Staff

Category: Staff

25 July, 2016

Indicators of Social Impact in Architectural Practice

If you are an organisation with a stated social objective, then it’s reasonable to be asked to report how effective you are at meeting your objective. In a previous article we looked at some indicators that Arkitrek uses to report social impacts in architectural design. This article looks at the social impacts of how we do business, considering who we work for / who we do not work for, our staff welfare and our business philosophy.

Arkitrek has always only worked with clients who match our own social objective. This means that our design can amplify the impacts that our clients are making, which is significant because often our clients have potential to make a much bigger impact than us. Take for example, Borneo Rainforest Lodge (BRL). The income generated by BRL is a powerful argument for conservation of lowland tropical rainforest. BRL will be successful, not only because they have a location of extraordinary eco-tourism value, but also through the comfort and experience that architecture can provide for their guests.

Borneo Rainforest Lodge, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and SAFE project are all directly impacting nature conservation through tourism, wildlife conservation and ecological research, respectively.

Nanga Sumpa Lodge and Tinangol Community Centre are both good example of environmental and social impacts created through community based tourism.

Key clients of Arkitrek have always been rural communities, particularly those with potential for responsible stewardship of their bio-cultural heritage for example: sustainable management of fish and timber stock and using agricultural practices that conserve soil where it is useful, on the ground, rather than letting it pollute rivers.

BRL makes a good case study, but what is much more instructive is looking at clients that we have broken it off with. Choosing a client is like choosing a new romantic partner: they can often start off very rosy but end with dissatisfaction on both sides. Arkitrek has been around for long enough to have gone through a few break-ups. The following examples are all real, but they have been given a code name.

‘Mango Tree’ was a resort project proposed for a small inhabited island. The client’s view was that the inhabitants were not compatible with tourism development and she told them that they had to move, justifying her action with compensation payments. This is not to say that communities should never be moved to make way for tourism, but if they are to be asked to move then they should be allowed to give their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). FPIC is an international protocol and was not followed in this case, making the project a non-starter for Arkitrek.

‘Alocasia’ was a project for a wildlife sanctuary, which on first impression seemed a good match for our philosophy. On closer inspection it had some problems: The first was that the client had a big budget for buying land for conservation. Apparently, their land acquisition strategy had the effect of pushing up land prices, which restricted the total amount of land that they, or other NGO’s, could buy for conservation. Secondly, they did not consult local communities on their plans, which resulted in conflict. We did not take this job because it was limiting the potential for nature conservation.

Fido was a boutique homestay project. The client came to me with a compelling and beautifully articulated social mission linked to the revenue generating homestay. She wanted the buildings to be a showcase for eco-design and sustainable living, so she said. Unfortunately after a year-long relationship she finally admitted “I want to be green, Ian, but not that green”

Moto was an easy project to turn down. The client wanted to over-develop his beach land in a way that would have completely ruined the natural beauty of the site, which was his unique selling point.

Finally the Me, Me, Me! Or MeMeme. We’ve had a few of these clients and they are often from our own impact sector. These clients believe that their own impacts or mission is so important that everyone else should work for them for free. Working for free is rarely going to help your social enterprise to survive and create sustainable impacts. What’s more, by working for free you may be depriving someone else of work, creating a negative social impact. More about this in The Arkitrek Guide to Working for Free

Arkitrek founder, Ian Hall, found business inspiration in Yvon Choinard’s book, ‘let my people go surfing’. Here, Choinard questions the concept of ‘sustainable economic growth’, blaming the degradation of natural systems that sustain life on earth solely on our drive for endless growth.

If Arkitrek designs buildings to conserve nature; then the way that we want to do business is to displace the need for endless growth that destroys nature. Social entrepreneurship may help to do this, by balancing the imperative to return money to private shareholders with the imperative to create opportunities for a wider community. In this way creating social gains rather than private gains.

