(Em)Powering Through (PUJA)

Digital Art by PUJA Brunei Representative, Hafizah Nor / ACYA 2021

The drawing depicts the struggles of living in a post-covid era where social distancing will persist in our lives and our urban realm. This structural change of proximity has changed how we socialize and come together. Separated houses represent young architects who are unique and individually driven, each developing their own identity and building up their career.

Despite our new-found remoteness, architects are constantly finding new innovative ways on how to share knowledge and empower each other in this industry. The silver lining is that we have had to reinvent ways to collaborate digitally and ironically has made the world more accessible. We are building new connections that traverses borders.

Rooting the drawing, there are old historic photographs of Brunei embedded onto the houses to portray how our distinct heritage and locality influence us as young architects as we navigate beyond the new normal