Last Week FABE has a moderation session which held by members of moderator from Curtin University, Australia. That was my first experience in moderation. They moderate the module coordinator in all aspect ( module outline, marks given to students, students work, assignment and assessment, test/exam and how we prepare the answer). Alhamdulillah, I have done ,my task quite well. On Thursday afternoon, we have an unformal forum to discuss the outstanding matter. First session was full of disussion on culture.
In my personal opinion, Culture in architecture....they are related directly to each other. Culture is all about the way of life. We talk about Renaissance.....English architecture....Malay architecture....Chinese architecture....actually, do we really know how their architecture derive?History of architecture was from their way of living.Architect should study the culture of how the malay live in their day life if she wants to design a house for the malay...Same goes to house for the Chinese and House for the Indian. Other example is if the client for example practice english culture in their daily activity.....of course the character of their house will appear it is. In some development....why some development come with a an open planning house?....living and dining come together with a huge space?....It's because the culture of some the purchaser who like to entertain guests....malay always do family gathering....when they do 'kenduri', they will move all the loose furniture and make the space free for the visitors to just sit on floor...malay culture did not allow people to eat while standing......so, we eat while sitting right on the floor. Islamic culture is slightly different with Malay culture.....For designing a house with an Islamic Value , we can see that the house should have two entrance for male and female (even....in Arabic country there are some house design with a special entrance for ladies and they will directed straight to the first floor for the event).....That's why I believe that culture is closely related in design....if say, we want the design for the client who is malay.....we have to design accordingly to the their culture.......Same goes to other building.
Culture is not only raleven for a design in small scale. Say it if we want to design a school....we should study the culture in a school. How the users respond to the spaces.....How the planning and the spaces conducive to the users.......Same goes to if we want to design the prison!!! An architect should study the culture of the users in the prison.....the daily activities....the spaces conducive to all the users who has many categories...from guard to the prisoners....If we want to design for a hospital.......it will goes to the culture of the users of that particular hospital.....The planning is the most important thing......The other example on how the culture will influence the design is by looking to the site surrounding. Why Falling Water by Flank Llyod Wright is successful in design?....Why Richard Miere can design very well to suit to the site surrounding?...For me, it just because they have done their study in the cultur of site surrounding.......Can Falling Water be built in the anywhere in Malaysia?....Can Falling Water be built in anywhere in the flat land?....I don't think so....because the culture of the site surrounding has influence the building all out. The planning of the spaces was design accordingly to the site character. The culture for me is not only shown in the building appraisal ...not directly in the Corinthian Column.....the 'S' shape of chinese clay roof tiles..the very most important is in the planning......If the planning is excellent.....the spaces are meaningful.....when the spaces are meaningful, the senses of the space are there...and at that time...when an architect can highlight the planning with the physical appraisal.....for me, the architect did a very excellent job.
Actually, there are lots of other things that I would like to touch on culture.....May be one day if I be a lecture again....or evn not.....I will like to give a talk.....and write about what is culture is all about...........As for me...no matter what level the students are, their design should has the relationship with the culture.....Then only they can be a sensitive designer and responsive architect.
