PROJECT 2: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT CENTRE

This individual project is to design a community development and engagement centre for the Mah Meri which is an ethnic group native to western part of Peninsular Malaysia. Students were required to propose a communal facility accommodating several related functions such as meeting and learning in a suburban context which is the Mah Meri Cultural Village located at the Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Bumbun Pulau Carey, Selangor. In short, we were required to design a simple public building for the Mah Meri people with some complexity that includes the complexity of site topography and vegetation, socio-cultural events, and variety of strategies for sustainable design.

My design idea was inspire by the woven crafts which are made by the creative Mah Meri people by interpreting their dreams into reality as they believe that dreams bring them luck and peace in their life. Nevertheless, not many people know that there is this ethnic group in our country. Therfore, my design intention is to build an iconic and eye catching building to bring awareness to local people yet maintain Mah Meri’s culture and make them proud. Interwoven circulations were used in my design to connect two circular blocks to allow maximum interactions among two communities which are the Mah Meri people and also local community such as tourists, researchers and students. The dramatic arches and smooth spaces are generated to connect and bring separated spaces and communities into one through a central event which is the engagement centre, a stage and a gathering spaces surrounding the moyang house where people can celebrate festivals and share knowledge together. The curvilinear facades distinguish the rectilinear language of existing building, yet the walls reduces the tension as the sunlight creates shadows of sea wave patterns which symbolise spiritualism for the Mah Meri people (Sea People).

Through this project, I am able to apply ideas of environmental sustainability in design. I am also able to design and create architectural spaces with consideration of environmental poetics in relation to the basic natural context and existing built context which impact on users’ experience. In addition, I am able to combine the environmental needs, the site (site topography, history and socio-cultural events), and the users’ experiences within simple building design in the open landscape/suburban context. Furthermore, I am able to produce drawings (both 2D and 3D), modelling and verbal presentation to communicate and visualize architectural design and ideas based on clustered spatial typology.

Lastly, thank you my tutor, Mr. Axxu for guiding me and other group members patiently. Thank you for helping me and giving a lot of suggestions and ideas during the procedures so that I am able to complete this final project on time and successfully.