FOREWORD I am not merely just an architect but a mixture of artist, dreamer, researcher, realist and a thinker. I define architecture as how I define myself. To me, architecture is not just a piece of work but it is a mixture of the irrational and the rational, the measurable and the immeasurable. There is always an artistic part and a more scientific or logic part when it comes to architecture. It is not just about designing or the artistic part. Each project has its own purpose and goal. It is like a plain canvas and the architect is a painter. The only way to design is to think rationally, irrationally and to have empathy. I believe everything happens with a reason. As an architect, there is a need to e a researcher to dig out everything about the history and comunity of a certain site. Study and understand them. Then, develop empathy for them. To become a part of the site and the community is a way to design critical regionally. There is no right or wrong in designing as design is very personal and subjective. But I believe a good design is a design which can’t be replaced and forgetten. It is timeless and ageless which people will remember forever.
I don’t have a style. If I really have to name a style. I would say it is ‘space dwelling’ or I prefer to call it as ‘space and its meaning.’ As an architect, meaning is something which we created and given to architecture. As an architect, meaning is something which we created and given to architect. Architect is not only a space maker. A space maker will only form a space without any meaning and any ‘emotion’. When the meaning is given or created. The ‘emotion’ will form the space to the user. It is like a creature, the user enter the space and the space enter the user. The user will be perfectly in sync with the space and flow with it emotionally and physically.
EDUCATION
NOAH CHONG KAH WENG Address : 32, Jalan Sr 8/11, Taman Putra Indah, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor. Contact : 0178703989 Email : saxoken@hotmail.com
PROFICIENCIES
1. Cambridge A Level Sunway College, Malaysia
Year 2011-2012
2. Bachelor of Science (Hons) Architecture Taylor’s University, Malaysia
Year 2012-2015
1. Illustration
: Adobe Photoshop
2. Technical Drawings
: Autocad Rhinoceros
3. 3D Modelling
: Rhinoceros 3DS Max Sketchup
4. Rendering
: Rhinoceros Vray Sketchup Vray 3DS Max Lumion
5. Others
: Microsoft
EXPERIENCES 1. Drafter SSP Engineering Consulting Firm
Jan - March 2011
2. Intern Architecture Network
Jan - March 2015
CONTENT 1. THE EMPATHY Visitor Interpretive Center
2. THE INTERCONNECTION Nature Appreciation Center
3. THE LIFE Urban Infill Food Market In a Garden
1. THE EMPATHY
2. THE INTERCONNECTION
3. THE LIFE
4. THE AURA
4. THE AURA Folk Art Center
THE EMPATHY THE VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER The brief is to design a visitor interpretive center. It is a center that interpret the history and the past of the site, Jerejak Island. The name ‘the empathy’ is given to the visitor interpretive center. Just like how it sounds like, empathy, the idea of the whole interpretive center is to allow the visitors to create the empathy and to understand the past. It is like taking a ride to the past and the history through the interpretive center.
THE JEREJAK ISLAND Pulau Jerejak is located 1.5 nautical miles from the island of Penang off the west coast of Malaysia. It used to be a place to gather the tuberculosis, leprosy patients and a place to house the prisoners. It's also an island which witnessed the military action during the world war ii, when a german submarine attacked a russian naval vesseland. Because of its history, it created a dark, mysterious and a strong essence of the place. it is the genius loci of the place. an essence which represent the place and can't be found in other places. However, pulau jerejak is now a place which has forgotten by the people and only exist in the history. Of course, 'the essence of the place' is fading as well. The purpose of the visitor interpretive center is to collect the traces of the past and assemble them within the visitor interpretive center. The building itself is like a book or a communication tool to tell the story of the island. It is a recorder of the past, at the same time, it is a reminder of the history as well. To design the visitor interpretive center is to have empathy. 'To feel what they felt' was the direction for the design. 'They' refer to tuberculosis, leprosy patients, prisoners or those who used to stay within the island. To put yourself what 'they' had been through and translated it into architecture. The building is not merely just about architecture or a building that sit on the site but it is a part of the site and merged itself completely with the site.
THE NARRATIVE OF SPACE Each of the space tells a story and it is connected to each other, one after another, to lead the visitor to experience the dark, light, shadow and texture. From a dark and enclose space to a space that surrounded by the light, from complete hopelessness to a sense of hope. It is like the island, healing slowly from the dark and sordid past. The building has an architecture that stimullate the seven senses. It started very painful and torturing but it healed at the end.
THE INTERCONNECTION THE NATURE APPRECIATION CENTER The site, sepang is surrounded by mamngrove swamp region and the housing area. So, it sort of like forming a multilayer town in between nature and society. The housing area is embracing the mangrove swamp and the mangrove swamp is embracing the site. Because of this unique character of the site, the idea of interconnection is generated. interconnection is defined as to be connected or mutually connected, it is an idea to bring people and nature together through the nature appreciation center. The building itself will be acting like a social object, at the same time, it is a part of the environment as well.
PROGRAMS & CIRCULATION DIAGRAM The building itself is facing the housing area and the back facade is surrouded by the mangrove trees. So the idea is to bring the local residents and the outsiders to the nature. Each space is linked to each other and eventually it will reach the mangrove swamp area, then going back to the building. Therefore, it will form a continous loop for the circulation.
