UTAR wins big at 2022 Bamboo Design & Construction Competition (National)

Team 3005 consisting of students Liong Zhi Ying, Boon Jing Jack, Chan Qi Wei, Oo Zhi Ling and Wong Puy Yan, supervised by Ar Loh Khang Yong, and team 3018 consisting of students Lim Zhi Xing, Eden Ling, Lam Jia En, Ng Keqing and Yip Xiao Tung, supervised by Abd Muluk bin Abd Manan, were crowned as Champions of the competition. Each team received a cash prize of RM6,000, a trophy and certificates. These two teams will also be participating in the international competition.

On behalf of the team, Liong enthused, “We are very grateful for this award. We had great teamwork, and everyone was passionate and dedicated to the project to achieve our common goal. It was a great experience for all of us, as it cultivated in us a sense of innovation. We also stepped out of our comfort zone to embrace the process of developing something new. We are thankful to UTAR and our supervisor for providing us with this platform to share ideas and expand our horizons, as well as for guiding us throughout our studies.”

Liong’s team project was titled “Vice Versa”, and it was inspired by the perception of half glass of water. Liong explained, “In general, most people would perceive half glass of water as it is, “a half glass of water”. However, for us, instead of recognising it as literally half, we intend to redefine this situation as a balance of two extremes, which is a scenario of “Not Full” and “Not Empty” either. Similarly, our concept for the half pavilion is to establish that equilibrium space to embrace and balance the paradox of Nansha Bird Park, which give meaning to our design – “The Vice Versa”. Our half pavilion is carefully manifested in response to the contradicting and contrasting qualities of Nansha Bird Park, through the three key equilibrium aspects: (1) The Site (Solid vs Fluid) – an intersection of solid platform and fluid lake; (2) The Skin (Eternal vs Ephemeral) - a balance between the skin’s eternal silhouette; and its ephemeral responses to the natural phenomena such as rain and sunlight; and (3) The structure (Natural vs Experimental) - a mixture of the original beauty of bamboo; and the experimental bamboo features. Together, these three aspects form a series of playful & flexible spaces, from fully open to fully enclosed, connecting the users of the half pavilion to heaven, earth, inhabitants and their inner self. Ultimately, the “Vice Versa”, is the confluence point that seeks to unfold, integrate, harmonise and complete The Other Half of the beautiful Nansha Bird Park. Our project is also designed to function as a fun shelter, offering a diversity of play ranging from meditating to resting; and interacting in a flexible shelter, which is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health & Well-being”. Liong’s team also won the Design Innovation Award, and walked away with a cash prize of RM500 and certificates.

Lim’s team also commented, “We are extremely honoured to be receiving this award. We have faced several challenges on the way here, starting from a rough design idea until coming up with the complete pavilion, we have undergone thousands of discussions and improvements. It is very difficult to juggle schoolwork and competition, but we learnt a lot; I am grateful that none of us thought of giving up. We sincerely thank our tutor Mr Muluk for giving us guidance and support, and some of our seniors and friends for helping us reach a stage where we can hold up this award and go to the international level competition. UTAR’s Architecture programme has always emphasised the research and application of bamboo as a sustainable material in architecture. Having attended the talks and activities by the faculty have allowed us to gain much information about bamboo, and I believe the information has greatly helped us in producing an interesting design”. Lim’s team also won the Structure & Construction Award, and they took home RM500 cash prize, a trophy and certificates.

Second places were awarded to team 3010, consisting of students Eugene Wan Kai Yau, Calvin Kueh Juin Hung, Hee Kah Mun, Hee Kehao and Lim Zhi Ying, under the supervision of Abd Muluk; and team 3020 consisting of student Ng Zhe Tong, Jameson Yong Bee Jing, Lum Li Qi, Lee Jun Huang, and Koh Kwok Ming, supervised by Ar Loo Wan How. Each team received RM2,500 cash prize, a trophy, and certificates. They will also be participating in the international competition.

Wan’s team commented, “The Bamboo Competition is an opportunity to make our imaginations come true. The awards we win leave an unforgettable mark on our architectural lives. Based on all the hard work we put into the project, it lives up to our expectations of winning in the competition. Ethereal Bloom is the creation of the five of us; it will always be unique. We are grateful to our supervisor, and we are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the competition because competitions have always been a platform for us to practice our knowledge and hone our skills theoretically and practically.”

Wan’s team also added, “Our project “Ethereal Bloom” is a bamboo structure that shows the beauty of metamorphosis from an ordinary snake to a gorgeous dragon, Naga. In ancient Malaysia, a snake living in the water would grow in size, peeling off its skin and drawing horns, transforming into a soaring Naga. This metamorphosis process shows the transformation of Naga into a powerful creature, having the ultimate vitality with the potential of growing until it becomes powerful enough to ascend towards the Sun. The profundity of Yin and Yang indicates the contrast and balance in the universe. The half pavilion was inspired by the yin and yang where the structure was dissected in half to expose the structural aesthetic.” The team also won Design Process and Experiment Award. They walked away with RM500 cash prize, a trophy, and certificates.

