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Vernacular architectureEQUATORIAL CLIMATEMalaysia

EQUATORAnequatoris the intersection of asphere's surface with theplaneperpendicular to the sphere'saxis of rotationand containing the sphere'scentre of mass.Equator is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface equidistant from theNorth PoleandSouth Polethat divides the Earth into aNorthern Hemisphere and aSouthern Hemisphere.

EQUATOR

The zone of the Equator has a tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate.

Usually, its average annual temperature is around 30 C (86F) during the day and 23 C (73F) at night.

Rainfall is very high, usually from 2,500 to 3,500 mm per year.

Average precipitation days are around 200 per year and average sunshine hours are around 2000 per yeaAs the name specifies, the equatorial climate is found at or near the equator.

The characteristic features of the temperature, humidity and rainfall are described below:Temperature:The temperature, therefore is uniformly high through out the year.

The average temperature of each month hovers around 80 F (27 C) .

The difference between the hottest and coolest month is very small, normally less than 5 F (3 C).

Rainfall is heavy and falls uniformly in each month of the year

. Relative humidity is also excessive.

The total annual rainfall for the equatorial regions is generally more than 80 inches (2000 mm) and the average relative humidity is around 80 %The Equatorial Climate

This climate is found in areas located very close to the equator.

The climate is hot and humid all the year round with excessive rainfall.

There is no dry season and the rainfall is equally distributed in all months of the year.

This type of climate is also called the climate of three eighties i.e., 80 F ( 27 C ) temperature throughout the year, 80 in (2000 mm) or more total annual rainfall and 80% relative humidity throughout the year.

This type of climate is found in Indonesia and Malaysia

MALAYSIAMalaysia is afederal constitutional monarchy inSoutheast Asia.

Situated in the South East Asian region, the Federation of Malaysia comprises Peninsula Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

It consists of thirteen states and three federal territoriesand has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres (127,350 sqmi).

Land borders are shared withThailand, Indonesia, andBrunei, and maritime borders exist withSingapore,Vietnam, and thePhilippines.

The capital city isKuala Lumpur, whilePutrajayais the seat of the federal government.

Malaysia contains the southernmost point of continentalEurasia,Tanjung Piai, and is located near the equator and has atropicalclimate.

It has abiodiverserange offlora and fauna, and is considered amegadiverse country.

The country ismulti-ethnicandmulti-cultural, factors that influence its culture and play a large role in politics.

Islam is the state religion, although freedom of religion is protected bya secular constitution.

CLIMATE OF MALAYSIALocated near theequator, Malaysia's climate is categorised asequatorial, being hot and humid throughout the year.

The average rainfall is 250 centimetres (98in) a year.

The average temperature is27 C(80.6F).

Climate changeis likely to have a significant effect on Malaysia, increasingsea levelsand rainfall, increasing flooding risks and leading to large droughts.

The coasts have a sunny climate, with temperatures ranging between23 C(73.4F)and32 C(89.6F), and rainfall ranging from 10 centimetres (4in) to 30 centimetres (12in) a month.

The lowlands have a similar temperature, but follow a more distinctive rainfall pattern and show very high humidity levels.

The highlands are cooler and wetter, and display a greater temperature variation.

MALAYSIAN (MALAY) ARCHITECTURETraditional Malay architecture employs sophisticated architectural processes ideally suited to tropical conditions.

Structures built on stilts, which allow cross-ventilating breeze beneath the dwelling to cool the house whilst mitigating the effects of the occasional flood.

High-pitched roofs and large windows not only allow cross-ventilation but are also carved with intricate organic designs.

Traditional houses in Negeri Sembilan were built of hard wood and entirely free of nails. They are built using beams, which are held together by wedges.

A beautiful example of this type of architecture can be seen in the Old Palace of Sri Menanti in Negeri Sembilan, which was built around 1905.

PALACE OF SRI MENANTI IN NEGERI, SEMBILAN

The magnificent five-storey Sri Menanti old palace was built in 1902 to replace the original traditional palace, which was razed in 1875 by British soldiers during the Sungai Ujong war.

Designed and built by two local craftsmen and carpenters, Tukang Kahar and Tukang Taib, the wooden palace or "Istana Lama" (old palace) was originally built without the use of a single nail or screw, and the whole complex was completed in 1908.

Built entirely of hardwood timber extracted from the forest, the building features 99 pillars.

The front has a long breezy balcony and the main pillars reach the top centre tower at about 21m high.

This building is probably the tallest existing traditional all-timber structure in the world.

The palace was the official residence of the Negeri Sembilan royal family until 1931 when it was found to be inadequate for the growing functions of the state. It now houses the Royal Museum.

The complex is often the venue and subject of study and research among students and professionals in architecture and traditional Malay arts.

99 pillars denote the 99 warriors of the various united clans of the state, with the pillars carved in intricate Malay gold flower motifs.

It is currently in the process of consideration as a UNESCO world heritage site.

These villages are called "kampongs" inBahasa Malaysia.

