2. The High End Gardener
The job of a landscape architect is often
misconstrued as that of a gardener. We met up
with Ms Ong Pay Chee to put this confusion to
rest.
3. Seksan Design is a company
among the modest housing
areas of Bangsar. Thiscompany
only holdsonly ten landscape
architects; Ms. Ong Pay Chee
being one of them.
Landscape architects work closely with nature,
understanding the way the earth moves and the
direction of which the wind blows. These
elements are taken into consideration when
designing built structures that harmonizes
perfectly with the natural environment.
A landscape architect’s main priority is, of course,
the natural environment. One day, the greenery
we take for granted might not be easily seen
anymore. Thus the main priority of the landscape
architect is to preserve nature, ensuring its
longevity for the benefit of future generations.
These landscape maestro’s work diligently to find
a connection between nature and architecture
before proposing a design that showcases these
two key features perfectly.
The work of a landscape architect is vastly
different from that of a gardener’s and far more
complicated. Landscape architects are considered
the Picasso of landscaping while gardeners are
curators of the art museum as they maintain the
beauty of the masterpiece.
The more you work,
the more you see,
the more you know.-Ms Ong Pay Chee
4. Ms. Ong Pay Chee has 14 years of experience as a landscape architect.
She has been working for Seksan Design ever since she was a fresh
graduate of Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Key To Success
Like every other profession, one must have the
passion and the drive to get through one of those
difficult days. In the words of Ms. Ong Pay Chee,
“You must love what you do.” Millions have said
this phrase repeatedly and certainly it has
become a cliché advice. But this simple advice is
painstakingly honest as it leaves a mark on our
hearts. There would be no point in sacrificing our
time for something we didn’t love.
The Wall
Along the way, a wall will block us from
completing our tasks. This wall blocks off the
creative flow, resulting in extra, unnecessary
stress. The solution to this is as a clear as day:
take a break. The intervals between working is
where we should expose our minds to different
things - different music, different sceneries,
different people. It is a form of relaxing and also a
way for us to get new inspiration.
This is my passion,doing
something good for the
environment while creating nice
spaces. -Ms Ong Pay Chee
Green Thumb
Landscape architecture is not only about filling up
an outdoors space with man-made structures.
The space should be designed with a perfect
blend of nature and man-made. This is where a
strong knowledge in plants can help. The type of
trees, the species of flowers; this understanding
can be applied while planning a design. Ms. Ong
Pay Chee believes that there should be a balance
in people, buildings and nature for us to live
harmoniously.
Ticking Clock
There is only 24 hours in a day and nothing we do
can change that. The sun rises in the morning and
sets in the evening, making way for the moon to
glow at night. Because of this, managing our time
has become a skill that everyone has to adopt. A
full day is given to us to be divided into work, rest
and social interaction. Thus our working hours
must be used efficiently to ensure our
productivity.
5. Architecture in general is aboutincorporating your own style into a
design. Ms. Ong Pay Chee herself has designed many landscapes over
the years.
PJ8
Showhouse
St. Mary
Residences
6. As freshmen at Taylor’s University, we
were exposed to something new that
day. Not only we got a glimpse of the
working world, we also gained a range
of things - from simple tips to powerful
advices. Our hearts burn with more
passion, our goals are clear and the
path has been laid out.
AUTHOUR: IRYNNA ANNUAR