Choinard’s philosophy of ‘let my people go surfing’ is indicative of a social impact culture within the company itself. Staff training and welfare are at the heart of a Social Enterprise. Above, the Arkitrek team is being trained in ‘stick twirling’ by our intern and sensei, Chris. The synergy here is attracting and retaining the staff who have most to offer, supporting their personal development and giving meaningful employment and a decent salary.

Whether freezing on the Greenland ice cap or sweating in the Bornean jungle, it’s easy to feel how small and fragile is our place in the world and what enormous social impact can be created by the changing of natural systems. We’re well enough informed to know some of the impacts of loosing either the rainforest or the ice cap and yet what difference can we possibly make? Rather than being intimidated, we can use the beauty of nature as inspiration, to remind us to keep asking difficult questions and looking for hidden connections, and remember that some things can only be valued in units of wonder.

17 July, 2016

My Sabbatical by Sarah Greenlees

[2016 is the year of the Arkitrek restructuring and we’ll be publishing a series of articles by Arkitrekkers explaining what the restructuring, or ‘sabbatical’ as we’ve nicknamed it, means to them. Arkitrek Camp co-founder, Sarah Greenlees:]

“So, is Arkitrek shut down?” people keep asking me;
“No, we planned to close when Ian and I left Sabah, but then Filzah offered to become Practice Principal and carry forward the company. We are still very much open!”
“So, what is the Arkitrek Sabbatical all about?”

“Re-structure”
Without Ian and me, the company needs to re-structure, and Filzah, already a highly skilled architectural designer and project manager, needs some time to grow into the role of Practice Principal. Therefore, for the next year, Arkitrek will be concentrating on new design commissions and making buildings. We will not be running Arkitrek Camps or Internships.

“Reflect”
Since 2008 we have designed and constructed buildings that conserve nature through their design. We have developed a philosophy based around the delivery of social impact design in rural environments, many of which were of great ecological value. We have created ethical materials that generate meaningful employment and make use of agricultural waste streams. We have established a live-design programme that is ready to expand. We have started the conversation in Malaysia about social enterprises. We have run all of this as a company, with no bank loans or outside investment. We have been really busy and we have spent a lot of the time juggling, just trying to keep everything running.

“Evaluate”
In the buzz of all the activity and the efforts of running a company, there are things that have been pushed to the side. One is these things is evaluation. I would like to see us evaluate our projects so far, to try to quantify the successes and failures of each project in term of conserving nature through design and education.

“Reconnect”
Another thing that has not been given as much time as we would have liked is the alumni. I don’t keep in touch very well and so now I would like to spend some time catching up with everyone. And I’m not very consistent at recording processes, so I’d like to make an effort to record this process. Maybe it could be as simple as a collection of photos, maybe a set of recordings, maybe a series of answers on the back of postcards. I want to know where people are now, how they got there from Arkitrek and what are their aspirations for the future? Maybe this will lead to something greater; new collaborations or new young practices, or maybe it will just be a really interesting catch up with old friends.

“A Time to just have fun designing”
What would the Arkitrkkers group be if Arkitrek wasn’t running as a practice? I think the main connection between us is the joy of being in nature and designing together. It’s quite unique to find a group of people that you love designing with, and I would like us to spend the sabbatical trying to do that more than when we had to run a company. So, I’d like to make time to talk about design, to support each other’s design projects, and maybe collaborate on independent projects.

“Our Place in The World”
I stepped out of the developed world to form my definition of sustainable architecture and now I’m moving back to that world. How is Arkitrek still relevant? Since Arkitrek was founded, Malaysia itself has rushed towards ‘developed’ country status and demand for construction resources continues to grow. Arkitrek is here at the centre of design in Sabah, and from our rural roots is now poised to impact on urban development of Malaysia and to use design to transform Sabah to a green economy. I see fun design work as an important way to keep me engaged in big questions on a level that I actually find interesting.

