International Conference ‘Challenges and Experiences in Developing
Architectural Education in Asia’, 20th Anniversary Department of Architecture,
Islamic University of Indonesia, Yogjakarta, Indonesia. June 8-10, 2007.
Embracing the Idea of ‘Context’ in Architecture Education and the
Internationalization Programs
Mohd Hamdan Ahmad
Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
In the era of globalization, the graduates of architecture program in South East
Asia are expected to gain employment not just locally but internationally. The aim
of this paper is to put forward the idea of ‘context’ in architecture that can be the
important component in the architecture curriculum and in the studio teaching.
Context embraces the site and time. The site is self explanatory as being the site
and its environmental challenges. However, time is not just about era but it
contemporariness or being timely. Time in this case must project the use of
contemporary design ideas and incorporation of an up to date technologies. This
paper further argues that if local graduates of architecture had been trained to
design to ‘context’, they could easily transfer this understanding of ‘context’ and
their design skills anywhere, thus are employable internationally. In addition,
internationalization programs also contribute in the preparation of local
architecture graduates that are ready for the global market. This paper ends by
sharing the internationalization programs in the architecture school where the
author works to compliment and add to the idea of ‘context’ in architecture.
Keywords: globalization, ‘context’ in architecture, internationalization program,
global-local (‘glokal’).
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Graduate of architecture program is now expected to be accepted world wide.
They are not only expected to be proficient locally but also easily adaptable to
the international architectural market. Due to a more open trade service
agreement initiated such as under General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT) and Asia Pasific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the mobility of
architectural practices and services becoming more global. Local consultancy
firms now are bidding for job overseas. The vibrant and fast developing city like
in Dubai, Macao, Shanghai and Beijing are engaging mostly foreign architects to
spearhead their mega-projects and various other proposals. Many Malaysian
firms now have branch offices in these cities. They are either transferring their
existing staff, employing fresh local graduate to be posted overseas or employing
foreign staff in the practice area or internationally to better service the new
market. On the other hand, new development in Malaysia such as the newly
launched Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in Johor is expected to have many
involvements of foreign development and investment companies who may have
to or opt to bring their own consultants (or joint venture arrangement) thus
changing the landscape of architectural practices in Malaysia in near future.
These new practice cultures definitely in return require new outlooks to the
architecture curriculum globally. Is existing curriculum ready for this change?
How can we strengthen the existing curriculum without changing drastically that
may consume time, energy and involvement of various agencies? This paper
explores the later possibility by highlighting the important of the idea of ‘context’
in architectural curriculum as immediate reaction to the new market demand. The
second idea is by sharing internationalization initiatives that has already put in
place by the Department of Architecture at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
(UTM).
2.0 EXISTING CURRICULUM
The architecture curriculum normally consists of 4 major components. The first is
the Design subjects or usually considered as Architecture Design Studio. The
others are building science and technology, culture and theory, and professional
practice. Different schools adopted different proportion of the four components.
However, in general the Architecture Design Studio in most cases will outweigh
other subject components (Mohd Hamdan Ahmad et al, 2003). The design
oriented schools sometime have over 50% of Architecture Design Studio.
As for UTM the architecture program has progress from producing many
Technical Assistants and Tractor Architects to help building the young nation to a
more Thinking Architects as the nation progress into the new millennium. The
new move is to lessen the typological emphasis to issue based architecture.
UTM also has an unwritten policy to review its curriculum every 5 years, but in
every exercise the Architecture Design Studio component is maintained to be
above 50%. UTM is also known as the premier technological university in
Malaysia, thus the building science and technology is obviously more prominent
component than the socio-cultural and theoretical subjects. In view of the
globalization and internationalization of its graduates, UTM overall theme and
mission is to produce ‘diversified graduate’. This is realized through the unitworkbase systems in the Architecture Design Studio during the lower years and
thesis panels in the final year (Unit-workbase Booklet, 2006). The result (so far)
is encouraging as the graduate employability rate within 6 months after
graduation is very high. Recent survey (Hong and Mohd Hamdan, 2006) also
illustrates that the graduates are also diversifying the ‘idea of practicing’ within
the architecture and built environment field. Apart from working for the
conventionally architectural practice firm, they also are self employed as
architectural designer, animator, model maker, project speculator and product
inventor. Some of them work locally and few (the number is getting larger) are
now working overseas.
