www.puncacipta.com
Arkitek Punca Cipta
1340 Jalan Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Ibai
20400 Kuala Terengganu
Tel 609 6170075 Fax 609 6174879
E-mail: puncacipta@puncacipta.com
17-3
Jalan Setiawangsa 9, Taman Setiawangsa
54200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel 603 4251 1739 Fax 603 4251 1740
E-mail apcKL@puncacipta.com
Welcome
To Our Website
Almost everything you need to
learn about building your dream home. Find it here. Or, should you have
any questions you have been wondering, not knowing who to ask, e-mail
us, we'll look it up for you.
Arkitek
Punca Cipta
A
50 person architecture consultancy firm based in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
The multi-disciplinary practice employing various professionals in building
industry is geared towards providing service in development. With an impressive
arrays of clients including multi-nationals and considerable experience
in academia, , institutions and oil and gas (non-process) sector, we are
readily available to work beyond the national boundary.
Happy reading!
Copyright reserved. Any articles or parts thereof may be copied or used in any form of prints or electronic medium with the writer's consent.
THE
A TO Z TO DREAM HOUSE
A public service Website
from
Arkitek Punca Cipta
for
Malay version click here
l
m n o p q
In
1995 when I returned to start APC, an abandoned housing project caught
my attention. It was one project I had worked on when I first started
work in 1984. Four years later, together with some friends, I took over
the projects, bring back life into it and a small cozy community grew.
Helped by the success, I went on to manage a few more house for others.
This time around my luck is mixed. I now fully realise the lesson a friend
once taught me. Do
a house for them, you will either end the best of friend or the worst
of enemy.
The involvement in these houses mark my re-education
in construction. I learnt first hand the pain of the tradesmen, the agony
of the owner and the frustration of the architect. I lost some money too
but shrugged it off in the name of education. It was the kind of
education no university can teach. That is what I want to share with all
of you, the young architects especially, for eventually you will be a
house owner too.
L
IS FOR LIGHTS
You can get lights from sun, moon, light-bulbs and now in all the rage
- candles. I won't be surprised if pelita ayam would make a re-entry if
someone can solve the soot problem. Lights are for safety, security, style
and special effects. Discuss with your architect how you want your lights
to be. Not only he need to know, he need to work out the wiring and switching
for them all.
L
IS FOR LOCKSETS
[Look under IRONMONGERIES]
M
IS FOR MAGAZINES
Every aspiring house owner I know are armed with a war-chest of glossy
magazines, some readily indexed. Tough time to the architects who had
to decipher the photographs and putting them together to make a house.
Worse if the favored bedroom is from Indian Raj Castle and the bathroom
from Japanese Shinto temple.
M
IS FOR MATERIALS
The availability of material can astound you. The selection is endless.
First look at your wallet, then your bank account. Don't get carried away.
It's not what you use but how you use that matters. The most expensive
materials doesn't necessarily be best looking in your house.
N IS FOR NAILS
O IS FOR ORGANIZATION
P
IS FOR PERFECTION
The concept everyone talk about but never willing to pay for it, not in
money, time and effort to achieve it. I have an interesting quote to mention.
It's about marriage but it's very much relevant. "If you look for
perfection in your wife/husband, you'll never have a perfect life, but
if you can accept imperfection in your wife/husband, perfect then your
life will be." No further explanation needed.
P
IS FOR PAVEMENT
P IS FOR PLUMBING
P IS FOR PAINTS
Paints is part of the finish material. One key component I liken to the
final blusher on the cheek and the eye-shadow. This is one department
I find hard to convince client to spend but I'd put my foot down if need
be. If you can afford it, go for the best paint, and the specified application
method. There is nothing more painful than to see the paint fading less
than a year after. Good paints and correct method bring manufacturer warranty
you can insist on.
Terms
you must be familiar with are;
| Surface preparation |
How
the paint surface is prepared for painting
|
| Sealer |
The
binding agent that bond your paint to the surface. With good
sealer, you never have to worry about the paint turn powdery soon
after.
|
| Finish coat |
at
least two coats are needed.
|
| Emulsion paint |
Water
based paint for plaster wall. Acceptable but slowly replaced by
oil based paint even for internal use.
|
| Gloss paint |
Oil
based paint use on wood or metal. Can be used for plaster finish
too.
|
| Acrylic paint |
Normally
come in brand names like weathershield or weatherbond. Use largely
for outdoor.
|
| Varnish |
Spirit
based transparent color for wood
|
| Gel |
Gel
based color for wood normally for furniture and joinery works.
|
| Sanding |
Don't
be surprised to see your painter sanding down a newly painted surface.
They had to do it if the wall isn't smooth enough. Of course it's
more paint cost on you but no self-respecting painter would be happy
with a lousy finish. The trick is to control the plasterer and the
bricklayer before them.
|
| Spray tiles |
Not
tiles. Correct term is profile spray. Acrylic profiles are
sprayed onto sealer ready surface then finished with acrylic or
oil based paint.
|
| Application technique |
Roller
for emulsion, brush for oil, spray for special application.
|
When it comes to color selection, don't trust the color chart or the picture
in magazine. It's never the same on the wall. See actual finish color
elsewhere or if you want to be adventurous, trust your architect.
Q
IS FOR QUALITY
Everyone (almost) wants the best quality at the cheapest price. Sorry,
things don't work that way. Go for the best (your) money can buy. See
again P FOR PERFECTION.
|
|
