MALAYSIA'S TERRACED HOUSING Towards An Environmentally Sustainable Future Sumita 1
MALAYSIA'S TERRACED HOUSING Towards An Environmentally Sustainable Future Sumita 1
MALAYSIA'S TERRACED HOUSING Towards An Environmentally Sustainable Future Sumita 1
by
Sumita Jayapalasingam
Master of Architecture
Deakin University
January 2009
DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
CANDIDATE DECLARATION
Master of Architecture
is the result of my own work and that where reference is made to the work of
others, due acknowledgment is given.
I also certify that any material in the thesis which has been accepted for a
degree or diploma by any university or institution is identified in the text.
Full Name.................................................………………………………….
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Signed ..................................................................................……………….
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS x
ABBRIEVIATIONS xi
1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Problem Statement and Research Aim 2
2 LITERATURE REVIEW 6
2.1 Housing Malaysia’s Masses 7
2.1.1 Malaysia – A Brief Introduction 7
2.1.2 A Concise Historical Overview 8
2.1.3 The Terraced House 15
2.4 Hypothesis 43
3 METHODOLOGY 44
3.1 Introduction 45
3.2 Questionnaire 48
3.3 Interviews 51
4 RESULTS 56
4.1 Results : Questionnaire 57
iii
5 DISCUSSION 107
5.1 Introduction 108
6 CONCLUSION 123
6.1 Findings 124
APPENDICES 126
APPENDIX 1 – The People of Malaysia 127
REFERENCES 183
iv
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1 Houses with Austronesian influences. 9
Figure 2.2 Orang Asli homes in the Taman Negara (National Park) forest. 10
Figure 2.3 A Malay House in Sandakan, Sabah. 10
Figure 2.4 An illustration of a longhouse belonging to the Orang Ulu ethnic group. 11
Figure 2.5 The Malaccan townhouse. 17
Figure 2.6 An axonometric illustration of a Malaccan townhouse. 17
Figure 2.7 The early settlements in Kuala Lumpur-1884. 19
Figure 2.8 An axonometric illustration of a shophouse. 20
Figure 2.9 English terraced houses in Reading- c.1900. 20
Figure 2.10 Early Chinese shophouses (L) & the earliest form of the terraced house (R) 21
Figure 2.11 A generic terraced housing development with 24’x80’ homes in Selangor
scheduled for completion in June 2009. 23
Figure 2.12 Rows of terraced housing dominate the residential scene in Bangsar. 25
Figure 2.13 General modifications to the terraced house. 26
Figure 2.14 Summary of Supply of Residential Units by Type in Malaysia 27
Figure 2.15 Summary of Supply of Residential Units by Type in Malaysia 29
Figure 2.16 A colonial bungalow: the Agnes Keith house, Sandakan, Sabah. 32
Figure 2.17 The Amanda Superlink Home – D’Kayangan Township. 33
Figure 2.18 The Amanda Superlink Home Floor Plan. 33
Figure 3.1 An overall diagram of the research process 45
Figure 3.2 Outline of research methodology 46
Figure 3.3 Percentage breakdown of participants 49
Figure 4.1 Percentage breakdown of response to Question 1 57
Figure 4.2 Site Plan – Bukit Prima Pelangi 2 Storey Terraced Houses 76
Figure 4.3 Location Map – Bukit Prima Pelangi 2 Storey Terraced Houses 77
Figure 4.4 Streetscape – Bukit Prima Pelangi 2 Storey Terraced Houses 77
Figure 4.5 Intermediate Lot Layout Plan – Bukit Prima Pelangi 78
Figure 4.6 Rear of houses and back lane – Bukit Prima Pelangi 79
Figure 4.7 This adjacent housing development, by the same developer 79
Figure 4.8 Streetscape – Bukit Prima Pelangi 2 Storey Terraced Houses 80
Figure 4.9 Intermediate Lot Elevations – Bukit Prima Pelangi 80
Figure 4.10 Intermediate Lot Cross Section – Bukit Prima Pelangi 81
Figure 4.11 Location Map – Opal 2 Storey Terraced Houses 82
Figure 4.12 Streetscape – Opal 2 Storey Terraced Houses 83
Figure 4.13 Intermediate Lot Layout Plan – Opal 2 Storey Terraced Houses 83
Figure 4.14 Front Facade – Opal 2 Storey Terraced Houses 84
Figure 4.15 Rear of houses – Opal 2 Storey Terraced Houses 84
Figure 4.16 Location Map – Studio M 2 Storey Terraced Houses 86
Figure 4.17 Intermediate Lot Layout Plan – Studio M 2 Storey Terraced Houses 87
v
Figure 4.18 Show Unit Front Facade – Studio M 2 Storey Terraced Houses 88
Figure 4.19 Show unit interior – Studio M 2 Storey Terraced Houses 88
Figure 4.20 Artist’s Impression – 20 Trees 3 Storey Terraced Houses 90
Figure 4.21 Location Map – 20 Trees 3 Storey Terraced Houses 91
Figure 4.22 Site Plan – 20 Trees 91
Figure 4.23 Type B1A Layout Plan – 20 Trees 3 Storey Terraced Houses 92
