Leon recalls the first trip to Cambodia.
During the first week of March, I had the incredible
opportunity to travel to Cambodia with a group of good friends to
participate in a design trip and site visit for a dormitory that we have
been designing for the past many months. With a desire to use our
professional and creative talents for good, we sought an architectural
need and ultimately discovered an opportunity to design a dormitory for a
unique group of students in Cambodia.
A diagrammatic study of the 2-story dorm building.
We met on weekends over the course of several months, gathering ideas, information and inspiration for the dorm.
Sheltering what matters.
In the city of Poipet, a children’s center has been established by Imparting Smiles,
a group whose desire and commitment is to create opportunities for
impoverished children. In a country stricken with poverty and a history
of genocide, to say there is much need in Cambodia is an understatement.
The children’s center is a haven, where the mission is to provide more
than just adequate food to eat, clean water to drink and a place to
live, but to nurture a strong education and understanding so each child
would be equipped to make a better future for themselves and an impact
in their communities and country.
For the first time, a generation of students at the center
are ready for higher education, but are in need of a place to live near
the university. Our design task was to develop a dorm building to fit
the needs of this next generation. We were invited to visit Cambodia to
survey the site, observe local construction techniques and help make
significant design decisions.
Spending time with the kids.
Our week in Cambodia
Our weeklong journey was fast, yet so full.
We met the children and future students at the children’s
center. It was a memorable experience, spending time with the kids,
playing guitars, volleyball and other activities. I even got to speak
with a few of the senior students, who would be attending university in
the coming year, and who would be living in the dorm we designed. It was
a special time, listening to the students talk about dreams for the
future, and seeing how truly unique the opportunity for education is for
these courageous guys and girls. Though they have very little by the
world’s standards, I was impressed by their steadfast joy and sincere
hope.
During our time there, we also visited other building
projects, a local mason, plant nurseries and historical architecture,
including the monumental temples of Angkor Wat. Though the weather was
hot and humid, the mango smoothies helped ease the heat, and all of the
meals we had were nothing short of delicious.
A glimpse of the construction site. Almost all of the laborers
were women, their children enjoyed playing around the construction and
brought a youthful energy to the site.
The perimeter fence (in the background) was the first thing to
go up. Foundations were being dug out and poured while we were there.
A sample of the local stone… a showcase of the natural beauty of the site.
Wandering the ruins of Angkor.
A sample of Cambodian cuisine. We ate like kings (this was breakfast!)
A typical hotel-room work session.
The traveling team: Leon, George, Anthony, Paul, and Justin
What’s next?
We are currently continuing work and design efforts to
finalize a masterplan for the dorm site, which will include a sports
field, garden spaces and designs for metal grillwork and masonry, as
well as plots for future building growth. It’s been really fun to use my
passion for design and education in architecture to be able to provide
for a building need, and to perhaps inspire the Cambodian students in
the pursuit of their own passions.
I’m so grateful to RSM for their support in making this trip a
reality for me. It’s awesome to think that the efforts of our team were
not limited to the 5 who traveled, but the many who were involved in
contributing, collaborating, praying and cheering us on. I’m excited to
see how this journey progresses.
-Leon
Look at that smile
