Arkitrek

Part 2: “God is in the details”

"God is in the details".

It has been scorching in KK, Sabah lately and we're dreaming of a getaway to somewhere cool and breezy such as this Lupa Masa jungle camp that we designed ages ago.

31st March is the new deadline to apply for Camp Arkitrek that will take place on the idyllic island of Pulau Omadal, Sabah, Malaysia on 3rd July – 3rd September 2023. Apply here https://camp.arkitrek.com/apply-now/

The Nanga Sumpa Lodge is a jungle lodge set in Batang Ai, Sarawak. The lodge design is inspired by the traditional Iban longhouse and the people’s weaving and craft culture. The building is clad with woven bamboo panels and varying timber screen, which create a playful mosaic of light patterns and rhythms, as well as various levels of transparency throughout the lodge. It’s truly a place to enjoy the serenity and all that nature has to offer.

There is still time to apply for Arkitrek Camp that is taking place on the idyllic island of Pulau Omadal, Sabah, Malaysia on 3rd July – 3rd September 2023.

We’re teaming up with Sabahan artist Yee I-Lann to design and build a much needed Balai Bikin – a community making centre. You get hands-on experience of design and construction, work and live with the locals and forge new friendships on a stunning island.

Are you ready for an adventure? https://camp.arkitrek.com/tatsu-page-3767/?fbclid=PAAab8w4-BpaUIAven_UC_7dj6nZGDL5rgYW2a0iGNyEp8g7mNtr0-PBeSXJ4

Arkitrek will be part of the upcoming Yee I-Lann & Collaborators: Borneo Heart Tamu at on the 25th and 26th of February. Come and have a chat with us about our Love Design Programmes and find out more about our upcoming camp at Pulau Omadal.

See you there.

You could be living and working here this summer! Arkitrek Camp is happening on Pulau Omadal, Sabah on 3rd July-3rd Sept 2023.

Why Arkitek Camp?

o Develop and put your designing skills to the test
o First-hand experience of constructing a building (a rarity for architects!)
o Learn how your designs impact the environment, sustainability, resource conservation & the community
o Live and work with locals a stunning but environmentally-sensitive island

You have until 5th March to apply. Click here https://camp.arkitrek.com/tatsu-page-3767/ for more info.

Shoutout to former Arkitrekker Michelle Martin who is featured as a Rising Star by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Michelle attended the first Arkitrek Camp in 2012. Together with the team they designed and built the Mantanani Community Learning Centre.

Rising star: Michelle Martin Director of Live Site Learning CIC and Live Site Studio, organising insightful on-site training in conservation

Arkitrek Camp is open for application.

WHERE: It’s going to take place on the idyllic island Pulau Omadal, Sabah, Malaysia.

WHEN: 3rd July – 3rd September 2023

We’re collaborating with Sabahan artist Yee I-Lann to design and build a much needed Balai Bikin – a community making centre. The centre will act as a common; a shared space for gatherings and events, and to practice traditional crafts-making. I-Lann and the community of Pulau Omadal have worked on many woven projects, some of which have been exhibited world wide. The community is keen to develop a sustainable business and livelihood.

There are 12 spots with 2 scholarships available for 2 Malaysians. You have until 5th March to apply. Click here https://camp.arkitrek.com/tatsu-page-3767/ for more info.

Spread the word!

Thank you to all our clients and collaborators, to friends and supporters. To a better year ahead.

Renovation works coming along for the Kolopis artist-in-residence space in Penampang.

Camp Mantanani

An old sketch of a proposed field studies centre in a sheltered bay in Sabah.

We can’t wait for the next Arkitrek camp. Thankfully it won’t be too long til next year! to our earlier beach camp on Mantanani island where driftwood harvesting was just another day activity.

Belian roof shingles repurposed into woven facade panels for the Discovery Centre, Shangri-La Rasa Ria Reserve, Sabah.

Simple lines and muted colours for this master bedroom with views overlooking the jungle on one side and mature fruit trees on the other.

A refuge for rescued sun bears and a balm for tired souls at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre . Still one of our favourite projects.

Louvre windows allow plenty of fresh air and sunlight into this 3-bedroom detached house in Kota Belud, north of Sabah.

COMING SOON! We’re stoked to bring back Arkitrek Camp in summer 2023. The 10-week live design Camp will take place in Pulau Omadal, a tiny island on the southeast coast of Sabah, Malaysia.