The next question is how can we improve further? How do we address the
mobility of graduate without revamping the existing curriculum? The following
sections explore the idea of ‘context’ in architecture education that is
conceptualized as the medium for adaptability and transferability of design
thinking and skill from local to the global players.
3.0 THE ‘IDEA OF CONTEXT’ IN ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO
Learning from the experience of UTM, I’m proposing in this paper an
improvement strategy without revamping the curriculum. In order to enhance
further the internationalization and globalization of local graduate I would like to
make a proposition of employing the idea of ‘context’ in the architecture
curriculum. The impact of this idea will be greater if it is introduce in the
Architecture Design Studio program as it can simulate the reality of the
architecture practice. The thinking and skill are easily transferable from local to
global and for various geographical locations.
3.1 SITE AS THE IDEA OF ‘CONTEXT”
‘Context’ in architecture is about designing within the site as immediate context of
the project. It involves real understanding of the site and its surrounding. The site
has its macro and micro climate. The climatic condition at the least can be
generalized by designer. The ability to acknowledge climatic conditions and the
environmental responses of the project to its climate is transferable as ‘design
approach’ from one place to another. However, different climatic region should
result in different solution of rejecting or harnessing the climatic elements. If local
graduates in Malaysia know how to shelter from hot sun create cool and
comfortable indoor environment, they surely automatically can think that in the
temperate or cold climate the idea is to get warmth to stay comfortable indoor.
This ability to design with climate will make their solution appropriate to climate
as the idea of ‘context’.
3.2 CULTURE AS THE IDEA OF ‘CONTEXT’
‘Context’ in architecture is also about the local culture, a lifestyle, belief and
aspiration of the local people. There are things that are considered as Malaysian
culture and culturally Malaysian that is important in Malaysian architecture.
Similarly, the concept is applicable to be adapted globally. Knowing the foreign
culture and what is culturally acceptable there is the idea of ‘context’ in
architecture design. The idea is not to always create local identity but rather
appreciating the local culture and translating that in the design solution. Many
local architects as holder of the culture for example fail to translate the cultural
idea of ‘context’ in contemporary solution. However, many examples illustrate
that the outsiders who appreciate the local culture without obligating themselves
as holders of the local culture can translate, express and contemporizing the idea
of culture as ‘context’.
3.3 TIME AS THE IDEA OF ‘CONTEXT’
‘Context’ in architecture is aligned with time. Time denotes contemporariness.
Time also reflect the available and most appropriate building technology, timely
and economically. Graduates need to understand that architecture must relate to
the idea of contemporary time. In Malaysia, concrete post and beam technology
is still the most acceptable and popular. But it must incorporate the progress of
concrete post and beam design to tell the actual time. Similarly if graduates work
in countries that have different technology, they must appreciate it and
incorporate the idea of time as ‘context’ in architecture by progressing and
contemporizing use of that common technology and material to the contemporary
time.
It is uncertain that graduates who appreciate the idea of ‘context’ in their own
local site, culture and time can easily transfer the idea globally. The ignorance
has been illustrated by the idea of internationalization of architecture world-wide.
The history informs us that internationalizing architecture as happened in the 60’s
and 70’s lost the idea of ‘context’ of the place. However, there is hope that if the
graduate can appreciate the idea of ‘context’, they can meaningfully contribute to
the progress of any nation by translating the nation’s ‘context’ into appropriate
contemporary design.
4.0 GLOBAL-LOCAL OR ‘GLOKAL’ GRADUATE
The new emerging practice is already global. The clients are now very
knowledgeable and demand quality design and services. Many mega projects in
Malaysia are the product of joint ventures between international star architects
and local practices. Projects such as Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA),
Petronas Twin Towers, Universiti Teknologi Petronas and Sepang Formula 1 are
good examples. On the other hand, many Malaysian firms now are entrusted to
plan and design mega project overseas such as in Dubai, Shanghai, Beijing,
Jeddah and even in Europe. Malaysian firms also have won many international
acclaimed design competitions. These new trends require graduates of
architecture in Malaysia to be competent not just with local context but also
globally. They are now employed by local firm but posted overseas, requiring
adaptability of the idea of ‘context’ when designing in different parts of the world
regardless of the geographical locations. They are called the ‘glokal’ graduate.
The difference approaches and strategies taken by UTM certainly accommodate
these ‘glokal’ graduates for the new market demands. The reciprocal
arrangement under APEC Architect may enhance further the ‘glokal’ graduates
registration and practice locally and globally within the members countries.
