MEDIA RELEASE
NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA
Date: Thursday 17 April 2008
Attention: Chiefs of Staff, News Directors
International release
Honorary Doctorate for renowned Malaysian architect Jimmy Lim
The University of Tasmania will present an Honorary Doctorate to internationally renowned Malaysian architect Jimmy Lim in recognition of his contribution to sustainable architecture.
UTAS Vice-Chancellor Professor Daryl Le Grew will present Dr Lim with the Degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, in a ceremony this Thursday (April 17) at the Hotel Imperial, Kuala Lumpur.
Dr Lim and the UTAS School of Architecture and Design share a common interest in education and practice oriented towards an architecture that respects people and their culture, climate and wider aspects of the environment.
“Jimmy Lim has been a ‘fearless fighter’ for sustainability long before its importance was understood and, equally as important, he has produced work of the highest design quality,” Professor Le Grew said.
“Jimmy has had an impact on architecture and the quality of urban development that extends beyond national boundaries and, through his work, demonstrated that Malaysia could have an architecture that was distinctive, regional, modern and responsive to local climatic and cultural conditions.
“These are the values that we would hope our own students would have by the time they leave UTAS and, in that sense, there could be no better role model for our students, including our international students,” Professor Le Grew said.
Through its long-standing links with Malaysia, UTAS has attracted a significant and continuing stream of Malaysian students to study architecture in Tasmania.
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Professor Roger Fay
Citation
Jimmy Lim Cheok Siang BArch NSW, APAM, FRAIA, RIBA
Since the advent of built environments architects and their predecessors have played a pivotal role in defining our communities. Their work has both reflected and shaped our aesthetic consciousness and sense of self worth and paid tribute to our ability to innovate and to shape, form and conserve material.
Like that of the artist, the work of the architect not only interprets our current situation – our hopes, aspirations and sense of place and identity, but is also prophetic in providing visual and material beacons for what might lie ahead. Like the artist, the architect is both custodian and seer. Great architects like great artists have enormous influence in their communities.
Jimmy Lim is a great architect – one whose work has transcended national boundaries and has provided inspiration, hope and guidance to others throughout the world. He has taken architecture on a course that is not, to quote one of his commentators, ‘driven by whim and didactic methodology’ or ‘subordinated to fancy fads or myopic cost concerns’. He recognizes that buildings must evolve to address the real needs of their occupants and to reflect who and what they are – architecture that is suitable for the context and environment in which we live.
He describes his design approach as ‘the architecture of humility towards nature, the built environment and mankind’. In pursuing this goal, he has sought to define a distinctive national character for Malaysian architecture by responding to climate and environment, at the same time maintaining balance between man and nature, and searching for solutions to tropical architecture that promote energy and heritage conservation.
He championed sustainability long before its importance was understood in Malaysia and has exhibited a passion for conservation and adaptive re-use, in his own words ‘conserving the old built environment in order to enhance and celebrate the new and continuous living heritage’. In his search for local and regional expression he looks with dismay at the Asian obsession with American and European architectural models and laments the results of superimposing American and European urban planning theories on the Asian context without evaluating their impact. People, according to Jimmy, are the most important ingredient in any city and local cultures and traditions should not be sacrificed for progress and development.
Jimmy Lim is one of the most respected architects of our time. He was President of the Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, the Malaysian Institute of Architects, from 1991 to 1993 and served as Vice-President of the Heritage Trust of Malaysia from 1983 to 1985. He is still active on both bodies. His advice has been sought in the development of architecture programs internationally and he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Architecture at Curtin University, Western Australia in 2000.
He has been honoured for his work by winning a number of prestigious international awards and has contributed to the debate in his profession through the publication of numerous position papers, editorials, public lectures, magazine and journal articles.
The University of Tasmania is both humbled and proud to have conferred on Jimmy Lim Cheok Siang the Degree Doctor of Science, honoris causa, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to architecture and urban development and his championship of sustainability.
Conferral Acceptance Speech
17th April 2008
Prof Dr. Jimmy Lim Cheok Siang
Professor Daryl Le Grew, Vice Chancellor and President of University of Tasmania, Professor Roger Fay, Head of School of Architecture and Design, other dignitaries from the University of Tasmania and distinguished guests.
