Department of Architecture

Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying

UiTM Shah Alam
July - November 2009

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE 02

Write up by : Abdul Hakim Abdullah

Matrix No. : 2008758019
Programme Code : AP 223
Course : Bachelor Architecture (Hons)
Subject : Architectural Philosophy / JSB 552
Checked by : Assoc. Prof. Rashidah Abdul
Rahman
Education As Form of
Commodity
Introduction

In what ways has education become a form

of commodity that is being transacted on the
open market through global capitalism?

That is a main question and I have my very

personal opinion regarding to that question.
I would say that the policy is a main key
element that leads all of this towards the
great transformation of global education and
how it’s related to the global capitalism. It’s
like same situation of Republic of China
where they re-fashion the country which
well known as communist nation by open
the door towards the global world. That
is the same thing with this transformation
of education to the commodity things. By
making education as part under means of
production, this can be turn into something
so-called money-making business which
will be love by ‘bourgeoisie’ class. Govern-
ment who control the nation have a power to from top right to bottom
control national education and trade it into 1. A women cum mother for her three childs at India.
the market either domestic or internation- 2. Famous Hollywood actress, Angelina Jolie holds her
ally. This is also one of the things that can adopt son; Maddox.
3.University students during celebration day of convo
be a factor of education commodification. cation.
‘IKEA made in China’ and we can also think about how
was an individual’s education made in money.
Education Made in Money
Nowadays, money is very important in
every daily life and in challenging future
day. It’s gone a be relating back with the
education system where the power of
money can determine individual education
background even this not apply to every-
one. Here, we can see the power of money
creating several boundaries within our social
classes. The gap already created by pass
historical process and still continues in the
same principle in this day and maybe for fu-
ture also. Recap back to the greatest pharaoh
era’s where the slave can be considered as
proletarians society and they are not ‘money
class’.
This class working for their whole life
and don’t get even proper education even
they struggles between life and death in
order to loyal to their company. Ancient
capitalism already marks and create bound-
ary cum gap among the society which can
be considered so-called bourgeoisie and
proletarians. This gap is not only affects the
separation of economy, social and political
system but also education part.
In this millennium era, we can see all of
this still happen even not in direct situation
but still we can think and considered about
that. For example, the question can rise with
asking where the royal class such king’s
sons get their education? Is that the go to the
special school where only royal class can get
get through it? Meaning here special class
need to separate from ordinary people from
get the same education which can be called
standardization. So they not suit to get what
ordinary people or standard civil people
get and that’s why they need to go for royal
school. Is that ordinary people can go to the
same school like the royal class so they can
get same education? This is a question that I
can think in order to relate back the structure
of social system with education matters. We
may be able to see indirectly the property
between bourgeoisie and proletarian people
and this will lead to make all education’s
property as commodity things that can be
sell globally.
‘take it or leave it’ - is that phrase happen to global
education where money is a main matter in getting high
level of education system.
Education So-Called
Money-Making Product
The need of a constantly expanding market
for its products chases bourgeoisie over the
whole surface of the globe. It must nestle
everywhere, settle everywhere, and establish
connections everywhere. The bourgeoisie
hasa through its explotation of the world-
market given a cosmopolitan character
to production and consumption in every
country.
Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto
Policy is a keyword that I believes to-
wards the all matters of transacted education
into commodity form. For example, this
MMU is one of the largest and influences
private university in Malaysia. Before this,
they (MMU) start with low-profile institu-
tions where they historical name is Institute
Telecommunication and Information Tech-
nology (ITTM). During that period, Malay-
sia Government decided to upgrade them to
be University Telekom (UNITELE) where
joint-venture with national corporate com-
pany, TELEKOM (TM) happen. Later on
when the TM announced to be self-private
corporate, this affect to the status of current
MMU even the relation with local Govern-
ment still emerge and continues. But then
this still be a turning point when MMU
become more commercialized parallel with
the national intention of creating Multimedia
Super Corridor (MSC) valley.
As to attract more glocal investor, the
university’s policy seems to deal with that
kind of situation which have great potential
to generate economic income for country.
Education not only be as conventional edu-
cation anymore, the university be as part of
production factory by rejuvenate the inter-
relation between local and private, domestic
and international.
more higher education level more money are needed?
Education industry already involve with
capital things. We know that there are no-
free education in this real world even there
was indirect perception that its already have
free education. Since beginning we became
child, our parents needs to invest some
amounts of money for our long term so-
called education plan. From primary school
till secondary and then later on university.
All of this things needs money as capital and
for sure it’s will affect to the global society.
People who have money can get proper and
better education background compared to
poverty family.
Financial aid offered by some agents
eihter from government or private sector for
educational purpose seems another matters
that relates with capitalism.
Some private university offers programs
for international students and this situation
already creating some kind of capitalism
factor. Students need to pay a fees for ap-
plication process and later on they needs to
pay for university fees which the rate always
differ from local students. So, from all of
this, I see the way that education can turn
into some good business industry.

