KLAF Director Ar. Norzaini Mufti presented his speech during the closing ceremony of KLAF Design Charrettes 2023 on 16 December. Image from: GarisPixel
UEM Sunrise Berhad ("UEM Sunrise" or the "Company") recently announced its collaboration with the Kuala Lumpur Architectural Festival ("KLAF") for the KLAF Design Charrettes 2023. Designed to cultivate meaningful interactions within the built environment communities, participants of this event include representatives from professional architectural bodies, city council members, architecture students, academicians, and place-makers. The primary objective is to facilitate idea-sharing sessions and develop innovative solutions for the industry.
Themed "Urban Canvas: Painting Places and Connecting Cities", the KLAF Design Charrettes 2023 took place from 10 to 16 December at the Malaysian Institute of Architects ("PAM") Centre. The event featured the active participation of 66 students from a variety of universities, each guided by one facilitator, organised into ten groups.
The goal of the event is to scrutinise selected site locations with unique and unconventional challenges. Subsequently, participants were tasked to propose innovative architectural solutions centred around community building, sustainability, technology, and innovation. Acknowledging that the built environment encompasses cities, buildings, community and transportation infrastructure, and open space, among other elements, UEM Sunrise is committed to collaborating with like-minded partners to nurture both seasoned professionals and aspiring university students.
This commitment was exemplified through the organisation of workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions, which serve as a platform to effectively delve into innovative solutions and address contemporary challenges in urban planning and design.
“The KLAF Design Charrettes 2023 provided UEM Sunrise with an excellent platform to champion sustainable and liveable concepts for the future,” remarked UEM Sunrise Chief Executive Officer, Sufian Abdullah.
“We have a fantastic partnership with PAM, and together, we have the means to empower these talented young designers, enabling them to showcase their cutting-edge, innovative ideas that can seamlessly integrate as built environment solutions", he added.
The programme aims to achieve three key objectives:
1) To reinforce the built environment community's understanding and deliberate on the latest trends, culture, sustainability, and urban development in fostering a collaborative mindset amongst a diverse group of experts.
2) To encourage a culture of growth and intellectual advancement by introducing new skills in innovative design methods and technology, enhancing the community's existing expertise by adopting best practices from various regions.
3) To provide a space for participants to creatively explore and test their ideas, methods, and solutions through teamwork in authentic and challenging sites.
The programme's closing ceremony was held on 16 December at UEM Sunrise's Kiara Bay Sales Gallery in Kepong.
KLAF 2023 Convener for Engage: Design Charrettes programme, Ar. Syah Kamaruddin said: "The Design Charrettes programme stands as a transformative initiative, orchestrating key cross-disciplinary collaborations, promoting unconventional and creative ideas, community engagement, and team building. Anchored in an accelerated design process, this programme unites key stakeholders such as PAM, UEM Sunrise, Board of Architects, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall."
"Architectural students and graduate architects, guided by enthusiastic mentors, participate in these sessions marked by cooperation and mutual respect. The sessions conducted not only aimed to shape the immediate design-focused solutions but also an opportunity for emerging practices and future architects to showcase their adept skills and innovative services."
A few of KLAF Design Charrettes 2023's mentors, Ar. Jai Mahadi, Ar. Michael Tan and Ar. Razi Junaidi collectively said: "The collaboration between UEM Sunrise and PAM offers engagement among stakeholders, architects, and students, allowing the designers to be creative in their proposals and show feasibility from the stakeholders' point of view. This event displayed stakeholders' commitment to pushing boundaries and considering valuable ideas for the development industry.
"We are glad to participate in the one-week intensive design charrette where architects share their knowledge and experience, giving the students a chance to learn not just technical but also designing outside the box and presenting their ideas to the public and stakeholders. We are excited to work together again next year."
Organised by PAM, KLAF is a significant event held annually on Malaysia's architectural calendar to unite and galvanise a group of influencers within the industry and discipline. Through the establishment of NEXT100, KLAF intends to engage and collaborate with communities from all over Malaysia and the region, committed to stimulating innovative discourse, prompting a re-evaluation of architectural priorities, and encouraging the exploration of new horizons.
(28 December 2023)