Figure 4.24 Type B1 Garden Home Front Facade - 20 Trees 93
Figure 4.25 Site Plan – Nong Chik Heights 95
Figure 4.26 A generic honeycomb housing layout & a generic terraced housing layout. 95
Figure 4.27 Location Map – Nong Chik Heights 96
Figure 4.28 Artist’s Impression of Layout – Nong Chik Heights 96
Figure 4.29 Artist’s Impression – Quadruplex & Sextuplex – Nong Chik Heights 97
Figure 4.30 Quadruplex Layout Plan – Nong Chik Heights 98
Figure 4.31 Quadruplex drawings – Nong Chik Heights 100
Figure 4.32 Sextuplex Layout Plan – Nong Chik Heights 101
Figure 4.33 Sextuplex drawings – Nong Chik Heights 102
Figure 4.34 Thermal comfort levels achieved with an insulated roof and mechanical
ventilation. 103
Figure 4.35 An artist’s impression of the terraced house prototype 104
Figure 4.36 UKM lecturer and researcher Mazlan Tahir with a scaled model of the terraced
house prototype 105
Figure 4.37 A cross section diagram of the terraced house prototype 106
Figure 4.38 A diagram illustrating the prefabricated modular panels that would form the walls
and floors, accommodating various configurations 106
Figure 5.1 Abstract of Case Study Analysis 110
Figure 5.2 The slope for the Damansara 21 development. 117
vi
LIST OF TABLES
vii
ABSTRACT
The data analysis for this study involves information gathered from primary
sources and secondary sources comprising house plans, papers, journals,
newspaper articles, reports, a questionnaire, interviews and case studies.
The questionnaire was created to obtain personal opinions and perceptions
of home owners, developers and industry professionals on the topic of
terraced housing design in Malaysia with a focus on environmental
sustainability. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the willing
participants in the form of further discussions on the responses given in the
questionnaire. Categories of case studies were formed to group the various
housing projects that were looked at in order to understand terraced housing
in Malaysia. The categories consist of typical terraced housing
developments, terraced housing developments purporting to adopt
viii
environmentally sustainable elements and alternatives to the current form of
terraced housing.
The findings of this study discuss the feasibility of enabling the incorporation
of environmentally sustainable elements into housing developments for
Malaysia’s general population. This is done by looking at the reasons why
such elements have not been incorporated into these housing developments
and discussing methods of implementation.
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would also like to thank all the participants involved with this research
project for their contributions, valuable time and insight.
Sumita Jayapalasingam
x
ABBRIEVIATIONS
xi
1 INTRODUCTION
Introduction
“For people always seem to have known how to produce the habitat they
need, as naturally and intuitively as birds build nests.”1 -Charles Correa
Malaysia’s vernacular homes such as the Orang Asli2 dwellings, the Malay
house and the longhouse, as well as the original Malaysian terraced house
typologies were built to comfortably accommodate its occupants in the
tropical climate. However, in the current Malaysian context, the intuition
mentioned above by Correa, appears to have been somewhat clouded by
today’s ever-present technology, as the natural environment is ignored and a
more acceptable version of the climate is tailored to accommodate the built
environment with the use of active cooling systems such as air conditioning
units. Besides the issue of thermal comfort, this study also addresses the
effects of housing developments on the natural environment.
This thesis hypothesises that the terraced housing presently being built to
accommodate Malaysia’s general population does not contain
environmentally sustainable elements. Consequently, for housing developers
to produce housing developments for Malaysia’s general population which
incorporate environmentally sustainable elements, there is a need to
establish if the lack of such elements is perceived as a problem by members
of the general population, building and construction industry professionals,
housing developers and the government.
1
Lim, W & Tan, HB 1998, Contemporary Vernacular – Evoking Traditions in Asian Architecture, Select Books,
Singapore, pp.10.
2
Orang Asli translates into English directly as ‘Original People’. Orang = people ; Asli = original. Refer to Appendix
1 for further information on the Orang Asli.
