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| genre: heritage title: akitektur melayu #15 (tebar layar #2) medium: watercolor on paper 300gsm (Canson) size: 21cm x 29.7cm year: 2013 price: myr 400.00 |
The history of the architecture of Malay houses which were inhabited by the Malays is less clear as well as the history of the houses they inhabit in. By the sketchy annotation proved, Malays had formed the cluster of houses and villages which were usually built near the rivers and on the coasts. They built the houses that influenced by the environment and society lifestyle at that time. In relation to Malay house architecture, it is a very clear similarity with the early architecture of Malay traditional houses found in Singgora and other provinces in southern Thailand as an example, the houses with twelve columns in Kelantan and Terengganu.
In the 15th century, it has already existed the Malay kingdom of Malacca based on Islamic rules. Through the Malay History in the book named Silalatus Salatin, there is some record that describes the architecture of a Sultan Mansur Shah's palace, the king over Malacca from 1459 to 1477. Notes concerning this palace are the earliest records of a building of the Malay community, that is, Malays after converting to Islam. It is undeniable that the architecture of king palaces had a relationship and a very close relationship with the architecture of Malay houses themselves.
In the history of Malays, there is a note explaining about the custom and prohibition in the Malay reigns in relation to a number of government regulations. One of the regulations in the manners is prohibited people to build multi storey houses with balconies and windows in the attic. It is during Sultan Mansur Shah from 1424 to 1447.
In the history of Johor, there are entries explained the Portuguese army attacked in the Johor Government Center based in Kota Batu in Johor Lama. The attack occurred in 1587 had caused a large number of Malay houses burned down. A Dutch admiral named Cornelis Matelief visited to Malay villages in Johor, reported that Malay houses built on poles. The materials of poles were obtained around them such as; Thorn Tree (Nibong), Areca Nut Tree (Pinang), Bamboo and small sticks. Most of the roofs were made of Nypa, Rumbia or Bertam.
Concept and Function: Generally, the forms of houses around the world consist of three main forms namely, house half underground (or a semi subterranean dwelling), the house on the ground (or surface dwelling), and houses of scaffolds or supported (or pile dwellings). Malay House Traditional is the house on stilts. The function of the house is as a refuge. Most of the Malay houses were built on stilts and can be dismantled; removable; moved; and re-erected on other sites. However, on some sites there are houses built permanently.
Rumah in the Malay language means a house. Rumah is the oldest Malay word. The original using of it is still questionable. Javanese mentions bhodo for ‘house’ which gives a broader meaning. The word bhodo also applies to mention for a building, and is not merely a function of a family dwelling house. The house is as a shelter against the rain and heat; as a base starting point, berth, and turn back; the place for individual and community; and the venue for a number of activities and various others. Thus, the house is a necessity of human life. It is very important after the needs of food, drink and clothing. The Malays are inseparable with houses as they are born, live and die. This process is also related to the houses as their residences.
By the point of psychology, the house gives a sense of security; peace; an atmosphere of harmony; a place to love and care for; obtain peace of mind; and so on. The Malays thought that the house is a piece of the place in their land which actually belongs to them, indeed. The house becomes a symbol of the status of its occupant. Therefore, every Malay has their own style and own way based on their ability and circumstances to have a house, according to their own preferences.
By the physical point, it is divided into three segments adapted to building structure as safe havens. The segments are: give strength, compatibility with the environment, the use and selection of substances. The structure of the house has three segments. It created a number of different interpretations. Some have argued that the division of the three segments represented three important stages in human life namely; birth, life, and death which often occur not far from home. The arrangement contains three levels. It reflects on the human physical senses. The three parts are head, body, and legs. So, it is the nature of the Malay traditional house.
• For adapting to the lifestyle of Malays that very conscious on honor custom and manners should not conflict with Islamic regulation, then the Malay house layouts built with certain space that is, space separated between men and women. The space for men located in the front, that is, the formal space consisting of verandah, porch, house stairwell, and lounging-place. The central part of the house or main home was usually used by women. This part was the space used for a variety of indoor activities. The central part of the house or passive part consists rooms for women special space. Some houses have Selasar space, interval space, and sun-dried. This section serves as a place of women for meeting and talking. At the rear was known as the kitchen or the active part. This section has space for cooking, a rack for storing kitchen goodies, stoves, and clothesline. The place for the well was usually at outside the house. Water from a well was used for drinking, bathing and washing.
