Introduction

The objective of this project is mainly to think and relate an understanding of architect's architectural
theory through a direct observation of a local practicing architect.
Ar. Ong Boon Siong, or Dato' Alex ,a Kedah - born architect is the studied architect which also a founder
of an establish and known architecture firm, the OBS architects. He started this company in 1990 and
still going strong in the architecture world of Malaysia.

Based on our interview with him, he mentioned that he does not really follow or have a architectural
theories in his designing stages. He also stated that most of his designs follow what the client wanted.
From what I have observe in his architecture works, his designs mostly reflect himself to be more as a "
functionality follows by aesthetics" type of designer. Basically, this thesis try to focus on the 3 external
contribution factors that may have been his design thoughts and drivers based on one of his own design,
the Lexus Showroom, in Sungai Besi, Selangor. This building just finished it construction in mid-late
2012.

3 contributing factors that may contribute to the design though of the architect are; architectural
theories, climate and clients.
1.Climate :
a) Wind Rose

Based on the climatic factor, this building are actually well orientated in the path of the most prominent
wind (North-West) which can maximize the natural ventilation of the building. Even though the building
is in the path of the prominent wind, the building is fully ventilated by air conditioning and the longer
facade that facing the wind direction has only minimal openings. The question is why the architect did
not make use of this advantage? Based on my own study, the building is located next to the SMART
highway, one of the heaviest in term of traffic used in Kuala Lumpur.

This crucial data indicates that most of the time, the building will exposed to the traffic pollutions
emitted from vehicles which can cause a severe damage towards the building performance and also the
users if the building uses facade that allows natural ventilation. The prominent wind from North-West
will bring pollutant from the highway instead of making the building well ventilate.

b) Sun Path

The orientation of the building doesn't really seems to respond to the sun path. The placement of both
of the longer facades are facing the East-West direction while the shorter facades are orientated NorthWest direction. Because the building is placed at almost exactly allign with the axis of the sun, the
building might receive unwanted sun glare during the day. My argument of why the building orientated
such way, is that it might because of the client of the building wanted to capitalize on the visual
connectivity with the nearby busy SMART highway so that they can attract potential customer. Since the
orientation of the builing is at East-West direction , the builing needs a proper set of skylight and the
right choice of building envelope as the building can still utilise the usage the natural light and reduce
the sun glare at the same time eliminates the usage of artificial luminaire during the day.

2. Client

The client of this building is LEXUS, A DIVISION OF UMW TOYOTA MOTOR SDN BHD. One of the leading
automotive company from Japan.

a) Visual Connectivity
Based on the perspective of the building from the SMART highway, the design of the facade are made by
low e glass and the building interior is highly visible from both sides of the highway. Based on these two
data; facade design and building orientation, Ar. Ong Boon Siong might have to force place the building
this way to maximise the visual connection with the SMART highway to suit the client needs that is to
increase the profit or sale. To balance between client's need as well as the building engagement with the
site context, he uses a low e glass for the facade in attempt to minimize penetration of the uv rays and
unwanted glare from entering the complex. This will lead to minimize the heat loss and heat gain of the
building and decrease the usage of airconditioning. The usage of this type of glass enabling the building
to have an free facade that maximises view and also to keep the building performance high.

b) Location
There are a variety of major landmarks around the site context that varies from the study building itself,
Royal Malaysian Airforce Base, BMW showroom, Utusan Malaysia, etc. In my opinion, the Lexus
Showroom is located there because it has a continuation of landmarks that can potentially attracts
people to come either visually towards the building as well as how one landmark attract the people to
another landmark if it is located nearby to each other. In addition to that, the location is easy to access
as it is precisely next to the SMART highway.

3) Architectural Theories
1) Minimalistic
The considered architectural theories to relate with Ar. Ong Boon Siong's architecture is theory about
minimalist architecture. Minimalist architecture emphasizes on rediscovery of the value of empty space
and a radical elimination of everything that does not coincide with a programme in a simpler language,
its about simplicity. Firstly, Ar. Ong Boon Siong's Lexus Showroom uses modern set of materials such as
glass curtain wall, metal cladding wall and steel frame structure on the building. The design of his
building envelope uses combination of repetition pattern and elegance of modern building materials
that makes it more modern look as compare to the building surrounding it. This aprroach is an attempt
to reflect the activity of the builing that is to promote the Lexus automobile to the potential buyers. The
advance technology of the company product is shown by the usage of glass facade and reinforce
concrete which is consider as a new technology in architecture world. Besides that, similar to the Le
Corbusier's Villa Savoye, no ornamentation or exagerrated form applied as the building is a combination
of square and rectangular form with a free facade. This clearly indicates that minimalistic touch might
have been considered by the architect during the designing stage. To conclude this section, only by
observing the uniform faade of this building, we can say that in architectural language of this building
is literally means clarity or clear , compliment with the complex spatial organization of units within
the building.

2) Blend with site

How does the building blend with the site? Commonly, in this area consist of these type of building.
These buildings were built without any architecture style and lack of architecture aesthetic but more
towards functionality, more or less the same as Lexus Showroom. The materials uses for these
neighbouring building somehow being reflects by the material of the showroom. In other meaning, the
choices of material of the showroom does reflects what the site is all about. The site consist a lot of
warehouses that serve different functionality, from aluminium hardware to car services center. Not to
forget there are also the advance SMART highway and the Royal Airfoce Base that located not far from
the Lexus Showroom. In my opinion, the architect is trying to show symbolise modernity and
advancement of malaysia, specifically the site in his design.
In term of form of the building, he only play regular shape from a basic rectangle he developed.
Logically, it came from the shape of the site which is a rectangle site. In order to respect and blend with
the site which is one of the most important consideration during designing, he derive the idea of
rectangular dan cubic for this particular building. A great building respect in every single aspect of the
site and it is impossible to move or place it elsewhere other than its own site. Even the simple
consideration of the basic shape proves that this design does respect and try to blend itslef to the site.

Figure above shows the example of building around the site.

Discussion & Conclusion

Based on these external contributing factors , i can say that Ar. Ong Boon Siong architecture is a hybrid
of functionalism and minimalist architecture. He does not fancy ornamentations or chaotic form but
more towards simplicity, function and well proportion form. He grew up wanting to become an engineer
because of his passion towards mathematic and physic instead of architect, initially. His passion since
young lead to influence his design that emphasizes on " functionality follows by aesthetics" or
functionalism. Functionalism is a design principle that architects should design a building based on the
purpose or function of that building. Like most of the architects, he also emphasize on what client
wanted but he also consider about the site. The way he design Lexus Showroom shows that he does
understand the site really well and he have enough experience on how to solve issues that contradict
with what the client wanted.

Reference :
1) Colquhoun, A., Modern Architecture (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002)
2) Rowe, C. & R. Slutzky, Transparency: Literal and Phenomenal, The mathematics of the ideal villa and
other essays (Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press, 1982)
3) Architecturality. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2014, from
https://architecturality.wordpress.com/tag/transparency/
4) Le Corbusiers La Roche House, S. Giedion, Building in France, building in iron, building in
ferroconcrete (Santa Monica, CA: Getty Center for the History of Art and the Humanities, 1995), 178.
5) Andrea DiMaio. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2014, from
http://blogs.gartner.com/andrea_dimaio/2012/01/30/transparency-is-a-nice-theory-but-a-difficultpractice/

Project - Theorizing Architecture

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE & URBANISM [ARC61303]
Name : Muhammad Naim bin Ahmad Mukif
Id : 0303348
Bachelor of Science (Architecture)