The Architect Ponders
‘The architect ponders what went went wrong in comunications between the drawing board and the finished rainforest retreat.’
About
Arkitrek are experts in sustainable design, in particular tropical passive design and the integration of architecture with social infrastructure and the natural environment. We practice participatory design and engage with volunteers, students and communities in many of our projects. A snapshot of our company values can be found on The Arkitrek Manifesto
Our Arkitrek Camp is an experiential learning program in sustainable design. Participants gain skills, knowledge and confidence by building what they design. Camps are open primarily to architecture and engineering students, graduates and professionals.
Note that we only provide architectural services and are not Architects registered under the Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM). Where projects require plans submission to local authorities a registered local Architect must also be engaged. Enquiries about architectural services can be made on our contact page.
The origin of Arkitrek was as a multi-day jungle trek in 2005 to survey sites for eco-tourism development in the Maliau Basin Conservation Area, Sabah, Malaysia. The trekking architects were Ian Hall and Andrew Lo. Our response to that job was: “if anything is to be built in this virgin rainforest it’s existence must first be critically justified and the design should then aim to tread as lightly as possible”. Those values persist in our business today.
In 2008 Arkitrek was formalised and incorporated into two private limited companies: Arkitrek Sdn. Bhd. (831925-W) and Arkitrek Ltd. (06599659) in Malaysia and the UK respectively. Although registered as a private limited company, Arkitrek is operated as a social enterprise meaning that profits are used for social and not for personal gain. Read more about our quest for the ideal social enterprise structure here.
Download the Arkitrek Brochure
The arkitrek logo is a seed from a rare tropical hardwood tree Dipterocarpus exalatus (local name Keruing rapak) photographed in Maliau Basin.
Ian Hall
Founder and Managing Director, or ‘boss’ as many people call him.
Ian is an Architect and social entrepreneur who prefers to work and play in the outdoors. In 2009 he founded Arkitrek, which has embodied his passion for conservation of nature and wild places into a unique architectural practice.
The question of ‘what architecture has to do with wilderness?’ continues to bug Ian and direct his work. He is an expert in sustainable design, in particular tropical passive design and the integration of architecture with social infrastructure and the natural environment.
Ian is skilled in participatory design and group facilitation and engages with volunteers, students and communities in much of his work.
Prior to founding Arkitrek, Ian worked for 10 years in commercial architectural practice in London, Auckland and Edinburgh. He graduated from Dundee University in 1998 and passed the RIBA Part III examination in 2000. He is registered with the UK Architect’s Registration Board (ARB).
Ian’s core skills are:
Architectural Design, Tropical Passive Design, Facilitation & Training, Participatory Design, Community Engagement, Responsible Tourism Standards, Ecology & Nature Conservation Issues.
Photo of Ian on the Global Atmosphere Watch Tower at Danum Valley Conservation Area by Nick Ray
Andrew Lo
Architect & Inaugural Arkitrekker
Andrew Lo gets an honourable mention here for his historic participation in the original Arkitrek in 2006 and indeed for coining the word ‘arkitrek’ itself.
Arkitrek founders Ian Hall and Andy Lo met when they both worked for Mark Weintraub Architecture & Design LLP in London. Andy’s last known locations were with the office of OMA in Beijing and subsequently with BIG in Shanghai.
Read about Andy Lo the Everday Junglist and other early Arkitrek junglism in Imbak, Danum and Maliau Basin Conservation Areas. We’re also grateful to Andy for being the only person to be able to make leeches rhyme with bitches 🙂