This reaction paper discusses critical regionalism in architecture. It argues that building design should be contextual and relate to the local land, culture, climate, and materials rather than having unnecessary ornamentation. The use of local materials, consideration of site factors like wind and sunlight, and appropriate openings can help create a sense of identity and place for each building. The tactile qualities of materials also affect how people perceive and interact with a building. Overall, the paper agrees that critical regionalism, through these various elements, helps determine a regional feeling and present the unique identity of an area.

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (AUGUST 2016) [10 MARKS]
NAME: SIEW JOHN LOONG ID: 0315871
LECTURER: MR NAZMI TUTORIAL TIME: 4-6PM
SYNOPSIS NO: 4 READER TITLE: TOWARDS A CRITICAL REGIONALISIM
AUTHOR: KENNETH FRAMPTON
Critical regionalism is to provide a self identity to the building. It does not accept non-
contextual ornamentations and it purposes to balance the revival of old that was part of
the building in the past and how the community is affected by it. Critical regionalism is an
optimization of earth equipment and layout of the building and create placelessness by
taking consideration about the characteristic of the land culture. For me, I think that
building design should always be related to the origin or contextual element of the building
rather than having unnecesssary or unrelated beautiful design.
Site climate like wind path and sun path can also directly affect the building design.
Therefore, opening is required in a building on the site to allow these features to be taken
place. For example, opening like window can be important as it can show the sense of
regional with the wall placement. The climate can both affect the placement of the
window and building form. Besides wind path, the sun path which can allow light
penetration into the building will also create a sense of poetic to the building. Needless to
say, every building contains this features but not every building is having the same sense of
poetic created by this natural lighting. This provides a critical regionalism to the building as
each building will have its very own identity by having different openings and creating
different poetic sense due to the site context. For the site in Petaling Street, it seems like
every building is having the same opening but actually, I think it is not. For example, A
kopitiam restaurant will be having large openings than the modern café shop as that is
their ways of culture of welcoming people into the building.
At the same time, the tactile surface of a building can create a mutual understanding
between the architect and the user due to the tactile tectonic. In the text, Kenneth
Frampton mentions that the tactile tectonic of materials like wood, brick and so on can
affect how people perceive and enter to a building. I strongly agree because it is a very
direct impact between the tactile tectonic and the people. Local materials can strongly
bring out the identity of certain building in certain area without the need to imitate other
building design. It makes people to understand more and easily about the building and
therefore, critical regionalism strikes in. In Petaling Street, materials like concreate and
cement becomes the main feature of the old buildings there as they were all built that way
in the old days, except for those newly open shop. It brings out the identity of the building
of the area and people can perceive easily that those are coming from the very old days.
As a conclusion, again, I agree that the human perception towards a regional feeling is
determined and affected by critical regionalism. It is a simple way of presenting the
identity of its very own.

2. WORD COUNT 496
Key points (2.5)
Appropriateness of
Terminologies (2.5)
Clarity in Opinions and
Reactions (2.5)
Logical Progression (2.5)
DATE: TOTAL MARK & GRADE
ASSSESSED BY:

3. SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
ASSESSMENT
RUBRIC
Grades Marks Key points (2.5) Appropriateness of
Terminologies (2.5)
Clarity in Opinions
and Reactions
(2.5)
Logical
Progression (2.5)
A 1.8 -
2.5
Evidence of
outstanding
understanding of Key
points through clear
explanation
Appropriate use of
Terminologies In
discussing the Issues/
Concepts/Theories
Outstanding
Clarity in opinions
and reactions -
Supported with
strong Logical
explanation
Outstanding
Articulation of
logical expressions
ending with well-
developed
paragraphs
B 1.5 -
1.79
Evidence of
understanding of Key
points through
reasonable
explanation
Reasonable use of
Terminologies In
discussing the Issues/
Concepts/Theories with
Minor unfamiliarity
Reasonable
clarity in opinions
and reactions -
Supported with
Logical
explanation
Reasonable
Articulation of
logical expressions
ending with well-
developed
paragraphs
C 1.25 -
1.49
Evidence of Some
Understanding of Key
points through
acceptable
explanation
Acceptable use of
Terminologies In
discussing the Issues/
Concepts/Theories with
Noticeable unfamiliarity
Acceptable
Clarity in opinions
and reactions -
Supported with
satisfactory
explanation
Acceptable
Articulation of
logical expressions
ending with some
ambiguous
statements
D 1 -
1.24
Evidence of Some
Understanding of Key
points through not
quite acceptable
explanation
Evidence of
Terminologies however
poorly communicated in
discussing The Issues/
Concepts/Theories With
Weak Clarity in
opinions and
reactions -
Supported with
Lengthy
explanation
Poor Articulation of
logical expressions
ending with
noticeable
ambiguous
statements
F 0 -
0.99
Insufficient Evidence
of Understanding of
Key points through
weak explanation
Insufficient Evidence of
Terminologies in
discussing the Issues/
Concepts/Theories With
Improper
opinions and
reactions. Not
Matching the
Issues/ Concepts/
Theories -
Inadequate
Reasons
Unable to
Articulate / illogical
expressions.
Poorly written
synopsis.