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Images from Penang, Georgetown
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With the advent of GATT and other treaties designed to dissolve the world's boundaries, we now find architectural firms practicing in a global market. It is not uncommon to find architects from Malaysia with projects in other Asian countries. Malaysian architects are also starting to make inroads into South America, Africa, the Middle East and even Eastern Europe. Likewise, we find foreign architects venturing into Malaysia and other parts of South East Asia.
Advances in transportation and telecommunication such as electronic mail, telephone roaming facilities, facsimiles, teleconferencing and file transfers through the internet have facilitated communication for the global office. Expensive overhead is also reduced as a result of these technological advances. Small satellite offices with bare minimal staff have mushroomed in the project locations whilst the bulk of the work is conducted by the home office. These semi autonomous offices are efficient and necessary in order to check on the site progress as well as to liaise with the local consultants. In most cases collaboration with local architects is necessary to obtain official government approval for the project. Obviously, an understanding partnership will ensure that the original concept and idea is followed through to the completion of the project. In countries which are more accommodating to fresh ideas and concepts, branch companies have been formed with talented local staff hired to work together with the foreign staff. This is actually the best form of collaboration as opportunities for both sides are enormous.The local staff gains additional knowledge and a different type of vision and the foreign staff becomes more sensitive to the needs and practices of the people through this joint undertaking.
Behind all of the advances in technology, certain basic principles to practice this global architecture still have to be adhered to. The main criteria we have to remember is that our actions as architects affect the biosphere, and as such the architecture we produce should be environmentally sensitive. As global architects we must constantly be responsive to basic aspects like solar patterns, wind and light. These would then reduce our dependence on artificially produced energy as well as the earth's limited fossil fuel resources. Often there is a tendency to just transport a generic type or style of architecture to the country we practice in which is often not appropriate climatically. This then leads to more energy consumption. We should have the courage to stick to our principles on projects which in our opinion may cause more damage than good to the ecosystem. It is our duty to use all of our experience to guide the client to suit the development for the better of the environment. If not, the short term financial gains from the project can become a long term loss for the environment and community.
'Cultures' are also unique to each country one practices in and as such one needs to respond positively to that culture. We must listen to how the local people live and go about their everyday life. In many parts of Asia, 'feng shui' plays an integral part in the planning and architecture of a building. Rarely is a design approved without the aspects of 'feng shui' being considered. Amongst other things sharp corners are discouraged, and certain orientation restricted depending on the nature of the site and its surrounding. We must also respect the technical difficulties as well as the available building skills and materials of that country. We should design around them not as an obstacle but as a challenge to reinterpret and exploit their potential. Similarly, building codes and requirements differ from country to country but can be manipulated using fresh ideas to break away from the conventional.
Looking at the other aspect of the practice, we, as global architects, can inject new ideas and concepts and alter for the better the way of living of the country we work in. As outsiders, we are able to look at common problems from a different perspective. Certain practices that are the norm may not be entirely the better ones for lack of newer knowledge and opportunities. New technology and ideas may also solve nagging problems previously deemed unsolvable. At the end of the day, "think globally but act locally" should be the motto for architects practicing in a world without boundaries.
T.Y. Au
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