2
Introduction
The thesis aims to identify the factors that are enabling the current production
of terraced housing developments for Malaysia’s general population which
are lacking environmentally sustainable elements. Doing so will allow for
possible solutions to be put forward to improve the relationship between
these housing developments and the surrounding natural environment.
The data analysis for this study involves information gathered from primary
sources and secondary sources comprising house plans, papers, journals,
newspaper articles, reports, a questionnaire, interviews and case studies.
The questionnaire was created to obtain personal opinions and perceptions
of home owners, developers and industry professionals on the topic of
terraced housing design in Malaysia with a focus on environmental
sustainability.
3
Introduction
The Literature Review chapter begins with discussing housing for Malaysia’s
masses by providing a brief introduction to Malaysia, which is followed by a
concise historical overview of the country’s housing and a section on the
Malaysian terraced house and its origins.
4
Introduction
The Conclusion chapter states the findings of this thesis and discusses its
implications. This thesis draws its conclusions primarily from the
questionnaire and interview results as well as the analysis of data from the
case studies.
5
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature Review
The tropical climate provides warm, humid weather all year round.
Temperatures in the lowlands range from 21ºC to 32ºC, and in the highlands
range between 15°C to 25°C.4 The mean monthly humidity range is 70% to
90%.5 Coastal areas are exposed to trade winds, while inland areas are
windless, resulting in thermal stress during the day.6 Annual rainfall, usually
in the form of thunderstorms varies from 2000mm to 2500mm.7
Malaysia is considered one of Asia’s most culturally diverse nations with its
multi-ethnic, multicultural population comprising Malays, Chinese, Indians
and more than 200 tribal indigenous ethnic groups.8 Over 27 million9 people
live in this country, with seventy per cent concentrated in Peninsular
Malaysia.10 The average household comprises 4.6 persons.11
3
Tourism Malaysia, About Us-Fast Facts, retrieved 14 November 2008,
<http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/about/facts.asp>
4
Ibid.
5
Malaysia Meteorological Department, retrieved 14 November 2008,
<http://www.met.gov.my/english/education/climate/climate04.html>
6
Ahmad, SS 2008, ‘Kuala Lumpur: A Hot Humid Climate’, in R Hyde (ed), Bioclimatic Housing – Innovative designs
for warm climates, Sterling, London, pp.269.
7
Tourism Malaysia, About Us-Fast Facts, retrieved 14 November 2008,
<http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/about/facts.asp>
8
UNICEF Malaysia, Malaysia – Nationhood in Progress, retrieved 14 November 2008,
<http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/overview.html>
Refer to Appendix 1 for further information on the people of Malaysia.
9
Tourism Malaysia, About Us-Fast Facts, retrieved 14 November 2008,
<http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/about/facts.asp>
10
UNICEF Malaysia, Malaysia – Nationhood in Progress, retrieved 14 November 2008,
<http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/overview.html>
11
UNDP in Malaysia, retrieved 14 November 2008, <http://www.undp.org.my/index.php?navi_id=8>
7
Literature Review
This section aims to briefly discuss Malaysia’s history of housing for the
general population. Malaysia’s vernacular houses, with the exception of the
simple makeshift shelters of nomadic groups, are in essence post and beam
structures raised on stilts, with gabled roofs and permeable walls and
flooring.
12
Tourism Malaysia, About Us-Fast Facts, retrieved 14 November 2008,
<http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/about/facts.asp>
13
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.14.
8
Literature Review
There are 18 distinct Orang Asli groups which live on the Malay peninsula.
The three main groups are the Negritos in the north, the Senoi in the centre
and the Proto-Malays in the south.14 The Orang Asli traditional forest
dwellings are basic timber shelters with thatch roofs. These dwellings are
built to perform as basic shelters as the Orang Asli regard the forests as their
home and they do not have to store material goods.
14
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.12.
9
Literature Review
Figure 2.2 Orang Asli homes in the Taman Negara (National Park) forest.
Source : S.Jayapalasingam’s photograph – 2007.
The Malay house styles differ slightly based on their locations throughout the
different states on the Malay peninsula. Evolving throughout the years, the
Malay house is typically constructed using local materials, methods and
craftsmanship.
The generic features of the Malay house are the posts which support the
raised house, and its high steeply sloping roof with gables at both ends. The
15
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.12.
10
Literature Review
The raised floor being a key element of the local vernacular architecture, has
its advantages. Some of these advantages are as follows18:
(i) Using stilts enables the building to work better with the natural
terrain, when it comes to creating a level floor.