We’ll design and build a Balai Bikin – a community- making centre-with the support of local Sabahan artist, Yee I-lann, together with the local community. The centre will act as a base, a shared space for the community to have gatherings and events. 10 places are up for grabs for international and Malaysian participants with scholarships available for the latter. More info to follow soon.

Right in the heart of Sabah lies the beautiful Imbak Canyon and our first project site. It was to design a modest ranger's basecamp. Arkitrek's co-founder Ian Hall spent a lot of time with the rangers here and have many fond memories of the jungle. It was during this time that Ian learnt Bahasa Malaysia and a smattering of Dusun and developed an obsession for the wonderfully smelly and delicious King of the Fruits, durian.

A cosy 2-bedroom, single storey artist’s residence in Penampang, Sabah is getting some TLC and a timely upgrade. The brief was simple: enhance the natural light and improve ventilation while preserving the essence of the space. This project is less about creating new spaces but more about carefully removing and adding elements to have a strong inside/outside connection. The owner’s low waste requirement ensures that most of the demolition rubble will be reused and that recycled/upcycled furnishings are given priority. The final look and feel should be of serenity and calmness, a perfect inspirational space for an artist.

In this interior renovation for the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan, tourists are able to discreetly observe the rehabilitation process of these young primates.

What was once an amphitheatre with bare concrete, freezing air-conditioning and harsh reverberations is now more welcoming. Improved day and artificial lighting brought more warmth and comfort. Passive ventilation replaced 1 half of the building and the new deeper and cushioned seating added to the cosiness. Interpretive boards give educational material to visitors while features such as natural bamboo screen, a kids’ corner, external planted screens give the building a softer, warmer feel.

Ten years since Arkitrek created this sculpture that was the centrepiece for ‘Bonding With Gaya Street’- a community-centred exhibition celebrating social history, collective memory, culture and identity. The sculpture was an interpretation of the North Borneo War Memorial that stood on its original site in Gaya Street.

The use of natural materials and traditional weaving techniques says that cultural heritage is not always set in stone edifices and that cities are still linked to their rural hinterlands and the skills and knowledge preserved there.

The Tagal Hut in Kampung Melingan, Sipitang, Sabah showcases the intricate bamboo panels and carved columns in the traditional Murut style. Bamboo, reclaimed timber, biocrete (using rice husks and sawdust) form the primary and secondary structure.

The Tagal Hut is used for Tagal management meetings, fish food preparation, domestic tourism (fish spa and fish feeding) and sales of fish and other community products. The Tagal Hut was designed and built as an Arkitrek Camp with support from Sabah Fisheries Department and Avantha Foundation Malaysia.

The Fig Tree at Kiulu Farmstay is a modest two-bedroom self-sufficient ecolodge that is complete with a kitchen, a bathroom and also a dining area. It was built using wood and bamboo that was locally sourced and treated as well as biocrete walling that blends in with the surrounding jungle. This was an Arkitrek Camp in collaboration with Borneo Eco Tours, BEST Society and the communities of Kampung Mantob, Kampung Pinagon Baru and Kampung Dumpiring.

The Ulu Papar BioCultural Heritage Centre.

The Ulu Papar community has a rich and strong living cultural and ecological knowledge, and was clear that they wanted to preserve it. This collaborative project with the villagers of Kampung Buayan and the Global Diversity Foundation produced this centre to promote the biocultural significance of Ulu Papar that was and continues to be under threat from a dam construction.

Construction is well under way on the 1,000sqft 2-bedroom house situated in the Tempasuk Plains. Mature fruit trees casting beautiful shadows on the house.

Balustrade love using the branches and upper stem parts of the tree. These along with the top portions of tree, big branches and hollow trees are considered low quality timber and usually left to rot once logging is done. This family home in Tenghilan, Sabah used the whole tree in its design and shows how much more one tree can yield. This is why we should push for reduced impact logging and also reassess the value of these so-called low quality timber.

Bamboo and stone rubble were the main building materials for the beautiful Lupa Masa Jungle Camp by Poring Hot Springs, Sabah. Bamboo also featured heavily in the detailing as the beautiful grass grows extensively in Poring. In fact, Poring is the KadazanDusun word for bamboo.