How can a vertical tower affects its surrounding?
Vertical Urban Campus
This name given according to the interven-
tion that will happen at urban area and for
sure under urban context. This is the task
that I need to complete it in this second
semester of first year. The task is to design
a high-rise which comply with educational
purpose. A tower with educational programs
plugs in inside the stackable spaces and
standing up in central urban area.
I choose Multimedia University(MMU)
as my client and this is the right client
that I think in order to relate back with the
propose site which located at Brickfields, a
vacant green land in front of Kuala Lumpur
Sentral. MMU is not a university who fully
control by local Government even they have
Building as interconnection between architecture and
electronic-media.
a relation and profit between this two par- largest committee after Malay and Chinese.
ties. MMU is a private university which lead Here, we can see the negotiation between
and majoring in multimedia components in design intervention and local context with
our nation. almost non-dominant committee as habitants
Even MMU have a main head-university in vicinity area.
at intelligent city; Cyberjaya and the other
one which is its branch at Melaka and this
two campus considered as ‘horizontal’
campus. This new proposed campus is verti-
cal university and need to negotiate with
surrounding context. Brickfields have its
own historical and past stories of memory
to our nation. Those already happen during
last 3 decades and Brickfields now already
occupied with ‘black’ peoples which known
as Indians. In Malaysia, Indians is a third
Initial idea about media projection from the tower and
the used of hologram technology.
Hani Rashid, LiseAnne Couture (Asymptote Architec-
ture), Guggenheim Virtual Museum, (1999)
Proposed Intervention -
New Emergence
TM Corporation is a key investor that
seat behind this urban intervention at Brick-
fields area. The key challenge is how to
convert a green vacant land into educational
hub that open to global market. Another sort
things is to turn up vicinity context for a
constant development changes after this new
intervention.
New client’s brief needs to compatible
with the site condition where 5000 students
should have proper condition of study envi-
ronments. The site already have approximate
4.3 acres ground surface area and almost flat
land. A new tower will raise up from the site
and must respond to the surround environ-
ment and this is a part of design challenging.
From the very early preliminary design
stage, the main idea is about to create some-
thing that can connect 360 degree communi-
cation and then the question is how to make
it appear. The intentions is to create some
sense of ‘talkative’ building profile espe-
cially during the night cycle. Another things
is about the extra programming that needs to
suit with this client’s mission and vision.
Commercial is one of the general program
which considered as supporting elements
in order to give variable sense of programs
rather than education only.
With a idea of duplicating succesfull place
likes Low Yatt Plaza located at Bukit Bin-
tang area, new IT commercial center will
Ground floor plan
emerge and comoflauge together with
education programs since this MMU urban
campus more focusing on IT and multimedia
majoring. Hardware and software already
well known in this industry, so thats why
IT center can be considerd as most suitable
additional programs.
With this IT center, its allow public
to enter the building in such a control way
regarding to the public-private spaces but
the very important elements here is to create
some sort of communication also collective
spaces between students,staffs and public. A
2-ways communication perhaps can happen
between both parties and appreciation about
knowledges needs to consider together.
Night view from main road (Jalan Tun Sambhantan)
With basic design and built form for this
proposed tower, all top floor starting from 6
level is classrooms,laboratories,intermediat
e green garden and the arena on most upper
part. Conventional programmes for students
and academician composed in a typical way.
Only identicable user can use all top floor
with focusing more to educational purpose.
Since that, the new basic intelligent applied
for the building’s envelope. This is a part
that give more sense for public range from
the surround vast site to ‘integrate’ informal
with this building. The full intergation of
media/information technology with architec-
ture in urban context represents a new kind
of communication surface devoted to
unprecedented forms of arts. The innovative it can reinterpret and rejuvenate the mean-
use of technology and experimental ap- ing of virtual spaces by making the building
proach to communication and social interac- become ‘image’. It is clearly that status level
tion defines new standards in the context doesn’t influenced and restrict public to be
of urban interventions worlwide, raising part this building and experince non-direct
global interest in the integration of digital education of knowledges through new inno-
technology with architecture and reinforcing vative intervention in trans-apparent screens.
the reputation of Brickfields as a centre for
innovation and urban renewal.
Architecture becomes a surface of
communication, sensitive, reactive and
interactive, who consider buildings new
‘urban transmitter’, perhaps can give equal
emotions to all surround audience without
care their status level, classes or education
background. One tower for everbody while

Abdul Hakim Abdullah, Vertical Urban Campus, a
proposal take place at Brickfields.
Conclusion
Education already demands capital in
order to develop, innovate and invest for
the new output of research. In conclusion,
by making an education as one of commod-
ity that can trade into open global market,
this still not exit from issues of capitalism.
Possibility to make education as one of
national sector which can generate economy
for country even the percentages cannot beat
another sector such tourism or industrializa-
tion or any else, but still produce income.
By promoting local university and re-open
the door for the international students also is
another way to show an assence of capital-
ism. The demands and needs leads for indi-
vidu to travel to any country in the world
References
1.Patrick Healy & Gerhard Bruyns, De-/signing the
Urban.Techno-genesis and the urban image, 010 Pub-
lisher, Rotterdam, 2006, pg 45.
2. Paolo Gregory, NEWSCAPES Territories of Com-
plexity, Birkhauser, Basel, 2003, pg 77
3. Miguel Angel Centeno and Joseph Nathan Cohen,
Global Capitalism
Diller + Scofidio, Blur Building, Expo Internationale Tom Kovac, Australian Virtual Pavillion, 2004, interior
2002, Yverdon-les-Bains.
and invest their money as to get specific
education and knowledge. This situation
can happen for individu who have capital
and the question still exist is what about the
others who don’t have capital (money) but
have determination to get specific knowl-
edge. This elements contributes certain gap
in getting knowledge as per mention by Karl
Marx through his idealogy about capitalism.
But architecture have a very strong magic
power in turning all these through intel-
ligent innovation and intervention. This can
produce from the built of building or any
negotiation methods.