• The roof structure. One of its specialty features is, if looked from the wall side, we would see a steep roof of inverted V-shaped. This roof structure is usually covered with a lightweight roof called Atap, and it becomes a good absorber of internal heat which is usually made of Nypa leaves, Rumbia leaves, and Bertam fronds. On both sides of this roof structure are equipped with the frames well known as Tebar Layar Kecil for preventing rainwater runoff into the house and allows air flowing in and out of the house. The roof form called Tebar Layar is one of the roof forms in Malay built-environment.
• Generally, the floor of the Malay traditional house was high and upraised of ground level. It is caused, most of the Malay traditional houses were built along the river banks and near the seas, so, the floor levels of them were suitable if upraised high from ground level. In addition to be functioning to dodge the flood, they were also suitable for overcoming wild animal attacks. This existence also allows to make a slit hole at the edge of the floor intended to serve as a flow in and a flow out the air.
Wood: The traditional Malay house is made of wood material which can be found in their environment and forests nearby. Wood is a very appropriate element as it has natural properties to form a good house structure. The type of wood to be preferred for the house is as following: Balau (columns, joists and sill pillar), Resak (columns, joists, beams, beam and jejenang, Merbau (columns, beams and stairs), Cengal (columns and beams), Bakau Kurap (columns, beams, beams and rafters), Bakau Minyak (columns, beams and rafters), Lengadai (columns) and Kulim (battens, rafters, roof and roof bones). Other building materials are Areca Nut Stem, Bayas, Rengas, Keruing, and Balau. The types of Bamboo canes or Buluh for house material construction are Buluh Kasap (floors, walls and rafters female), Buluh Temi (floors and walls), Buluh Akar (floors and walls), Buluh Beting (columns, girders, beams and sills), and Buluh Minyak (floors, walls, joists, rafters and beams). In the olden days, the wood for the house structures was difficult to be obtained. Usually a particular people especially carpenter or woodworker had to get into the forest for months to be getting suitable wood. Looking for the best wood in the forest was a heavier task than building a house because there were a lot of risks and hindrance. Therefore, usually the people tasked for finding wood were more than five persons. This result lead to house construction processing would take many years to be completed. It relied also on the financial position of a house owner. Thus, a longer time to be taken for a house constructing was not caused by weakness or a low workmanship level of the house artisans. The real facts were a long time to get the best wood, time to make and keep the equipment for constructing a house, and financial problems of the house owner. Firstly, wood or wood for framing of the house such as; columns, beams, joists and beams would be soaked in the river for months. So that, the wood is not easy to be eaten by pests or to be powder. Thus, the type of wood used must be of the best and hardest wood.
Roof: On the roof structure of a house there is the roof. The building material of it is called Atap. It is most atop on a house. There are different types of roofs used to cover a house. The kinds of them are Bertam roof, Palm fronds, Ijuk roof, Thatched roof, Tile roof, Cement Roof, Corrugated Zink roof, and Wooden roof. Leaves roof such as; Rumbia roof, Nypa roof and Bertam roof are the first used in the Malay traditional houses. In certain places, these roofs are still used until now. Bertam roof is awning-shaped-like, and it is a different roof than Thatched roof. Thatched fronds as still low and can be easily hacked as during age about three to five-year. Sago leaves had to be taken using a bamboo ladder. Ways for making Rumbia roof similar to Nypa Roof. It requires weaver roofing material and string to poke the fronds. Ijuk roof made of hairs found on Nau or Kabung tree trunks, a type of tree grows in our forest. This tree grows tall as Cucuh tree that grows in the forest. Bertam tree is the same type of Cucuh tree that grows in the bush and in the woods. Wood roofing or Atap Kayu commonly used for the palaces of kings or great men only, occurred especially in Kelantan and Terengganu. Usually, the roof makers were women. They were called Pengatap. The duties of men were to take the materials in the particular areas such as swamps, on along river banks, and so on.
Zinc Roof was first introduced in Malaysia Peninsular in the 19th century by foreign influences. Around the years 1900 to 1941 the Corrugated Zinc Roof became the pride of Malays who using it for roofing to their homes. In Kelantan and Terengganu, the tile primarily made of Singgora clay tiles has long been used. Until now this roof type is still being used in old houses there are in the Malay peninsula.
