Ken Wong Architect is biggest winner at PAM Awards 2014

KUALA LUMPUR: Ken Wong Architect was the biggest winner at the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) Awards 2014. The architecture firm took home two gold awards and two silver awards during the awards ceremony on Saturday. The PAM Awards is the premier award for architecture in Malaysia and is held annually.

“This year, out of the 11 gold medals available, five were awarded and all five were won by three architectural firms,” said Wee Hii Min of Design Network Architects Sdn Bhd during the award ceremony. Wee was the convener of the jury panel.

Ken Wong Architect won the gold in the Multiple Residential Low-Rise category for Casaman, a mass housing development located in Desa Park City; as well as in the Interior Design category for a private library in a house of which the location was not disclosed. The firm also won the silver award for a private library in the Single Residential Category and took home another silver award in the Interior Design category for their work on the YTL Sales Gallery. All its winning projects were a collaboration with Unit One Design Sdn Bhd.

Gold medals were also awarded to WHCB Architects and Ar Mastor Surat. WHCB won in the Single Residential category for their work on Chempenai House at Jalan Chempenai, and in the Special Category for communal bath and toilets in Kampung Pian, Kuala Krau in Pahang. Ar Mastor Surat, in collaboration with ZLG Sdn Bhd, was awarded gold in the Commercial High-Rise Category for Menara Obyu (Point 92) in Damansara Perdana.

The 11 categories were Single Residential, Multiple Residential Low Rise, Multiple Residential High Rise, Industrial, Adaptive Re-Use, Commercial Low Rise, Commercial High Rise, Commercial — Mixed Development & Hospitality, Interior Design and Special Category.

This year PAM added an additional category, Building of the Year, which was to be selected from the gold award winners. However, there was no winner for this category.

“This year there is no winner for Building of the Year. If you feel that the judging is stringent, it is really stringent. We are benchmarking ourselves regionally. That’s why there were several categories without a gold award,” said Wee.

The jury panel comprised PAM president Chan Seong Aun, head of department of architecture at University Putra Malaysia Meor Mohammad Fared, Mike Boon Chee Khian of Arkitek JFN Sdn Bhd, president-elect of the Architects Regional Council of Asia Sathirut Nui Tandanand and editor-in-chief of Singapore Architect Kelley Cheng. Of the 115 entries received by PAM, 38 were shortlisted for final judging.

“While I congratulate the winners for their success, it would have been more meaningful if there were a greater number and diversity of entries. After all, this is an excellent way to archive significant architecture in our country and I would have liked to see more government projects submitted. This is the national architecture awards and what better way to reflect the nation’s confidence and culture than by showcasing good architecture commissioned by the state,” said Wee.

Ken Wong (left) receiving the Gold Award, Category 2, Multiple Residential (Low-Rise) from Chan on Saturday.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on May 26, 2014.