Wai Ching LO

15/4

Class session-Job workshop

The most valuable part of today's session is that I discuss with my groupmate on our preference on writing CV and cover letter. It is good to hear their strategies in job hunting. I have never been finding jobs as landscape designer, their opinions are useful reference for me to position myself within other candidates.

We had a discussion on the necessary on the formality of the style of cover letter (like writing the company address), the need of producing tailor make cover for each company. Fruitful discussion, although I will probably be out-competed by them, still happy to know I can push myself even further.

The questions session is also useful. I think I will simply copy some of classmate question and use it as my own during interview (if any interview is granted to me). Their unique perspective helps complement some of my blind spot.

8/4

Class session

Presentation-Delivering a Project (by Barry)

Presentation Barry had the echo problem, such echo problem did not affect the music, but it did affect any human voice in the video. Is that the music of Pink Panther? Nice choice...

Students are assigned different role in the discussion. Although our group is playing the role of lead consultant, I found some role particularly quite difficult to play like the contractors site manager, clerk of work etc. Without being actually worked in these position, it is hard for us to raise concerns

and meaningful discussion corresponding to these stakeholders.

SENT virtual site visit

Such virtual site visit on SENT is the second part of the Urbis sharing session. Much of the time spent on explaining how staffs (Designer staff) are carrying out their plant selection trail on site. Very practical.

Explanation on the contractors, sub-contractors are also explained in this virtual site visit. The importance of building a good information relationship with them are stressed by the Urbis manager(or director?), as settle thing down through informal or private conversation is much faster in most case, saving valuable time for the projects.

1/4

Class session

Presentation-Awarding a Project (Pink group)

This week pink group gave an excellent presentation, they did not do anything fancy, but instead present the necessary information in a very tidy and clean flow. After seeing weeks of presentation with animation, TV show style, I must say I prefer the style of pink group more. Simple, powerful and easily understandable. Amount of information on each slide is comfortable to read and memorize. I must say group present in the later part of the course is doing better and better!

Tender is one of the inevitable step for every company to run a project, good to learn more about this.

The GS and PS I encountered during my years in contractor mostly relate to plantation specification, boring documents, but provide important standard indeed.

Effective style of representation, well done pink group, well done...

Clarification on the difference between tendering types, really useful for me

Office visit-Urbis

Urbis is one of the largest landscape firm in HK, and the office layout of Urbis is pretty much similar to AECOM Shatin office. From the SENT case they have presented, I am impressed by the amount of time and effort spent on testing plantation materials on the landfill site. With professional horticulture in-house team, designer in Urbis can provide soft-scape design with high ecological sensitivities. Such example overthrow my previous prejudice on big consultant firm. And Urbis now became one of my ideal place of starting my career after graduation.

Nevertheless, from the sharing part of employee who are HKU MLA graduate, I realize that Urbis will only hire the best student, competition will be keen indeed.

25/3

Class session

Presentation-Organizing a Project (Green group)

What a presentation, they even made animation. And the voice of the character, I wonder how they did that.

Green group gave a very clear presentation, given the fact that they need to introduce a bunch of terms and technical glossaries. And they even draw their own diagram to explain this. I have the feel that the works presented by Green group is mainly done (or at least initiated) by Ray, one of the most hard working student in this year class. Well done green group, well done Ray.

This is one of my favorite diagram presented by green group, clear, effective and strong. Although I doubt how they determine the extend of risk in each case.

Quiz 3

Again challenging quiz for me, as I am not sure the duties of a LA within a contract. Most of the time I check the box of responsibilities/duties which are not suppose to be done by LA (done by QS, engineerer, client instead). This worry me a bit as it may imply that in my future career I may do many extra works without noticing it. I will go back to these quiz question from time to time.

18/3

Class session

Presentation-Winning a Project (Red group)

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? again... may be Sabrina's group performance is too impressive, it really restrict the creativity of later group's choice of representation. In terms of this TV show presentation style, red group pushes even further by making their "live" video. Performance of red group members in the video is a bit over exaggerated, but I can see they spend much effort in crafting these video.