Meanwhile, Ng’s team commented, “We are extremely honoured to win second place in this competition. We are grateful that our hard work has been recognised. We thank our supervisor and UTAR, who have been very supportive to us during the competition as well as the UTAR Architecture Society for helping us promote our work during the Facebook Voting stage.”

Ng’s team also explained, “Our project is titled “Blooming Roots: Rooted below the Water, Blossom above the Land”. Wetland, as the ecological environment for Nansha Bird Park, is a “stopover” site which provides migratory birds with appropriate cover before they move on to their next journey. In relation to the half pavilion philosophy of “harmony between heaven and human”, the wetland ecosystem is the existing natural environment, where bird and human inhabit. Simultaneously, the ability of mangroves to support biodiversity habitat, adapt, and complement the environment, make it suitable as a natural “half pavilion” to the wetland ecosystem, which facilitates a harmonious symbiotic relationship among human, bird and nature. Since the project is located in a wetland, we have all agreed to go with ‘mangrove’ as our design concept. We designed it to provide harmonious interaction with birds and allow bird observation without disturbing them.”

Awarded the third place was team 3002, consisting of students Sharon Thien Fang Jing, Ang Wei Woon, Jeff Jee Wee Wah, Lee Xiao Yue, and Lim Yi Xin, supervised by Abdul Rahim bin Mohd Zin. The team received RM1,500 cash prize, a trophy, and certificates for their project titled “Eternal Balance”.

The team expressed, “We extend our utmost gratitude towards our supervisor Mr Rahim for the guidance and help given throughout the competition. It was a tough process due to the many submission deadlines we had so the process of producing this project had to be precise and as fast as possible to overcome the lack of time. Mr Rahim has given us critical feedback and guided us till the very end. Aside from that, Mr Abd Muluk has also done a huge part in helping all UTAR teams as the conveyor of the competition by clearing all our doubts and ensuring all teams are able to submit their work smoothly. I wanted to challenge myself in a design competition by working along with teammates I have never worked with before which will prep me for the near future in the workforce. While every group had their own unique idea, our group stood out for the reinterpretation of the Yin-Yang origin (explained in detail in item no.8). I definitely felt excited and delighted to have won this competition as I believe every member of the team has definitely pushed boundaries and put in a lot of effort to achieve the end result. Overall, it was a good learning experience and we are happy with our achievement.”

They also explained, “Eternal Balance (衡) aims to portray a new beginning and creation in Nansha Bird Park, which in this case is a bamboo half-corridor as a result of its different forces coming together, as one thus, our reinterpretation of the yin-yang origin. Taking inspiration from the yin and yang concept and its elements, the half-corridor emanates the story physically and emotionally, from top to bottom. The main body and form are transformed from the yin and the yang of the great symbol with the central idea of two separate but spiritually connected entities forming together the half-corridor; the play of solid and void, the in and out, an architectural form that gives a sense of balance, wholeness, and orderliness. The supporting structural elements intend to give a visual harmonisation by its opposing yet complimentary language similar to yin-yang. The ‘cosmic egg’ is translated in the form of an interaction with a solid bamboo strip ball that shoots up the beacon of light into the roof, the sky and beyond thus the void opening that indicates the birth of the said ball. This bamboo half-corridor aspires to amplify the dichotomy of duality between humans and nature, whilst establishing a harmonious dialogue between them. 衡 accentuates our detachment from nature and thus aims to lead us grounded. Coinciding with nature, the water reflection completes the half-corridor, signifying the balance between spirit and matter and that ‘one cannot exist without the other’. The half-corridor sits onto the site like a portrait, capturing the essence and character of Nansha Bird Park. In the case of birds and humans, their unique solitary nature requires two similar yet separate habitats. Finally, 衡 provides a platform where both species can reside and co-exist within a close vicinity; humans and nature are opposite but are consistently united.”

Team 3025, consisting of students Joan Ong Ai Nee, Ang Ming Jie, Cheah Wen Bin, Woo Kai Wei, and Tan Yuan Kai, supervised by Abd Muluk, were awarded the Most Popular Award (most like on Facebook) and Honourable Mention for their project titled “Deciduous”. For each award, the team received RM500 cash prize, a trophy, and certificates.

The 2022 Malaysian-level competition was part of the International competition which aimed to build an international platform for innovation and creativity with global influence. Through the combination of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area and the talents of ASEAN universities, the competition explored a new mode of innovative collaboration, attracting all universities to exhibit the same understanding and deep cooperation between China and ASEAN under the “One Belt and One Road” initiative. The Malaysian Level Competition aimed to choose the best design from the Malaysian Institution to represent Malaysia at the International level competition which will be held in Nansha Birdpark, Guangzhou, China. Themed ‘半亭 “Half Pavilion’, the participants are to use the special architectural form of a half-pavilion, a new exploration of bamboo structure based on weather resistance structural integration design to create a new landscape of visible profile bamboo structure.