i. Prominent Architect
ii. Date of birth
iii. Date of graduation (Architecture degree)
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK (1st July 1981)
iv. Date of licensure
1st October 1983
( A/W 40 – LAM Certificate No. 0737)
v. Member of PAM since
30th Sept 1983 (Serial No. 635)
vi. Fellowship year (if applicable)
–
vii. Practice Name
VW Akitek
viii. Prominent projects (top 10)
- Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (DKCA) Building (also known as Hongkod Koisaan), Mile 5, Jalan Penampang, KK
- Tawau Regional Library, Tawau, Sabah.
- Sabah Land Development Board Headquarter Building, Mile 1 1/2, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
- Hongkod Villa Apartment, Mile 5, Jalan Penampang, KK
- Tan Sri Pairin Kitigan Huguan Siou Gallery, Tambunan, Sabah.
- St Aloysius Church, Limbanak, Penampang, Sabah.
- Taman Casa San Uno, Sandakan, Sabah.
- 88 Market Place, Kepayan, KK.
- Yuk Chin School Hall, Tawau, Sabah.
- Tawau Hotspring Golf Course Club House, Tawau.
ix. Summary of contribution to PAM
List of positions in PAM Sabah Chapter since 1981:
- Graduate Representative (1981 – 1982)
- Committee Member for Social Activities (1984-1986)
- Chairman of PAM Fellowship Golf Committee (2000-2024)
- Chairman of Social Activities Sub-Committee (2006-2007)
- PAM Sabah Chapter Committee Member (2007-2008)
- Chairman of Social Activities Sub-Committee (2007-2008)
- Chairman of Website, IT & CAD Sub-Committee (2007-2008)
- Chairman of Social Activities Sub-Committee (2008-2009)
- Chairman of Website, IT & CAD Sub-Committee (2008-2009)
- Chapter Deputy Chairman (2009-2010)
- Chairman of Practice Sub-Committee (2009-2010)
- Sabah Representative and Council Member of Architectural Education (CAEM), Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (2010-2011)
- Chapter Deputy Chairman (2011-2012)
- Sabah Representative and Council Member of CAEM, LAM (2011-2012)
- Chapter Deputy Chairman (2012-2013)
- Chairman of Education Sub-Committee (2012-2013)
- Chapter Chairman (2013-2014)
- Chairman of Sub-Committee for Government Liaison/ Central Board/DBKK/Join Allied Professionals (2013-2014)
- Chapter Chairman (2014-2015)
- Convener of PAM Sabah Awards (2022)
- Convener of PAMSB-DBKK Revitalizing Bornion Centre Architectural Competition(2025)
Note* Additional information on the above contribution, please refer to Appendix ‘A’
x. Summary of other contributions to society
Ar. Victor Wong was a volunteer of the Flora Parade Committee of the Sabah Tourism Promotion Board (STPC) for a number of years from 1993 to 1997, giving advices on the design and animation of the Sabah floats, participating in the annual Malaysia Flora Parade in KL. Sabah had won many prestigious trophies, including the Most Creative Design.
In 1993, Ar. Victor Wong and another member from Sabah, were selected by the Malaysia Tourism Board to represent the Malaysia Parade Committee in Pasadena to inspect the construction of the Malaysian Float. The Malaysian Float concept and idea was adopted from the combination of the winning floats in the local float parade in KL. The “Pearl of the Orient” from Penang and the “Coconut Crab” from Sabah were combined into one theme into a much larger float. The Malaysian float won the overall Sweepstake Trophy at the 104th Pasadena Flora Parade in USA in 1993.
xi.Summary of awards
Ahli Setia Darjah Kinabalu (ASDK): 1988
xii. List of close affiliates (references)
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QUESTIONNAIRES – PROMINENT ARCHITECTS PROFILING PROJECT
1.
How did you come to study architecture?
As a school boy, I was always interested and good in art, having won the scroll competition for La Salle Secondary School, Road Safety poster competitions and Sabah National Youth Association (SANYA) logo design competition.
One day while working part time in Chen Hong Advertising, KK, back in 1962, a man came to the shop to ask my boss to do a bill board on a 3D perspective of an apartment. I was curious and asked myself this question “How did the man know how the building would look like before it was even being constructed?” I believe it was this curiosity that lead me to study architecture.
2.
What were your architectural influences?
