Wei Li Choong
Lecturer, 2014
To be successful in life, you must learn to think out of the box and have passion for what you do.
19 November 2014
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To be successful in life, you must learn to think out of the box and have passion for what you do. This is the mantra that architect Wei Li Choong follows; his many achievements and awards paid testament to this.
Wei Li Choong graduated from Limkokwing University in July 2013 with a Bachelors’ Degree (Part 2) in Architecture, receiving a ‘Tan Sri Dato’ Sri. Paduka Lim Kok Wing Award for Excellence’ for his outstanding performance as a student.
His journey with Limkokwing University started when he won the ‘Honda Dream Fund’ full scholarship in 2008 and decided to pursue his passion for architecture with the university that had fascinated him when he had visited earlier.
He says his time in Limkokwing University was an eye opened into the world, as he got to meet people from all over the world.
“I met a lot of different people, with different cultures and background, and I learnt to respect their cultures and live well with them.”
He continued with outstanding performance throughout his studies, winning several competitions countrywide. Some of his many achievements include a Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) Best Architecture Student Award in 2010, Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak Prime Minister Award of Creativity and Innovation also in 2010, UAC Architecture Student Award Honourable Mention in 2011, Passive Active Design Intervention (PADI) UPM 2nd Prize award in 2012, and a PRIMA UTM 2nd Prize Award in 2013.
Upon graduation, Choong joined Limkokwing University as a lecturer in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment (FABE), which he says gives him an opportunity to impart to others his knowledge and skills.
“Lecturing gives me an opportunity to share my knowledge and skills with my students so as to contribute to producing quality future architects.”
This year he won two significant competitions in Malaysian architectural industry; the inaugural Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) Lafarge Architecture Student’s Competition, and the Tan Sri Chan Sau Lai Architecture Award, with very unique submissions in both competitions.
The PAM Lafarge Architecture Student’s Competition submission was a construction system that pre-determines the future needs of a growing family by providing extra space for expansion as the family grows.
For the PAM Tan Sri Chan Sau Lai Architecture Award, he submitted a project named ‘The Bio-Scape Terminal’, which was inspired by the Georgetown Heritage terra-cotta roofscape. The project proposes that absorber material be used to cover the existing ferry terminal’s roofscape, which has very high levels of carbon dioxide due to the large number of cars that await the ferry.
Choong says the inspiration for the project came from nature, “I use nature to find ways to resolve our sustainability problem. The CO2 is later filtered and transferred to feed the algae plant and later it generate and produce energy back to the terminal.” The material used will not only absorb the CO2, but also provide renewable energy for the ferry terminal.
Aside from his own awards, Choong produces award winning students too. His students recently won several awards at the PAM Annual Architecture Student Works Exhibition 2014, receiving a ‘Best Booth Display’ award. Another group of his students also won six awards at the 26th PAM Annual Architecture Student Workshop (TIANGSERI), receiving the Best Participants, Best Jury, Best Architecture Installation, Best Architecture Trading, Best Mural, and Best Group Award.
He attributes his success to hard work, passion for his field and an ability to think outside the box, which he says was repeatedly emphasised to him while studying in Limkokwing University.
‘The most important factor of success in any field is passion for you work; you have to like what you do, be willing to explore, and have the patience to do it,” he says.
