EVIE ALBANIA . REANNE ENDONILA . GHAYLE HERMOSURA . TRICIA MARVI NAVARRO .

HANNAH NUNEZ

MALAYSIA
G R O U P 4
TRADITIONAL MALAYSIAN HOUSES
The traditional Malay house is a living artifact that spatially
frames the rituals. It implicitly projects the notion of rituals in
everyday routine, which accentuates the Malays values and
manner.
Malay architecture is greatly affected by
climate and weather. Hence, the traditional
Malay houses are almost always raised on
timber stilts or pile to elevate and protect the
building from floods and also serve as a
source of natural ventilation. No nails are ever
used in a traditional Malay house as pre-cut
holes and grooves were used to fit the timber
together. Roofs of these houses are typically
steep and have wide overhangs for shading
and protection from tropical downpours.
There are usually 2 parts to a traditional
Malay house: the main house (Rumah Ibu)
and the kitchen annex (Rumah Dapur). The
Rumah Dapur is separated from the Rumah
Ibu for fire protection as the bulk of the
buildings are made from timber. One or
more verandas (Serambi) are attached to the
Rumah Ibu for seated work, relaxation, or
where non-familiar visitors would be
entertained, thus preserving the privacy of
the interior.
WHAT’S THE MALAY HOUSE?
 It is difficult to define what the Malay house is.
This is due to the meaning of the word "Malay,"
which is not clear. Legally, Malay is defined as "a
person who professes the Muslim religion, speaks
the Malay language, conforms to Malay customs.
If a Malay house is a house that is owned or lived
in by this person, then this definition does not
hold true, because there are many instances
when these houses are not lived in or owned by a
person so defined. Therefore, it is difficult to
legally define a Malay house. Malay is also
defined as "a member of the people of the Malay
peninsula, Eastern Sumatra, and some adjacent
islands.
 These people have developed their own distinct
house types, therefore making it even more
difficult to define a so-called Malay house.
Maybe it is erroneous to assume a single
meaning for the term Malay house.
Nevertheless, this study assumes a definition
generally accepted by authors dealing with this
subject, both for the sake of simplicity and
operational use. From this assumption and based
on the different groups of people who had
immigrated and settled in the different states in
Peninsular Malaysia, the Malay
 The Malay house is
divided into areas, rather
than rooms, for various
social and household
activities. Malay house
styles, particularly the
design of the roof, vary
from state to state in
Peninsular Malaysia, but
the basic house form and
construction methods are
similar.
In the tradition of vernacular houses, the Malay
house is not professionally designed but has
evolved over a period of time using readily
available local materials, which suited the local
climatic and environmental conditions. The
design of the house has also been dictated by
the social mores of the Malays, such as the
provision of a private space for the womenfolk
and a public space for the entertaining of male
guests, because the Malay house is always
considered a unit of a larger community in the
village.