The document discusses the theory of critical regionalism in architecture. It begins by explaining that critical regionalism emerged as a third approach between postmodernism and modernism, seeking a middle ground. The key aspects of critical regionalism are reflecting local culture and traditions through design and materials, while applying stylistic flourishes in a meaningful way. An example project discussed is the British India Corporate Warehouse in Malaysia, which successfully combines modern and traditional elements. The document argues that critical regionalism synthesizes a region's identity, history and culture, and helps address the balance between past and future in architecture.

1. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2015) [5 MARKS]
NAME: Tan Shing Yeou ID: 0314850
LECTURER: Nicholas Ng TUTORIAL TIME: 2pm – 4pm
SYNOPSIS NO: 4 READER TITLE: Semiology and Architecture
AUTHOR: Charles Jencks
Emerged from Postmodernism (extremely tacky) and Modernism (extremely boring), forming a
new third school of thought, Critical Regionalism. The fundamental aim was to seek the middle
ground between these two extremes. To me, everything changes over time, architecture style
too. It is some sort of evolution that makes things better and better.
While the modernists strived to create a common “universal” architecture” glo bally, it is good to
see the third school of thought trying to reflect culture and tradition of its own region through
architecture design and materials use. While the postmodernists obsessed with ornamentation
for its own sake, critical regionalists act as a fresh move insist that stylistic flourishes must only
be applied in a measured and meaningful way.
It is important to approach to architecture that strives to counter the placeless-ness and lack of
meaning in modern architecture by using contextual forces to give a sense of place and
meaning.
One of the great example in Malaysia, the British India Corporate Warehouse by Malaysian
architect Kevin Mark Low. The architect successfully combines the concept of “less is more”
from modernism and using the contemporary element to reclaim the lost textures in
contemporary industrial building types in the use of locally fired clay brick. The warehouse has
a smooth integration between old traditions and changing modernism by exploring the loss of
regional culture and at the same time, architecture value was placed on the geographical
context of the building.
As a system that synthesizes identity, past, history, culture and values of a region, critical
regionalism is the critical move of this era, addressing the balance point of past and future,
focusing on current regional elements, rethink how the technocratic world has moved the
society to universalization of the civilization.
I believe, by not giving a single side definition, the concept of Critical Regionalism has its
powerful say in current era, at least to say, it brings back the relationship between human,
culture and building in a sociological context. Re-examine the traditions and look back to learn
our own traditional values, principles, identity and bring out the sense of own-ness in
architecture. It is our job, as an Architect.
WORD COUNT: 336 DATE: 24/04/2016 MARK: GRADE:
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2. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2015) [5 MARKS]
NAME:Tan Shing Yeou ID: 0314850
LECTURER: Nicholas Ng TUTORIAL TIME:2pm– 4pm
SYNOPSIS NO: 4 READER TITLE: Towards a Critical Regionalism
AUTHOR:Kenneth Frampton
Emerged from Postmodernism (extremely tacky) and Modernism (extremely boring),
forming a new third school of thought, Critical Regionalism. The fundamental aim was to
seek the middle ground between these two extremes. To me, everything changes over
time, architecture style too. It is some sort of evolution that makes things better and better.
While the modernists strived to create a common “universal” architecture” globally, it is
good to see the third school of thought trying to reflect culture and tradition of its own
region through architecture design and materials use. While the postmodernists obsessed
with ornamentation for its own sake, critical regionalists act as a fresh move insist that
stylistic flourishes must only be applied in a measured and meaningful way.
It is important to approach to architecture that strives to counter the placeless-ness and
lack of meaning in modern architecture by using contextual forces to give a sense of place
and meaning.
One of the great example in Malaysia, the British India Corporate Warehouse by
Malaysian architect Kevin Mark Low. The architect successfully combines the concept of
“less is more” from modernism and using the contemporary element to reclaim the lost
textures in contemporary industrial building types in the use of locally fired clay brick. The
warehouse has a smooth integration between old traditions and changing modernism by
exploring the loss of regional culture and at the same time, architecture value was placed
on the geographical context of the building.
As a system that synthesizes identity, past, history, culture and values of a region, critical
regionalism is the critical move of this era, addressing the balance point of past and future,
focusing on current regional elements, rethink how the technocratic world has moved the
society to universalization of the civilization.
I believe, by not giving a single side definition, the concept of Critical Regionalism has its
powerful say in current era, at least to say, it brings back the relationship between human,
culture and building in a sociological context. Re-examine the traditions and look back to
learn our own traditional values, principles, identity and bring out the sense of own-ness in
architecture. It is our job, as an Architect.
