My fieldwork reflection

What does the field work in Aceh means to me?

The most important part of this field work to me is a complete transformation, a shift in perspective and mindset of what value and need is, and what are the ways to meet this needs.

Being away for 10 months away from Melbourne while immersed in other countries has created an impact within me which is unseen. I came back to Melbourne as a changed man, not in judgment, but in perception and expectation in how things work, could work, or how it is being carried out. It question me tremendously about our tolerance, our needs, culture and habits.

Aceh and tsunami has taught me to think of possibilities, of design as an answer out of necessity. The immediate need surpass the concept of aesthetic, order, and properness. Something is made just to answer needs. Almost like saying design is strip out of it’s shell, leaving only the essential because it has to answer the needs Now.
One example I like to bring is a piece of corrugated roof being used as a bonet/hood of the car. The corrugated roof being a hard material and waterproof suited the need to protect the car engines and the electrical cable from rain. It might not be the prettiest thing, but the condition and the choice provide this answer.