21-12-2012

There were scholars and writers researching on the society of the Eurocentric and the non-Eurocentric. The non-Eurocentric being the Africa and the China. From the point of view of the Eurocentric scholars and writers, they concluded that the politics of the non-Eurocentric countries are being despotic and servile, unlike the western's freedom and individualism.

Already in fifth century B.C, Greek Historian Herodotus mentions "barbaric" Asian Hordes who, despite splendid architectural, lack European individuality. The fact that the Asian despite the splendid architecture is not true and the Temple of Heaven and The Forbidden City are great architecture of China. The Eurocentric scholars and writers are writing from the western perspective of view.

Herodotus mentioned the term "barbaric", is he referring to the Mongols warrior of the Khan who nearly reach Vienna or the European’s command and conquest of the outer lands. Frankly, they are placing themselves in a higher rank and hiding their mistakes.

The Europe scholars and writers writings about the despotism of the non-Eurocentric, especially China. The question is, the degree of the democracy in the politic aspect of the Europe is low as well. It was not as democracy as today's. In architectural aspect, both Europe and china show nothing in the architecture of democracy. The political building of the Europe and china is trying to show power as well, the divine strength within. Therefore, the Eurocentric is criticizing blindly in their articles or perhaps trying to hide their mistakes. Africa may have the architecture of democracy.

Showing and doing are different things, Eurocentric architecture show it. Saying other as if their are not despotism, the word may be different but the acting is "different", try to recall what happen to Galileo Galilee? Are the actions on him regarded as something good? Renaissance is a new birth for them, is the new birth necessary in the architecture, some architects reused the motives and decorative for the Romans times. It is an act of showing the power again as Rome used to be a powerful civilization. The Art Nouveau and other developed styles passed to other countries and used in these countries, adding their architectural value to the other countries through command and conquest, consider "barbaric"?. All the way along the timeline of the history, Eurocentric thinkers are trying to keep their history clean.

Other countries have their building trials after the world wars. In aspect of culture, they may be valuable but thinking deeper into, they are showing their strength to the world that hopefully everyone is following their paths and be in-line with them.

Today, the post-modern era, sustainability includes the aspect of cultural. For example, the Georgetown and the Melaka being awarded the UNESCO sites. It is valuable as time passed by and needed to be valued. (The shop houses by the Chinese included the Europe architectural details into the design during that time.) The Eurocentric architecture inspired by the nature since the Art Nouveau, categorized into organic architecture perhaps. The approach of their design and inspiration that contribute much to today’s architecture perhaps.

Eurocentric is being powerful in the bygone days; European architecture is being impressive as well nowadays. What can architecture do in 12 Dec 2012. Perhaps the spinning tower of Dubai and contribute to the future building, the spinning technology may be developed further that the buildings can rotate instead of spinning to suit the polar reversal at the particular day. It is possible only if the great wave doesn't hit the building site.

How does the buildings in our time can resist such a big impact from the nature. Or we will never resist it? As, there are no gradual changes in the human skull of different human species through out the history. That’s means extinction and rebirth of new human kind. Or perhaps rebirth of new architectural style? Which architecture brought by the survival to the new age? Does it matters or is it built in order to survival the new age? Can our architectural constructions and technology adapt to the climate after 2012 as we emphasize in responding to the local climate.

The repetition of the Great Flood since the Gilgamesh and the Moses tells us that there is survival using some kind of enclosure for protection. Can architecture provides such a big and really really safe structure for 6 million people in the world? Who is going to do it and which architects are going to subjected to the once in 2600 year project.

Zaha Hadid? Norman Foster? Renzo? Jean Nouvel? Tadao Ando? Richard Roger? Santiago Calatrava? Or perhaps all of them work for the projects. What if the pyramid technology was passed down from survival of the age before them? As for us, what should we pass down to the fifth age. The Eurocentric architecture which flourish the lands that marks perfectly in the architectural history?

Sustainability?

Green architecture?

Ecotecture?

If the mass destruction happens, the survived architects sure have to start off using the indigenous materials like stone and woods, unless we build a protection for the factories and the machineries. Everything is hard to predict and the new architecture arise after the 2012 may be a better one than any of today’s architecture. Or may it be worst? Everything started from zero….

Or the architecture realm will move to outer space after 2012? Haa…..no idea…

Disinformation in HBP, brainwashing us.

STOP the disinformation :


First of all, the ECOTECTURE and SUSTAINABLE terms need to be considered deeply whether it is suitable or not to show our imej, as we are not even practicing it.... indeed just talking it out.

Is this what our university envisioned to cater the needs of the developing country? Is talking what our country needs, like the politician bla bla bla in front of the media? Does APEX university needs this kind of bla bla bla....??

Using words to create curiousity and to attract people as if we are good in something, at the apex. Architecture in Malaysia should have the sense of humility or sense of power??

Is religion teaching us to be humble, as we are in a multiracial country, the sense of humility is more important in order to maintain the peace in the country.... Or they watched the Zeitgeist already and believe that there is no GOD.

A good question or not, some of the lecturers are still showing power in their big cars, and still talking about sustainable.

