No_3_September_and_October__1953 — Page 13

ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTURE

A Speech by The Hon. Mr. T.P.F. McNeice, C.M.G., O.B.E., M.C.S., President, City Council, Singapore given at the Annual Dinner of the Institute of Architects of Malaya on 6th February, 1953, at Raffles Hotel, Singapore.

(Reproduced by Permission from the Quarterly Journal of Institute of Architects of Malaya)

I am sure that all my fellow- guests are as conscious as I am of the privilege and honour accorded to them by being chosen to attend this first postwar dinner of the In- stitute of Architects of Malaya. Your President has very eloquently and very correctly stressed the impor- tance to the community of the architect's profession. history men have constantly turned to architecture to express the spirit and significance of the age in which tney lived.

This problem is obviously one This Code of Practice is kept con- which extends beyond the sphere of stantly under review by the working the architect. In the interests not party and during the past three years only of good government but of substantial amendments making humanity it must be met fairly and further concessions have been added realistically. The development of to it. this island is being planned and the extent of our resources is being care- Their main task, which is the com- fully explored so that we may at plete revision of the Building Bylaws, Throughout least co-ordinate all our efforts and is now almost complete. Already the put them to the best possible use. working party has held 61 meetings But commonsense as well as econo- over the past 2 1.2 years. Its work mics show that there is a limit be-

accomplished, as I have said, during yond which our resources cannot take

spare time given up at the end of the us. Unquestionably a greater sense Today, in this modern utilitarian of responsibility has to be introduc- day's work is quite a remarkable de- age, the architect once again reflects the outstanding features of the age a realisation and a recognition of the members of

ed into the minds of the population: monstration of civic consciousness by the Institute. I know which he lives. Faced with a snortage of materials and manpower certain amount of life certain re- right in this place to make a public inescapable fact that to sustain a that all my fellow-guests will feel it

and money to replace the devasta-

sources are needed and to produce testimony of our appreciation of this tion created by war, he has been

those resources a compened to adapt himself and his amount of hard labour is required. proportionate

service. work to the limitations imposed by Neither God nor Government is go- economic circumstances.

ing to alter that fact.

any By-

Individually also, architects have applied their intelligence and in- genuity to devising methods of prefa- brication or more economic devices,

many of which have not only re- duced costs. but have produced healthy and airy structures. Although

we are far short of the number of

In no place is this more obvious

But it is indisputable that the ar- than in Singapore and in no place is chitects have an all-important part it more essential that the architects to play in this matter and already it And the correct solution to the pro- is to their credit that they have re- biem of overcoming physical limita- sponded to the needs of the times in tions in attempting to house the practical ways.

In 1950, the City postwar population. Among people Council decided to attempt a revi- houses which we need to build each who are badly housed there is bred sion of its Building Bylaws in order year in order to cope with the needs a kind of gypsy lawlessness, a disre- to permit less expensive housing to of the population, we are building gard for accepted law and order, an be built. The Institute of Architects far more houses each year than have inability to observe the laws of social has supplied three members of a ever been built in Singapore beicre relationship. It is noticeable that technical working party which has and, according to what I believe tu the first target of a totalitarian re- sat for tedious months-usually at be reliable information supplied to gime is the family because it is in evening sessions after office hours. me, far more than are being built the family, living in its own decent

in any comparable city in the rest The first task set this working of the world. house, that there exists the most

was to amend powerful opposition to disruptive and party

laws which were restricting destructive propaganda.

the

I believe that the Institute of Ar- building of low-cost housing. In chitects, in bringing architects together In Singapore, I repeat, we see this September 1950, the working party to study their common problems, pro- problem in the clearest possible evolved a Code of Practice for blems which, as I have said, reach to terms. Already tens of thousands of Low Cost Housing, providing for a the very heart of the social pro- our population are miserably housed; balanced and substantial reduction blems of this country, is doing a in addition, our population is in- in the old bylaw standards in re- great and valuable service to the creasing at such a rate that we are spect of room sizes, heights and con- community.

As guests of the In- informed that by the year 1970 if no structional requirements. In Decem- stitute tonight, we thank the mem- steps are taken to curb it, it will ber 1950, this Code of Practice was bers for this occasion. And as we reach a figure of 2 millions. To pro- adopted by the City Council and it toast the Institute of Architects of vide anything which can be describ- has contributed notably to the num- Malaya we shall be particularly ed as even remotely adequate hous- ber of housing units built since that thankful for the energy and initiative ing for this population requires a date and the speed of their construc- with which

its members practise physical effort which is totally be- tion. It has been of particular value their profession, for the pride in the yond our resources. Yet, we have to to the Singapore Improvement Trust ethics and standing of the profession remember that our failure to do so and also the City Council itself for which this Institute is pledged to is bound to have the most serious re- buildings for its staff. I only wish maintain and for the notable suc- sults upon the development of civic that architects could persuade their cesses in the face of manifold dif- behaviour and social consciousness clients to make greater use of this ficulties which have been achieved by amongst our population.

Code, to reduce building costs.

our architects.

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