UTM Students Bag Six Prizes at VFE Awards

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) Architectural Students Scoops Top Honors for Architectural Innovation & Dynamic Ideas Competition

Kuala Lumpur, 30th January: Department of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment UTM announced today that several of its architectural students have been recognized with a total of six 'Best Architectural Innovation & Dynamic Ideas' Awards from the VERITAS Fund for Excellence in Design Education (VFE), including the Grand Prize, the competition's highest honour.

This year the competition was opened to students of design from all Public Institution of Higher Learning (IPTA) aimed at preserving the Bukit Nenas Forest Reserve in Kuala Lumpur and to create awareness of its importance as a green lung and bio-shelter to Kuala Lumpur. This competition aimed to challenge students to provide unique and original solutions to rehabilitate and rejuvenate interest in this forest reserve.

Entries to the competition are judged by a panel of master jury from various disciplines. Of the entries submitted, the five-member jury selected seven proposals to receive the awards, of which six were awarded to UTM. The jury’s process began with a one-day session in Bukit Nenas on January 18, reviewing the seven short-listed submissions.

The session started with a site visit around the site, Bukit Nenas, Kuala Lumpur, followed by making “first round” decisions. Then the short-listed proposals were presented by the team present and subsequently reviewed a third time, until consensus was achieved. The results of the final winners were announced at the Award Giving Ceremony on January 25, in Borneo Rainforest Café, Bandar Sunway.

The Grand prize, a travel grant worth RM16 000 for an architectural study trip, was awarded to UTM Team 3 for their innovative proposal "Alveolus: The Green Lung". Understanding Bukit Nenas as a green lung, their design proposal explored the evolutionary dynamics of the anatomy, development and respiratory principles as design strategies.

The team’s primary concern was to develop an adaptive system in various levels, from unit distribution to urban scale, sensitive to site conditions and variations of programmatic demands over time. The team comprised of six undergraduate architectural degree students in their final year of study; Doreen Wong Yoke Fong, Thian Soo Ying, Ng Say Chyuan, Cheah Ding Ding, Mohd Rizal Mohd Rosly and Alif Abrar b. Mohamed Rosli.

Team 10 triumphed as the 1st Prize winner after the Grand Prize Award, a travel grant worth RM8000. According to one of their team members, Wan Fitril Hakim, “in promoting carbon neutrality in the city of Kuala Lumpur, their proposal responds to the existing ecology of Bukit Nenas in support of a CFC-free zone”.

A 2nd Prize Award, a travel grant worth RM5000, was bestowed to Team 8 for their design proposal called Shift. Lead by Ong Keng Pin, a 4th year undergraduate architectural degree student, Shift was a design proposal on sustainable architecture which was practical and buildable.

Their main intention of the design is the preservation of the area whilst bringing in the city to enjoy the forest. The three other respective teams; UTM Team 1, UTM Team 6 and UTM Team 7, all received consolation prizes worth RM1000 each team

Finally, rounding off the department's most successful ever competition, UTM Team 7 collected Award in the “Best Graphic Presentation” category for their visually stunning range presentation boards and UTM Team 6 in the “Best Oral Presentation” category. "We are thrilled and honoured to be recognized with all these awards. This is our best performance ever," says Assoc. Prof. Dr Syed Ahmad Iskandar Syed Arifin, Head of Architecture Department.

 

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