(ii) In low lying, flood prone areas, raised dwellings will not be
seriously affected by flash floods.
16
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.34.
17
Ibid.
18
Chai, ML 2007(18 March), ‘Houses on stilts exude a rustic charm’, New Sunday Times, pp.31.
11
Literature Review
(iii) 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.
(iv) Levels of internal thermal comfort are increased as direct heat from
the ground is diffused and the raised level optimises the
opportunity for the interiors to be naturally ventilated with land
breezes.
19
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.8-9.
Refer to Appendix 2 for detailed chronology.
12
Literature Review
13
Literature Review
14
Literature Review
The earliest types of townhouses or row houses were built in Malacca during
the Dutch occupation in the seventeenth century. The architectural influences
on these townhouses were Chinese and Dutch. The Chinese influences were
identified by the unique roofs with rounded gabled ends, which originated in
15
Literature Review
China, and they were tiled with Chinese clay tiles. As for the Dutch
influences, according to Chun, Hassan and Noordin, from the Universiti Sains
Malaysia’s School of Housing, Building and Planning, these townhouses
were very similar to the traditional Dutch row houses as:
“ (i) The brickwork of the drainage system has its own characteristics.
(ii) The material used for the steps at the main entrance and at the doorway
of the passage leading into the air well, indicated the social status of the
owner.
(iii) The hood which existed above the kitchen was made of wood.”20
A number of the Chinese traders who stopped by at the Malaccan port chose
to settle down in Malacca as early as the fourteenth century. In the early
seventeenth century, a settlement of shopkeepers, craftsmen and farmers
from southern China was established.21 As these Chinese migrants were all
men, they married the local Malay women, resulting in a community of Sino-
Malayans also known as Baba-Nyonya people.
The dwellings of these settlers were in the form of the Malaccan townhouse,
which was of Chinese origin, fused with Malay and European influences. In
the mid seventeenth century, Malacca, which was a Portuguese colony, was
taken over by the Dutch. The Dutch remained until the British took over in the
late eighteenth century.
20
Chun, HK, Hassan, AS & Noordin, NM, An Influence of Colonial Architecture to Building Styles and Motifs in
Colonial Cities in Malaysia, 8th International Conference of the Asian Planning Schools Association, 11-14th
September 2005, retrieved 3 February 2008,
<http://www.apsa2005.net/FullPapers/PdfFormat/Full%20Paper%20(AH)/Ho%20Kah%20Chun.pdf>
21
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.8.
16
Literature Review
22
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.93.
17
Literature Review
Ismail concludes that it is possible that the Chinese settlers simply wanted to
replicate the houses in their homeland, which occupied such narrow plots.
The influences of the Malay house can be seen in the form of the external
main front door which is only half solid, a pintu pagar (fence door) allowing
light and air through when the internal main front doors were open.24 The
European influences appear in the form of decorative elements such as the
Palladian and Baroque details on the pediments and pillars.
The Chinese mine workers who formed a significant part of the new mining
towns, initially lived and worked in atap (thatched leaves) shophouses26,
constructed with elements derived from the Malay vernacular typologies. In
Kuala Lumpur, one of the early mining towns, these atap shophouses were
replaced with two-storey brick shophouses due to a major fire in 1881. The
brick buildings with tiled roofs were seen as a lesser form of a fire hazard.
23
Ismail, WHW 2005, Houses In Malaysia – Fusion of the East and the West, Penerbit Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia, Johor, pp.24.
24
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.92.
25
Malaysia, formerly known as Malaya, gained her independence from the British in 1957.
Population and Housing Census 2000, retrieved 1 March 2008,
<http://www.statistics.gov.my/english/census/pressdemo.htm>
26
“Atap shophouses were the first physical mark of the Chinese n all major settlements of Malaya.”
Kohl, DG 1984, Chinese architecture in the Straits Settlements and western Malaya : temples, kongsis, and houses,
Heinemann Asia, Kuala Lumpur, pp.179.
18
Literature Review
The British may have influenced certain elements based on the English
terraced houses which were, at that point in time, a common form of housing
in England. The lower levels of these Malaysian shophouses were used for
business, and the upper levels served as residences. They had an average
width of 6 meters and a depth of 30 meters. Like their Malaccan townhouse
counterparts, the Chinese shophouses in Malaysia featured European
decorative elements on their facades.
27
Ismail, WHW 2005, Houses In Malaysia – Fusion of the East and the West, Penerbit Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia, Johor, pp.21-23.
