Social Isolation? I’ve been there, but that was 18 years ago.

Eighteen years ago, while I was still growing up in Hong Kong, I was in a similar crisis – SARS. Yes, I know that SARS is very different from the current Corona Virus, but I can’t help but notice how the reactions have closely mirrored the present. Eighteen years ago, our worries were not as amplified. Our central source of information was restricted to television and newspaper – all we could do was monitor the numbers and statistics. Each day was a count down for us, slowly tracking the declining numbers of deaths, those who were infected and being reminded to be thorough with our cleaning. The SARS did overtake Hong Kong’s paranoia, our schools did shut down (we had online homework as well), professional practices began to introduce casual clothes into the weekdays beyond Friday to regulate our laundry habits. Public places were perfumed in bleach – the caution was evident.

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I Thought Architect Barbie Was Just Barbie...

Although it can be argued that because we are rather proud of what we do, it wouldn’t be surprising that many would attack Barbie’s outfit. It may seem harmless, yet it is a reflection on how society (and our industry) views women in architecture. Must she always wear black? Just because she’s wearing a dress and carrying a helmet doesn’t mean that we can assume that it will be her official outfit for a site visit! These comments, initially said with humour can quickly become detrimental if spoken in a professional environment.

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Conversation with Eden Hoang: Landscape (&) Architecture

The stereotype of landscape architecture often can be confused with urban planning due to the broad concept of ‘landscape’ itself. While there can be some level of residential garden design involved in landscape architecture (most common spaces such as shared courtyards, rooftop gardens, townhouse neighbourhood garden designs), we usually design for the public realm at a multitude of scales (from urban street parks to rejuvenating degraded landscapes). To summarise, the role of a landscape architect begins in “creating spaces within our natural and built environments that respect and enhance our interaction with landscape.” (Kombol 2015, 8) The study of landscape architecture teaches the necessary skills that influence the foundation and analysis of each project design.

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