Nik Munawwar Nik Din

Introduction

As an architecture student, I believe that architects have a massive responsibility towards the public, as it is inherent in the nature of the industry to create spaces that improve the livelihood of people. Architecture is never about one person and his/her buildings. It has always been about the users and the surrounding community.

 

To echo the above belief, we as architecture students should open our eyes to the outside world beyond the four walls of the studio and start giving back, one small step at a time. Community Service Initiative is a mandatory elective for architecture students that provides the opportunity to aid and improve the livelihood of a chosen community.

 

Hence, our group of 8 students chose Pertubuhan Rumah Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Home of Peace, an orphanage for girls as our community, to try to identify issues that they may have and propose as well as execute a solution that will benefit the organization.

​

About Home of Peace

The Home of Peace is located in Kuala Lumpur and is currently the home of 19 young girls who are also home schooled. It is run by a small team of 4 staff, including the founder and director herself, Ms. Justin Morais.

 

The organization’s missions are to provide a stable environment for the girls who came from underprivileged backgrounds, to emphasize on education as a means to a better life, and also to create a caring environment where the girls may develop fully, as any child would in the care of their natural parents in a loving home.

​

Issues

During our initial visit to the organization, we sat down with the director to discuss any issues in the general operation of the orphanage. We were told, also based on our observation, that the main problem with the house is the lack of space, especially in the small office that is currently used by all four of the staff.

 

What we observed was as expected from a house with small kids, only that there are 19 of them. Clearly there was a need for a way to ensure that the place remains tidy as most of the things in the office were scattered on the floor and chairs as there was a shortage of space.

 

We were also told that some things are purposely kept where they are to keep them away from the kids, such as medicines and important documents.

​

Proposed Solution

Upon returning from our visit, we went straight to the drawing board to analyse and attempt to figure out a solution to the issues.

We decided that there is a need for better spatial organization as well as a new storage solution.

 

After several design revisions, we came up with a more efficient furniture arrangement, as well as a proposal to build a custom-designed shelving system that would provide expanded storage space as well as the flexibility of customizing the shelving configuration as and when the need arises. The proposal was submitted to our course advisor, Mr. Adib and was approved almost immediately.

 

The proposed shelving system consists of two main components; the framing and the removable shelves. The main frame is made out of metal to ensure sturdiness and houses the slotting mechanism to allow for the flexible placement of the wooden shelves. The shelves are made out of plywood that are strong enough to be able to resist bending when external load is applied.

 

Results

The outcome from the successful execution of our proposal is a more spacious office environment that will hopefully help in the general running of the orphanage. The office is now tidier and more comfortable, and will ensure a more efficient working environment for the staff.