1

The Central Six, Spent by Geoffrey Miller

Wong Kien Hou
0312104

1/9/2014

From the reader entitled The Central Six, Ive learned that
the many personalities of humans can be discerned into the Big Five
personality traits. With these mental traits, we can deduce a lot about
an individuals character and virtues. However, many of us do not
necessarily act within our traits all the time. Many people tend to
present themselves with contrasting impressions when talking to
different types of people. Based on Jungian psychology, this facade
is called a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a
definite impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true
nature of an individual.
This mask is called a persona, the appearance we present to
relate to others. For example, a person will make crude jokes while
talking to a friend of a loud and laid-back nature while keeping a
polite tone when talking to a more reserved friend. How we dress to
express our individual styles are also further examples of a persona.
This false mask can impact us both negatively and positively. A
dominant persona can smother the individual and they may only see
themselves in their superficial roles and facades. This may ring true
to celebrities who put on a show of personality for the sake of the
media. As for its positive aspects, the mask protects the psyche from
the various social forces and attitudes. It is also a valuable tool in
communicating with many people by projecting an impression that
fits their traits.

2
Operative Design, a catalogue to spatial verbs
Wong Kien Hou
0312104

11/9/2014

After reading through the reader, Operative Design, a catalogue to spatial verbs I
was left with a little sense of regret. If only I came across this book a tad earlier during my
first semester of this course, my time there wouldnt have been filled with countless headaches.
Although the first semester wasnt actually a shining example of being one of the
toughest moments in this course, I was still a greenhorn in design back then. Thankfully, I
barely passed but my grades left a lot to be desired. A book like this that has a diverse set of
basic spatial qualities wouldve helped a great deal.
Even though Ive been doing fine so far and currently in the third year of this course,
I cant help but question myself a lot about what exactly have I learned? Studio tutorials
often leave my mind at a roadblock and Ill constantly question whether my design is good
enough. Changes to the design are constant and I always worry whether the design will meet
up to my tutors expectations.
However, that apparently is a learning process which shows that you are on the right
track according to several lecturers. Having a drive to constantly improve and work on your
design while discussing it is the essence of architecture. The architecture course still has a
ways to go but I hope that one day Ill be able to confidently say that my design is good.

3
Kennas Dilemma, Blink
Wong Kien Hou
0312104

18/9/2014

After reading through Kennas Dilemma, a chapter from the book titled Blink, Im
even more intrigued by how intricate the human mind works. Most of the deciding factors
that make something more preferable are on a more unconscious level that we would not
usually be able to identify. For example, I cant really list out the reasons as to why I prefer
rice over noodles or why I usually choose chicken over beef during meals. I would get tired
of eating beef repetitively as compared to chicken although I find both of them equally tasty.
Maybe all these slight preferences stem out from my routines since I was a kid.
From analyzing all these unconscious preferences, certain trends that suddenly
explode in popularity may be explainable, be it music, fashion or food. One of the recent fads
in Malaysia is the rising number of cafes. Despite being new, most of these cafes have a
significant following of customers no matter where theyre located at. Some of the more
popular ones even generate long queues during peak hours. How is it that these places are
gaining so many customers as compared to regular restaurants lately? The dishes served at
the cafes are usually pricier than usual and some may even just taste mediocre at best. And
yet, youngsters flood to these shops when they get the chance.
As stated in the reader, aesthetic value plays a large role in attracting the attention of
the people. In this case, I feel that one of the factors helping the success of cafes is the ambience of the shop. Most of these places have their interior decorated creatively from the tables
and chairs to the props and lighting. It is unlike of any ordinary restaurant. Not only that,
most of them usually have a certain theme going for their shop from bicycle workshops to
places filled with quirky art pieces. Complemented by the fragrance of coffee and dishes that
are arranged delightfully, these joints seem like the ideal place to meet up. These cafes have
become a space between home and work, a space to meet up with a friend and enjoy chats
over coffee. I too am guilty of frequenting these places. From the overall ambience to the
creative presentation of food, I find these cafes pleasant to dine in.