And their new red stage virtual background is so eye-catching! It really draws my attention and can feel their commitment and determination on today's presentation!

Good to know that the three dominating types of project contracts e.g. the conventional design-bid-build, design-build and small project contract types. I think once you enter a company, especially a large one, it may be difficult for you to have a clear picture of the organization relationship as well as your position within the picture. Good to see these materials being presented today!

Office visit-BLEND

The office visit of BLEND is very useful to me personally, as I have never been to or work at a small landscape firm before. A sharing session by them gives me an insight not only on the types of works I may encounter if I work in similar scale company, but also the way they management different scale of projects.

One thing they share is this detail time schedule of a single projects, I doubt to what extent they can stick to this as there will be so many accidents and uncertainties during the stages of project.

Some considerations regarding to consultancy appointment

11/3

Reading week

As our group has finished the presentation, we can now focus more on our thesis, which is giving more and more pressure as mid-term review is coming...

04/3

Class session

Presentation-Develop or Control (White group)

Very informative presentation, I particularly like the part of tree management e.g. TPRP and EIA process. Such presentation serves as an excellent revision and complement to my existing knowledges acquired from my past working experience and studies. The diagram is useful and clear, I will go back to these slides before I go to any interview.

Quiz2

Again having hard time trying to answer these question correctly, as I regard such questions relating to regulations are stuffs that you don't need to remember all but need to know where to find the corresponding guidelines and technical circular.

Nevertheless, such questions again show that I am not that knowledgeable on government regulation and the responsible departments for landscape submission.

27/2

Collecting glossary from my groupmates

Jessica nominated herself to upload all presentation materials to the website, save our day! Thank you!

25/2

Class session

Presentation-You are the BOSS! (My group)

Our group is responsible for today's presentation, there is some technical issues of echo suddenly happened. During the rehearsal such thing never happened before. Murphy's Law is proven right again! Nevertheless, Maisy solved this problem, she didn't mention how she did that, but she did know some nice trick, thank you!

Classmates response on our interactive session is fine, at least some of them did response to us. And most of them were interested in the interview video, especially the interviewees are the lecturer of HKD DLA.

Quiz1

Questions are pretty challenging for me as I seldom think about those issue in the past. As after graduation I will probably end up working as junior grade/ assistant grade in company, it will take years before I will actually need to account such questions. Nevertheless, good to have chance to think about these issues.

24/2

Group meeting after interim review

Everyone seems exhausted after review

Presentation slides finished, slide layout finish

Assign slides sharing (Maisy)

Assign uploading presentation materials into website (Jessica)

19/2

Group meeting

Too many slides

Simplify interactive session into public voting question

Combining slides to reduce total number of slides

Rearrange presentation content and flow

16/2/2021

Group meeting

Slow progress due to New Year vacation, as expected

Assigned tasks to group mates, schedule meeting on 19/2

Game board layout seems not working, change to more simple presentation flow

11/2/2021

Class session

Interview with Andrea Banaag, AECOM associate

She is an employee from AECOM, quite inspirative, we know more about big company way of work now

Group meeting afterward, assigned deliverables and schedule meeting on 16/2

1. Info slides on interviewee and corresponding companies (by Interviewer)

2. Cut and combine video footages according to responsible part (everyone)

3. Game board representation layout (Maisy)

10/2/2021

Interview with Viraj Chatterjee, founder of Onelandscape on 14:00

9/2/2021

Interview with Ivan & Natalia on 10:30

Interview with Ulrich on 12:00

Group meeting afterward, determining framework of the group presentation

8/2/2021

Discussion with group leaders, assigning works in website construction

1/2/2021

Interview with Merve & Jason, founder of LCC+

LCC+ is a small design company positioning itself more in urban planning than landscape architecture, working style and workflow of LCC+ are heavily influenced by her founders. Being highly flexible and having close partnership with Hong Kong, Shenzhen (China), Netherland, Columbia, LCC+ indeed represent a model of running small "landscape" design in Hong Kong

25/1/2021

Group meeting with other group leaders

Create animation for home page

23/1/2021

Setting up the course handbook website in WIX.com

21/1/2021

Creating a group leader WhatsApp group