Artists in a pragmatic world
LE Corbusier, one of the founding fathers of modern architecture who was also a prolific painter, once famously exclaimed that “A house is a machine for living in.” Of the many professions one could choose from, architecture stands out in how it blends art with technological science, bringing a careful balance of both worlds to functional human existence.
Look at the many great buildings around the globe and you will find this notion to be true. The creations of architects are designed for practical use yet are touched by the prevailing art movements of their time.
Modern architecture, for example, has roots in the modernist Bauhaus movement and cubism. Prior to that, buildings were influenced by the many passing artistic periods such as art deco, art nouveau, gothic and classical.
Zahimi Zaiton Ibrahim, a registered member of the Malaysian Institute of Architects and a licensed architect with 30 years of experience, says, “Architecture is an aesthetic art that involves working on an awkward canvas.
Our raw material is space, not bricks, steel or glass. Our art is the manipulation of that space to create living, working and recreational spaces that a user will enjoy.”
Though many are attracted to this industry because of its allowance for creativity, students who pursue this line of work are often not fully aware of the realities that take place in actual practice.
“In the real world, what we are trained for is not always what we end up having to do,” says Zahimi.
Training to be an architect
Architects are instructed differently depending on the higher education institution they attend. Regardless, what they have in common is a deep-rooted sense of responsibility to create beauty and balance in the built environment – be it in an urban setting or within natural landscapes.
To qualify as an architect in Malaysia, students must pass two parts. Part 1 involves pursuing a bachelor’s degree in architecture, which usually lasts three years, while Part 2 consists of either a postgraduate diploma or master’s degree in architecture. Between these two phases is the “year out”, during which aspiring architects obtain attachments at various firms.
Part 2 is followed by two years of working under supervision before the final hurdle – the Part 3 examination that will grant architects the licence to practise. The examination is concerned mostly with candidates’ knowledge of building regulations, fire codes, housing regulations, codes of practice and administering building contracts.
The average pass rate for the Part 3 examination is between 6% and 8%, which means that many will have to undergo several resits before passing.
“Students who enter the Part 1 bachelor’s course tend to come in thinking that architecture is a glamorous profession, then find that it is not.
“It is a hard and competitive grind, even in college. Some misconceptions are dispelled after the ‘year out’ and Part 2 students know more of what to expect by the time they graduate and start working.
“Still, most new graduates are only given design tasks and rarely deal with real-world problems involving difficult clients, authorities or contractors.
“Most offices will start them this way before exposing them to clients or allowing them to deal with contractors,” says Zahimi.
In Part 1 and Part 2, architecture students are given project briefs for which they must propose design solutions. The briefs get more complex as they go up the academic ladder while the proposed solutions are expected to get smarter and more creative.
Architecture graduates often hold the mistaken belief that this freedom of applying new and creative ideas will still be granted to them once they start working for actual clients.
“Most clients are quite conservative in taste and many bosses are risk-averse, preferring tried-and-tested solutions rather than something risky that may fail.
They build what they know has worked before. This is understandable because a lot of money is involved in any building project.
“This misconception is what leads to frustration. Graduates are trained to be creative in architecture school but often end up doing ordinary, repetitive, humdrum stuff.
This is just the way the industry works,” shares Zahimi.
Upon leaving university, graduates will find that almost any project is a four- to five-year marathon with a thousand tiny details, tedious paperwork and red tape to resolve – not the quick sprints they enjoyed in architecture school.
Current state of affairs
Client, societal and human needs, space constraints, costs, inflexible government regulations and technological limits – all of which are interrelated – must be considered in reaching the right architectural solution.
In terms of the actual creative freedom a professional architect has, it can vary from client to client and project to project.
Zahimi explains that developer clients for houses, condominiums and apartments can dictate the style and planning for design according to how they read current market trends – which, at present, favours a more modern style.
For residential bungalows, owners will usually have their own ideas stemming from personal travels, magazines or other houses they have visited.
According to Zahimi, this can be a good or bad thing. The difficulty is that some homeowners may want a house aesthetic that is not suitable for the immediate environment.
For example, the classical European style that evolved in a cooler climate is not particularly suitable for tropical Malaysia.
Often, architects are required to dance to the tune of local authorities who wish to highlight a certain aesthetic style.
Art has always been a means of expressing the values and identity of society, and architectural design is an achievable platform for this purpose.
Islamic design, for example, is still enforced onto architects for educational buildings by authorities keen on reflecting Islamic values – albeit in a superficial way.
In fact, this design style only communicates Arabic architecture, which emerged from the climate and materials available in the Middle East and is mostly unsuited to the tropics.
“In the past, the traditional Malay roof was enforced by Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, even for high-rise offices, but this era has passed.
The building of Putrajaya has opened the eyes of many politicians and government officials previously stuck in Islamic and Malay symbolism, as they now see contemporary architecture as forward-looking,” shares Zahimi.
No matter the case, architects must accept that they create work to fulfil the wants of others. Their creations are brought to life because of their clients.
Zahimi points out how ironic it is that the most successful architectural works usually come from small projects. One would think that big projects would achieve the best results, yet the truth is that they often fall victim to over-complexity and heavy commercialisation – making any kind of real art difficult to achieve.
Adapting to reality
Architecture is no walk in the park, but it can be a lifelong, fulfilling career for many. To be successful, graduates have to be well-equipped for professional practice. Fortunately, Zahimi believes that most local graduates have the right skills to enter the industry.
“What we expect from fresh graduates is skill in design-related problem solving, which they usually deliver. Of course, some graduates are better and faster than others, but we do not expect them to have the experience or confidence to deal with clients or contractors,” he says.
As 3D design and presentation software are essential tools for architects, graduates also have to ensure that they are up-to-date with the latest advancements. Universities that use cutting-edge methods will naturally give their graduates the leg-up they need.
“New 3D software allows many different design ideas to be visually tested on the computer screen before being approved to develop in detail. This is why familiarity with 3D software has become increasingly important.
“Although local universities tend to deliver students that are technically sound, they are usually rigid in design. Graduates from overseas tend to be better at coming up with imaginative and fresh new design concepts,” Zahimi explains.
Despite this, he thinks that local graduates can be better at initially fitting into the office environment. This is because the more experienced architects can provide overall direction while new graduates work out the smaller design details.
At the end of the day, if you have a goal, it is up to you to work towards it. Just remember, as much as architects exist to design buildings for clients, they also serve as artistic hands. As Zahimi’s tutor used to tell him, “Any monkey can draw a plan, but a true architect will create beauty.”