesis project 2018-19  named Habitable Waste Infrastructure
Drawing  ©️ Copyright Universiti Malaya; Author: Saifull Yusop 

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This is a teaser for the interview of the designer coming soon. Another graduate architect who were part of Unit 2 design thesis studio at Universiti Malaya, batch 2018/19 will reveal all - his experience doing this highly challenging project and his experience of the design thesis journey .... TEASER:  The design thesis proposal by Saiful Yusop dealt with how waste can be managed and made a productive resource by exploring an affordable housing prototype of 80 units per acre located at the B40 population of Kg Kerinchi, Pantai Dalam in Kuala Lumpur, next to the street market at the heart of the heavily populated area where many low cost housing flats are located. The idea of how the waste are separated at source from the kitchen can be processed within the housing complex itself.

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A strong mentality and sense of purpose is needed in order to be able to accept any challenges thrown to each and everyone of our students in Unit 2, design thesis studio, so we deal with complex and difficult issues in their architectural design thesis studio program throughout the academic year (final year), thus they will feel equipped in dealing with problems with clients, developers, local authorities, able to do research and development and even be able to be a business person. An all-round set of skills will be needed to prepare them ... (in the light of Liverpool FC becoming “mentality monsters”, I am borrowing this term for this piece).

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Do subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to’ explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!