LONDON

SABD ACTIVITY WEEK

16-23 October 2014

This is an overseas study trip to the United Kingdom organized by SABD. As a world-leading metropolis, London is a city with a wealth of different cultures. It is famed for its strengths in the arts and design, architecture and media, all contributing to its prominence. It offers a no boundaries of art and design ranging from classical and historical to the modern and contemporary, which is an ultimate experience to future designers and architects like us.

Participants visited a variety of places not just in London, but also cities such as Brighton and Manchester. These include the Museum of London, British Museum, Royal Pavilion, Bartlett School of Architecture and Tate Modern Art Gallery. Moreover, we were given a talk by UK-based architect Ar. CJ Lim and were exposed to new technology such as the 3D printing machine. These activities helped us gain valuable experience, knowledge and insight in the fields of architecture and design.

Full list of visited places:

Malaysian Hall, Bayswater
Kensington Gardens
Hyde Park
British Museum
Portobello Market
Trafalgar Square
British Art Gallery
Tower of London
Manchester & Liverpool City
Royal Pavilion
Brighton Pier
British Science Museum
British National History Museum
Tate Modern Art Gallery
Museum of London
The Shard
Big Ben

This study trip to the United Kingdom made us understand art, culture, new media and architectural development internationally. We gained first-hand knowledge and experiences that invoke critical relational thinking, particularly in the ability to observe, appreciate, document, analyze and synthesize the significance of a building or place. This trip is also oriented to make participants appreciate urban art, architecture, cultural development and new media significance, preparing us for the future as we become potential architects.

Photos of the trip:

It was my first time stepping into the European continent. Thus, this trip gave me a lot of valuable new experiences and exposure. That was exactly what I anticipated when I enrolled in this international activity.

From this study trip, I learnt a lot about city-planning, public transport, modern arts and architecture. The stark difference of traits between architecture and urban planning of the United Kingdom and our home country gave me new insights.

As we explored more about this country, we discovered more about their history, culture and arts. These knowledge learnt throughout this trip is useful for me as I venture into the architectural field as new horizons are always inspiring. Apart from that, we were exposed to methods architecture students learn in the United Kingdom and interacted with some students studying there, providing us some tips on enduring architecture school and living in a foreign land.

Also, it is important for architecture students to study various fields of human endeavor, including art, culture, history, physics and engineering. This study trip helped us gain these knowledge by visiting places such as museums, art galleries and public plazas. The art exhibitions, performances and museum displays in London is a world apart from our local ones, which gave me an insight that there is more to improve for our country's cultural development by learning from their foreign counterparts.

The rare chance for me to visit London gave me a first-hand experience of what is it like to be in a world-class metropolitan which is vibrant and full of amenity. These made me feel that if I become an architect in the future, I would like to contribute to our country by improving the facilities, infrastructures and sustainable development.