Blueprint for the Future: Aqilah Naqlis

Aqilah Naqlis is art personified. Creativity flows in her blood - as evident in her interests in fine arts, as well as beautifying one's self with make-up. We find out more about the young lady from UM in this Q&A session. 

Photo from her Instagram account

How did you decide on what course to study after your high school? 

To be honest, even after SPM I was still unsure of what to study, but I knew it had to be something creative.

My father works in the construction industry himself so he suggested I took up Architecture as it was a mediator between both art and logic. I was immediately drawn to the design aspect of the study!

What made you decide to go to Universiti Malaya (UM)?

UM has earned its good reputation over the years but to be frank I was interested in the flexibility of living on the UM Campus.

I was excited for its strategic location, nestled in between KL and PJ. Furthermore, the course I took had us always scouring for art supplies for our projects and it wasn't difficult to find given the location. The lecturers were amazing as well.

Share with us any memorable experience in your campus's life.  What makes it unforgettable?

A memorable experience I had while studying was when my group had to construct and build a working furniture. We ended up building a separator/wall feature made for the garden where the user could place potted plants and a makeshift table so the user could work on his/her terrariums.

We got to use our faculty's wood workshop and stayed up nights to complete this huge project ourselves. It was my first real experience working with wood and I really enjoyed the hands-on project and being a first-year student at the time, we really bonded and built a strong relationship amongst studio mates! (Some of them even delve into furniture design and carpentry after graduating!)

What are the top three tips you will give to students who would like to study architecture?

• Be sure to build strong relationships amongst your studio mates.

You will most probably end up practically living in the studio and spending most of your time with them, so it's good to build strong friendships. Learn with and from each other. DON'T be stingy with your knowledge. The studio is usually designed for peer learning.

• While competition is good and helps you strive harder, don't beat yourself up over not achieving your target or when you see others doing better than you.

Studying architecture can be emotional torture, so it's important that you keep an emotional balance at all times. Instead, compete with yourself, try your best to improve with every crit and project given.

• Always be ready to learn on your own.

This was something I had to learn the hard way. Fresh from secondary school, most of us are used to being spoonfed information (as much as some of us find it hard to admit). You don't have to live in the library (although most great info can be acquired through books); try incorporating architecture and design into your daily life, such as apps in your phone.

Try going on Pinterest, Youtube, Dezeen, (there are many current design blogs) and following architecture accounts/ students from other institutions to keep you updated and interested with what's going on in the scene.

Aqilah during her graduation in Universiti Malaya.

What are the top five items you cannot live without during college?

• A sleeping bag
• A small bag of my toiletries essentials (in case I decide to stay up overnight at the studio)
• My sketchbook
• My sturdy pair of black boots (matches and dresses up anything)
• A small pillow to lie my head on when I need to nap at the studio :(

Where do you see yourself in five years time? 

As of now, I'm currently working as an Assistant Architect in a firm, and though I'm gaining a lot of experience, architecture has really opened my mind to other forms of design and art. I want to thoroughly dive into fine art as it's another love of mine.

Learning about Architecture movements, as well as architecture in different cultures help me better understand art and people. I have always been into fashion and would love to apply design and management skills from learning architecture into maybe starting my own fashion business. However, that's still up in the air right now, so wish me luck!