19
Literature Review
20
Literature Review
Figure 2.10 Early Chinese shophouses (L) & the earliest form of the terraced
house (R)
Source : Ahmad, AG, Southern Chinese Architecture, retrieved 6 February 2008,
<http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/chinese__architecture.htm>
Some of the key features were the jack roofs, air wells and courtyards which
kept the interiors well ventilated. The sheltered veranda also known as the
‘five foot way’ in front of the main entrances which allowed for pedestrians to
access the shops without being affected by the elements of nature, such as
the harsh direct sunlight or rain.
28
Kohl, DG 1984, Chinese architecture in the Straits Settlements and western Malaya : temples, kongsis, and
houses, Heinemann Asia, Kuala Lumpur, pp.172.
21
Literature Review
took on the form of the single or double storey terraced house, also known as
the row house or link house.
This terraced house typology, found in the major cities and towns across the
country, appears to have evolved from the early shophouse. Key elements
relating to thermal comfort and the relationship of the spaces with the
surrounding natural environment have not been carried through. They include
the amount of natural light that fills the interior spaces and adequate cross
ventilation. These elements which are lacking in the current terraced house
typology affect the quality of the occupants’ life. Figure 2.11, representing a
generic terraced house, illustrates the exclusion of a courtyard; an
architectural design element present in the early shophouse and Malaccan
townhouse.
29
Davis, MP, Ghazali, M & Nordin, NA 2006, Thermal Comfort Honeycomb Housing, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
Kuala Lumpur, pp.99.
30
Ibid, p.98.
22
Literature Review
Figure 2.11 A
generic terraced
housing
development
with 24’x80’
homes in
Selangor
scheduled for
completion in
June 2009.
Source : SPK
Homes brochure –
Cahaya SPK
Superlink @
Precinct 2A.
23
Literature Review
In dealing with the rapid pace of development over the last few decades, the
task of drafting up a more relevant set of by-laws has been ignored. On one
hand the existing by-laws have not encouraged innovation in regards to the
layout and architectural design of the terraced house typology. On the other
hand, not keeping up with the technologies affecting the Malaysian
population’s current life style has prevented the by-laws from encouraging
the production of environmentally sustainable buildings.
With today’s modern sanitation, the purpose of the back lane fails to be
justified.33 The current housing developments with the back lanes, have them
assigned for garbage collection. In a society where all windows and doors on
the external facades of homes are fitted with security grills, to prevent theft,
the back lane is seen by some of the general population as a negative
feature in terms of security. A possible approach to this situation could
involve increasing the dimensions of the rear building setback and removing
the lane, thus creating a larger backyard for the houses.
31
Hassan, AS, Towards Sustainable Housing Construction in Southeast Asia, retrieved 6 September 2007,
<http://www.sustainablesettlement.co.za/docs/a21_hassan.pdf>
32
Fee, CV 1998, The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 5: Architecture, Archipelago Press, Singapore, pp.74.
33
Hassan, AS, Towards Sustainable Housing Construction in Southeast Asia, retrieved 6 September 2007,
<http://www.sustainablesettlement.co.za/docs/a21_hassan.pdf>
24
Literature Review
The following section presents an example of how the terrace house has
evolved from its initial form to its present state. Bangsar is a residential
suburb located about four kilometers southwest of Kuala Lumpur’s city
centre. Terraced houses mushroomed in this suburb during the 1970’s.
Internal courtyards were a feature of the houses when they were built. There
are just a fraction of the houses at present, which have maintained the
internal courtyard or air well (smaller courtyards) as a source of fresh air and
natural light. This analysis is based on an observation of the ratio of
renovated houses versus the original houses in this suburb as shown in
Figure 2.13.
The 1984 Uniform Building By-laws state that any alterations to existing open
spaces would only be allowed, if the local authority under its own discretion
25
Literature Review
issued a permit on the condition that the free movement of air was not
hindered as a result of this alteration.34
Looking at the houses in Bangsar, many courtyards have been closed. This
allowed the occupants to gain more enclosed internal floor area more now
that it was sheltered from the rain. The high volumes of the courtyards were
generally maintained, and operable clerestory windows were fitted to these
altered spaces. Appendix 6 contains guidelines provided by the Kuala
Lumpur City Hall for extensions allowed for the typical terraced house.
Figure 2.14 clearly illustrates that the terraced house is the dominant form of
housing in Malaysia. The terraced house typology is most common in the
34
Legal Research Board 2000, Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 (as at 20th November 2000), International Law
Book Services, Kuala Lumpur, pp.14-15.
35
NAPIC is a Malaysian government body attached to the Valuation and Property Services Department.
