The traditional Malay house is well-suited for Malaysia's hot and humid equatorial climate. It is built on stilts with large windows and high ceilings to maximize cross ventilation. The walls are made of timber or bamboo and the roof is high-pitched and covered with thatch or tiles to provide shade. Different roof shapes classify the various house styles found in Malaysia. The Old Palace of Sri Menanti is a five-story timber palace built without nails using an ingenious joint system.

1. EQUATORIAL CLIMATE
Malaysia

2. EQUATOR
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with
the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the
sphere's centre of mass.
Equator is an imaginary line on the Earth's surface equidistant from the North
Pole and South Pole that divides the Earth into a Northern Hemisphere and
a Southern Hemisphere.
EQUATOR

3. 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 (86 °F) during the day and 23 °C
(73 °F) 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 yea
As 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).

4. 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

5. MALAYSIA
Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast 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 territories and has a total
landmass of 329,847 square kilometres (127,350 sq mi).
 Land borders are shared with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei, and maritime
borders exist with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal
government.
Malaysia contains the southernmost point of continental Eurasia, Tanjung Piai,
and is located near the equator and has a tropical climate.

6. It has a biodiverse range of flora and fauna, and is considered a megadiverse
country.
The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, factors that influence its culture
and play a large role in politics.
Islam is the state religion, although freedom of religion is protected by a secular
constitution.

7. CLIMATE OF MALAYSIA
Located near the equator, Malaysia's climate is categorised as equatorial, being
hot and humid throughout the year.
The average rainfall is 250 centimetres (98 in) a year.
The average temperature is 27 °C (80.6 °F).
Climate change is likely to have a significant effect on Malaysia, increasing sea
levels and rainfall, increasing flooding risks and leading to large droughts.
The coasts have a sunny climate, with temperatures ranging between 23
°C (73.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F), and rainfall ranging from 10 centimetres (4 in) to
30 centimetres (12 in) 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.

8. MALAYSIAN (MALAY) ARCHITECTURE
Traditional 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.

9. PALACE OF SRI MENANTI IN NEGERI, SEMBILAN

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. ARCHITECTURE (MALAY HOUSES)
These villages are called "kampongs" in
Bahasa 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.
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.

13. 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

14. Usually the houses have pitched 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 sizes differ 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 .

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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 on
many shoulders and carried to another
spot.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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

24. Roofs were classified in two broad categories-
•Roof with gable ends
•Roof 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.

25. 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).

26. The basic house forms are classified according to form of its bumbung(roof).
1. Bumbung panjang
2. Bumbung lima
3. Bumbung perak and
4. Bumbung limas.
2. Bumbung lima
•house has a hipped roof,
3. Bumbung perak
•House has a gambrel roof and
4. Bumbung limas
•House has the pyramidal roof.

27. 1. 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.

28. Basically, the traditional Malay house can be divided into the front and back portions
which are
centred around the rumah ibu
(the core house) and
the dapur (kitchen) respectively.
At the entrances, stairs lead
up to a covered porch called the
anjung.
The porch acts as a good
transition space
between the public and the
private domains.
The anjung also acts as an
important focal point for the
entrance.
Unfamiliar
visitors and guests are
entertained here.

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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 elephant’s
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