“Sabbatical (n)”
A period of paid leave granted to a college teacher for study or travel, traditionally every seventh year. I didn’t know that sabbaticals were traditionally taken every seven years, but it makes sense as the word is derived from Sabbath. I might have an overly simplistic view of the Sabbath construct, but I think of a set period of time where normal activities of life are suspended. Instead, this time is filled with reflection. I think of the Arkitrek sabbatical in the same way. A period of time where some of the activities of the company are suspended, so that there is time instead for the company to reflects on and evaluates its activities, but also to research new revenue streams and to use design to reconnect with old friends.

29 May, 2016

Everyone seems like they have been choreographed

I have always admired Japan for their crafts. My mum had this Japanese tailoring book that I used to look at. They are very detailed, the Japanese. Just look at the stuff that Daiso sells, they have things that will make you think “Who has the time to think about inventing this?” right?

Thanks to Dissolva group, I had a chance visiting Tokyo, Japan. Inside I was jumping with excitement about visiting one of the most popular cities the worlds. Oh and I now understand what it means by ‘most populated’. This become clear to me on one morning in Shinjuku station. Everyone seems like they have been choreographed. They flowed organically, no stumbling, they just know where to make a turn and where to make a line.

Out from the station, walking on the street I feels like I’m looking at a magazine. On a page where an artist has put a rendered illustration of a building and the context is where people wearing suits are walking, a cyclist passes them, the trees are well maintained with flower beds around the bottom and at some corner you have a seating area with group of youngsters chatting. It’s very pretty. Detail design is everywhere: the curbs, the floor finishes, entrances of the shops and the bollards and fences.

Just walking the short distance from Shinjuku to Harajuku, feels like Japan has collected everything in the world. From food to clothing to toys to electronic, just everything. And building wise, I pass Disney Store building, a corner that has Alice in Wonderland door, a building that remind me of Pompidou Centre and something that look like the Bird Nest Stadium, to name a few.

The trip is actually a knowledge-exchange programme. I went with four representative from Buayan village, Ulu Papar. In all our activities and the places we visited we reflected on a question: “how Buayan can learn from this?” We visited Sagami Dam Lake, the first man-made Dam reservoir in Japan, and listened to the story given by one of the descendent whose family were instructed to leave their village so the government can build the lake and the dam. We then went to Fujino village. Also known as Fujino Art Village. A village that was built along the Segami river and has now been turned into an art village in order to revitalize the place. The village is now self-sustaining with a solar and tourism industry. The group also went trekking at Mount Kagenobo and perhaps the experience can be related to trekking Salt Trail in Ulu Papar. So, how can I learn from this?

Japan to me is fascinating. It is a develop country with a beautiful landscape and high technology, but it is somehow rather a quiet one. Say you put all the countries in a classroom, I think Japan is the quiet geek who is a bit reserved and very shy. I’ve been to only some parts of Tokyo, it’s not enough. There’s more to learn about them, more places to explore, more food to try out, more buildings to see, more details to look at. Many many more. Next time!

11 April, 2016

My Sabbatical by Filzah Jamjam

[2016 is the year of the Arkitrek restructuring and we’ll be publishing a series of articles by Arkitrekkers explaining what the restructuring, or ‘sabattical’ as we’ve nicknamed it, means to them. In the second article of this series: Arkitrek Principal, Filzah Jamjam, talks about what it’s like to be the caretaker for Arkitrek during the Arkitrek restructuring year.]

Over the last couple months, people have been asking me “So, are you taking over Arkitrek?” and with a slight ahem, tittering, I said, “ha! um, am taking care” followed by a nervous smile hoping there’s no further question. Because to be honest, I’ve been asking myself the same question and still looking for the answer.

I understand why Arkitrek needs a sabbatical. However, I’m kind of leaning it towards not to. It’s ironic because back when I applied for a full-time job, I told Ian that very likely I will be working for only a year. Which in retrospect, it would’ve synchronized perfectly with this sabbatical timing. But now here I am, trying to take over it. Perhaps sabbatical is still necessary. I cannot just take it and run it, there is for sure a transition time which is important for me to learn my way around.

So it hits back with a question of what is sabbatical then? Is it that transition? A famous pianist Piotr Anderszewski said that sabbatical is a space where you allow things to happen other than the known.