26
Literature Review
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
Condominium
Town House
Serviced Apartment
Terraced
Detached
Flat
Cluster
36
Aziz, ARA & Ho, SY 2007(7 April), ‘Built to Compete’, Property-New StraitsTimes, pp.6-7.
37
Ibid.
27
Literature Review
On the other hand, factors such as the skill of the developers’ employees,
which would include design skills, and project innovation were the least
highly regarded. The low level where the project innovation factor sits is
probably a major reason why the new terraced housing developments
available today are not much different from earlier versions. The lot sizes and
building facades are fairly similar to early terraced houses, but there is a
significant loss in regards to the design elements that contribute towards
achieving acceptable levels of indoor thermal comfort without depending on
active cooling systems.
The developers who see no need to be innovative and creative with their
product, are generally those who have the location of their developments to
use as the key selling point. When it comes to innovation, all it takes is for
one developer to be successful with a new design, and imitators will
immediately emerge to compete. This situation places the innovative
developers in the position of a trend-setter.40
In his book ‘Housing Crisis’, Mohd.Tajuddin Mohd. Rasdi conveys that the
concept of ‘worker housing’ which came about due to the industrial revolution
in the western world, which appeared in the form of terraced housing has not
been successfully translated to suit the present day environment in
Malaysia.41Trend-setting developers should be aware of their significance in
38
Aziz, ARA & Ho, SY 2007(7 April), ‘Built to Compete’, Property-New StraitsTimes, pp.6-7.
39
Ibid.
40
Ibid.
41
Rasdi, MTM 2007, Housing Crisis – Back to a Humanistic Agenda, Penerbit Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor,
pp.7-8.
28
Literature Review
regards to providing the general public with the affordable versions of their
‘dream home’.42 Typically, members of the general public cannot afford to
hire architects to provide them with homes that are designed to
accommodate their individual life styles.
Conclusion
Though followed closely by condominiums, as shown in Figure 2.15, based
on the figures of the existing residential stock in Malaysia, as per Figure 2.14,
the terraced house typology will continue to dominate the residential scene
for years to come.
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
Condominium
Low Cost
Cluster
Town House
Flat
Apartment
Terraced
Detached
Detached
Serviced
House
Semi-
The objective of this thesis is to examine the terraced house typology and
ways in which it can move towards a greener form as it continues to be
42
Wong, A 2007(23 June), ‘Giving life to style’, Property-New StraitsTimes, pp.2.
29
Literature Review
43
Lefaivre, L & Tzonis, A 2001, ‘The Supression and Rethinking of Regionalism and Tropicalism After 1945’, in
Tzonis, A, Lefaivre, L & Stagno, B (ed), Tropical Architecture – Critical Regionalism in the Age of Globalization,
Wiley-Academy, Great Britain, pp.30.
44
Lefaivre, L & Tzonis, A 2003, Critical Regionalism – Architecture & Identity in a Globalized World, Prestel,
Munich, pp.10.
30
Literature Review
look back to popular houses, to the opinion of the people who live in them, to
the voice of the community.”45
One if the issues this study reveals is that today’s Malaysian “community”
has adapted their lifestyle to accommodate dwellings which fail to work in
harmony with the surrounding natural climate, in comparison with their
predecessors.
As a way of summary, Abel aptly concludes that “…the true gist of regional
architecture lies in a creative process of cultural cross-fertilization and
localization of imported models…”48 On a similar note, Lefaivre and Tzonis in
their paper on Tropical Critical Regionalism conclude a discussion on the
environmentally successful approach by colonialists in Costa Rica stating
that “instead of trying to invent a new architecture appropriate to a region
from scratch, one should rely rather on syncretic recombination of solutions
accumulated over time.”49
45
Porto, S 2001, ‘Architecture and National Identity’, in Tzonis, A, Lefaivre, L & Stagno, B (ed), Tropical
Architecture – Critical Regionalism in the Age of Globalization, Wiley-Academy, Great Britain, pp.108.
46
Abel, C 2000, Architecture & Identity, 2nd edn, Architectural Press, Oxford, pp.169.
47
Ibid.
48
Ibid.
49
Lefaivre, L & Tzonis, A 2001, ‘Tropical Critical Regionalism: Introductory Comments’, in Tzonis, A, Lefaivre, L &
Stagno, B (ed), Tropical Architecture – Critical Regionalism in the Age of Globalization, Wiley-Academy, Great
Britain, pp.11.
31
Literature Review
Figure 2.16 A colonial bungalow: the Agnes Keith house, Sandakan, Sabah.
Source : S.Jayapalasingam’s photograph -2008.
