Think City recently signed a Chapter Agreement with the International Network of Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism (INTBAU) in London to recognise Think City as the official host of INTBAU Malaysia.

INTBAU Malaysia represents the 33rd chapter of the global INTBAU network, dedicated to creating better places through traditional building, architecture and urbanism.

INTBAU was established in 2001 with about 6,000 members in over 100 countries worldwide under the patronage of its founder, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

Programme Director of Think City, Lee Jia Ping, who signed the agreement on behalf of Think City said the aim of INTBAU are closely aligned with much of what Think City is already doing.

“Our close relationships with both the Getty Conservation Institute and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, as well as our work with the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) and Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) has looked at how we can leverage our existing built heritage to make our cities more liveable, and using traditional building and design principles to enhance our decision making today”, she said.

Much of traditional town planning have made the cities safer and more pleasant places to be, an emphasis on the pedestrian and active streetscapes are two examples. 

One of the main missions of INTBAU is to support traditional buildings where building materials are usually more sustainable than the commonly used concrete, often drawn from renewable resources that have less impact on the environment.

Traditional building materials when combined with traditional designs frequently provide better protection from the tropical climate with natural ventilation and cooling.

“With the impacts of climate change becoming more apparent every year, we need to rethink how we design and construct our buildings,” said Jia Ping.

INTBAU Malaysia will allow Think City to leverage INTBAU’s global network as a resource, drawing on the expertise of professionals from around the world. 

“We will be hosting a number of events to raise awareness of the local Chapter, including capacity building, public talks, and forums. 

“These will be targeted at not only professionals but also towards students that will be tomorrow’s citymakers.

“Think City will also look to partner with other Chapters to work on a physical project that can best highlight the principles of traditional building and architecture, while at the same time try to ensure that the practices can be implemented in existing projects,” she concluded.

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