To me, a sabbatical is a break you take to energise yourself. A break that is required after a long demanding journey in order to restore back your energy and bringing back the excitement of getting started. Meaning: your break needs to have a goal. Not to be mistaken with a holiday, a sabbatical is not a run-away kind of break. Sabbatical is after a certain amount time, should excite you to start where you stop with full on energy, achieved goal and ready to carry on.

I somehow have not been on a demanding journey yet to be entitled to a sabbatical but often doubt whether or not I am ready to carry on. Thus, I’m taking the advantage of Arkitrek’s sabbatical to train myself. Even it means that not letting Arkitrek be fully sabbatical, but I take that as the ‘other than the known’. So when the time comes, and Arkitrek is ready, I will be ready too. And I know lots of Arkitrekkers out there are training themselves too. Isn’t that exciting? It is.

As an Arkitrekker who’s come from a live design camp, an intern and then a full-time staff, ‘sambil belajar sambil buat’ is a maxim that is really spot on: ‘learning by doing’ is what I am practising now. Arkitrek has been a great incubator, cultivating me to who I am now and it is time for me to take care of this apparatus and pass it on.

24 March, 2016

A Founders’ Dilemma by Ian Hall

[2016 is the year of the Arkitrek restructuring and we’ll be publishing a series of articles by Arkitrekkers explaining what the restructuring means to them. Arkitrek founder, Ian Hall, kicks us off.]

I view this year as a Sabbatical, which to me means to take time out from a job that you intend to return to. In contemplating the meaning of my Arkitrek Sabbatical, I am immediately faced with the difficulty of separating what this means to both me and to Arkitrek?

To Arkitrek, the restructuring primarily means time to adapt to both a downturn in business and being dealt an almost entirely new cast of staff. Coincidentally and for different reasons in mid-2015 most of the Arkitrek staff, including the entire management team, decided that they wanted to move on or take time out at the same time. The Arkitrek restructuring for me is therefore about separation and succession.

The idea of a leadership transition is not new to Arkitrek and as the founder I had our separation in mind back in 2005 when my old mate and junglist, Andy Lo, first coined the name. It is common for architecture practices to be named after either their founder, or founding partners. I did not want this because I wanted to one day pass the business to other people. Arkitrek was the perfect name that resonated with our founding values and upon which other people could imprint their own values and experiences.

“Why do you want to keep Arkitrek going?” was the surprising question, on the subject of succession, posed to me by Phyllis Chin recently. Beyond the mundane answer that: ‘I want a chance to recoup my investment’ and the sentimental: ‘It would be a shame for it to die’, lies a third answer that ‘there are many outstanding Arkitrekkers who have told me that given a chance they would want to come back to work for Arkitrek. I want to keep it going so that they will have something to come back to.’

As it turns out, the restructuring means that we will pause our Arkitrek Camp live design programme and but keep the design consultancy going. At the very lease we need to honour our professional duty to existing clients and follow up on existing business leads. Luckily for Arkitrek, Filzah Jamjam decided that she didn’t want to move on this year after all and is sticking around to keep the candle burning.

Remember at the start that I said that a sabbatical is something that you come back from. I may not come back to Arkitrek Malaysia, but somewhere else in the world or in a different capacity. This opens up the enticing possibility of global expansion. Arkitrek will recover from the restructuring with an entirely new management team, new staff, new advisers, new clients and new business opportunities.

Meanwhile I still need my sabbatical time out to figure out how to effect my separation and succession. I have brought Arkitrek to a good place and now it’s time to make space for the far greater potential of all those outstanding Arkitrekkers. In this article in the Harvard Business Review, the author discusses ‘the founder’s dilemma’, and postulates that as a business grows, sooner or later the founder will have to make a decision between being rich and being in control.

I want Arkitrek to be rich and the Arkitrek definition of rich is probably more in line with Bob Marley than a venture capitalist, but I think that the point of the article is on the mark. It is time for me to relinquish control.

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