Though situated in a tropical region, not all of Malaysia’s buildings fall under
the category of Tropical Architecture. Figure 2.17, a showunit comprising two
end lots of a terraced housing development, illustrates this point. The
Amanda Superlink home is one of the housing types offered by developer
Lebar Daun in their D’Kayangan township. This 26’ x 80’ home is one version
of the terraced house typology currently filling up housing developments in
Malaysia.
50
Bay JH, P 2001, ‘Three Tropical Design Paradigms’, in Tzonis, A, Lefaivre, L & Stagno, B (ed), Tropical
Architecture – Critical Regionalism in the Age of Globalization, Wiley-Academy, Great Britain, pp.247.
51
Ibid.
32
Literature Review
33
Literature Review
52
D’Kayangan, Kumpulan Lebar Daun, retrieved 1 August 2008, <http://www.lebardaun.com.my>
53
Bay JH, P 2001, ‘Three Tropical Design Paradigms’, in Tzonis, A, Lefaivre, L & Stagno, B (ed), Tropical
Architecture – Critical Regionalism in the Age of Globalization, Wiley-Academy, Great Britain, pp.230.
34
Literature Review
2.3.1 Definitions
54
Porteous, C 2003, The New Eco-Architecture, Spon Press, London.
55
Ibid, pp.47.
56
Ibid, pp.48.
35
Literature Review
to be everything for everyone who wants it – the Queen and President of the
RIBA included.”57
Porteous and Castle both agree upon the illusiveness of defining ‘green’.
Throughout this thesis, the portrayal of ‘green’ will be based upon Daniel
Williams’s definitions from his book titled Sustainable Design.
57
Castle H 2001(July), ‘Editorial’, Architectural Design : Green Architecture, Vol.71, John Wiley & Sons, United
Kingdom, pp.5.
58
Williams, D 2007, Sustainable Design: ecology, architecture & planning, John Wiley & Sons, USA, pp.16.
59
Ibid.
60
Ibid, pp.17.
36
Literature Review
61
Williams, D 2007, Sustainable Design: ecology, architecture & planning, John Wiley & Sons, USA, pp.15.
62
Ibid, pp.18.
63
Ibid.
64
Ibid.
37
Literature Review
A paper titled ‘Taking Cues From the Past : Increasing the Livability of
Terrace Housing in Malaysia Through the Raised Floor Innovation’ by
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Architectural Research Group
acknowledges the terrace house as the key form of housing for the
Malaysian general population, and highlights the fact that little has changed
in terms of its design innovation for the last 25 years.70
65
Williams, D 2007, Sustainable Design: ecology, architecture & planning, John Wiley & Sons, USA, pp.20.
66
Ibid, pp.23.
67
Ibid.
68
Ibid, pp.26-27.
69
Ibid.
70
UKM Architectural Research Group, Taking Cues From the Past: Increasing the Livability of Terrace Housing in
Malaysia through the Raised Floor Innovation, retrieved 8 July 2008,
38
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The Ninth Malaysia Plan (NMP) which covers 2006 to 2010, is the first of
three 5 year blueprints for the National Mission spanning 2006 to 2020.73
Malaysia is aiming to attain the status of a developed nation by the year 2020
with the implementation and delivery of the National Mission. One of the
steps taken to aid in achieving this goal was the introduction of Islam
Hadhari74 in 2004 as a comprehensive and universal development framework
<http://www.fab.utm.my/download/ConferenceSemiar/ICCI2006S5PP13.pdf>
71
UKM Architectural Research Group, Taking Cues From the Past: Increasing the Livability of Terrace Housing in
Malaysia through the Raised Floor Innovation, retrieved 8 July 2008,
<http://www.fab.utm.my/download/ConferenceSemiar/ICCI2006S5PP13.pdf>
72
Ibid.
73
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, The National Mission, pp.19, retrieved 25 July 2007,
<http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
74
The Islam Hadhari framework emphasises development, consistent with the tenets of Islam with focus on
enhancing the quality of life through the mastery of knowledge and the development of the individual and the nation;
the implementation of a dynamic economic, trading and financial system; and the promotion of integrated and
balanced development that creates knowledgeable and pious people who hold to noble values and are honest,
trustworthy, and are prepared to take on global challenges. Islam Hadhari is an effort to bring the people back to
basics and back to
the fundamentals, as prescribed in the Quran and the Hadith that form the foundation of Islamic civilisation.
