A WISE DESIGNER

Picture by Todd Huffman

There was once a project that had been put on hold by the client. They like the design intention and would agree to proceed anytime. However due to their mistakes while calculating the return and profit of the project it will soon suffocate the whole process.

In any commercial development, the early projected profit return is really essential as it will ensure the viability of the project. This could also be applied for any other kind of project. However most of us neglect this kind of procedures. This process is usually beyond the procedure of estimating the project's cost and budget. Profit projection is an indication of whether the job is worth to carry out or not.

Though the project has been paused, the client has assured that payment for job that has been done by the architect on the preliminary stage will be made as promised. This is why we as architects must follow the schedule of work, not only to avoid delays but to keep our work on the right track and not to move the job too far from the agreed stage.

"Good plans shape good decisions. That's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true."Lester R. Bittel, The Nine Master Keys of Management

The situation is applicable not only for small job but also mega projects. I had been given the opportunity during my previous employment to work together on overseas mega project. Given the 'mega' nature of the project, the viability study of a mega project is even more complicated. The ability to predict the situation is important in making decision for the next design stage on whether or not to proceed or the cost is still within the budget.

I had emailed an architect about this:

I'm curious to know why these payments have been pending for so long. I'm trying to understand how the process works rather than just receive the payment. Iwant to learn the procedure that makes it so difficultto release a small amout of payment on such a megaproject.

the architect replied:

FAZLAN, Thanks for your email reply,just to answer your question of why payments are slow on Mega projects : To answer the said question the answer is simple "MEGA" projects are on glamour vocabulary where clients are only fishing for the work , they don't really pay us though they promised to pay, that's the problem we are facing.

For your information none of the projects you did for us went ahead , even the XXX project. We have not been paid for all the cost incured by us but we have to pay our friends! Even the YYY project we have yet to receive complete payment .

This is reality Fazlan : so we have to dig from our other resources to pay you and the others.But be assured you will be paid by us where I have involved you......so I must apologise for the inconvenience to a friend who helped us when we needed heip ! This is my guiding principle !

I've replied to his explanation with more curiosity:

Thank you for your explanation and information. I do understand your situation. It is sad to know none of the project went ahead. How do the client get away by not paying the cost incurred? Not only the cost of my work, but the bigger cost to your staff and company as total. I do understand some "fishing" job didn’t do well, but the client should pay the expenses occurred during the preliminary process, or any stage for the project.

If this reality is explained to me since day one, I would have proposed a better method of claim. If I were informed of the actual budget allocated for the visuals, it would give me a better picture of scope of work needed to carry out, I would also organize a team within the budget and provide advice or alert you better.

In my current working office, we all have the access to know how much the company will earn for any particular job. It also shows how much each person involve in the project had spent for the job. So our task is to minimise cost and work within the budget allocated. The more the office gains profit, the more perhaps we will get bonus.....

So, at the end of the day, the decision to put the project on hold is a wise decision in deed as the director made a decision with the good interest of the company in mind. They put aside their own personal interest on the design for the benefit of the company. I've more to learn from this real life scenario...

and the architect ended the conversation with this:

Noted the many observations you have made from our recent communication .Well I can't say much but I always enjoyed all my undertakings.You too have been a good friend always and thanks for your kind thoughts. That what makes you different from others !!!

And the more different I will be!!

"Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience." James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson, 1791Scottish author & biographer (1740 - 1795)

KAYANGAN HEIGHTS

Project: BUNGALOWS AT KAYANGAN HEIGHTS
Job Description: Illustrations
Client: Arab-Malaysian Corporation Builders Sdn Bhd
Consultants: KCYS architects

Designed by KCYS architect, this is a bungalow project in Kayangan Heights, Malaysia. I was appointed by Design Option Team (DOT) to take up the assignment of visualising the project. Being trained in the architectural field, I took the initive to visit the actual site and make a rough site anaylsis and not to mention a series of consultation with the architect himself and with the developer that followed through out this assignment.

