Ng Wen Chiat graduated with honors in architecture from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. She has 6 years of experience working in Singapore and Malaysia. Currently she is leading the design of the GEMS International School project in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. Some of the challenges have included working within the constraints of the small land area to meet the client's needs. As the project leader, her roles include chairing meetings, presenting proposals, and overseeing the full scope of work from design through construction. She advises that passion is important in architecture as there is always more to learn.

1. INTRODUCTION
TO
CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY
archimag
ISSUE01JUNE2015
MARCHINTAKE15’
BACK
TO
BASICS
ARCHITECT
FEATURING
SA ARCHITECTS SDN. BHD
NG WEN CHIAT

2. SA ARCHITECTS SDN. BHD.
COMPANY PROFILE
DIRECTORS (SITTING L-R)
Ar. Low Mun Wai, Ar. Richard Sau Chin Yih, Ar. Tony Mak Chee Seng, Ahmad Farid Zamri
ASSOCIATES (STANDING L-R)
Hafiz Tajuddin, Ar. Boey Li Ping, Shariff Sulaiman, Akram Othman, Ar. Tee Seah Hong, Ar. Tan Eng Kit (Director,
SAA International), Ar. Kevin Teh (Technical Director), Ar. Joseph Lee
www.saa.com.my
Awards
Sri KDU Smart School - Kota Damansara, Selangor
FIABCI Prix d’Excellence 2006 - 1st Runner Up Specialised Project Category
Malaysia Property Award 2006 - Winner of Specialised Project Category
Sunway Vivaldi - Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur
• Asian Pacific Award 2011 - Best Apartments Malaysia
• South East Asia Property Awards 2011 - Best Condo Development Malaysia
• BCI Greenmark Certification
The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat - Tambun, Perak
• The Edge-PAM Green Excellence Award 2014 - Winner
• FIABCI Prix d’Excellence Awards 2012 - Winner of Best Resort
• Asia Pacific Hotel Award 2011 - Highly Commended Award - Spa Hotel Malaysia
• FIABCI Malaysia Property Awards 2011 - Winner of Best Resort
• Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 2011 - 2013
• BCI Asia 2009- Winner of Top Green Design Award
Other Projects awarded include :-
-Bandar Laguna Merbok - Sungai Petani, Kedah - Nautica & A’Marine - Sunway South Quay, Selangor
-Sunway Giza - Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya -WaterEdge Apartments - Senibong Cove, Johor Bahru
-Sunway Velocity - Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur -Sunway Montana - Desa Melawati, Selangor

3. Address :
A-3A-1, Northpoint Offices,
Mid Valley City,
1, Medan Syed Putra Utara,
59200, Kuala Lumpur.
Established in 1965. Over the years, it has expanded its
practices with association based in Singapore, Brunei,
Indonesia, China, Vietnam and India.

4. PEOPLEThe Interviewee
NG
WEN
CHIAT
AGE 28 QUALIFICATION Bachelor in
Architecture (Part 2) from Univerisiti Teknologi
Malaysia WORKING EXPERIENCE 3
years in Singapore and 3rd year here in Malaysia

5. Ng Wen Chiat graduated with honours in her Bachelor of Architecture from
one of Malaysia’s most prestigious architecture school - Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
She first started working in Singapore for 3 years under Forum Architects Pte. Ltd.
before coming back to Malaysia to work under SA Architects Sdn. Bhd.
Wen Chiat has worked on a total 6 projects, of which 4 are in Singapore and
2 in Malaysia. Her working experience in Singapore is mainly on the design develop-
ment & conceptual design. There was not much site implementation under her
experience in Singapore.
Being said, her experience in Singapore says that Singapore
is a country which they are very concern in Green (ECO) Buildings. And
not only that, the authorities there are very strict and at the same time
efficient. Approvals for construction projects can be approved within a one
month time. Being said, time management is very important & crucial in
order to meet deadlines.

6. HER PROJECTS
ROHDE & SCHWARZ HQ
YALE-NUS CAMPUS
NGEE ANN POLYTECHNIC
TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC

7. ROHDE & SCHWARZ HQ
YALE-NUS CAMPUS
TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC
NGEE ANN POLYTECHNIC
IB TOWER
PROJECTSINSINGAPORE
PROJECTSINMALAYSIA
ILHAM BARU (IB) TOWER
GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Involved in designing the façade of all 4
projects in Singapore.
Involved in the project management of
IB Tower, Tasks such as site inspection
& issues.
Wen Chiat, introducing us to one of her projects

8. GEMSINTERNATIONAL
SCHOOLTROPICANA METROPARK, SUBANG JAYA
GEMS international school, set to be built at Tropicana Metropark
Subang Jaya, is set to open its doors to students in September
2017. GEMS international school will be offering education from
pre-school level until secondary school level which is the GCSE
O Levels.
Our interviewee, Ng Wen Chiat, will be leading the whole project
team for this project. For which the project is to begin construc-
tion in the coming months.
“ The biggest challenge of being an Architect is learning how
to link the constraints of a project together with the needs of
our client to achieve the best possible design. ''

9. PROJECT DETAILS
scheduled to open in September 2017
five-acre plot of land with a built up area of 210,000 sq ft
Wen Chiat came across many difficulties in this project. First off, the site
constraints of the land, where the land area is not big enough to achieve the client’s
need. For example, needing a football field while still having a multi-storey carpark.
Wen Chiat’s team overcame this problem by proposing a car park below the Foot-
ball field itself. Where she mentioned the biggest the biggest challenge of being an
Architect is learning how to link the constraints of a project together with the needs
of our client to achieve the best possible design.
As being the project leader, Wen Chiat role includes chairing meets, pre-
senting the proposal to the client, essentially a full scope work. Tasks ranging from
the traffic flow study of the site, exploring different types of column beams which
will also affect the ceiling height.
That being said, an advice given to our
young architect is that “ In Architecture,
you must have the passion, because you
never stop learning. “

10. HER ROLES
PRE-CONSTRUCTION
SCHEMETIC
• MAIN FOCUS- LAYOUT OF
SPACES
• EXTERIOR DESIGN IS NOT
FINAL - REPRESENTED BY
BOXES AS SCHEMETIC DESIGN
DESIGN STUDIES
• TRAFFIC FLOW
• DIFFERENT STRUCTURAL SUPPORT
- EG. SLABS & BEAMS
• COST CONSTRAINTS OF CLIENT
• SITE CONSTRAINTS OF LAND AREA
• PERIOD GIVEN IS ABOUT 3
MONTHS
SUBMISSION
6 MONTHS WAITING APPROVAL FROM
AUTHORITY
DURING CONSTRUCTION
FULL SCOPE OF WORK AS MAIN
ARCHITECT & PROJECT LEADER
DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE PROJECT HAS NOT STARTED CONSTRUCTION, THERE IS NO FUTHER
DETAIL AT THE MOMENT REGARDING DURING & POST-CONSTRUCTION

11. THETEAMFNBE MARCH INTAKE 2015
LEONG DARREN 0323645
KOK KA SHING 0323553
GILLIAN CHONG 0323941
LETTITIA LOIS 0323908
GOH JIA JUN 0323302
JASON GOH 0323392
interviewers with the interviewee