That's the meaning of 'tu ren' in Chinese, the roots of the firm name Turenscape by Kongjian Yu. I first read about him in an article about Zhongshan shipyard park - an abandoned shipyard that he turned into a landscape able to clean the waterways, and very beautiful to boot! "Instead of growing grass, we should grow weeds," was what he told the city officials. For all his thoughts that I admire (and I really admire this one person, my ideal of what is being a landscape architect is al about), his ideas take root from an underlying belief: "We need to be attached to the land."
Well, I can harp on and on about his ecologically AND aesthetically inspiring projects, but I think it's better if I just leave my readers with plenty of eye candy to ogle at =D (All photos taken from Turenscape official website)
Boss: "Close your eyes.. What do you first see when you step across the entrance First thing you notice?" Me: "I step in.. and I see the green wall with the fern..then to the side.. is the kitchen counter.. and the tree in the exhibition area.." Boss: "Yes! Is the tree small? Too big? What else? You see it clearly, don't you? Great!"
A reminder lesson in visualization.. That design means seeing with my mind's eye.. That if only I focus, it all becomes clear..
Other nuggets of wisdom from Boss today: "When you enter a room, I want you to observe.. And the things you observe.. You have to be able to see in a macro way, and then go to the micro things to support the macro, not the other way around.. Seeing the micro first, and making the macro to support the micro.." "You have to be able to tell the clients the effects that you want.. You want a big tree? How big? 'Very big'.. No! 'Well, the tree is small, but relative to the room it seems big.. The height is around 3 metres and people will be able to walk under the canopy, such that it is indoor but it feels like being in a garden.. That's how you sell ideas to people."
Was comparing notes on work hours with a capoeirista friend, and she said, " My boss told me, she doesn't believe in work-life balance.. She believes in work-life integration. Example, if I have to do market survey on weekends, then I go to a resort and do my market survey in the resort, while having fun."
>< 'work-life integration' is such a dangerous thing in this country where the national motto seems to be 'Live to Work, not Work to Live'
Here below is an interesting TED talk on the all-elusive thing we call 'work-life balance'.. Enjoy!
"I will bash you until you become an expert." - Boss
Had a tough week in terms of getting to know what my Boss wants, mixed in with carelessness on my side ><
Story: there were some CAD drawings to be done, and as I'm taking over the job from my colleague, I consulted Boss and then did what he asked me to do.. no less, but also, no more.. And this led to my Boss getting very disappointed because the architect he hired seemed to just be a CAD monkey without helping to think about the design.. huhu.. Part of the dilemma of being a new employee is that I don't know how much more I can add / input before intstead of being praised for initiative I'd be reprimanded for toeing the line or acting smart without actually knowing anything. However, think I gotta get that 'I'm a new employee I'm just here to listen and obey' mindset.. Much as it seems to be a 'humble' and 'safe' approach, it makes me too lazy to think!
Boss: "You are an intelligent girl, so learned, but you are not putting in enough thinking.. So, can I have these by end of next week? Don't be so slow" me: "But Boss.. Previously I finished in two days, just like you wanted.." Boss: "Finished means no more changes needed." me: "Ok..."
That aside, Boss actually asked me whether I think he is a difficult person.. huhuhu.. I didn't know how to answer that, but when he told me that he wants to 'bash me till I become an expert', and when he said I have improved from previous times, I feel spurred on to hang on for dear life and just enjoy the ride. Gotta admit that now I catch myself checking my work a lot to eliminate careless mistakes, and actually think more before doing any design drawing!
If I do manage to stay on for two years, I think my 2013 self will look at my 2011 self with a mix of smugness and pride and said, "Damn you survived, and look where you are now."
" Newly installed landscape is like a 16 yrs old girl.. Overtime, it becomes like a 50 yrs old woman.. so difficult to maintain the shape! If you can keep it looking nice, now that's a successful landscape." - Boss
"Don't burn as you learn!" - Boss Must keep this in mind.. Truthfully, I admire my boss for being 76 yrs old and still so inquisitive and feisty *can't think of a better word >< * Some more quotable quotes from Boss:
"Always argue with yourself."
" In my office there are four words that I don't like people to use : I think, I thought, I assume, I presume." * I agree with the spirit behind it, that is, never assume something, clarify things, but it is proving mighty difficult to remove these words from daily language use >< Being forbidden to use these words though, really opened my eyes as to how many things I assume especially in taking over other projects midway from my colleague! *
"Put a lot of effort into your thinking! See this thing *we were discussing hook placement for a vertical green system, and a bit of shifting makes a lot of difference to the drainage and irrigation*, see how much care and thinking power that goes into it!"
" Young people! I am teaching you not just landscape, I am teaching you how to do business!"
"As landscape architects we must always value-add the client's property or asset, if not we are hopeless. Whatever shit the architects give us, we must be able to make it smell nicer." - Boss
"I want you to put this planting plan on the actual plan.. the corridor here.. the classrooms here.. you know these people*^, they need something to orientate themselves" - Boss
* 'these people' refer to anyone who are not Landscape Architects ^ When used by architects, 'these people' refer to anyone who are not Architects
That aside, I gotta learn to make my landscape plans more easily read by drawing the plants more accurate in scale, and putting it in context. Also, got a bit of scolding since I orientated Boss wrongly on the plan. Think before you speak, Shiela.
That was four months ago, and I've since realized that what seemed like an end * "5 years of architecture school done! Freedom! Yeah!" *, is well and truly the beginning of a long - loooooong - journey.
To give a bit of background, the last two years of my university education was sponsored by a Singapore landscape company, and in exchange I am bonded to work for the company for an equivalent period - two years.
The transition from school to work has been rather tough, the feeling akin to being plunged right away into the rapids after just having learned to swim. That's because my boss believes in the school of hands-on, hard knocks landscape architecture. Not only that, because of some circumstances within the company I've had the responsibility (and privilege) to do and learn about procurement, sales, project managing, programming irrigation, setting drainage, handling client complaints, down to planting the plants with my own two hands =D
Well, it's been hard. In fact, it's been quite a 'culture shock' and a gruelling period so much so I was feeling much overworked, burned out, lethargic and depressed. (In four months, mind you.. I had to keep asking myself whether I really am that weak and spoiled, and not able to take some hard knocks).
But, it has also been inspiring. I've learnt more interesting and useful things in these four months compared to my 16 months of landscape architecture master's course. (Not the least important: how to scold in Hokkien so contractors work fast for you >< ) It's been great fun even if I feel I lose out on other fun things in my life. And my comfort zone has been expanding, expanding, expanding...
Which brings me to the reason I am writing this blog. See, I've been feeling that I had to sacrifice a lot for work - hours upon hours of overtime, cancel all appointments if there's sudden work, working on weekends - and it makes me rather sad, really, especially since two years seem really long right now and I cannot wrap my mind around it. So, instead of thinking that I'm another overworked, underpaid worker, I'm going to try thinking like this: 'Oh wow, these two years in the company is the hands-on landscape course I've never had the chance to do in university *such is the system: big in theory, kinda lacking in practice* and I'm paid to do it!
Awesome, no? And this blog will chronicle all the things I learn as a starting, fledgling, struggling, green landscape architect (as in, inexperienced.. not green, as in, sustainable.. ok I know the joke is lame.. >< ).
Ah well, like Kermit the Frog said, 'It ain't easy being green.' (as in, it can mean both inexperienced and.. alright I shall stop my unnecessary explanations!)
Then again, let's hope it will get easier with time!