I did not study architecture in the first place upon completion of my Form Upper Six in 1967, as I was awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship to pursue the degree in Mechanical Engineering. After completing my engineering degree from University of Canterbury, Christchurch NZ, and while serving my scholarship bond with the then Public Works Department as an engineer, I enrolled with the British Institute of Engineering Technology (BIET) for a correspondence course in “Architectural Draughtsmanship and Building Design” to continue my passion on architecture. The course has provided me with invaluable knowledge and understanding not only in building techniques but also modern architectural design. I was further influenced by the work of modernist architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and William Dudok when I studied architecture at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Scotland, UK.
3.
Could you tell us about a project you are proudest of?
(My own project)
The project I am proudest of is the Tawau Regional Library in Tawau, Sabah, which was officially open in Feb 1994.
The facade of the project was constructed with over 20 no.s of, approximately one and a half ton weight of reinforced precast concrete panels, something never being done before even until today. The circular acoustic windows of two (2) meters in diameter had to be imported from Singapore while the outer frames were fabricated in KK and assembled in Tawau.
The modern iconic look of the building has become a unique piece of art work in town.
4.
What would you consider yourself a pioneer of?
If there is anything that I can consider myself to be pioneer of, I think the expression of cultural identities in the form of the building, through local graphics and art, is that I am proud of.
This was started back in 1988 when I was commissioned to design the then Kadazan Cultural Association (KCA) building, which is now renamed as Kadazan Dusun Cultural Building (KDCA), I decided to express the cultural concept through the use of the traditional graphics of the Kadazan ethnic groups with imported glass mosaics in black and gold on the exterior facades. A set of 6 gongs of different sizes based on the Penampang tradition, were mounted on the walls for further expression. This had later influenced other architectural professional practices which had started to use graphic designs in the exterior of their buildings.
The use of traditional graphics as a mean of cultural expression was further developed in the Hongkod Villa Apartment building, Penampang. The wind walls at the roof level were expressed in the form of the “Sigar” or headgear worn by the Kadazan, is a unique and unconventional architectural expression, giving an interesting architectural identity.
The Tan Sri Pairin Kitigan Huguan Siou Gallery building in Tambunan is a continuation of the development of using cultural graphics as design elements in art and architecture.
5.
What do you consider the greatest changes in the profession from the time you began to the present day?
From the technical point of view, one of the greatest changes is the drafting from manual to computer aided drafting, making things so much faster and efficient. The application of the BIM system has further improved the profession to be more precise in design, documentation and project management, thereby minimizing possible delays due to errors which surfaced during the construction stage.
The application software have also aided the profession to provide 3D animations of the spaces created, with lower cost comparing having to make 3D models in the past.
Much more accurate bills of quantities can be worked out efficiently for preliminary building costs.
6.
What is your approach to mentorship?
Be brave, playful and have fun to innovate.
7.
What is your advice to young architects starting their journeys today?
It has been my advice to young architects nowadays that being able to design a roof over four walls does not guarantee one to be called “an architect”. A building is just like a human being, it has life. Just like a baby when he or she is born, there are unique features typical to the baby, such as accent and color, although somewhat similar to either the father or mother. Buildings are just the same, they should be designed with distinctive and unique features to reflect arts and cultural identities.
8.
Where do you see architecture heading in the future?
(In Sabah context)
The construction of high rise building in the urban areas will continue to grow in view of the need to be close to the central business district. With the provision of a few hundred of car parks per high rise building, the streets are likely to face with traffic jams, making the city not livable to live in. The situation will be made worse by people from the rural areas, who opted to drive to the central business district to work to avoid the high cost of living in the urban areas.
The built up areas of these high building will continue to shrink, because developers are trying to reduce the selling price to make the development more affordable. As a result, the density of development will increase, making the urban space even more congested.
9.
What is your architecture/design manifesto?
“Design is a pleasure, not pressure”
10.
Architecture: form and function, which one comes first?
I always believe function comes first, form later.
11.
What is your thought on current Malaysian Architecture?
(In Sabah context)
Buildings in Sabah are getting higher by the day. With the urban sprawl, more mixed high-rise developments are on the rise. The use of glass as the external cladding material for its clean look without considering the solar gain, thermal discomfort and saving in the cooling costs of the building are still being designed and built.
12.
What do you see in the future of Malaysian Architecture?
(In Sabah context)
Under the current legislation on the car park requirement, and the demand for more housing development in the urban areas, the streets are already congested and likely to get worse in the future. The housing development will continue to go higher, even in the rural areas, and further adding to the traffic woes.
Unless the government comes up with some effective public transport system, the city will likely get worse and become less liveable.
Because of the traffic congestion, the future design of Malaysian architecture will likely be “smart” design, with features to enable one to work without having to start the car engines to go to the office.
