Talk Architecture
Hosted by Naziaty Mohd Yaacob, Ph.D.
Malaysian Architect | Universal Design & Accessibility Expert (MS 1184 Specialist) | Former Associate Professor (28+ years) | Advocate for Inclusive Spaces & Women in Architecture
Launched in April 2020, Talk Architecture delivers intimate, reflective conversations on architecture education, practice, and human impact—hosted solely by Naziaty Mohd Yaacob. Rooted in Malaysia yet resonating globally, the podcast connects local insights with universal challenges faced by architects worldwide.
Every episode centres inclusivity, empathy, and equity, drawing on Naziaty’s expertise in universal design, ageing-in-place, sensory architecture, and professional well-being. Global listeners value candid critiques of education models, graduate employability hurdles, and practice realities.
Essential listening for architecture students, professionals, educators, and thought leaders everywhere who are shaping inclusive, resilient built environments in an era of technological and demographic change.
Subscribe on most available platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Podcast, Buzzsprout, Podcaster, Amazon Music etc.
Talk Architecture
The Undervalued Architect: How Education Fuels the Profession's Misunderstanding - Part 1
Another “unfiltered” critic argues that architecture education is the root cause of the profession being undervalued and widely misunderstood. The defense of the profession, we contend, must begin in academia, where the core problem lies in situating architecture schools to comply with—and be dictated by—non-architects who neither understand nor uphold the profession’s essential competencies. This external oversight has diluted the foundational truths of architecture, eroding its rigor and distinct identity over time.
By allowing administrators, accrediting bodies, and university structures dominated by non-practitioners to shape curricula and priorities, schools inadvertently prioritize bureaucratic compliance, interdisciplinary trends, and measurable outcomes over the deep, tacit knowledge and creative judgment that define architectural expertise. This shift not only weakens the training of future architects but also sends a broader signal to society that architecture is a generic design discipline rather than a profound synthesis of art, science, ethics, and cultural responsibility—further contributing to its undervaluation in the public and professional spheres.
Part 2 will be about the "reforms in architecture education".
© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.
Do subscribe for premium content and special features which will help to support and sustain Talk Architecture podcast on a more in-depth explanation on design thesis and processes. These special commentaries and ‘how to’ explanations are valuable insights and knowledge not found elsewhere!