ABOUT
I am a lecturer, researcher and landscape architect.
Assalamualaikum & Welcome to Place Researcher!I am Khalilah, a lecturer and researcher from International Islamic University Malaysia. My academic and professional background is in landscape architecture and tourism planning. My research area is a cross-discipline between these two fields, and also in urban studies that include public spaces, public art, streets and markets. My studies are mostly conducted through methods of observations, mapping and interviews, and at times, survey. This blog is a personal site where I share my on-going research, projects with students, and thoughts in the built environment.
Why do I call myself a Place Researcher?
To me, the word "place" represents two meanings. One of which is the literal definition of "place", which represents a physical environment that has been inhabited or experienced by people. Secondly, it reflects the acronym "P L A C E". Place refers to my interest in the relationships between People, Landscape, Architecture, Culture and Environment. In this blog, I also intend to share some tips for undergraduate and postgraduate students, particularly those doing research projects in the areas of the built environment and design. There are many useful and creative things that I have learned throughout my experience as an undergrad, master and PhD student, and now as a supervisor, which I believe could benefit others as well.
To stay in touch, follow me on Twitter or drop me a Hello here.
Brief Background
Current Post:Associate Professor
Education:
PhD (Architecture & Design)
RMIT University, Australia
Master of Science (Tourism Planning)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (Hons.)
International Islamic University Malaysia
Professional:
Corporate Member, LAr.
Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM)
Work:
Department of Landscape Architecture
Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design
International Islamic University Malaysia
Teaching Philosophy:
"Design is about making connections."
Design is as much about the process as it is about the outcome. In teaching the landscape architecture design studios, I facilitate students to examine in multiple scales what a place already has - the existing natural processes, the history and its people, the characteristics that have been accumulated over time, and all the layers of ingredients that make the place what it is today. This process of understanding a place and connecting it to its environment, people and time, is important in guiding them to design and plan to solve issues that relate to the built environment, while at the same time sustaining or adding values to the place to help it adapt to the future. A multi-method approach in gathering the data is helpful in aiding the students see a place through multiple lenses. Some of the commonly used methods are site inventory, observation, mapping, photo analysis, diagrams and annotated sketches, complemented by interviewing people of the place and conducting surveys to the public. The reflections and dissections across these multi-methods are aimed at widening the perspectives of the students in analysing and synthesising the place's issues and potentials. In the design processes that follow, the idea of connections is used again to strategise how the place can be better connected physically, environmentally, socially and economically.