The decorative motifs in Malay House: States in the Malay Peninsula such as; Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Negeri Sembilan are famous for wood carving activities, indeed. The close relationship between these states has influenced the development of their carving designs. Wood carvings found in the Malay traditional house are not merely decorative, but having another important function which is integrated. Perforated ornately carved found in the separation walls is to facilitate the flow of air between the interior space and exterior space. In addition, the carving is able to create an interesting pattern, seen from outside and inside the house. Carving patterns are also divided into several types namely common patterns, perforation patterns, and etched. The motifs used in the patterns have some specific meaning and have a connection with the spiritual aspect. In Peninsular Malaysia, carving motifs are more likely to art appreciation based on Islamic principles and some are oriented plants, geometry and calligraphy. However, in limited circumstances, a variety of interesting patterns were produced. Till now, some of the uses of these patterns are still available in Malay traditional houses. Among the carving patterns which are in a Malay house are; Pattern Kite board, Pattern of Lizard Head Board, and Pattern of Window grille board. The result of these carvings has obviously demonstrated art subtlety and skill of wood carvers. These wood carvings are still maintained until now. However, the Malay traditional houses now have almost been extinct and many of them have widely not developed anymore. The existing houses already frail in terms of preservation. It may be due by a shortage of skilled carpenters unlike the olden days. Development and the influence of modern architecture greatly influenced the appearance in the Malaysia houses. Modern houses which made of brick and concrete has been widely established than wooden houses. The situation becomes even worse when the wood has used as raw commodities for export purposes.
Carpentry Tools:
The plane: Generally, the plane or wood shaver has a fairly wide blade, changeable, and adapted to the wood surface. There is also the narrow blade plane. Among the most common planes to be used are plane for levelling, plane for grooves, and plane for smoothing.
• Ketam Perapat is the longest plane. It is used for straightening, levelling and smoothing the edges of wood to build the mortise, dovetail groove, tongue and dovetail joinery pegs. There are various forms of Ketam Perapat. The plane for detergent is used for smoothing the groove of the board or wood. If groove surface was more fine, it could produce more tidy and more effective in a dovetail.
• Curve blade plane is to make long line arising form. It has a curved blade. It is rarely used. It has an edge curve. Different types of planes used to make a variety of forms, between patterns on a frame, beautiful decoration on the board, and patterns on a wooden corner. The shape of a plane blade would be able to determine the pattern to be produced.
Tali Sifat: There are two parts of this tool, which are a part of a rotor yarn and a black ink. It is used to mark the relatively long wood. Pulling the inky yarn till strained over the wood surface, is the first step. Ways to use, it is tense the yarn and then pulled it up to 1 foot and released on the wood surface. It would give ink line.
• Wood marker: Traditional Wooden Marker is made of wood. It may be used as Tali Sifat. However, this tool is quite difficult on rough or curved board. The wood to be marked should be cleaned or be planed well, so that it is flat and smooth before marked.
The Saw: A hand or power tool used to cut hard material (as wood, metal, or bone) and equipped usually with a toothed blade or disk. Generally, the saw for wooden works is composed of a number of names according to the usefulness of each.
- Multiple saw: It is used to do the work of cutting and splitting.
- Head saw: This saw is used to cut timber.
This type has also a two-part holder.
- Double policy saw: It has two cutters.
- Bow saw: It to make arches. Its face was not wide.
Usually, it has a separate holder with cutter.
- Pit saw: It to make the hole. This saw is narrow-faced.
By the use of traditional equipment: The cutting saw used for cutting wood in cross-section. The splitting saw used to split wood in lengthways. The narrow face saw is used to make wood perforation.
Pepatil: It is a tool used to make the wood surface as curved, convex, curves, and smooth. It also is a tool used to make the curve, convexity, buckling, and rounded on the wood. The cutter of it made of Steel and has a handle made of core wood such as Halban. It is a little hoe like. It is also used to make curve for traditional boats.
Conclusion: Authentic architecturally in the Malay’s traditional house has a high value in art and engineering. It needed to be preserved and developed for young generation, so that they can understand and appreciate the best. It is due, authentic of this architecture is formed from the community those who practice as following: collaborative; consensuses; patience; diligence; sensitivity to the environment; appreciation of nature; environmental harness; it is not for individual wealth; and contain an element of worship. More meaningful if our community can reevaluate the superiority of our art, and may be incorporated into the development mainstream of modern society. Our community should now together correlate to ensure the architecture of Malay traditional houses continues to be appreciated. The Malay traditional house is not merely a portrait of the aesthetics and creativity of the Malays, even support to the socioeconomic needs, culture, and the environment. All efforts have been done by all parties, particularly from the government that supposed getting collaboration from the people. It is to ensure the Malay community inherits the artistic skills and continue to grow.
The original notes were obtained in English and Malay. I then blended and merged them into English. There are parts which have been added and reduced. The arrangement of texts is according to my way. This note is a simple analysis of the tradition architecturally in the Malay realm. Some amount of the author's knowledge was also combined with this writing. Maybe there are parts that might confuse dear readers. If so, I beg forgiveness.The painting above is in a watercolor medium.