An architect must be trained and experienced in designing and planning buildings, as well as understanding structures, materials, aesthetics, costs, regulations, and client needs. They are responsible for presenting creative solutions to client briefs and seeing projects through from concept to completion. Architecture involves manipulating relationships between spaces, volumes, planes, masses and voids. Becoming an architect requires graduating high school, obtaining degrees from accredited universities, and completing training programs. The responsibilities of an architect are to provide sound advice to clients, respond accurately to briefs, produce design schemes, and represent clients' interests throughout the building process.

1. Building
Team
ARCHITECT
10
Uestions
WITH WALLACE ONG
INTERVIEW
UNDERSTANDING OF
AN ARCHITECT
BY : AGNES YEO SHU

2. CONTENTS
INTERVIE
W
SESSION
WITH
WALLACE
ONG
4 , 5
UNDERSTA
NDING OF
AN
ARCHITEC
T
2
ROLES AND
RESPONSIB
ILITIES
OF AN
ARCHITECT
3
REFLECTI
ON
5

3. 2
Architect
?
PROFESSIONAL
REQUIREMENTS ?
ARCHITECTURE
?
An Architect is a person experienced and trained in the design or
the plan of buildings and the construction of buildings . An
Architect must be creative and practical and to have the
understanding of structure, materials, aesthetics, the cost ,
regulations , construction industry and the needs of a client .An
Architect must be able to negotiate through elements to present
out a creative solution to a brief , and to bring the solution from
idea to reality.
UNDERSTANDIN
G OF AN
ARCHITECT
What is Architecture ? Architecture is the art of designing and
constructing buildings in which human requirements and
construction materials are related so as to furnish practical use .The
practice of the Architect, where architecture means offering or
rendering professional services in connection with design and
construction of buildings and environment .Architecture is
essentially abstract and nonrepresentational and involves the
manipulation of the relationships of spaces, volumes, planes,
masses, and voids.
How to be an Architect ? One of the first architect educational
requirements is graduating from high school and enroll in a
Diploma/Foundation or other Pre-University such as A-Levels .
After completing your foundation year , enrol in a Bachelor’s
Degree Program. Courses in these programs cover architectural
theory and history , building design , construction technology ,
structures and more . Then , earn a Master’s Degree . Most
students who earn an undergraduate degree in architecture go on
to receive an additional degree from a 2-year master’s program at
an accredited university . After earning a Master’s Degree , all
aspiring architects must complete at least 2 years of training before
entering the field professionally . Lastly , Architect must become

4. The responsibility
of an Architect is to
provide the client with
sound clear advice at the
outset of the project
about the design ,
approximate building
costs, the need for
various statutory
consents, project
programming and likely
time scales, the need to
engage the services of
other professional
consultants and
specialists.
Besides, to
respond accurately to the
client’s brief and advise
generally on the aspects
of the client’s brief.
Furthermore ,
architects will need to
produce design schemes
and planning structures.
3
The role of an architect is to create architectures ,
articulating the architectural vision, conceptualizing and
experimenting with alternative architectural approaches
, creating models and components and interface
specification documents and validating the architecture
against requirements and assumptions .
However , Architects see the big picture. They can
visualise buildings . Architects are specially educated to
help define what we want to build, present option we
might never have considered, and help us to get the
most for our valuable investment. They create total
environments, both interiors and exteriors, that are
functional and exciting places in which to work and live.
Architects solve problems creatively. Architects
are trained problem solvers. Architects can show you
how to enlarge our home so that we can have enough
rooms for everyone . Architects can also propose ways to
get more for our investment than you imagined possible.
Architects make our life easier too by reducing the
building costs, decrease our home's energy needs, and
increase its future resale value through good design.
Building is a long process that is often messy and
disruptive . Architects represents us as a client to helps
us visits the worksite and to help protect us against
work that's not according to plan.
ROLES AND THE
RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN
ARCHITECT

5. WHAT DOES THE CLIENT
EXPECT YOU TO PROVIDE
?
‘ I think for most of the architecture work ,
the first thing that we need to provide the
client is to comply the brief. A building
have to look good and modern enough and
keeping with the time . The material used
are also very important . ’
HOW TO YOU ESTABLISH
YOUR FEES ?
‘It’s around 10% , some architect tends to
charge a bit more . If the jobs are bigger
which means bigger project , it will be
lesser compared to the smaller project .
These days , its getting more competitive
as the client prefer a lump sum amount
instead of basing the percentage . It also
depends on how famous you are . The
more famous you are , you could get a
higher fees .
4
DESIGN
tALK
WHAT INSPIRES
YOU TO BE AN
ARCHITECT ?
‘ I love to draw since I was
young . This inspired me to be
an Architect and Interior
Designer as I draw a lot and
practiced it alomost everday ’
WHO DO YOU WORK
WITH IN A PROJECT ?
‘ As an Architect , we have to
work directly with the client .
Projects such as private
homes or hotels , apart from
the client , we do need to
work with a lot of consultants
, so those are all part and
parcel of a good design .
Coordination between project
managers and consultant ,
mechanical engineer ,
structural engineer are
needed for a project . But of
course , the main person is
Mr.Wallace Ong,
Design Director and an
Architect from ‘designstyle’
located in Damansara
Damar , Petaling Jaya . He
has been in interior
designing and architecture
for almost 30 years . He
travelled a lot from
Malaysia to New Zealand .
He has worked in both
places for the last 30 years
and have many expriences
working in New Zealand .

6. DO YOU ENJOY BEING AN
ARCHITECT ?
‘ Yes , yes I do . I love my job . I have been in
this career for the past 30 years . I think it is a
good job , ever changing jo , never static .’
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE
FOR US ?
‘Work really hard in whatever you do and also
have passion in what you do , love what you
do. Push the boundaries and believe what is
right, go for it . Also try to be a progressive
architect so that things will never be stastic.’
5
Figure 1interview
xc DO YOU HAVE
ANY DEISGN
PHILOSOPHY ?
‘ I think design has changed
a lot in the last 5-10 years.
Unlike many years ago ,
designs tend to be very
similar all the way through .
People are more open to ideas
, so I think whatever changes
that comes into our life ,
philosophy of design have to
be functional . Design a
building that is functional ,
building needs to be green
too . Orientation of the
building is also very
important . The first thing
that we need to look at is to
ensure that the philosophy of
the design needs to be
correct from the start .’
WHAT ARE THE
BIGGEST
CHALLENGES OF
THIS JOB?
‘I think these days , things
are getting more and more
comparative . The cost would
be the biggest challenges for
an architect . For most client
, they hav a certain amount
that they want to spend for a
house . For example you have
2 millions to build a house ,
most ot the time , the design
will be a bit more than that .
The land are getting smaller ,
architect have to be very good
in his deisgn to utilize the
space well . So that , even if a
smaller piece of land is well
WHAT ARE THE
RESPONSIBILITIES
OF AN ARCHITECT ?
‘ The responsibilities has been
spelled out in the plan contract ,
you are responsible for the
safety of the building . Apart of
all that , we as an architect have
to be more cautions for the
environment , whatever we
specify in the project , it has to
be eco-friendly . I think we have
to think green will be the way
to go in the future . ‘
Throughout this project , I’ve gained more
knowledge about an architect such as the roles
and responsibilities , how they work with people
around them and how they deliver their designs
to the client .Special thanks to Mr Wallace as he