No worries Ian,

By the way, I have read The Arkitrek Manifesto and I hope I can contribute some of my views though I have not really involved in the project yet. haha

What I see from Arkitrek is that it has a potential growth ability to become one of the organisation that promotes and propagates sustainable and indigenous building techniques while remaining in private practice by conducting workshops to architects and students on real projects where charged fees can ensure financial sustainability of the practice itself while being able to share the skills to like minded people. Malaysia does not lack of like minded people, just lack of platform where they can engage and contribute with, Arkitrek is one of the pioneering platform, and with the propagation of knowledge and values it is possible we can see more similar platforms (more allies) arise in the future for good.

The erosion of indigenous sustainable building practice is due to the building bye-laws which is meant to cater for urban modern buildings which somehow inappropriately applies to the rural area as well. This situation is quite a threat in terms of preserving indigenous building knowledge and promoting concrete-alternative construction. This is more evident in West Malaysia with traditional Malay house as one of the erosion examples.

Arkitrek has the potential push its sustainable activism agenda further as an advocate to gain more tolerance to wood and other non conventional but sustainable materials from the bye-laws with other organisations like Malaysian Institute of Architects, Malaysian Timber Council and etc.

These are some of my views I would like to share, some might sound unrealistic but hope you find some of it helpful.haha. Have a good time in UK!

Warm regards,
Loong

No worries Ian,

By the way, I have read The Arkitrek Manifesto and I hope I can contribute some of my views though I have not really involved in the project yet. haha

What I see from Arkitrek is that it has a potential growth ability to become one of the organisation that promotes and propagates sustainable and indigenous building techniques while remaining in private practice by conducting workshops to architects and students on real projects where charged fees can ensure financial sustainability of the practice itself while being able to share the skills to like minded people. Malaysia does not lack of like minded people, just lack of platform where they can engage and contribute with, Arkitrek is one of the pioneering platform, and with the propagation of knowledge and values it is possible we can see more similar platforms (more allies) arise in the future for good.

The erosion of indigenous sustainable building practice is due to the building bye-laws which is meant to cater for urban modern buildings which somehow inappropriately applies to the rural area as well. This situation is quite a threat in terms of preserving indigenous building knowledge and promoting concrete-alternative construction. This is more evident in West Malaysia with traditional Malay house as one of the erosion examples. Arkitrek has the potential push its sustainable activism agenda further as an advocate to gain more tolerance to wood and other non conventional but sustainable materials from the bye-laws with other organisations like Malaysian Institute of Architects, Malaysian Timber Council and etc.

These are some of my views I would like to share, some might sound unrealistic but hope you find some of it helpful.haha. Have a good time in UK!

Warm regards,
Loong

Supporting Arkitrek’s educational motives, perhaps Arkitrek could hold architecture induction programs to prospective national and international students of architecture. Community involvement and nature activities could highlight the wider scope of architecture to affect people and places.

Similarly, Arkitrek could investigate school programs that require students to undertake social services (Duke of Edinburgh, IB curriculum…). Arktirek could provide activities that could support these programs through design-related projects. Design projects could be very small scale, sited within the school-eg. Encouraging biodiversity within school property through bird house building, designing water features…

Arkitrek could hold specialist lectures and seminars to university students, such as ‘everything you need to know about coconut timber construction’, or ‘Methods of design integration’, or perhaps discussing architecture in relation to seemingly irrelevant disciplines, such as bird watching…Encourage student to draw upon inspiration from different fields, particularly those which Arkitrek have particular interest in.

Hmmm. Will continue to think!

Also, a BIG thank you for a great weekend in the jungle. Location, trekking, and company were all most wonderful!