Sustainable Qualities in Vernacular Houses (Understanding Local Wisdom

of Malay vernacular houses)

Anson Ferdiant Diem *)

*)

Lecturer of Architecture for Directorate General of Higher Education

Introduction

Malay vernacular house focuses on the relationship among local lifestyles, natural environment, domestic dwellings and local wisdom. Local wisdom represents the local knowledge based on local cultural values. Local wisdom can be perceived through peoples everyday life because the end of sedimentation from local wisdom is tradition. Local wisdom can become potential energy to develop their environment to become civilized. Local wisdom is a result from common response with environment condition around them.

Physical Appearance

Building forms were the result of collective local wisdom that was contextually adjusted over time and attuned with nature and local life styles. The settlement of local villages widely recognized by the term Kampung. Posses unique qualities of shading trees and interconnected open spaces without rigid boundaries. The flow of open space reflects the strong social dependencies among inhabitants.

The Malay House (Yuan, 1987) Building a Malay House (Gibbs: 1987)

Site Plan

Site planning of Malay vernacular house depends largely on Islamic belief and its environment. Layout can split into two parts, front and back yard. Front yard is the area for welcoming quest and is decorated with various ornamental plants. Placement, some houses place the back yards near water, as the kitchen requires an intense water usage. Courtyards, front yard and back yard have been switched when time and environment have changed.

Floor Plan and Space Utilization

Originally, the local Malays raised their houses on stilts. Rumah ibu, or the main area located at the front parts. Rumah tengah, including kitchen area and Dapur located on the back part of the house. Transitional space, that connected Rumah Ibu and Rumah tengah called Selang The covered entrance porch served as semi-outdoor guest area called Anjung and can be observed upon entering the house. Next to Anjung was an opened verandah called Serambi Gantung where guests would be entertained and its floor levels dropped around one step. (17 cm)

Design and Layout

Functions of space

Rumah ibu served as multi-purpose area for activities ranging from basics such as:

Sitting Sleeping Praying Studying Sewing On special occasions served as feasting for wedding ceremony.

Adjacent to Rumah ibu on the opposite side of Serambi Gantung is a closed verandah called Serambi Samanaik is used as an extended area of Rumah ibu and circulation spaces leading to Selang (Yuan: 1987)

Functions of space.(2)

The adjoining area, Selang, between Rumah Ibu and Kitchen area was used as sub-entrance and living area for women who usually spend their time in the kitchen (Yuan: 1987). Gaps between wood planks of kitchen floor seemed purposeful serving as drainage slot to allow water to drain directly onto the previous ground underneath. Dapur was one of the lowest levels and also the least tidy area of the house while the floor level of Rumah Ibu was the highest and cleanliness area.

Additions of space

Houseforms and Materials

In a traditional Malay house, timber is used for the building structures, rattan and tree roots are used for tieing up joints whereas bamboo and leaves are used for floors and walls. Nowadays the use of local building materials has gradually diminished. Industrialized materials such as bricks, concrete, zinc-corrugated sheets, asbestos sheets, and glass are now generally used for additions and renovations of these dwellings. These industrialized materials has contributed to an increased air temperature inside the house as they absorb and emit heat to the surrounding environment differently than the local building materials.

Arts and Crafts

The housing decorations are the way they express their warship to the place. The pattern of air vents that help ventilate the rising hot air inside the house to the outside environment were designed carefully by imitating Islamic scripts, floral design and geometric design.

Climatic Design

Beliefs and Customs

In building ones house, Malays believed in paying respect to spirits of the house and its site by conducting religious rituals in choosing the site and erecting the major column (Tiang seri) with the help from Bomoh or Pawang. In choosing the building sites, top of surrounding hills was preferred and valleys and low flooded area must be avoided. The house should face east while the Dapur should face west. These rules are no longer practiced, instead the Malays faced their houses towards the road. When Tiang Seri is being erected, pieces of white, red, and black cloth would be tied in the middle of it together with a young coconut and carved stick. These colored cloths were called Bunga Halang. It was believed that Bunga halang would chase away evil spirits as well give Semangat to the house. The ceremony of erecting Tiang seri is gradually fading away as no one use wood structure in building their houses anymore.

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. Those rules reflected the concept of living in harmony with nature addressing natural forces such as sunlight and water. Today modern living have led to changes in local life styles turning agricultural community 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. New generations have moved out to work in the urban area. Elderly especially women were left behind with houses in decay. Clearly the ability to retain vernacular architectural and landscape integrity over times depends on the locals perceptions of vernacular houses value and the profound knowledge of construction systems in adapting these houses to accommodate todays livings.

Thank you