BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM

(ARC61303/ARC2224)

SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2017)

Name: Ong Seng Peng ID No.: 0319016

Lecturer: Mr Nicholas Ng Tutorial Time: 8am

Reader/Text Title: Towards Critical Regionalism: Six Points for an Architecture of Resistance.

No.5&6

Synopsis No: 3

Author: Kenneth Frampton

Which one should be emphasized? Universal civilization or endemic culture? Standardization, cost-

efficiency and ease of regulation are benefits of Modern Architecture. In a given terrain, why some would

excavate the site and flatten it, and then justify their design to be “placeless” and “timeless”? Yet, in the end,

the building heavily rely on mechanical means cooling, heating and lighting, disregarding the surrounding

climate.

Nowadays, with technological advancement, buildings have to be standardized for cost-efficiency and

shorter construction period. There are sets of regulation nowadays that supports this culture, such as the

Industrialized Building Systems (IBS). Score will be given to the project by the authorities to buildings that are

efficiently built, based on several factors such as the repetition of floor levels, adaptation of standard measure,

ratio of repetitive floor plan et cetera. This further encourages the design to be “global”.

There is no problem if the buildings are not characteristically distinct. Regionalism does not reject

modernism, as today’s architecture is the reflection of our current times. It is the matter of optimizing the site

to suit the buildings within its in urban context.

The architectural design should at least focus on the sites surrounding, so that viewers are able to

get a hint of place, season, and day light. Architecture should be experienced with our different senses rather

than solely on impression of sight. To raise the public’s sensitivity towards the context, buildings should

respond to available local materials, climate and site context. Good regional architecture can utilize uniquely

local materials, stimulating the user’s sense of smell, touch and hearing besides viewing. In a nutshell, thinking

critical on regionalism is important for the architects’ mind especially for a tropical country here in Malaysia in

order to create sensible architecture that relates to its surrounding context. Architects tend to refer mainstream

architectural masterpiece from around the world yet neglecting our own remarkable examples.

Word Count: 313 Mark Grade

Assessed by: Date Page No.