Lecture 1

Indigenous Architecture of the Peninsula and Borneo

Sukhjit Kaur Sidhu

• Understanding Vernacular
• Orang Asli forest dwelling
• The Austronesian house
• The kampong
• The basic Malay house
•Types of Malay House
• Coastal and riverine settlements
• Traditional houses of Sabah and Sarawak

Lecture Outline
Understanding Vernacular
Understanding Vernacular

DEFINITION
• Vernacular refers to type of architecture which is indigenous to a specific time or
place (not imported or copied from elsewhere).
• It is most often applied to residential buildings.
•Function of the building is the dominant factor.
•Uses local materials.
• designed by an amateur without any training in design.
Understanding Vernacular

INFLUENCES
Understanding Vernacular

NEEDS
Understanding Vernacular

TECHNOLOGY
-Conditioned by environment.
-Dwellings were built of timber
in forest areas, stone in hilly
places, skins on grassy plains
and deserts, and ice in the artic.
Understanding Vernacular

CULTURE
-The way of life, and the way
people use their shelters
becomes a great influence on
the building form.

-The size of the family units, who

shares which space, how food is
prepared and eaten,
interactions affect the layout
and size of the dwellings.
Understanding Vernacular

CLIMATE
Cold climates
-High thermal mass/insulation.
-Sealed to prevent heat loss
-Small openings

Warm climates
-Use of lighter materials
-Allows cross-ventilation
Orang Asli forest dwellings
Orang Asli forest dwellings

- The Malay term Orang Asli means

‘original people’.
- Malay Peninsula- at least 18 dinstict
groups- comprising 100,000 people.
- There are 3 main groups:
- The Negritos in the North
- The Senoi mainly in the
centre
- The Proto-Malays in the
South.
Orang Asli forest dwellings

- Their dwellings were designed for

basic shelter, not for the storing of
material goods.
- House building never required
professional skills.
- Every able-bodied male was capable of
constructing his own house before he
married.
- House structures have evolved only
minimally over the centuries, from
nomadic to semi-permanent
settlements.
Orang Asli forest dwellings

- Cengal and petaling are used for the

standing poles because they are not
vulnerable to termites.
- Poles are driven into the ground to a
depth of 40 cm measured from elbow to
fingertips.
- Edge beams and roof joists are lashed
to the standing poles with rotan (cane)
- Atap (thatch) roofs from palms that are
woven.
- Bamboo is commonly used for the
walls.
The Austronesian House
The Austronesian House
The Austronesian House
- Linguistic evidence suggests that Proto-Austronesian, the modern Austronesian dialect,
developed on the island of Taiwan by 4000BCE.
- From Taiwan they migrated down through the Philippines around 3000BCE, and thence
into western and eastern Indonesia.
- The Malay Peninsula and Vietnam were reached in a movement back from the Western
Islands of Indonesia sometime after 1000 BCE.

- The Austronesians were clearly accomplished and daring seafarers.

- Astronesians proceeded to displace existing Australoid populations in South East Asia.
- Australoids specialized in hunting, gathering, fishing and cultivation.
The Austronesian House
HOUSE POSTS AND GABLE HORNS
1. Post Construction is the most
characteristic and pervasive of
architectural features shared by the
Austronesians.
2. The extension of the rafters at the
gable ends to form decorative gable
finials in the shape of crossed horns
known in Malay as silang gunting or
‘open scissors’.
3. Another distinctive aspect of design,
prominent in Indonesia and beyond,
is the extension of the ridge line of
the roofsupported by outward-
sloping gable ends and sometimes
combined by a curvature of the roof.
The Austronesian House
COMMON ROOF STYLES

The thatched roof of the Bidayuh community headhouse (pangah) in Sarawak (1) and
of a typical hill tribe house in North Vietnam (2) dominate the entire house structure.
The steep overhang shelters the house from the rain and keeps away glare from the
tropical sun.
The Austronesian House
COMMON ROOF STYLES