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The True Fake, Why We Build
Wong Kien Hou
0312104

25/9/2014

From the reader, The true fake, a chapter from the book Why We Build, buildings
can be interpreted in many ways depending on the circumstances. Certain structures
may deviate from its original function intended by the architect. However, buildings act
mainly as symbols and instruments for us humans. They have acted as a symbol of
wealth, prosperity, power, peace and many others throughout the course of history. In
our present day, the number of companies providing architecture service have vastly
increased. In an interview that I had recently with AR Laurent Lim, he regards the service
that architects provide are similar to brands.
Like any other business in the industry, the competition between architecture
companies is stiff and often tough. This in turn, has caused many of these companies
providing their services at a lower price from the norm. Regardless of how the pricing
drops, AR Laurent Lim says that he does not lower the cost of his services. He continues to
state a full price must be paid without any cuts to require the architecture service of his
level. AR Laurent Lim may have come off as being bold, but his statement rings the truth
as his architecture has been highly regarded by completing a lot of amazing works in
Malaysia. Some of well-known works are the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery, British
Council and Wisma Lion, just to name a few.
To give an example similar to that situation, many wealthy businessmen usually
equip themselves with an expensive Rolex watch instead of a Tudor watch or any other
brands. Why is that so when the Tudor watch is still a brand under Rolex and manufactured by the same producers. The Tudor watches did not do so well despite having a
quality close to a Rolex at an affordable price. This caused the watches to be discontinued
at 2004 in the United States and only returned to the market just recently. When drawn
towards a strong name, it resides within our minds and hearts which constantly influences our perceptions. Although I am not particularly interested in the many amazing
brands out there, it would be a lie to say that my shopping decision was never influenced
once by said brands.

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Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson
Wong Kien Hou
0312104

10/10/2014

All in all, Steve Jobs has gone through a very moving and exhilarating life. From being abandoned by his parents to being adopted and finally being the entrepreneur of a largely successful company, Apple. His pathway to success wasnt exactly smooth sailing but by meeting all
sorts of different people along the way, he soared to great heights. Reading stories of successful people have always left me pondering about many questions; what have I accomplished
thus far? Am I trudging along the right path? What does the future have in store for me when I
finally step out after graduation? I guess only time will tell.
One of Jobs attributes that really struck out to me was his fearlessness in the pursuit of
his passion ever since he was a young boy. From rebelling against the school to successfully
convincing his foster parents of his quirky ways and the drive to create a huge company, he
was relentless. On the contrary to Jobs, I was always the obedient kid, whether be it school
rules, parents or laws. As a kid at primary school, the thought of going against the teachers had
never once crossed my mind. You would always get in trouble for even the slightest actions of
misbehavior. I still recall vividly the days where I had to stand outside the teachers room for
hours just because of a slight attire misfit. Thinking back about it now has really rubbed me
the wrong way, why were such strict rules and morals imposed on us in the first place? Its
almost as if they were training us to be mindless drones. Silence was always the preferred way,
and speaking up was barely encouraged. This in turn has made a large bunch of us reserved
and shy when speaking in public.
Steve Jobs was also a man that experimented on many things with his freedom during
his younger years. From trying out marijuana and LSD to pursuing Zen and extreme diets, he
had to fulfill his curiosity. His interest in Eastern spirituality even made him go to India for
months to seek a guru. I could never see something like this happening to any of my friends
after high school. Ever since I stepped into school, it seemed like studying hard and getting
good grades were everything. Although I wasnt exactly pressured into doing so, it seemed like
the right thing to do. After school, to pursue a career in sports or arts never looked like a good
idea to most of us. Most of my friends ended up in science courses that it was impossible to
keep count, even those who seemed artistically inclined. Surprisingly, I happen to be the only
one among my schoolmates and college friends that is taking up architecture. Maybe it is just a
coincidence in my circle of friends, but the standards of society at present seem to urge us
towards a stable career instead of a career we love and have passion for.

