Sustainable Architects

MarraYeh_IpohHouse2015_000599

KEN YEH

Tutor & guest critic: University of Sydney & UNSW
Bachelor of Architecture: The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Behind his quiet and easygoing demeanour Ken cultivates knowledge and expertise like a garden of rare specimens, with patience and care. A firm believer in the merits of a renaissance approach he delves into diverse subjects and topics which inspire his architecture. His unquenchable curiosity of the world drives him to seek inspiration in multiple fields of study and to approach complex problems with a fearless attitude, confident that his quest will yield solutions appropriate to place, environment and people.

Ken’s delight for speed and motion translates to his work, propelling challenging projects forward with an overall strategic vision, every project both a serious undertaking and an adventure. He sweats the details and lavishes attention on the tactile experience, where the building greets the person. Ken was named as one of the top 9 Malaysian architects by the Culture Trip.

CAROL MARRA

Registered Architect/Nominated Architect [NSW 7996 & USA]
Tutor & guest critic: University of Sydney & UNSW
Bachelor of Architecture: The University of Texas at Austin, USA

Carol brings clarity to the process by setting an overall strategy at the start of each project, clearly defining cultural, environmental and personal goals for each client. In the pursuit of simplicity she guides the project with attention to detail and craftsmanship, giving purpose to the rituals and interplay of human and natural systems.

The recipient of a Winston Churchill Fellowship, Carol has traveled to Japan, China and the Philippines to examine the impact of climate change on buildings.

“For me the ideal environment would include a garden, a library and a tea room. In the garden we grow things, are physically nourished and delighted by nature. A garden is a cultural interpretation of nature, it requires an orderly approach but also the knowledge that fundamentally nature cannot be controlled. In the library the imagination runs free and the intellect is honed, it’s a place of intellectual rigour and contemplation. The tea room is about ritual, intricacy of detail and taking pleasure in small things. Architecture is the method of inquiry, the process of resolution and the manifestation of a physical reality.”