sustainable qualities in vernacular houses of malay

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    Anson Ferdiant Diem *)

    Sustainable

    Qualities in

    Vernacular Houses(Understanding Local Wisdomof Malay vernacular houses)

    *) Lecturer of Architecture for Directorate General of Higher Education

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    Introduction

    Malay vernacular house focuses on the relationship among locallifestyles, natural environment, domestic dwellings and localwisdom.

    Local wisdom represents the local knowledge based on local

    cultural values. Local wisdom can be perceived through peopleseveryday life because the end of sedimentation from local wisdomis tradition. Local wisdom can become potential energy to developtheir environment to become civilized. Local wisdom is a resultfrom common response with environment condition around them.

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    Building forms were the resultof collective local wisdom thatwas contextually adjusted overtime and attuned with natureand local life styles.

    The settlement of local villageswidely recognized by the termKampung.

    Posses unique qualities of

    shading trees andinterconnected open spaceswithout rigid boundaries.

    The flow of open space reflectsthe strong social dependenciesamong inhabitants.

    The Malay House

    (Yuan, 1987)Building a Malay House

    (Gibbs: 1987)

    Physical Appearance

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    Site Plan

    Site planning of Malay vernacularhouse depends largely on Islamicbelief and its environment.

    Layout can split into two parts, frontand back yard. Front yard is the areafor welcoming quest and isdecorated with various ornamentalplants.

    Placement, some houses place theback yards near water, as thekitchen requires an intense waterusage.

    Courtyards, front yard and back yardhave been switched when time andenvironment have changed.

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    Floor Plan and Space Utilization

    Originally, the local Malays raisedtheir houses on stilts.

    Rumah ibu, or the main arealocated at the front parts.

    Rumah tengah, including kitchenarea and Dapur located on the backpart of the house.

    Transitional space, that connectedRumah Ibu and Rumah tengahcalled Selang

    The covered entrance porch servedas semi-outdoor guest area calledAnjung and can be observed uponentering the house.

    Next to Anjung was an openedverandah called Serambi Gantungwhere guests would be entertainedand its floor levels dropped aroundone step. (17 cm)

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    Design and Layout

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    Functions of space

    Rumah ibu served as multi-purpose area for activities rangingfrom basics such as: Sitting

    Sleeping

    Praying Studying

    Sewing

    On special occasions served as feasting for wedding ceremony.

    Adjacent to Rumah ibuon the opposite side ofSerambiGantungis a closed verandah called Serambi Samanaikis

    used as an extended area of Rumah ibu and circulationspaces leading to Selang(Yuan: 1987)

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    The adjoining area, Selang, between Rumah Ibuand Kitchen area was used as sub-entrance andliving area for women who usually spend their timein the kitchen (Yuan: 1987).

    Gaps between wood planks of kitchen floor seemedpurposeful serving as drainage slot to allow water todrain directly onto the previous ground underneath.

    Dapurwas one of the lowest levels and also theleast tidy area of the house while the floor level ofRumah Ibuwas the highest and cleanliness area.

    Functions of space.(2)

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    Additions of space

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    Houseforms and Materials

    In a traditional Malay house, timber is usedfor the building structures, rattan and treeroots are used for tieing up joints whereasbamboo and leaves are used for floors andwalls.

    Nowadays the use of local buildingmaterials has gradually diminished.Industrialized materials such as bricks,concrete, zinc-corrugated sheets,asbestos sheets, and glass are nowgenerally used for additions andrenovations of these dwellings.

    These industrialized materials hascontributed to an increased airtemperature inside the house as theyabsorb and emit heat to the surroundingenvironment differently than the localbuilding materials.

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    Arts and Crafts

    The housing decorationsare the way they expresstheir warship to the place.

    The pattern of air vents thathelp ventilate the rising hotair inside the house to theoutside environment weredesigned carefully byimitating Islamic scripts,

    floral design and geometricdesign.

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    Climatic Design

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    Beliefs and Customs

    In building ones house, Malays believed in paying respect to spiritsof the house and its site by conducting religious rituals in choosingthe site and erecting the major column (Tiang seri) with the help fromBomoh or Pawang.

    In choosing the building sites, top of surrounding hills was preferredand valleys and low flooded area must be avoided.

    The house should face east while the Dapur should face west. Theserules are no longer practiced, instead the Malays faced their housestowards the road.

    When Tiang Seri is being erected, pieces of white, red, and blackcloth would be tied in the middle of it together with a young coconutand carved stick. These colored cloths were called Bunga Halang. It

    was believed that Bunga halang would chase away evil spirits as wellgive Semangat to the house. The ceremony of erecting Tiang seri isgradually fading away as no one use wood structure in building theirhouses anymore.

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    Conclusions Malay vernacular house was the result of collective local wisdom that was

    contextually adjusted over time and was attuned to nature and local life styles. In the past, the Malays chose building sites and Tiang seri locations as well as

    orientation of buildings by following guidance of Islam and animism. Thoserules reflected the concept of living in harmony with nature addressing naturalforces such as sunlight and water.

    Today modern living have led to changes in local life styles turning agriculturalcommunity into urban community. Industrialized materials were used for

    renovations and additions to dwelling units instead of using local materials. Enclosed mass form of the houses resulted from adding new spaces on ground

    floor changes affected the aesthetics of Malay vernacular houses.

    The sustainable quality of the Malay vernacular houses has transformed. Newgenerations have moved out to work in the urban area. Elderly especiallywomen were left behind with houses in decay. Clearly the ability to retainvernacular architectural and landscape integrity over times depends on the

    locals perceptions of vernacularhouses value and the profound knowledge ofconstruction systems in adapting these houses to accommodate todays livings.

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    Thank you