Showcasing Malaysian architecture on the world map
Saifuddin Ahmad, PAM president
While Malaysian architecture has had its moments on the world stage, the Malaysian design scene should also improve by exploring the architecture potential of being ‘local’ yet internationally identified.
Malaysia is thus blessed with an architectural heritage of great diversity, artistry and sophistication, showing many cross-cultural influences, ranging from the simplest built shelters to the mega projects of the late 20th century.
“Malaysia’s construction industry is one of the fastest growing sectors and this is when architecture design also comes into serious play,” Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) president Saifuddin Ahmad said in an interview with BizHive Weekly.
“Many of our buildings have obtained international recognition but we are still lacking in identity, which I think architects in Malaysia should emphasise on.
Our building architecture designs need to be local yet international,” he elaborated.
He further pointed out that as projects were getting more specialised and people were more concious on sustainability, it would be a challenge for architects to come out with a much more sophisticated building in terms of design and technology.
“Nowadays, people are more concerned with indoor air quality and the comfort level of a building, and also the conciousness on how architecture reflects the identity, culture and social interactions,” Saifuddin commented.
Moving ahead, he also indicated that green sustainability would be a major factor in the architecture design industry.
“These types of buildings, especially for housing purposes, will have ease of construction methods and fast tracked to meet the demands.”
Meanwhile, Saifuddin also highlighted the challenges created by foreign consultants for local architects.
“Although it is a healthy competition but potential clients that are willing to pay more mostly prefer foreign consultants even though we have a lot of talented architects locally.
“We need to control the influx of foreign consultants so that local talented architects are not neglected and sidelined in their own country,” he added.
As architecture improves, “there should also be more open urban spaces especially in the cities to cater for outdoor activities.
It would be great if one could organise football games at a local park instead of renting and paying for it,” he commented.
“Since independence, a lot of developments have emerged.
Our achitecture design has changed from a vernacular architecture to an international architecture scale.
With that, there will be a lot more challenges heading for this industry.
“Architects in Malaysia should be well equipped with the knowledge and ‘know-how’ to bring the architecture design industry a step further,” he concluded.