5.0 INTERNATIONALIZATION PROGRAMS
In UTM, the internationalization programs take place in various forms and
activities. These can be categorized into two involving program relating to
students and internationalizing the curriculum offered by the department. The
programs can be seen also as liberalization of the architecture education
(Francis Duffy and Les Hutton, 1998) to the more conventional approach adopted
earlier.
Program involving students are described first. Firstly, is the student exchange
program with the University of Bologna, in Italy. This program is now into the
second year running. New plan is to also have similar program with French
university. The second is the overseas industrial training. Our students are now
encourages to do their industrial training overseas. UTM students are now
attached to firms in Dubai, Shanghai, Oman, Hong Kong, Australia and of course
Singapore. The third is involving students in International Students Design
competition. Studios are allowed to take on the competition brief as part of the
studio program offered to students. UTM also take part and hosted the Compaso
Volante 2007 together with 6 other universities from Italy, French, Korea, China
and Taiwan universities. The involvement of students in these programs has
given greater exposure and creating new global network amongst future
architects. It is hope that they can continue the good relationship when they
graduate. Finally, students are also encourage to organize overseas trip to enrich
their architectural training and cross-cultural exposure and expedition.
Program to benchmark the department is also important. To make the curriculum
at par internationally, UTM has appointed international external examiners and
moderators from United Kingdom, Australia, United States and Asian countries.
These appointed examiners stay minimums of 3 days and normally for a week
assessing the curriculum and the students design folios. At the end of their visit a
report will be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor’s office and any comments and
suggestions will be discussed in the department meeting for actions.
Appointment of various distinguished visiting professors and practitioners are
have also been made and becoming a new culture in the department. The visit
can be a day to months depending on the availability of the time of the visiting
professors. They not only review the program but contribute meaningfully to the
implementation of the program giving open lectures, involving in design critics
and developing the research and postgraduate programs in the department.
Again, at the end of the visit, they will forward a written report of their finding and
suggestion to the university.
To further strengthen the international flavor of the program, university now is
embarking on the foreign academic staff recruitment as full time contract staffs to
the department. Currently, architecture department has 5 international staffs from
Italy, Germany, Sri Lanka, Japan, Afghanistan and Japan. Further, the teaching
and learning in the first and second year are now taught fully in English. The use
of English in the third year onwards is optional.
CONCLUSION
The architectural curriculum must address the future mobility of graduates. They
must be competent locally and have the ability to adapt to the global
environments regardless of the geographical location. It is hope that embracing
the idea of ‘context’ in architecture and internationalization programs will
contribute to the new outlook of ‘glokal’ graduates.
6.0 REFERENCE
Mohd Hamdan Ahmad, Syed Ahmad Iskandar Syed Ariffin, Aminatuzuhariah
Megat Abdullah and Raalah Mohamad, Flexible and Competitive Architectural
Curriculum, Unpublished Research Report, UPP-UTM Vote 7199, 2003.
Mohd Hamdan Ahmad and Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi, Liberalization of the Idea
of ‘Practicing Architecture’: Diversification of Fields in Architecture and Their
Implications on UTM’s Curriculum, Architecture Amidst Asian Renaissance, Asia
Pacific Property and Architecture Convention APPAC 98, 2-4 April 1998, PWTC
KL, Malaysia.
Kamalapurkar, Shubhada, “Market Driven or Market Dragged?” Architecture
Design: A Journal of Indian Architecture, September & October, Vol: xix No 5
(86).
Unit Workbase Booklet, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment,
Universiti Teknologi Malysia, session 2006-2007.
Apec Architect Second Council Meeting, 23-24 May
http://www.apecarchitect.org/db/AgendaAndBriefingNotes.pdf
2006
in
Mehta, Jaimini, “Identity Crisis” Architecture Design: A Journal of Indian
Architecture, September & October, Vol: xix No 5 (82-84).
Hong Lim Foo and Mohd Hamdan Ahmad, Academic Qualification, Architecture
Awards and UTM Architecture Bachelor Degree Graduates from 1978 to 2004,
1st FAB Postgraduate Seminar, 16 September 2006, Alumni House, Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia, UTM.
Francis Duffy and Les Hutton, The Idea of a Profession: Architectural
Knowledge, E & FN SPON, London and New York (1998)