UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN

UEBA3523 Asian Architecture

PART B: The Malaysian House

NG TZE WAY STUDIO 4 1803893

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION: 1

THE NEW MALAYSIAN HOUSE:

2. CASE STUDY 1: THE APPLICATION OF MATERIALS 2-5

WOOI RESIDENCE BY WOOI ARCHITECTS

3. CASE STUDY 2: THE APPLICATION OF PASSIVE DESIGN 6-10

TROPICAL BOX HOUSE BY WHBC ARCHITECTS

4. CONCLUSION 11

5. REFERENCES 12
1. INTRODUCTION:
THE NEW MALAYSIAN HOUSE:

THE APPLICATION OF MATERIALS

In Malaysia, there are a lot of Malaysian houses and villages. These villages are called
"kampung" in Malay. They are built with stilts below and they have large windows. This is
mainly to keep the building cool and the stilts elevate the building to keep them away from
floods. The traditional Malaysian house, basically, a timber house with a post and lintel
structure raised on stilts, with wooden, bamboo and a thatched roof, the house is designed
to suit the tropical climate.

The new Malaysian house demonstrates from a traditional style of houses used to be
back then to a modern style but to related with the location of the site and climate in
Malaysia. In the new style of Malaysian houses, materials such as timber and bamboo still
being used in the construction but more to the finishes to make the design more aesthetic
and respond to the context.

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2. CASE STUDY 1: WOOI RESIDENCE
SHAH ALAM, SELANGOR

ARCHITECTS: WOOI LOK KUANG, WOOI ARCHITECTS

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Wooi House, completed in 2003. The starting point for the construction of the house was the
positioning of the main 16-metre-high structural column. This is closely connected with the
tradition of building a kampung house where ‘tiang seri’ (principal post) is first placed on the
selected site, which related to the identity of the traditional Malay house.

Figure 2.1: The middle column, analogous with ‘tiang seri’ or primary post of a traditional Malay Kampung
house, is the heart of Wooi Residence.

Source: https://www.wooiarchitect.org/#/wooi/

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 MATERIAL EXPLORATION
Local hardwoods are carefully used, and the humble brickwork is exposed - unlike that of
almost 90% of Malaysian buildings allowing the workmen to take pride in their craft. Common
bricks are used but wide joints make up for inconsistencies and irregular sizes and gives the walls an
incredibly tactile quality. The bricks are slightly underburnt, which adds to the texture.

Figure 2.2: Wide mortar joints and the bonding style of the bricks give the walls an exceptionally tactile quality.

Figure 2.3: The airy stairs made from ever expanding Cengal.

Source: http://mtc.com.my/resources-Projects-WooiResidenceSelangor.php

The most famous wood is probably Cengal, a type of hardwood locally available in Malaysia. As
an architect that puts a lot of emphasis on utilising and understanding fully the local resources, he
utilised cengal extensively as sun shading façade and giving the exterior its signature foresty look.
The timber will smoothen and turn silver when exposed to the elements, and that property allows
the building façade to age well and change subtly with time.

Ar. Wooi took the conventional materials and use it in a way that is rarely seen and that reflects
his characteristics as an architect. The tectonics that arise from the conventional materials of timber
and bricks is special in this case as it stands out from the normal architecture in Malaysia. The
unfinished aesthetics goes in trend with contemporary Malaysian architecture, reducing budget at
the same time providing a sense of rawness.

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FLOOR PLANS, ELEVATIONS AND SECTIONS

Both plans and sections are designed to

ensure that no direct sunlight enters the main
rooms. The layout plan in Wooi Residence takes
advantages of the North-South orientation to
allow optimum natural lighting. The house has a
kidney-shaped plan with three floors fanning
around and overlooking the central garden.

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 The levels are split so that
gaps are created for effective
air movement and thus
reducing discomfort of tropical
humidity. The unifying
element is the oversailing
umbrella like roof with large
overhang to shade the
brickwall and various parts of
the house.

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3.CASE STUDY 2:TROPICAL BOX HOUSE
DAMANSARA HEIGHTS, KUALA LUMPUR

ARCHITECT: WHBC ARCHITECTS

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

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 Tropical Box House is a concrete tropical box that embrace the "jungle" see and the intension of
the architect is to protect the building from tropical sun and rain but at the same time embrace the
natural environment that the house sits within.

In Malaysia tropic climate, heat is always an issue. Addition to that, in normal residential area,
passive ventilation and passive shading are not paid attention. Egg crate system is a facade function
well as a passive shading and ventilation device but seldom are used because of its aesthetic values
but Tropical box house boldly adopt egg crate system as the facade of the building.