The Malay House in Langkawi, Kedah (3), and the Bugis house in Sulawesi, Indonesia
(4), have high pitched roofs. This is an efficient way of allowing rainwater to run off
the roof.
The Austronesian House
COMMON ROOF STYLES

The roof style of the Minangkabau-

style Negeri Sembilan house (5) is
believed to be influenced by the
Sumatran house from Indonesia (6).
The ancestors of the people from
Negeri Sembilan came from the
Minangkabau region.
The Austronesian House
FOREIGN INFLUENCES ON HOUSE DESIGN
- In Kelantan, the use of (1) Thai roof
tiles and (2) heavier wood wall
panels in the Thai style are common.
- Louvered shutters (3) may have
been borrowed from the Portuguese
whose historical presence dates
back a few centuries.
- The courtyard (4) arrangement of
some Melaka houses may also show
Portuguese, or possibly Chinese
influence.
The Kampong
The Kampong
- The Malay Village (kampong) is
situated near the source of the
villagers’ livelihood.
- Fishing villages are found close to
the sea while inland villages are
usually located near paddy fields or
small holdings of rubber trees and
oil palms.
- The houses in fishing villages are
usually more densely grouped than
inland kampongs.
The Kampong

- A kampong comprises several Malay houses and their compounds.

- The houses are usually organized in family clusters, each house being occupied by a family
and each cluster belonging to related families.
The Kampong

- There are no physical boundaries, such as fences.

- Life in the kampong focuses not only on the individual household but also on the
community.
The Kampong

- The public buildings comprise the mosque/surau, cemetery, school and shop, which are
seen as communal rather than formal public spaces.
The Kampong

- The comparatively random layout of a Malay kampong, and the lack of physical barriers,
gives the kampong an informal and open atmosphere which is conducive to communal
activities – such as visiting neighbours and gotong-royong (sharing work with others in the
community)
- The Malay House encourages the concept of sharing and cooperation and preference for
community intimacy.
- Its wide, open veranda, large windows, minimal partitions and open spaces below the
house foster neighbourliness.
The Basic Malay House
The Basic Malay House
CULTURE
-Sitting and doing
almost everything
on the floor (sleeps,
eats and prays).

-Taking off ones

shoes/washing of
the feet upon
entering the house.

-Reception of guest and

division of male and
female area

-The need to roll out

mat for visitors.
The Basic Malay House
NEEDS
-Adequate ventilation for
cooling and reduction
of humidity

-Building materials with

low thermal capacity
so that little heat is
transmitted into the
house.

-Control direct solar

radiation.

-Window openings to
accommodate for
seated posture and to
encourage cross-
ventilation.
The Basic Malay House
NEEDS
-Roofing and insulation
for heavy rain.

-Raising the floor level

to accommodate for
flooding, safety
against animals and
cleanliness of floor.

-Flexibility to
accommodate for
growth of the house.

-Adequate natural
vegetation in the
surrounding to
provide for a cooler
micro-climate
The Basic Malay House
CHARACTERISTICS
-Timber House (post and lintel
structure)

-Raised on stilts

-Free Standing

-Wooden / Bamboo walls

-Thatched roof (attap – made from

nipah)

-Windows plentiful (low level, often

down to the floor-sill level)

-Minimal interior partitions –

openness.

-Hierarchy of floor levels.

The Basic Malay House Sequence/
Terminology:
Anjung:
covered entrance porch
where the stairs lead up
to.
Serambi gantung:
veranda, where guest are
entertained.
Rumah ibu:
core /main house having
the highest floor level.
Selung/Selang:
closed walkway used to
link the rumah dapur and
the rumah ibu.
Rumah Dapur:
kitchen, usually at the
back of the house, and
lowest floor level. Prep.
of food, cooking , eating
and washing. Women
folk often group here to
chat.
The Basic Malay House

Depending on the financial

capacity, it is possible to start a
home with a single unit first – either
with Rumah Dapur or Rumah Ibu.

When there is enough savings, then

the main part could be built or
acquired from another house that
does not require it anymore.