This visual was produced in year 2003. Eventhough I was not using an advance software for the rendering, this vectorworks basic rendering worked really well. It worked because of the post-editing in photoshop done to get it the rendered image up to the standards.

"The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed."Henry Ford

WOODLANDS NURSERIES, WYEVALE

This is a schematic design expansion of an existing garden centre. An example of a quick and fast bubble diagram planning. I've created this new bubble diagram with versatility based on the current trend in the information technology.

The Google map bubble diagram will give us a real time description of how a new development will leave impact on the existing site.

"Versatilists are capable not only of constantly adapting but also of constantly learning and growing" Thomas L. Friedman

"... They can no longer see people as speciality tools. And their people need to become less like speciality tools an more like Swiss Army knives. Those 'Swiss Army knives' are the versatilist." John Santana, director of training at Siemens Business Services.


The existing area from Google map

Site Analysis and Land Assembly

Proposed Development 1

Proposed Development 2

Proposed Development 3

http://www.rgp.uk.com/RGP have an innovative approach to architectural design. We have no dogma, no standard answers and we are spirited and fun to work with

SELAMAT HARI RAYA 1 syawal 1428

Iklan ini mengingatkan aku betapa besarnya kasih-sayang dan kesabaran mak ayah dalam membesarkan aku. Moga aku mampu memiliki kesabaran itu dalam membesarkan anak-anak; dan pulang suatu hari nanti untuk menabur kasih untuk mak ayah. Hanya tuhan yng mampu membalas jasa mereka.

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI RAYA BERSAMA YANG TERSAYANG
salam dari kejauhan
Fadzlan+wardina+azhan+zulkarnain

HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE alternative 3

Revision A

Revision B

Revision C

Revision D

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Thomas A. Edison, (attributed)US inventor (1847 - 1931)

DEEPDALE SHOPPING PARK

Today is another day full of colours. Colour is a vital part on preparing presentation drawing. Despite the vast information about colouring techniques that we could easily find in the Internet; from the most basic primary colour to the complex colour information and the psychology of colour used; but which of these many techniques is our own unique colouring? A technique that distinguishes one from the rest; just like the unique hand-drawn sketches and the old marker colour technique which clearly point the sketches to its painters. This uniqueness is the one that sets us apart from other profession, our architectural sense of colour.

"Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we're stupid." Jules FeifferUS cartoonist & satirist (1929 - )

I once had an architect friend who is colour blind!! This weakness however did not prevent him from doing architecture. He has his own unique understanding of colour. This blind-colour-man could thrive thru the difficulties in making visual for non-colour blind people. How about those who are not colour blind? Do we appreciate the colours that we see everyday?

"An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight. . . The truly wise person is colorblind." Albert SchweitzerFrench philosopher & physician (1875 - 1965)

I do realise how precious the eyes that god had given us. I could not imagine how to live in blindness. I can consider myself half blind, since I could only see things clearly with high power spectacles. I could not survive without these glasses. I can only see things within 3 inches from my eyes! Every time I take off my spectacles, the world quickly changes into half blindness to me. It scared me sometimes to think if someday God the Almight withdraws the gifts that he had given. Leonardo da Vinci once said “The eye sees a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination awake”, but could we still be an architect if we are all blind?


1. The master plan - The exercise is to differentiate the existing development with the current ones. Therefore by focussing the detail colouring to the current development area it will guide the viewer towards it. Using relatively strong colour from the rest of the master plan also help getting the right focus.

2. The detail proposed development is set by enlarging the previous colouring exercise. Even though this is the fastest process to get the selected area to be coloured, it would reveal the non-detail and not sharp colouring result. The material scale also needs to be adjusted.

3. This first draft re-colouring process is finer. It uses a new drawing reference at the same scale thus increases the detail of the drawing.

4. This final colour is revised based on the landscape consultant's information. The consultant information will enhance the detail of the presentation. However the style of the presentation should be consistent. In the end it will create an informative presentation drawing with its own character.

Visit : http://www.rgp.uk.com/ RGP have an innovative approach to architectural design. We have no dogma, no standard answers and we are spirited and fun to work with