39
Literature Review
for the nation, which outlined 10 principles75 to empower the people to face
global challenges, while ensuring that its approach and implementation are
acceptable to all groups in the country.76 Safeguarding of the environment is
listed as one of these 10 principles.77
Improving the standard and sustainability of the quality of life is one of the
National Mission’s key thrusts.78 It is stated that the quality of life of the
population, which is intrinsically linked to fulfilling basic needs as well as
maintaining peace, security and harmony, will not be sustainable without a
concerted effort to manage resources more wisely, especially in an
environment of rising energy prices.79 In relation to addressing this issue, the
actions highlighted are as follows :
(i) “ensuring better protection of the environment and more efficient
usage of natural resources
(ii) enhancing energy sufficiency and efficiency, including diversifying
sources of energy
(iii) increasing the efficiency of water services delivery
(iv) providing better public transportation to relieve congestion and
reduce fuel usage
(v) improving access to and quality of healthcare and affordable
housing
(vi) ensuring public safety and security
(vii) enhancing the development and promotion of Malaysian culture,
arts and heritage.” 80
75
The 10 principles are: 01-Faith in and piety towards Allah, 02-A just and trustworthy government, 03-Free and
liberated people, 04-A rigorous pursuit and mastery of knowledge, 05-Balanced and comprehensive economic
development, 06-A good quality of life for the people, 07-Protection of the rights of minority groups and women, 08-
Cultural and moral integrity, 09-Safeguarding of the environment & 10-Strong defence capabilities.
76
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, The National Mission, pp.9, retrieved 25 July 2007,
<http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
77
Ibid.
78
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, The National Mission, pp.17, retrieved 25 July 2007,
<http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
In order to obtain the highest level of performance and the maximum impact from Malaysia’s national development
efforts, the National Mission identifies 5 key thrusts : 01- To move the economy up the value chain, 02-To raise the
capacity for knowledge and innovation and nurture ‘first class mentality’, 03-To address persistent socio-economic
inequalities constructively and productively, 04-To improve the standard and sustainability of the quality of life & 05-
To strengthen the institutional and implementation capacity.
79
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, The National Mission, pp.17, retrieved 25 July 2007,
<http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
80
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, The National Mission, pp.17-18, retrieved 25 July
2007, <http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
40
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The section in the NMP which briefly describes progress from 2001 to 2005,
there is mention of a Local Agenda 21 that was launched in 2000.81 This
program which focused on enhancing understanding and cooperation
between the community, local authorities and the private sector was
implemented in 47 local authorities, out of which 16 launched their
comprehensive plan of action pertaining to sustainable development covering
social, economic and environmental aspects.82
The subsequent section which outlines prospects from 2006 to 2010, lists the
following strategic thrusts of housing development and urban services:
(i) “providing adequate, affordable and quality houses, particularly to
meet the needs of the low-income group, with greater emphasis on
appropriate locations and conducive living environment
(ii) reviewing laws and regulations to ensure proper development of
the housing sector
(iii) encouraging private sector participation in the construction of low-
and low-medium-cost houses
(iv) improving the efficiency and capability of local authorities
(v) ensuring provision of quality urban services
(vi) encouraging greater community participation in urban
development.” 83
The Kuala Lumpur City Hall(KLCH) released the Draft KL City Plan 2020 in
June 2008. The following points are listed in the plan outlining directions to
be taken to ensure a greener future:
(i) “Draft KL City Plan 2020 will adopt greener standards, where
environmental sustainability will be a priority.
(ii) The Plan calls for optimum growth where land use development
integrates and co-exists with environment.
81
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, Chapter 21 pp.443, retrieved 25 July 2007,
<http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
82
Ibid.
83
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, Chapter 21 pp.444, retrieved 25 July 2007,
<http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
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84
Draft KL City Plan 2020, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, 2008, p.23.
85
Ibid p.91.
86
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, retrieved 25 July 2007,
<http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
87
Ibid.
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2.4 Hypothesis
The scope of literature discussed in the above sections of this chapter, focus
the topic of inquiry. This thesis hypothesises that the terraced housing
presently being built to accommodate Malaysia’s general population does not
contain environmentally sustainable elements. Consequently, for housing
developers to produce housing developments for Malaysia’s general
population which incorporate environmentally sustainable elements, there is
a need to establish if the lack of such elements is perceived as a problem by
members of the general population, building and construction industry
professionals, housing developers and the government. If this lack of
environmentally sustainable elements is perceived as a problem, action plans
and strategies can be developed to address it.
88
Ninth Malaysia Plan, The Ninth Malaysia Plan 2006-2010, retrieved 25 July 2007,
<http://www.epu.jpm.my/rm9/html/english.htm>
43