In a group of 9 members, we started off this CSI project by searching through the internet regarding the organization in which we can contribute to. We then came out with a list of organization within Kuala Lumpur city, which involves the orphanage and elderly homes. After a group discussion, we decided to select Ractar Orphanage and contribute to them as an effort to help the community within us. Ractar Orphanage is a non-profitable organization and also a home for orphans and poor girls throughout the states in Malaysia.

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Prior to the selection of organization as our site, few of our team members managed to have an interview session with the person in charge, Ms. Hajjah to inform her about our plans of organizing our community service in Ractar. Throughout the interview session, Ms. Hajjah helped us a lot in understanding the community in Ractar Orphanage. I had a lot of feelings towards the community, listening to the stories and experience some orphans been through gave me the motivation to contribute my best to them.

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As a team, we managed to have our first site visit to Ractar with the aim to formally introduce ourselves. A few interviews were carried out with Mrs. Hajjah and the orphans by us in order to understand their behaviors, their needs and preference. After the interviews, we have finally sort out the needs and preference of the community in Ractar Orphanage, that is to have a bicycle rack for them to cater their bicycles, and also to have a storage space for the children to keep their belongings. We then finalized in using an empty plot of land right beside the water tanks as our site. A few of us measured and recorded the dimensions of the site, while others were taking photographs and started off with the site analysis. During this session, I kind of reflect myself towards the mentality of children in Ractar, I’m quite impressed yet ashamed by the way of thinking the children had, they are so innocent appreciates whatever that comes in their way be it good or bad. Whereas for us who is living a better life not only in terms of financial but the accompanies of family, we often complain about minor little things in life and hardly felt the loves and cares people give to us.

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After the interview sessions we had, we combined and analyzed the data collected during the interview as a start of the design concept. Based on the site analysis and the understanding of user needs, we came to a conclusion of creating a bicycle rack which is able to cater four to five bicycle, in which the design follows the anthropometry of children at a suitable height, and also the openings facing towards neighboring vegetation to obtain maximum shadings and ventilations. After a back and forth discussion with Ms. Hajjah, we then implemented a shelf at the back façade of the bicycle racks for the children to keep their toys and outdoor equipment, eventually it forms an activity space at the back which is well shaded. To this extend, it is my first time ever to have contact with the community in a real life scenario, and also for the very first time I get to approach people as an architect and experience the denials of client regarding the proposals. Throughout the proposal towards Ms. Hajjah, I realized that it is not only the aesthetic and designs which matters, we as an architect should also be more responsive towards the function and safety of the architecture. Personally, I would conclude that responsibility plays a main role for an architect while designing.

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Prior to the acceptance of proposal, we started the construction process with a lot of challenges. Things appeared to be easier and workable when it was on the paper, we started to face a lot of issues when we started the project hands on. Problems such as the financial limitations, obtaining of timber materials, the construction method of connection of building parts, the materials and the construction tools started to arise. These has caused a great impact towards our team, making our first two visit unproductive and insufficient. After multiple discussions, things started to make sense as we realize our own mistake and helped each other. We managed to split ourselves into smaller groups, and the construction process turned out to be much more productive. Everyone in the group was assigned with their own task to speed things up, I was assigned with the task of drilling and fixing the parts together into a structure. Throughout the process, I not only got the chance to experience not only the tabletop work, but also to carry out on site execution and to make the proposal works, but also to realize that teamwork plays an important role for us to achieve what we wanted, especially in the construction field where different occupations work together to achieve similar goal.

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The construction process continued for days, from just merely 6 pad footings to the base of the structure, then the columns, façade to the roof. We had a tough time fixing the whole compartments together into a structure, but it just got better every time we lay our hands onto it. I remember the time when we made a mistake while fixing the roof, a local construction worker from the site came to us and remind us on the mistake of drilling the polycarbonate roof wrongly, I appreciated the reminders a lot. To me, it’s more than just a reminder, but an on-site lesson from someone who is much more experienced. The whole idea of constructing a physical 1 to 1 scale structure really benefits us a lot, through this I not only understand the construction details of timber structures theoretically, but also on practical basis.  After days of onsite construction, things finally come to an end when we finish painting the wooden structure with wood treatments.

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Upon the completion of the structure, we were glad to see the outcome of our proposal as it stood firmly onsite, reaching not only the needs and preferences of the community in Ractar Organization but also the safety requirement of the user. Throughout this community service, I got the opportunity to communicate with clients, to carry out proposals and constructions in a real life scenario. As a future architect, this opportunity really helped me a lot in terms of understanding a community, and how the society works. Also, it is a necessity for an architect to put in 100% effort in teamwork. Without teamwork, things just wouldn’t work out, especially in a construction field consisting of different occupations different people, communication plays a major part in making things work.