Perhaps, they REFDEFINE it already to make it more practical. That means, we are trained to bla bla bla in the presentation, not in a sensible way, then keep repeating it to make people think that we are practicing it, and then we earned lots of money from our client in order to drive in a big car in the future.

So, if any student try to talk louder than the lecturer, the lecturer will be very sad to fail you. They did a good plan for our future but the students just don't appreaciate them.

So, what's the truth behind those lecturers? Dunno.....they are TRANXXITING perhaps..

Ecotecture of HBP .......trend forward to save the day

HBP's new history - ECOTECTURE SAVES THE DAY:

Before I start to write something on this project, I take a look at the USM official website and there it goes….

"HBP of the USM is established in 1972. The School was modeled along the lines of what Professor Koenigsberger and Markus had envisioned to meet the needs of a developing country………
(blar blar blar………)
Even though over the years it has evolved to cater to a more widely accepted precept that clearly demarcates professional boundaries. "

Starting the semester before the 2nd semester of 07/08, architecture students are introduced to the word ECOTECTURE, before that or even during the interview before stepping into the university, they give us SUSTAINABILITY.

ECOTECTURE !!!! SUSTAINABLE !!!!! ECOTECTURE !!!! SUSTAINABLE !!!!!
These words repeated every Monday and Friday….even when we fall asleep in the studio, these two words sneak in our day-dreaming……

In conclusion, HBP did an evolution in these years…
Our trend is GREEN ARCHITECTURE. Instead of using the word GREEN, HBP goes for a creative way by combining the words, ECOLOGY + ARCHITECTURE = ECOTECTURE?

In Greek, ECOLOGY means 'house' or 'study of'…..so, is HBP focusing of “HOUSING-architecture” or “Study of architecture”? I have no idea what does the word ECOTECTURE really means…..still I heard of my studio lectures feeling proud for the word.
In other words, “Ecology is usually considered as a branch of biology, the general science that studies living organisms-www.wikipedia.org”

I wonder which one will the lecturer prefer to among the 3 definitions:
1) housing architecture
2) study of the architecture
3) biology architecture

Or maybe I make a mistake in defining it?? Because, the lecturers REDEFINE the meaning of the ECOLOGY already as what architects usually did to their concepts……REDEFINE the working place, REDEFINE the spa resort and REDEFINE the Malaysia architecture identity and more to be told. We just did what Najib did by using the word "bahasa glokal = global + lokal" to gain publisiti. Well done to the APEX.

Another architecture evolution of HBP architecture:

Last year, USM hosted the annual MINGGU ALAM BINA (MAB) where all the architecture students from the IPTA and IPTS. This time, the theme is TRANXXIT and we focused on the pirates theme as told from the timbalan dekan in order to make the event more adventurous and exciting. But, how can it be exciting and adventurous without any outdoor activities?? Isn't most of it were held in the univeristy, wrong words again.... A few months mixing up with the seniors, I get to know that the logo copied from a logo of a LRT somewhere aroung Thailand, no wonder the timbalan dekan wanted us to focus on the pirates theme as our logo are pirated logo, no originality, haha.

So, the MAIN THEME of the HBP architecture should be copycat, pirates or plagiarism or whatever. ECOTECTURE is another pirated theme as well, but failed! As the meanings may deviate. Pirates of the Apex.......well done again.

The Lecturer's History in Architecture:

Studio in HBP are lack of outdoor projects, always drawing, colouring, white printing, presenting. Lack of personel experience. Some of the students even felt proud, really proud(obvious from the face expression) after the presentation. For me, sometimes the whole presentation is just sucks, simply putting out the facts without showing any sources. Lecturer agreed with the student talking about planting strawberry plant at the site behind the studio 200. I wonder how high is the hill behind and how low is the temperature? Make sense? But, pride for the presenter. Awarded hugs from friends to him after the presentation indicates the students' well done, like a football match. They make a goal into the lecturer's head, knocking him blur.......i act as the audience.
Well done again.....

From 1st untill 5th year, we heard alot about SUSTAINABLE, GREEN, ECOTECTURE from the lecturers. They keep wanting us to learn to design things in such a green way. Indeed, it is true that it benefits the Earth. But, the problem is we are lack of role model to be learned from. What we practice in HBP is to remember to talk about green building and practice it so that you can drive Mercedes and big cars in the future. That's why most of our lecturer's is driving big cars now. They talk loud enough in the studio to make us dumb. What if the student talks louder now......
Bad idea, you will fail your studio.

The studio presentation and the bla bla bla of the lecturers have no common sense. For exmple, the ConDome demolition. According to Encik Wan.b website, the Dean decided to hire a contractor to demolish the Condome? Should we spend such money in doing that. Even a Indian or Bangladesh worker can do that, come on la Dean......be sensible abit. The Dean just doesn't understand the meaning within the ConDome.So, Suhairi ask Encik Wan.b to release the spirit to tell the Dean the m,eaning perhaps, haha. He just simply demolished other people's work.
Dean did a bla bla bla on the ConDome demolition, so as the timbalan dekan did a bla bla bla during the MAB.

HBP will indeed continue to evolve to crater the needs throughout the history.......redefining HBP's own theory of architecture.