PASSIVE SHADING & VENTILATION

EGG CRATE SYSTEM

External shading devices are most effective barrier against sun and have the most
pronounced effect on the aesthetics of a building (Lechner, 2009). The combination of vertical
and horizontal shading elements is called the egg crate system. It is effective by controlling the
penetration by both the altitude and azimuth angle of the sun. For Tropical Box house, the egg
crate system is located at the West and North part of the building. It has concrete fins with 150mm
thickness by various openings frame at a controlled rhythm that allows the optimum daylight to
enter the building.

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 Figure 3.1: Elevation & First floor plan, with red highlighted area shows the egg crate system.

BUILDING LAYOUT

Tropical Box House is North-East oriented to receive the prevailing wind coming from each
direction according to seasons pass through the building to create natural ventilation. The

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unobstructed space of the building maximizes the ventilation so that the main spaces can be cooled
with natural ventilation instead of air con.

Figure 3.2: Ground Floor Plan. Shows the building orientation of the Tropical Box house receives the
prevailing wind in different seasons to maximizes natural ventilation.

LARGE OPENINGS

The significant egg crate system also acted as the large opening to maximize the cross
ventilation to provide indoor comfort. Whereas the south façade of the building is totally uncovered
as this there will be wind from the South directly ventilate the building throughout the whole year in
Malaysia.

Figure 3.3: The uncovered

South façade of the
building that receive the
wind from the South
throughout the year.

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Figure 3.4: Egg crate system at the west and north façade create cross ventilation during the monsoon seasons.

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Figure 3.5: The uncovered South façade let cross ventilation flow through the open layout plan.

COMPARISON WITH MALAY VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

Malay Vernacular Architecture Tropical Box House

Figure 3.6: Section of the building shows the cross ventilation through the interior of the building.

Using egg crate system as the shading device is

Using large roof eaves to shade the building from effective in hot climate. The egg crate system
the sun. When the windows are shaded, the indoor reduces the heat gain but draws the controlled
room temperature will decrease and the thermal amount of daylight in and the view towards outdoor
comfort can be reached. is no obstructed.

The West and North façade of the egg crate system

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 The fully open sized window allows the cross with large openings is designed to welcome the
ventilation to happen to cool the interior spaces. prevailing wind thus the effectiveness of cross
ventilation to cool the spaces is increased.

4. CONCLUSION

Over the years of various building constructions that has been developed, it is clear to one’s
observation that Malaysian houses share the same characteristics: openness and well-ventilated in
order and are designed based on Malay Vernacular Architecture but in the modern aspect to
withstand our tropical climatic conditions.

Based on the research of these two buildings, I conclude that these building show the existence
of sustainability as the architects are environmentally aware (using eco-friendly materials) and
proposing designs that are innovative and functional (passive shading & ventilation).

In future, a Malaysian house is no longer typical tropical architecture, the arise of sustainability
concept implemented creates the uniqueness of the design to the contact of being a ‘ Malaysian
House’.

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5. REFERENCES
(2020). Retrieved 11 April 2020, from http://anzasca.net/wp-
content/uploads/2014/08/ANZAScA2004_Kamal.pdf

Ahmad Sanusi Hassan. (2004). Issues in sustainable development of architecture in Malaysia.

[Minden], Pulau Pinang: Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Fairuz, A. (2020). THE NEW MALAYSIAN HOUSE: THE APPLICATION OF MATERIALS. Retrieved 11
April 2020, from https://www.slideshare.net/HafizMasri/the-new-malaysian-house-the-
application-of-materials-125086124

Goad, P., Lim, T., & Bingham-Hall, P. (2007). Recent Malaysian architecture. [Kuala Lumpur]:
Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia.

Lyee, J. (2020). Theories of Malaysian Architecture. Retrieved 11 April 2020, from

https://issuu.com/jessielyee/docs/theories_of_malaysian_architecture

Malaysian Timber Council. (2020). Retrieved 11 April 2020, from http://mtc.com.my/resources-

Projects-WooiResidenceSelangor.php

Passive design | YourHome. (2020). Retrieved 11 April 2020, from

https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design

Powell, R., & Lim KS, A. (2012). The New Malaysian House. New York: Tuttle Pub.

Wee Min, C. (2020). Final case study tropical box house. Retrieved 11 April 2020, from
https://www.slideshare.net/wmchia1/final-case-study-tropical-box-house

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