Designing Community B40 Upskilling Spaces in Malaysia on Spatial Narrative, Social Interaction, and Visitor Experience
List of Authors
Azizi Bahauddin, Ismi Luqman Hamadi Ibrahim, Mohd Azri Mohd Jain Noordin, Muhammad Rizal Khairuddin, Nik Umar Solihin Nik Kamaruzaman, Nor Diyana Mustapa, Nurul Izzati Othmani
Keyword
Community Upskilling Spaces; B40 Communities; Spatial Narrative; Social Interaction; Visitor Experience
Abstract
This paper shows how the B40 community upskilling spaces in Malaysia can be part of employability, lifelong learning, and the aspiration towards social mobility for economically disadvantaged communities. They are part of a national lead ‘inclusive growth and skills up-lift’ campaign, and as such the Interior Architecture design within these spaces is more than training; instead, also providing spatial narratives, social infrastructures and user experiences. Unlike formal vocational or educational institutions, B40 upskilling community spaces would have to simultaneously respond to a range of learning needs, informal skills transfers and community participation needs in a place that fosters pride, agency and social belonging. The function of these spaces is largely shaped by the extent to which learning space strategies are generated within their interior, in response to learning processes, community and empowerment. This paper attempts to examine spatial design of B40 community upskilling spaces in Malaysia, with focus on their spatial layout, zoning strategy, social interaction nodes and environment quality that contribute towards user and visitor experience. Utilizing a qualitative inquiry, the study explores community-based B40 upskilling spaces through semi-structured interviews with users, facilitators and designers and user experience feedback. Findings reveal the organization approach of cohesive spaces, zoned functions and well-planned contested spaces have a strong contribution to provide orientation, engagement and peer interaction. Informal collaboration spaces and flexible training stations throughout the space, combined with sensory-rich interior elements encourage co-skills learning and community participation. The study suggests design recommendations, that focused on narrative clarity, social interaction and flexible space; and inclusive design characteristics of B40 section in promoting community engagement.