CREATIVITY: A UCSI architecture student participating in an inter-studio game during the recent SABE DAY.

ENGAGING SESSION: Mr Richard Kirk, Principal Director of Kirk, addressing the audience during the recent SABE Day.

ALL SMILES: SABE lecturer Puan Maliza binti Ismail Jamail (second from left) posing for a group shot with her ‘team members’ Lee Bin Li, Kelvin Teoh and Kelvin Quek on SABE Day after bagging gold medals for the 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

FUN & GAMES: UCSI architecture students performing on stage during the recent SABE DAY.

TEAM SPIRIT: UCSI architecture students in the midst of a team-building activity during the recent SABE DAY.

WINNING SMILE (From left): UCSI student Wan Mei Zhen receiving the Outstanding Student 2013 Award and certificate of achievement from Puan Jamilah Selamat, Head of the Architectural Studies Programme.

KUALA LUMPUR: UCSI University’s School of Architecture Built Environment (SABE) recently organised SABE Day on March 25 to recognise student achievements – within and outside the academic arena – in the year 2013. 

As the fifth annual gathering since its inception in 2010, the event was the finale of SABE Week 2014 – held from March 20 to 25 this year. 

Organised by the Architecture and Interior Student Association, the student-led event aimed to not only cultivate leadership skills among students but also enhance the student experience at UCSI. 

Overall, over 50 awards including Outstanding Student Awards, Best Design Award and Most Promising Student Award were presented to students – winners of intervarsity and national-level competitions, to name a few – for their notable accomplishments. More than 200 students and lecturers attended the event. 

“The event is one way for us to tell the world that our students – from all semesters – are making their mark in the world,” says Assistant Professor Zaiton Binti Mokhtar Shah, Acting Head of the School. 

“I would also like to thank the lecturers and students who made this event a success. It’s nice to see everyone having fun.” 

Notably, the week saw the students compete in games – namely, basketball and futsal matches, and an ‘architecture fashion show’ – and other exciting team-building activities, which hopes to foster lifelong friendships and a sense of camaraderie among the students and alumni. 

Apart from these games, another event highlight included a guest lecture by Mr Richard Kirk, Principal Director of Kirk – a practice specialising in architecture, urban design and environmentally sustainable design, with studios in Brisbane, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur. 

The one-hour session saw him show the young audience impressive projects – from commercial buildings to community centres – that Kirk has worked on over the years and briefly explain the technicalities involved. 

According to Kirk, it is crucial for aspiring architects to have very strong design sensibility. 

“What this means is that it’s important for them to really understand the right values when it comes to design, buildings and the way they actually work in the community.” 

Among the School’s many bright sparks who show great promise in the architecture sphere is Wan Mei Zhen, who won the Outstanding Student 2013 Award. 

Currently reading the BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology, she is thankful that she won the award. 

“(The award) means a lot to me because it’s not easy to obtain. You have to excel academically – specifically, in each course,” she enthuses. 

“I’ve definitely learned a lot at UCSI and this just motivates me to go further.”