Architecture begins with a simple journey of wanting to create beautiful spaces for People to enjoy yet complementing the environment. Nikolas Prevsner, in the introduction to his book “History of European Architecture”, one of my first year reading about architecture, explained that a bicycle shed is a building but not architecture; however, a Gothic Cathedral is Architecture, made a poignant point. Indeed, so what is Architecture?
Architecture is about People, People are about Life, Life is about Living and Living is about Enjoying. Enjoying what Nature has given us. Enjoying all of Nature and relishing it. It therefore follows that Architecture is about Enjoying and protecting Nature; and what Nature has given us. This is the first lesson about sustainability.
Architecture was a relatively new science for the tropical countries in general but then Malaya in particular. For that reason, many Malayan students were sent to foreign Universities, which in those days were deemed to be far flung lands over oceans. All travels were on ships and the journey took weeks. It was a long way from home.
Education as a tool for acquisition of knowledge is highly regarded in most cultures. Chinese traditionally attached great importance to education, and a good education is regarded the zenith of life’s achievements.
Under the British, there was an orderly system of education for the Malayan youths. The Christian Brothers of the Far East, as they were commonly referred to, were the De La Salle Order of teaching Brothers, who provided parallel education for boys, alongside the secular British system. I was a product of the De La Salle Brothers not only in Penang, Malaya, but also at Castle Hill, New South Wales Australia. They laid the foundation for the philosophy of my further education. For that, I am forever indebted to them. Some of my former teachers are here this evening. To them I would like to say ‘thank you Brothers for instilling the spirit’.
Education is never ending and life is one continuing source for knowledge acquisition. Tertiary education showed me the tools to “think beyond the box”. Thinking out of the box may mean challenging existing norms and entrenched values. This could be troublesome as I found out in many hard ways. It can be ever so frustrating and it is even more so, when experienced in a society that claims to promote “meritocracy”.
As a practicing Architect seeking new directions and ideas, I require the support and concurrence of our clients. Having entrusted us with their projects they want to see results. I was fortunate to have many clients who rested their faith with me to allow me the opportunity for my architecture to flourish and breach the IIC (Invisible Intellectual Ceiling). Without their supports, this would not have been possible.
My most early project the Walian House, was experimentation with the concept of “Architecture without Walls” for the Tropics. It was to be our first venture into the realm of sustainable architecture without realizing its significance then. It was to be the harbinger of things to come. To all my clients may I say thank you for your support and the opportunity to have worked with you.
In serving your needs, we adopted the architectural approach, which we refer to as the “Architecture of Humility” accompanied by the “Tai-chi of Architecture”. This helped us to breach the IIC on many occasions. To understand the tropics better we studied and listened to the rhythm and its heartbeats, this culminated in ideas for “The Rites of the Tropics” our continuing search for meaningfulness in our architecture. This continuing search for answers to our architecture where possible, not only, through the support of a dedicated team of committed colleagues, professionals and students though the years, but also the quiet support of my family. No words can express my appreciation to them.
As part of Life’s evolutionary process, we are obligated to pass on our knowledge to future younger generations. Recently, I was privileged to be invited to be an advisor to the Alfa College of Design and had had the opportunity to interact with staff and students in generating socially conscience projects to expose the students to appreciate their future roles in society; an awareness of their responsibilities towards the urban environment. I look forward to a long and meaningful contribution with Alfa College towards educating architectural students for Malaysia – a homegrown product of excellence. Thank you for your support and faith in me Alfa College.
Finally, not the least, to the University of Tasmania, with a long-standing cooperation with Alfa College, I would like to thank you for the honour that you had bestowed on me this evening. I am humbled. In humility, I accept this honour. You have fortified my own belief that what I have been trying to attain these years may perhaps be pointed towards the correct path. With this conviction and confidence in mind, I give you my pledge and undertaking that I will continue my pursuit for Excellence to its fullest, knowing that you are encouraging and lending me, your support.
Thank you all here this evening for your support and this honour. Thank you for coming.