When I was young, I often spent hours looking out of the windows of my apartment in Hong Kong observing how old structures were being torn down and new structures were being built. Back then, buildings were not that high. From where we lived – at the seventh floor – I remember as a small kid, I could see how people lived their lives in the building opposite. There were lots of illegal structures constructed on the roof top and I was used to see – through the eyes of a small boy (with lots of imagination) – how people prepared and cooked their food in the kitchens, people going in and out of the toilets, and family members arguing with each other. An unsightly scene I know but not without the charm of curiosity.
Years later, from the same set of windows through the eyes of a young boy, I have seen how pedestrian bridge was built. And I have seen how an office was built, then a hotel. It has always been a fascination to observe the different kind of machinery works together in such a slow manner. But yet, as we all know how time flies, a beautiful structure is built from ground up and suddenly we ask ourselves: wait a minute, it wasn’t there a while back.
And a while back, in the year of 2006 dated September 1st, I walked pass a construction site diagonally opposite Sim Lim Square. I was in awe when I had a peep at the site inside (picture on the left) and it was drawing me into it. The feeling is as such: life outside the fence operates as per normal while what lies inside is a big pot of mystery. Something is growing rapidly. I had no idea what it was but I took a picture anyway.
September 26, 2007, I visited Sim Lim Square and this time, I saw a beautiful building that is close to completion (picture on the right). I admired the building in great length so much so that I missed the taxi that I was supposed to flag down. I did a research at home and this building is the LASALLE College of the Arts.
You must be thinking, since from young I have this fascination of construction, why didn’t I become a civil engineer instead? Even my mother thought that I would be an engineer of some sort. This got me thinking that in life, there are three types of career – career that you fascinate (no proven track record if you can or cannot do that job), career that you have passion with (something to do with any of your hobbies that you have shown talent), and career that earns a living. In my case and in the above said order, that would be an engineer, playing in a rock band, and being stuck inside an office cubicle. If you have found a career that you fascinate since young, have passion with, and earn you a good living, I sincerely congratulate you. Please share your story with me.
In the same month when I discovered LASALLE College of the Arts, at my Godmother’s birthday party, I met someone who works in the construction business. His company does project management work – conceptually not too different from the kind of things I have done – primarily working on the “design and implementation” of condominiums in Singapore. He explained to me that this team takes in the architect’s design and contracts teams of specialists in making the blueprint a reality.
One question came into my mind. How much does it cost to build a condominium?
A 30-ish tall condominium in 3 to 4 blocks with a total unit size of 400-ish at a non-prime location costs S$70 to S$80 million to build. That works out to be an average of S$200,000 per unit. I enquired further on the cost allocation and learned that in general, 30% goes to the raw building in concrete form, 30% goes to the internal piping and wiring and utilities, and finally 30% goes to the “surfacing” (i.e. tiles and standard furniture). For prime location, expect up to 40% of allocation to the “surfacing” work. I didn’t ask him where does the rest of 10% goes to. It must be the cost of project management and the paper work I suppose. The timeline of each project? 18 to 24 months.
Back to LASALLE, I wonder if there are relevant courses that will enhance some of my art hobbies. If there is, I will let you know for sure.
5 replies on “So This Is LASALLE College Of The Arts (Singapore)”
oh… you remind me of our childhood days with all the heavy machinery and the big ‘banging’ sounds when the construction was on… haven’t thought that you had observed so many things and imagined so far at that time.. 🙂
Regarding career, I still believe in a career that you have passion with, on top of earning a living. This is also something I am struggling internally recently. Am I too idealistic? Or am I just lack of persistence? Is it too early to tell whether I like it or not? Or is it too obvious that I try to fit myself to a job that can make a living? … it is never easy to tell precisely…
Hey sis, I think you were still a baby when I stood at the window the whole day looking at space 🙂 My memory has gone blurry somehow but I hope that much of it is not my pure imagination (you can never tell, really).
If you found something you have passion in and make it as a career to earn a living, that is really good news. And if you are working on something that fascinates you since young, I think that is priceless.
Wow, construction project time-lines have shortened, for sure. And now I’m informed of a new building near Sim Lim. What a contrast if Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts is still there. I remember NAFA’s old buildings/architecture.
Ya, it is pretty amazing, isn’t it? Just in 2 years a building is built. I think by and large it is true except those super tall office buildings that may take a bit longer?
That reminds me to take a before image of the one that is now in construction at Somerset MRT station.
NAFA at Middle Road? The one white in color with 4 or 5 storeys? It is still there I think.
[…] in year 1996 when the construction was started and another one in 1997 when it was completed (see my previous blog entry). Perhaps life is as such: At times we go through changes in life and some are dusty, some are […]