WORD COUNT:359 DATE: 13/06/2016 MARK: GRADE:
ASSSESSED BY:

3. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
(ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2015) [5 MARKS]
NAME:Tan Shing Yeou ID: 0314850
LECTURER: Nicholas Ng TUTORIAL TIME:2pm– 4pm
SYNOPSIS NO: 3 READER TITLE: The eyes of the skin
AUTHOR:Juhani Pallasma
WhatI likeaboutthisbookis howtheauthor,Pallasmatakeshisreaderthroughallthehuman
sensesinquestion;byusinghearing,smell,touch,tasteandvision.Hequotessomeexamplefrom
naturetosupporthispointsandthusdescribingonhowitis acknowledgementofallsensesthat
shapea completespace.
Tome,itis a verygenuineandauthenticexperiencewhensomethingis feltbytheskin,orsmelled,
orheard.As opposed,visionis actuallyrepressed,tobeingseenwithwhati feltis a completelytrue
line.
AccordingtoPallasma, architectureshouldbeconduciveofmobility.Withsayingofthemulti-sensory
experience,ourbodiesandmovementsareinconstantinteractionwiththeenvironment.The
environmententeringyou,andyouenteringtheenvironment.I doagreeonthat,ourhouseor
bedroom,toanextenttheplacebeinganextensionofthecontextitself.As wechange,ourhome
changes,andperhapsas ourhomechanges,wechangerespectively.
Thisis thebeautyofarchitecture,everythingis related,noneofitis isolated.Architectureinvolves
severalrealmsofsensoryexperiencewhichinteractandfuseintoeachothertoforma complete
system.ThefamousarchitectZahaHadidhada greatexpressionofsensoryexperienceon
architecture.Shesaid,‘I don’tthinkthatarchitectureis onlyaboutshelter,is onlyabouta verysimple
enclosure.Itshouldbeabletoexciteyou,tocalmyou,tomakeyouthink.’Toatleastsomeextent
PallasmaandZahaHadidhavethesamethoughtonhowmulti-sensoryexperiencearelinked
togetherwitharchitecture.
Hiscritiqueofthe‘eye’seemeda bitfanaticaltome.I dounderstandhowthebrainandbodyare
connectedandtheidealhomecouldbea forestforthesenses,oractas a bridgebetweenthebody
andenvironmentandmind.ButI amnotconvincedtosee howabstractdesignorarchitecturecan
preventthat.Inanotherword,environmentthatcaterstotheeyecanbelikemeditation,andperhaps
theseenvironmentscanbringoutdifferentandcrucialsensation.Tocompletethat,Pallasmahas
pointedoutthatourbodyis nota merephysicalentity,itis impossibletohaveourcapacityof
memorywithouta bodymemory,whichI agreeonhowthebodymemorycanaffectpassivelyin
sensoryexperience.
WORD COUNT:392 DATE: 30/05/2016 MARK: GRADE:
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4. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303/ARC2224)
SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (MARCH 2015) [5 MARKS]
NAME: Tan Shing Yeou ID: 0314850
LECTURER: Nicholas Ng TUTORIAL TIME: 2pm – 4pm
SYNOPSIS NO: 2 READER TITLE: Semiology and Architecture
AUTHOR: Charles Jencks
I agree on how the way Charles Jencks relates and simplifies the theory of semiotic triangle to
architectural field. There are just three point, “percept”, “concept” and “representation”,and very
importantly, the relationship is irreducible.
What the three points from Jencks introduce is the practice of interpretation itself. To me, it is
different to the “Interpretant” by Peirce’s Sign Theory, which individual allows for description of
architecture as well as its creation and inhabitation. It is the translation of the development of the
original sign, in the sense of idea can be interpretant and provide a translation, allowing us a more
complex understanding of the sign’s object.
Buildings as physical images are read as messages when translated. This implies their basic
function as signs coded differently within different perception. By all means, the same building may
signify different understanding when translated or decoded. An example given is Kisho Kurokawa’s
Negakin Capsule Building, for Jencks, it was a form of washing machines, until he met the architect
who explained to him that the guiding metaphor were bird boxes, which response to the come-and-
go character of the user of inhabitation.
Secondly, the interesting part is how he places semiotic theory on the act of interpretation. It
releases semiotics from the confusion of abstract theory and allows an open-ended and engaging
fresh attitude towards both the creation and interpretation of architecture. This promotes more
creative, at the same time less didactic role for the architect in the process. Giving an example build
by Jencks, Elemental House provides an orgy of meaning through architectural codification.
Combines with thethemes of natural elements, the building give order and legitimacy to architectural
form as well as responding to broader meaning itself. The pool acts as a crack in ground, filled with
water which a series of follies symbolize various elements and respondto notions of time, like
summer, winter etc. The connotative meanings and the non-linear interpretive process would be
impossible to unravel the architectural messages without the explanation by the Architect.
WORD COUNT: 336 DATE: 24/04/2016 MARK: GRADE:
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