7
Horror in Architecture
Wong Kien Hou
0312104

17/10/2014

The seventh reader, titled Horror in Architecture, showed me a glimpse of the bizarre parts
of architecture. After viewing a few examples of such buildings, I can just imagine the horrified looks on my lecturers faces if I ever decided to present something similar. This has got
me thinking about the justifications and reasons the architects conjured up to build such
designs. Were the justifications and reasons really convincing to create a faade lined up with
pipes showing their holes?
The building in question would be the Pompidou Center located in Paris. One side of
the faade has pipes of various sizes and shapes that make it look like an industrialized place.
One would never know at first glance that such a structure houses a public library and
museum for art. Every designer and architects desire to create works that are extraordinary
and attention-grabbing. However, some take their efforts too many steps further and create
structures of baffling shapes. Although some of these buildings look out of the world and
certainly eye-catching, they attract peoples attention for the wrong reasons.
The reader also states that most of the buildings erected during the late 20th century
were a production of horrid architecture. Because of their huge sizes, the building just acts as
an envelope of the spaces created within. Despite all the mundane mass repetitions and
expansion in such buildings, most of them still function well till this day. Most of these
buildings have fulfilled their roles practically to the people within even though they arent
exactly the prettiest buildings around. In my opinion, buildings that are purely focused on
design just for the sake of looking good while being completely unpractical even more horrid.
Architecture should always find the perfect balance between practicality and design. What
use is a building that looks nice but doesnt fulfil the role that its supposed to play? Within
this constant evolving state of architecture, I feel that ones design should appeal to audiences
of all kind. The common people appreciating the aesthetics and looks of the building while
keeping the critics interested in the spatial arrangements and unique concepts.

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Geometries of Being and Ideal Geometry
Wong Kien Hou
0312104

31/10/2014

Geometry has always been something that Ive always been drawn to, when designing a
floor plan or even when shopping for things. The familiar shapes and the effect of the
symmetry just seem so ideal to follow. It may be the reason to why I design most of my
plans starting from a regular square which continues to evolve through experiments of
subtraction, addition, multiply and etc.
I have never really ventured out to trying to design an irregular organic shape as I
always thought it meant putting a whole lot more effort. It could still be the inner laziness
in me making an excuse but I have always preferred a more geometric shaped structure on
first glance. The alignment of planes on a grid, symmetry and form just resonate more with
me. The usage of ever evolving geometry is not necessarily restricted to architecture and
over the years I have witnessed many objects improving with technology in both shape
and function. It has been an ongoing trend to keep things simple especially electronics.
Remember when most of the buttons were located in the front of televisions and monitors?
Now most of them are usually hidden away at the sides out of sight.
If I were to state an object in my possession that Ive been most impressed with its
evolution over the years, it would be the mobile phone. From such a huge size with only
making calls as its function, the mobile phone has transformed in many ways. I remember
shunning away the smartphones and only jumping on the bandwagon a little late. I was
contented with my fancy looking flip phone and did not see any need in getting a smartphone. I always thought the touchscreens were a gimmick when I first experienced the
prototype smartphones. After finally giving in and trying one, I was amazed by all the
features and how it felt so natural to hold and control it. The simple geometric look the
phone had going for it as compared to older phones and yet, it had way more perks than I
could ever imagine a phone would get. I do miss my flip phone now and then but to return
to using one now after all these years would be jarring. Not having a handheld device that
can function as a GPS, mini-computer and a capable camera would put me at an inconvenience. Despite the simple look most smartphones go for these days, I find them very
appealing to look at and handle it. Under these circumstances, I would correlate with the
saying that I tend to disagree with less is more.

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In What Style Shall We Build, Alain de Botton
Wong Kien Hou
0312104

7/11/2014

After seeing all the raised issues in the reader, I feel that the keyword for them would
be moderation, whether it be holding the architect profession at such an esteemed
level, the obsession over either Classicism or Modernism or the pursue for both
function and beauty in architecture. The state of the world constantly changes
across eras and we must adapt to it. The job of an architect has come a long way
since ancient times and Ive always felt that it has been a job that holds many
responsibilities. Whether an architect was less reputable compared to other jobs
never really stood out to me as I believe that each job has a role to fulfill in solving
the various issues of humanity.
I was slightly taken aback by Corbusiers reaction to the Savoyes family
complaints. Despite his strong belief in Modernism and practicality, he was proud
that his design was received worldwide despite the technical issues. I hope that he
wasnt using technology and practicality as an excuse to designing aesthetics befitting of his tastes. The preference over Modernism and Classicism has always
eluded my mindset. Once during my travels to the City of Arts and Sciences at
Valencia, I overheard a fellow tourist that was completely unimpressed by the buildings there. I was really baffled by how he did not enjoy the fine specimens of buildings there such as the L' Umbracle or even the L' Hemisfric. I feel that one should
always look at both sides of the architecture and appreciate them ultimately for what
they are. Wouldnt experiencing the best of both worlds seem like an enticing choice
when seeing the variety of architecture styles each place has to offer.