OUTDOOR LEARNING CENTER
- Surrounded by the mangrove trees and the idea of trees as the shelter instead of wall.
ROOFTOP GARDENS
- As a buffer between the nature and the built form.
TIMBER PANELS
- To encourage the natural ventilation and create the airry feelings.
BRICK
- To give a touch of rawness and create the contrast between the brick and the thin timber panels.
elevation
section b-b
Outdoor Learning Center 1
Outdoor Learning Center 2
Entrance
Gallery
Outdoor Learning Center 3
Exterior Perspective
Interior Perspective
THE LIFE THE URBAN INFILL FOOD MARKET The idea of having a food market within the site is to allow to user to have a place for them to enjoy thier food during breakfast hour or lunch time. There are a lot of students, office workers and bankers within the site. So, there is a demand for food within the site. By intergrating A garden into a food market, it able to solve the lack of green spaces issue within the site and allowing the building embrace the garden and the market at the same time. The whole intention is to form an in between space, in between two buildings, in between garden and food market, in between indoor and outdoor, in between community and building. Each one is interconnected with each other and form a strong bond. The intention is to bring the life to the building and form merge it with the life that we created within the building.
李孝式街 JALAN TUN H.S. LEE
Disconnectivity of The District
Keeping The Circulation
Integration of The Trees
Continuity of The Circulation
Stalls along The Walkway
The site, Jalan Tun H.S. Lee is surrounded by a few different districts. There are a lot of banks, colleges, food stalls, restaurants and church near to the site. Because of that, the site has a strong potential to be a center or an intersection point of a few different districts and link them together. Bring the people from the different districts into the site. Indirectly, it will create a unique circulation pattern. To keep the circulation pattern, the circulation within the building is crucial. To solve the problem, a continous ramp is placed in the center of the building and the form a continous circulation. Then, the food stalls are placed along the ramp. The trees are planted in the middle of the building and allowing the ramp hugging the trees. So, it will create a unique and overlapping layers.
The initial plan indicated the integration of a continous ramp throughout the building. Then, trimming the front and back areas to create a sense of welcoming and adding the steps at the facade as one of the urban response.
The Initial Plan
Trim The Front Area
Trim The Back Area
Adding Steps
The timber panel and the glass panel acting as a buffer and a connection
The timber cladding act as a screen that filter the view of the main road and the patterns are in order.
The patterns of the timber cladding at the ramp are following the shape of the ramp and it inform the circulation
Because of the screening, partial of the trees are visible and it create a sense of curiousity.
In Jalan H.S LEE, due to the heavy traffic, the front facade can’t be completely open and expose the main road. So, by using the screening method, it able to filter the view but at the same time, it allow certain visual connection and visibility to the stie site. It is blurring the boundaries between outside and inside.
front elevation
back elevation
Interior Perspective 1
Interior Perspective 2
Fruit Stalls
View From Restaurant
Exterior Perspective
THE AURA THE FOLK ART CENTER The folk art center is a center that preserve and protect the precious folk art that we inherited from our family, tribe or society. Each of us has the responsibility to protect the culture which is what that belong to us and represent us. The folk art center remind the good old days of the past. For the old to reminisce and for the young to seek for the root.
急� IPOH
Site Plan
Surrounded by the government buildings
The heat
Isolated from other districts.
Lack of social engagement
The site is located in the Old Town, Ipoh and just next to the KTM Station. Around the site, there are plaza, pos office, Dewan Bandaraya Ipoh, Ipoh High Court, Mosque and St. Micheal School. Ipoh has a really interesting history and the travellers will be able to see the traces of the past through the old exisiting buildings which form a unique language which only belong to Ipoh. Especially our site which surrounded by the gorvernment buildings which share the characteristic of British Colonial architecture. However, because of that, it made the site isolated from the rest of the context and the other districts. Due to this, it caused the site to be just a temporary spot for the travellers to passby and the whole site is lacked of social engagement as well. The other important issue of the site is the heat. The plaza is completely roofless and there is no shelter or shading device for the public. The sunlight able to penetrate the site directly without any obstructions. Therefore, there is no people using the site in the morning.
Programmes & Spaces
Schematic Section & Spaces
FOLK ART & PROGRAMMES The folk art center will be housing five different programmes which are performances, art & craft, music, literature and retail. From there, the programmes will decide the spaces needed for the building, such as, theaters & practice rooms for performances and workshop & practice rooms for the art & craft. The ground floor will be reserved for the civic space, art & craft and retail. The first floor is for the accommodation and library whereas the top floor is for music, dancing and theater.
facade development
The inspiration of the facade design is from the traditional crafting method that used by the local. The craft has a very interesting pattern and texture. Each of them has multiple lines intersect, crossing, encountering and overlap with each other. The intention is to treat the building as one of the art craft and allowing the exterior of the building inform the activities within the building. So, it started by just overlapping two lines and formed a zig zag patterns. Then, further discovered the different variations of zig zag patterns.
front elevation
left elevation
Interior Perspective 1
Interior Perspective 2
Night View
Exterior Perspective
Interior Perspective