PENANG, 14 June 2021 - Online learning, difficult as it may sound, certainly did not deter Unversiti Sains Malaysia (USM) architecture students entering design competitions and getting the most of prizes awarded.

This time around though, it is the ‘youngest’ and the newest batch of first-years - the freshies.

Fondly calling themselves as the Xanthrons but also painfully known as the ‘Covid’ batch, they ‘walloped’ 3 out of the 8 prizes awarded and that was certainly an excellent achievement for HBP USM.

The competition, called PAM-GAHARA Batik Millenia Student Design Competition 2020, was jointly organised by PAM (Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia) and Gahara Galore Sdn Bhd, a company established in 2007 by architect-turned-artist Nik Faiz Nik Amin, a third-generation batik artisan from a family of batik-makers based in Penambang, Kelantan.

The competition brief called for architecture students to create a batik design for a copper block suited for millennials.

It seeks students to explore and innovate ideas and to combine elements of architecture to create what they feel would be a suitable pattern for a batik print on fabric.

The competition attracted a total of 86 entries throughout the various architecture schools in Malaysia, and from there, 12 were shortlisted.

4 out of the 12 were from HBP USM.

Nurardini Raihana bt Rosmadi, under the supervision of Dr. Yasser Arab, was awarded the second prize, which comes with a RM400 cash prize, a RM100 voucher and certificate.

Winning entry by Nurardini Raihana bt Rosmadi

 

Mohamad Farid Mohamad Kamarol and Sanmugapriya A/P Selvakumar, both under the supervision of Ts. Farhana Mohd Razif, were awarded with honorary mentions which came with RM100 vouchers and individual certificates.

Winning entry by Mohamad Farid Mohamad Kamarol 

 

Winning entry by Sanmugapriya A/P Selvakumar

It was hard work and did not come that easily. During the studio crit sessions, the first-year ‘studio masters’ scheduled an online talk and coaching by Masrina from Masterpiece Batik, who was specially invited to give insights on what batik is all about and what the copper block entails.

The students were surely excited enough, resulting in a total of 12 entries coming from the HBP USM first-year architecture students.

To the ‘studio masters’, all 12 are indeed special and are winners.

Congratulations to all first-year students and ‘studio masters’!

Text: Assoc. Prof. Ar. Dr. Sharifah Fairuz Syed Fadzil, HBP/Editing: Tan Ewe Hoe