The system is one that is flexible

that rooms could be added onto the
main structure as the needs and
family grows.
Types of Malay House
Types of Malay House
Types of Malay House
Types of Malay House
Types of Malay House
The Minangkabau House
Region:
Negeri Sembilan, originating
from Sumatra.

Feature:
i. Basic rectangular form
ii. Curved roof, ridge is the
lowest in the middle and
slopes upwards at the ends.
iii. Does not have a rumah
tangga, entry is direct into the
main house.
Types of Malay House
The Perak House
Locally known as Rumah Kutai (old
house)

Region:
Settlements along the middle and
lower reaches of the Perak River.

Feature:
i. The basic building units are
normally linked by an intermediate
bay called Selang.
ii. Steep roof with slight change of
pitch.
Types of Malay House
The Kedah House
Locally known as Rumah
Bumbung Panjang

Region:
Kedah, Perlis

Feature:
i. Main approach to the house is
usually from the gable end
instead of the eave-side.
ii. Main floor is raised higher
above ground, compared to the
other types, for carrying out
activities beneath (related to rice
farming / fishing)
Types of Malay House
The Kelantan & Terengganu House
Region:
East Coast – Kelantan,
Trengganu.

Feature:
i. Sharp elaborated
exterior profiles.
ii. Excellent decorative
works
iii. Variety of materials
used.
iv. Decorative fascia
board at each gable
end.
v. Flat clay roofing
tiles.
vi. Few external
windows.
Coastal & Riverine Settlements
Coastal & Riverine Settlements
Generally there
are two kinds of
waterfront
settlements:

-Houses built on
rafts (rumah rakit).

-Houses on stilts
(rumah tiang
seribu)
Coastal & Riverine Settlements
Coastal & Riverine Settlements
Rumah Rakit (Raft Houses)
-Made of dried bamboo

- The house is tied to the raft to

hold it in position and the raft
is anchored to the sea bed to
keep it from being swept away
by strong currents.

- Rumah rakit dwellers often

have a floating fish farm
nearby.
Coastal & Riverine Settlements
Rumah Tiang Seribu (House on Stilts)
- Houses built on very tall stilts
which are erected on the river
or sea bed.

-The houses are linked to one

another by wooden
boardwalks.

- The timber stilts are made

from wood available from
Mangrove swamps nearby

- Houses are built in tight

clusters within a limited
sheltered area.
Traditional Houses of Sabah and
Sarawak
Traditional House of Sabah
There are two major types:
• Communal longhouse (eg. Rungus
longhouse and Murut longhouse)
• Individual houses (eg. Bajau house,
Bonggi house, Bamboo house, and
Lotud house)

Despite the diverse ethnic groups,

generally they share similar
dwelling features:
1. Houses built on stilts
2. Pitch roofs
3. Well ventilated
4. Constructed of timber and
other local materials.
Traditional House of Sabah
The Murut Longhouse
- Consists of several family apartments (sulap) at the rear of the
house and a communal verandah (saloh) at the front.
- Each sulap contains an earthen fireplace and a sleeping area for a
couple and their unmarried daughters.
Traditional House of Sabah

The Individual House 1:

The Bajau House (an open
plan concept
Traditional House of Sabah

The Individual
House 2:
The Bamboo House
(adapting to the
environment.
Traditional House of Sabah

The Individual House 3:

The Lotud House: A
symbolic, ordered
space.
 Traditional House of Sabah
The Individual House 4:
The Bonggi house:
Permanence in a shifting
culture
Longhouses of Sarawak
-Different
longhouses in
Sarawak share
similar spatial
organisation,
several families
accommodated
under one roof.

-Each family has its

own private
unit but shares
communal areas.
Longhouses of Sarawak
-The size of a
longhouse may
vary from 20 to
over 80
apartments.
- average house
may accommodate
200 to 300 people
or up to 800 in
larger longhouses.
- A long gallery
runs through the
house and open
onto a deck which
is the drying area
for crops such as
rice and pepper;
fish and laundry.
Longhouses of Sarawak
Longhouses of Sarawak
The End

Sukhjit Kaur Sidhu