Notice that 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.

Kampong houses are detached houses and they usually have no fences around them

The traditional Malaysian house serves the housing needs of the majority of people living in rural areas of Malaysia.

ARCHITECTURE (MALAY HOUSES)Malay houses can be described as raised on timber stilts and made of materials which were easily available from the tropical forests such as timber, bamboo, rattan, tree roots and leaves.

The traditional Malay house is primarily a timber structure, built off the ground using the post-and-beam method by local carpenters or by the owners themselves.

Its walls are usually made of timber, although bamboo is still used in certain areas.

Numerous full-length windows line the walls, providing both ventilation and a view outside.

The high-pitched, gabled roof, which dominates the house, was traditionally covered with thatch but is now more often covered

Usually the houses havepitched roofs, verandas or porches in front, high ceilings and lots of big openings for ventilation purposes.

Although these characteristics are particularly common in all Malay houses throughout the Peninsular Malaysia, their shapes and sizesdiffer from state to state.

The traditional Malay house is influenced by various factors like climate, lifestyle, the owner's economic status, the surroundings, available building materials and various myths .

The Malay house was designed and built taking these points much into account-

LAYOUT- The traditional Malay house is a timber house raised on stilts. Basically, it has post structure with wooden or bamboo walls and thatched roof.

Wood post and beam construction rest on a stone foundation and the piles that raise from the ground continue through the first floor to support the rest of the building.

VENTILATION- There are numerous features in the traditional Malay house that are geared towards providing effective ventilation.

This is shown by the many voids of the building in its windows, ventilation grilles and panels; the open stilted bottom; and its open interiors with minimum partitions.

CROSS VENTILATION- The house is raised on stilts to catch winds of a higher velocity. The elongated structure of the traditional Malay house with minimal partitions in the interior, allows easy passage of air and cross-ventilation.The carved wooden panels and wooden grilles in the house are also effective ventilation devices.

VENTILATION AT BODY LEVEL- Windows are plentiful in the Malay house and since the body level is the most vital area for ventilation, full-length fully openable windows are used.

VENTILATION AT ROOF SPACES- The sail-like (gable end) of the roof is used to trap and direct air to ventilate the roof space.Ventilation joints in the roof called the patah are another creative ventilation device used to ventilate the roof space.Besides ensuring adequate ventilation in the interior of the house, winds from the exterior are also encouraged to flow through the house.The random arrangement of the houses and the careful planting and selection of trees ensure that winds are not blocked for the houses in the latter path of the wind.

RAISED FLOOR- The raised floor being a key element of the local vernacular architecture, has its advantages.

ADVANTAGES OF A RAISED FLOOR ARE :

Using stilts enables the building to work better with the natural terrain, when it comes to creating a level floor.

In low lying, flood prone areas, raised dwellings will not be seriously affected by flash floods.

The raised floor also provides the occupants with an increased level of privacy as there is no direct visual connection at eye level from the streets.

Levels of internal thermal comfort are increased as direct heat from the ground is diffused and the raised level optimizes the opportunity for the interiors to be naturally ventilated with land breezes.

Materials -The lightweight construction of the Malay house with minimum mass and much voids, using low-thermal-capacity and high-insulation materials, is most appropriate for thermal comfort in climate.The wood, bamboo and attap used have good insulating properties and they retain or conduct little heat into the building.

Overhangs and exposed vertical areas -Solar radiation is effectively controlled by the large thatched Malay house roof with large overhangs.The large overhangs which provide good shading also provide good protection against driving rain.They also allow the windows to be left open most of the time for ventilation, even during the rain.

The walls of the house are low, thus effectively reducing the vertical areas of the house exposed to solar radiation.The low walls also make the task of shading easier.

The Malay house is also designed to control direct exposure to heat from direct sunlight.

Orientation -Traditionally, many Malay houses are oriented to face Mecca for religious reasons.This East-West orientation of the house reduces the exposure of the house to direct solar radiation.

VEGETATION -The compound of the house is also often heavily shaded with trees and covered with vegetation.This sets the house in a cooler environment, by the trees and vegetation not absorbing and storing heat from solar radiation and reradiating it into the environment.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES:

Renewable and natural materials like timber and bamboo were used for the construction.

They often constructed their dwellings without any use of metal including nails.

The Malays used pre-cut holes and grooves to fit the timber building elements into one another, effectively making it a Prefabricated house.

Ropes were used to fasten bamboo pieces together.

In fact for short distances, the nail-free flexibility and relatively lightweight timber even allowed a house to be lifted onmany shoulders and carried to anotherspot.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES:

The traditional Malay house is primarily a timber structure, built off the ground using the post-and-beam method by local carpenters or by the owners themselves.

Its walls are usually made of timber, although bamboo is still used in certain areas.

Numerous full-length windows line the walls, providing both ventilation and a view outside.

The high-pitched, gabled roof, which dominates the house, was traditionally covered with thatch

but is now more often covered with galvanized iron.

