What motivated you to begin your conservation journey?

The impetus was the building (Cheong Fatt Tze) itself. It was bought with the intention to save it from possible demolition by developers and to preserve it for posterity, for future generations of Penangites and Malaysians. It therefore followed that conservation, especially restoration, would be the next step to bring the building back to its former glory.

If you were to start on the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (CFTM) project again, would you have done anything differently?

The only difference is I would undertake more documentation and investigation. On hindsight, I could have done more in this area. It’s not that the first outcome did not reflect best practice, but that I did not have any conservation experience. I may have discovered more. All said and done, I won’t change a thing. It was a precious, liberating journey of discovery which has been at the centre of my architectural existence for the last 31 years

What about conservation appeals to you?

It's a single word that tells a thousand tales and offers a thousand connotations. It leads you through a thousand doorways to go back in time to where myths and memories reign supreme. To undertake the act of conserving the past, you have to be well-versed about cultural values, design, materials and workmanship of old. You have to be highly competent and knowledgeable about principles, charters and approaches. You have to be prepared to get your hands dirty and be a leader.

Do you have a favourite project and why?

CFTM is my favourite project because it’s my first-born and a game-changer. It allowed me to make a difference and set the stage for conservation to be a catalyst of change on an international scale.

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What are the necessary components to conserving a site? Is there an additional factor that ensures a project sparks the imagination and becomes a landmark?

UNESCO groups conservation criteria under three headings: Understanding the Site, Technical Achievement, and Impact and Sustainability. The first is about defining its significance reflected by its values. The second is what I mentioned earlier about design, materials and workmanship, and having a thorough working knowledge of the three facets. The third is measurement of the impact of the project locally, nationally and internationally and how heritage sits at the heart of sustainability goals.

If you are able to put all of the above into the execution of the conservation project and tick all the boxes, it will be a project that sparks the imagination and becomes a landmark achievement.

Do you have a design process when approaching a conservation project?

There are well laid out conservation processes that differ from country to country, and culture to culture. The Australians have something called the Burra Charter. In China, they use the China Principles. Various universities have their own frameworks.

Ultimately, it requires a combination of theory and practice. I apply my own work/design process which marries various conservation and design methodologies and ideologies, embedded in a personal sense of working with a conscience, informed by understanding the spirit of place.

What are your thoughts on how conservation is being conducted in Penang and the rest of Malaysia?

Obviously, there has been progress in the last 31 years. Originally Penang led and was seen as the shining light of heritage advocacy in the Asia-Pacific region, especially after the Penang Heritage Trust was formed and we took pole position in leading the way. As early as in 1986, I organised the first International Conference On Conservation and Urban Planning in Penang and Malaysia, and maybe also in Southeast Asia. People travelled to Penang to learn from us.

Today, many other cities have caught up and even moved ahead, especially in the field of heritage education. Our heritage management skills haven’t improved. Expertise hasn’t really grown proportionately to time and population. UNESCO has created something called a Competency Framework for Heritage Management. A quick survey has shown that many of the practitioners and personnel in the area of governance would be given poor grades.

Has the pandemic affected your work, and do you think there’s an increase in awareness for the importance of sustainability and preserving buildings?

The pandemic has not affected my work drastically because much of our work is classified as essential services. Nonetheless, everyone has slowed down in my field and many clients are short of funds. I have always made it a point to maintain a small, compact practice. I understand development cycles and trends, and I prepare as best as I can to stay ahead of the curve and focus on survival.

With regards to the second half of your question, I think not. Urgency is not the order of the day. Adding sustainability to the conservation equation is one bridge too far for many practitioners

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How is the pandemic shaping the way we live, work and design? And how do you think it will impact architecture and the conservation of heritage buildings?

In the last five years, my practice has reinvented itself from a digital perspective. This year we finished a new Ikea store in Singapore. The whole project took place during the pandemic and lockdown. Throughout the whole period we did not step out of Penang. So it’s remarkable and unbelievable that we handed over the project virtually.

In essence, this development signified a radical shift in the manner in which we engage with the global marketplace. We can work anywhere in the world as long as we can connect with other experts. When I started my practice in 1984, my motto was “Have pen will travel”. Now it’s “Architecture without borders”. Doesn’t matter if its new-built or heritage-related work.

With the Pritzker Prize being awarded to Lacaton & Vassal who are known for transforming existing buildings rather than demolishing them, do you think that architecture is headed down a different route?

Without wanting to sound sceptical, an architectural award is dependent on who the judges are. The same thing happens in architectural competitions. It’s what the “client” wants and the message that he or she wants to convey. Having said that, writers and critics will inevitably read the smoke signals anyway they choose and give credence to their own theories and interpretations. In the case of the architects you have just mentioned, you have to ask yourself, are they practising building conservation in the true sense of the word?

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What and who inspires you?

Natural and cultural beauties in all forms always inspire me; the way they exist in the context of space and time, blessed by peace, preservation and people with conscience and care. Conversely, pollution, prejudice and politics, the root cause of the world’s destruction, dampen my spirit without fail.

What are your hopes for the future for yourself and your practice?

That I continue to contribute to humankind’s betterment with ideas and innovation and produce mini game-changers that move the needle constantly. That the next stage of my practice fits into the survival plans of the world so that the next generation of architects still have jobs in 10 years’ time.

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