• Corpus ID: 163156265

Climatic design of the traditional Malay house to meet the requirements of modern living

@inproceedings{Kamal2014ClimaticDO,
  title={Climatic design of the traditional Malay house to meet the requirements of modern living},
  author={Kamarul Syahril Kamal and Lilawati Abdul Wahab and Asmalia Che Ahmad},
  year={2014}
}

• K. Kamal, Lilawati Abdul Wahab, A. Ahmad
• Published 2014
• Art

Repeated calls for a distinct tropical architecture are being made based on the simple reason that the weather in tropical countries, such as Malaysia, is vastly different from that of countries in Europe and North America where the majority of today’s architectural innovations and movements originate. Until the advent of air conditioning, all buildings in Malaysia has been designed with particular regard to local tropical climatic conditions. With greater global awareness of the environment and a renewed perspective on contemporary Malaysian architecture, architects are once again looking for tropical solutions in building design. One of the main characteristics of vernacular houses is that they are designed with a deep understanding and respect for nature, but this design-with-nature approach is no longer found in the modern houses. This paper intends merely to focus on various ways in which the traditional Malay house can be easily adapted and improved to meet the requirements of modern living because the traditional Malay house is best reflected by the climatic design of the house itself. The traditional Malay house is an important source for the creation of a Malaysian identity in architecture because it reflects and expresses the way of life of its users and was evolved by the Malays over generations adapting to their needs, culture and environment. Conference theme: Architecture and the environment.