The traditional Malay house is primarily a timber structure, built off the ground using the post-and-beam method by local carpenters or by the owners themselves.

Its walls are usually made of timber, although bamboo is still used in certain areas.

Numerous full-length windows line the walls, providing both ventilation and a view outside.

The high-pitched, gabled roof, which dominates the house, was traditionally covered with thatch but is now more often covered with galvanized iron.

DESIGN FEATURES:

A timber house with a post and lintel structure raised on stilts, with wooden, bamboo, or thatched walls and a thatched roof, the house is designed to suit the tropical climate.

Houses were raised on stilts and piles to avoid wild animals, to be above floods, to deter thieves and for added ventilation.

The elevation of the house and its windows, holed carvings and slatted panels around the walls and thatch or clay tile roofs all contribute to the cooling ambience.

Malay palaces up to five or six storeys high built entirely in nail-free timber.

Numerous full-length windows line the walls, provide both ventilation and a view outside

DESIGN FEATURES:

Roofs were classified in two broad categories-Roof with gable endsRoof with pyramidal variations

Traditional house roofs also always have wide overhangs for Shading and protection from heavy tropical downpours.

Roofshave beautifully carved timber eaves to decorate the visual connection between roof and sky.

HOUSE FORMS IN MALAY:

Various traditional houses can be identified in Peninsular Malaysia.

They are classified mainly by their roof shapes.

The basic houseforms are the bumbung panjang, bumbung lima, bumbung perak and bumbung limas.

The most common houseform is the bumbung panjang, characterised by a long gable roof.

The bumbung panjang houses are the oldest identified in Peninsular Malaysia, many of them being over a hundred years old and still in good condition.

The bumbung panjang is the simplest of the four houseforms.

It has a simple gable roof, supported by kingposts.

The most common roofing material used for the bumbung panjang is the attap (a thatch made from nipah and other palm trees found in the local natural vegetation).

The basic house forms are classified according to form of its bumbung(roof).

Bumbung panjangBumbung limaBumbung perak and Bumbung limas.

Bumbung lima house has a hipped roof, Bumbung perakHouse has a gambrel roof andBumbung limasHouse has the pyramidal roof.

The bumbung panjangis the simplest of the four houseforms

It has a simple gable roof, supported by kingposts.

The most common roofing material used for the bumbungpanjang is the attap (a thatch made from nipah and other palm trees found in the local natural vegetation).

The simple bumbungpanjang roof-form is most efficient in its ventilation properties. Its simple funnel shape, the use of ventilation grilles at its gable ends (tebarlayar)and the use of ventilation joints allow good ventilation of the roof, space which cools the house effectively.

The roof is simple and easy to construct, and this partly explains the popularity of this house form among the poorer villagers and those who build houses themselves. The bumbungpanjang, due to its simplicity, is a very efficient roof-form for making additions to the house.

Basically, the traditional Malay house can be divided into the front and back portions which are centred around the rumah ibu (the core house) andthe dapur (kitchen) respectively.At the entrances, stairs lead up to a covered porch called the anjung.

The porch acts as a good transition spacebetween the public and the private domains.

The anjung also acts as an important focal point for the entrance. Unfamiliarvisitors and guests are entertained here.

PLANNING LAYOUT:

these indigenous materials is efficient and harmonizes with nature whilst providing effective protection against the elements.

While maintaining the authenticy of Malay image and culture, various approaches in blending the indigenous building materials are applied to, such as to ensure efficient heat transfer, to maintain effective ventilation and to protect from direct sunshine thus regulating indoor temperature.

Thermal comfort within the house is an important factors hence the choice of building materials with low thermal capacity.

The materials used tend to be lightweight and therefore do not retain heat for long periods of time (low thermal mass).

All the materials depict an intellectual understanding of local materials which are easily adapted and crafted towards emphasizing on a well balanced sustainable development.

FLOOR -

The floor is raised to about two metres from the ground and is usually made of wood from the ficus plant species or wooden planks from the sawmil.There are also those that are made from strips of palm trunk or from hollow bamboo about 5-6 cm wide.These strips are arranged on top of joists called the rasuk , ruk and gelegar.

Between each piece of wood or strips , there are gaps of about 2cm so that the house does not float away in the event of a flood.

In addition , there is a wooden beam , called bendul encircling the outer regions of the floor of a house , forming a frame for the floor of the house , as well as within the house , serving to divide the house into its various rooms and sections.

PILLARS -

The house sits on 12 or 16 main pillars called tiang seri or tiang adat.These are made of cengal , marbau or damar wood and come in different shapes : round , square or octagonal.Some houses have straight pillars whereas some are cut so that the bottom of the pillar is bigger than the top , resulting in a more stable pillar.

The foot of the pillar is called kaki gajah (literallly elephants foot).Pillars are not planted into the ground but just laid onto a base made of cut stone, bricks or concrete.Pillars are not planted into the ground because due to regular unrest or outbreak of disease , there was sometimes a need to shift to safer areas