Dizeri Maimunah Binti Mokhtar is a successful Malaysian architect who has been practicing since 1985. She specializes in residential projects through her firm, A.D.W. Arkitek SDNBHD, which she co-founded in 1992. One of her most challenging projects was the design and construction of semi-detached houses in Taman Equine, Seri Kembangan from 2007 to 2010. As both the site director and project manager, Dizeri took on an expanded role that was outside her typical expertise as an architect, which she found difficult dealing with indecisive corporate clients throughout the project.

2. CONTENTS
i
1-‐3
6-‐7
THE ARCHITECT
THE COMPANY
FEATURED
PROJECT
4-‐5

3. A.R. DIZERI MOKHTAR
1
–––TheArchitect
DIZERIMAIMUNAHBINTIMOKHDIZERIMAIMUNAHBINTIMOKHTARhasbeenasuccessfularchitectsinceshe
graduatedfromtheUniversityofMelbournewithaBachelorsinArchitecturein1985,
andreceivedherofficial‘A.r.’titlein1988.Dizerimostlyspecialisesinresidentialprojects,
asshesaysit‘smoreaboutworkingwithindividualsratherthancorporate,whichshe
findsalittleunnervinganddifficulttoworkwith.SheonceworkedforSeniwismaArchi-
tectsbutthendecidedtoestablishherownArchitecturefirm,A.D.W.ArkitekSDNBHD
in1992alongwithtwoothers.
life of an architect.

4. 2
–––Whatareyourresponsibilitiesandtaskswhentheprojectis
comingup?
Iamusuallyinchargeoftheentiredesigningprocess,aswellashandlethesitevisitand
alsoconsultmyclients.
–––Whathasbeenyourgreatestachievement?
Thegreatestachievement,forme,happenswhenyourclientsarehappyandyougetto
seeyourimaginationcometolifeintheformofbuildings.
–––Whatisthehardestpartaboutbeingan–––WhatisthehardestpartaboutbeinganArchitect?
It’smeetingtheexpectationsandrequirmentsofaclientbecausetheirpreferencesvary.
––––Whatareyourchallenges,beingafemaleArchitect?
Ithinktheindustryismorewellbehavedcomparedtothen,it’smoreofindividualthinking
now.Ifyoucandosomething,thenwhynot?
“Myadviceforfuture
Architectsis,bepas-‐
sionate.KnowthatAr-‐
chitectureisn’tonly
aboutaestheticsbutalso
tofulfiltheneedsofyour
clients. ”

5. LIST OF PROJECTS
1. SEMI-­D HOUSING, Equine Park, Seri Kembangan,
Selangor
2. FIVE STOREY CORPORATE OFFICE FOR PEN-­
YAYANG (NGO), Equine Park, Seri Kembangan, Selan-­
gor
3. CAFETERIA BUILDING, PHILIP MORRIS FACTORY,
Seremban
4. DOUBLE STOREY TERRACE HOUSES, Bandar
Baru Selayang
5. TWELVE STOREY APARTMENTS AND SHOP OF-­
FICES, Seri Kembangan, Selangor
6. PRIVATE BUNGALOWS -­ Country Heights in
Kajang, Section 16 & 14 in Petaling Jaya, Damansara
Heights, Kayangan in Shah Alam.
7. Various major renovations at Damansara Utama,
TTDI, USJ 9 in Subang Jaya.
–––Who,orwhatwasyourinspirationtobecomeanArchitect?
Myfather,hesawthepotentialinmeataveryyoungage,andIhavehimtothankfor.
–––WhatwereyoudoingbeforeyoubecameanArchitect?
IwasworkingaparttimejobatarestaurantinMelbourne.
3

6. ADW ARKITEK SDN BHD
a company’s story.
A.D.W.
ARKITEK
SDNBHD
Establishedin1992,howeverofficially
in1995,A.D.WArkitekSDNBHDisa
smallarchitecturefirmconsistingofonly
thirtypeople,situatedinPetalingJaya.
Thissmallcompanyspecialisesinresidentialconstructionprojects,suchasbunga-
lows,terracehouses,condominiums,andapartments.
4

7. ADW ARKITEK SDN BHD
the company structure.
Thestructureofthecompa-
ny usuallystartswiththedi-
rectors,whodomostofthe
designandsitework,aswell
asthecontractwork.Next
arethearchitects,andthen
thedraftsmenandthenfinal
ly,thesiteworkers.
5

8. FEATURED PROJECT
semi-­detached houses in Taman Equine.
Situtatedinagated
communitycalled
VillaAvenueat
TamanEquine,Seri
Kembangan.
6
––Size:3100sq.ft.
––LotSize:40’x80’
––Bedrooms:5
––Bathrooms:5
––Schooldistrict:––Schooldistrict:Alice
SmithInternational
School
––Other:Leasehold,
FacingPlayground

9. Ms.DizericontributedtothisprojectasaSiteDirectoraswellasconstructtheplan
ofthebuilding.Developmentstartedinearly2007,andcompletedin2010.This
wasoneofhermostchalllengingprojectsbecauseshealsotookupadifferentrole
astheProjectManager,whichwasoutsideofherexpertiseasanArchitect.She
wasresponsiblefortheplanning,executingandclosingoftheproject.
“Itwasdifficult,asa
ProjectManager,be-‐
causeIwashandling
theprojectfromthe
verybeginningtothe
end.Itwasreallychal-‐
lengingbecauseIwas
dealingwithagroup
ofindecisivecorpo-‐
ratepeople.”
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