Marriage of old and new

Architect Raja Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Shah who designed the resort.

By LOH FOON FONG

Architect Raja Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Shah is at the forefront of preservation efforts and his portfolio includes the Terengganu State Museum which successfully combines concrete with wood.

The scarcity of wood has made it almost impossible to build a fully traditional Malay house these days.

Twenty years ago, cengal, the most treasured hardwood used to build Malay houses, cost RM1,500 a tonne. Now it costs more than RM4,000 . Between 10 and 12 tonnes of wood are needed to build a simple Malay house, for which the cost of raw materials alone can amount to more than RM40,000.

Due to the high cost, the lack of other building materials unique to Malay architecture, and lack of interest among Malaysian building developers, this heritage is diminishing.

However, all is not lost. Architect Raja Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Shah, who is regarded as the custodian of East Coast Malay architecture, said the preservation of traditional heritage can be achieved by a practical marriage between traditional elements and contemporary materials.

One of the projects that his company, Senibahri Arkitek, completed with amazing success was the Aryani Resort in Merang, Terengganu, which provided the breakthrough in his career because up to that point, no developer or contractor was keen on such a project.

“We maintained the use of wood on doorways, windows, columns and stairs and the clay singhorra tiles for the roofs. The design of a gateway at the hotel compound was also maintained. However, the walls were made of plaster, paint and brick work,” said the 50-year-old Raja Bahrin.

In Aryani Resort in Merang, Terengganu, the modern interpretation of East Coast Malay architecture is seen in this traditional Malay wood carvings on the arch and the singhorra roof tiles above it.

“We try to retain the essence and not be too literal,” he said.

The use of too much cengal for buildings may also not be appropriate because the wood turns very dark after a few years and is not suitable for the interiors, he said.

Other woods that can replace cengal are tengkawang and merbau. Tengkawang is half the price of cengal and comes in a brighter shade. The merbau is dark reddish brown and is almost as expensive as cengal. However, these woods are also getting scarce.

“Even if we can get them, they are not mature enough for building construction. The quality is suspect. If wood is not properly treated and is used for flooring, it may twist and warp. A resort in Langkawi had to close 30% of its rooms because the wood swelled,” he said.

Besides wood, the singhorra roof tiles too are now rarely found, unlike 10 years ago. At present, they can only be ordered from Bachok, Kelantan.

While other Malay houses use thatched roof (attap), the east coast Malay houses use singhorra tiles, which are similar to those used in southern Thailand.

The best feature of East Coast Malay houses, like other Malay houses, is their good ventilation. Building wooden houses on stilts, and creating huge windows and small gaps in between the strips of wooden flooring encourage good airflow and reduce heat. Air-conditioners are not needed and it is more environmentally friendly.

It makes more sense to erect buildings that suits local climate rather than masonry buildings that retain heat. Can that be done when houses these days are built with concrete and not with wood on stilts?

“It can be done but it will not be as good as the wooden structure and flooring,” said Raja Bahrin.

Singhorra tiles are also used for the shades flanking the pool at Aryani Resort.

“The main heat comes from the ground. To minimise the heat, you can elevate the building above ground on concrete pillars. The slabs do not touch the ground,” he said.

“The singhorra roof tiles too can be used. The tiles have small gaps in between and hot air that rises to the roof can escape through the gaps. The 45-degree angle on which the tiles are arranged allows rain water to run fast and not enter the gaps, unless there is a major storm,” he said.

Although a singhorra tile may be smaller than the usual roof tile, the overall cost of building a whole roof is comparable, he said.

He said the singhorra roof tiles are suitable for small to medium-sized domestic houses but not for large structures. He also warned that truly traditional houses cannot be built in a normal residential estate as they need plenty of space.

In one of his early works, the large three-level Terengganu Museum, Raja Bahrin retained the use of woodcarvings for the doors but used lightweight concrete as panels. The man-made stream below the stilts of the museum added a cooling and calming effect.

Raja Bahrin lamented that there is a lack of confidence among Malaysians in their own architectural heritage.

“In 1979 and 1980, the government imported a lot of prefabricated materials from Japan without realising that we already had that in our traditional architecture. Why do we have to go so far and not look into our own heritage? There is a lack of attention and self-confidence. We need to change this perception,” he told 80 students in Terengganu who attended his talk the Terengganu House: Past, Present and Future,recently.

Raja Bahrin is one of five personalities selected by DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd to promote the preservation of Malaysia’s heritage among rural youths and children , under its corporate social responsibility project called the Amazing Malaysians.

“We should try and understand what the Malay tradition is and how it can be preserved. We should not just receive everything from the West without understanding the concept behind their architecture that may not be suitable for our weather,” he said.

The door of the souvenir shop at the resort has carvings mostly at the top portion, a feature of Malay traditional woodcarving.

Malay architecture is amazing for it is nail-free and can be assembled and disassembled when the occupants move to another place.

The government may have come to realise the value in our heritage and set up the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry. However, awareness itself is not adequate. A conservation plan is needed, said Raja Bahrin.

Besides the Aryani Resort and Terengganu Museum, Raja Bahrin’s projects include Istana Melawati in Putrajaya, the floating mosque of Tengku Tengah Zaharah in Terengganu, and the Andaman and Lanai resorts in Langkawi.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, who is concerned about conservation, also consults him about development in Terengganu.

Raja Bahrin’s passion in preserving Terengganu Malay architecture started when as an architecture student he stumbled on the old Malay houses of Terengganu.

He decided to use the intriguing architecture for his thesis and graduated with First Class Honours in Design in 1981 from Melbourne University, Australia.

“I felt that more should be done to preserve these houses. That’s why we at Senibahri Arkitek try to create more awareness especially in Terengganu,” he said.

When Badan Warisan, an NGO that guards the nation’s heritage, was formed, Raja Bahrin undertook its first project. He supervised the move of Istana Tengku Long from Kampung Raja, Besut, to the Terengganu State Museum site in Losong, on the outskirts of Kuala Terengganu in 1983.

Norhaiza Noordin, a master woodcarver who teamed up with Raja Bahrin in 1994 on the Terengganu Museum project, said: “He has a deep understanding of Malay traditional values.

“I am glad that an architect from the Terengganu royal lineage is trying to preserve this tradition. Raja Bahrin is firm when it comes to maintaining the intrinsic message of traditional values in architecture,” Norhaiza said.

Reaching great heights with the Terengganu Malay house

By LOH FOON FONG

The Terengganu Malay house is unique as it is more easily and quickly erected than other types of Malay houses, said Raja Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Shah.

“All you need are ropes and well-trained workers (to pull up the whole structure). No cranes or heavy equipment is needed.”

A century ago, the floors in Terengganu homes were sometimes raised as high as eight feet above the ground – a peasant’s hut might be supported on bamboo posts but the Sultan’s palace was built on elaborately-carved timber pillars. The height kept the occupants safe from floods and wild animals.

A model of a Terengganu Malay house.

The same raised floors are also found in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. This supports the theory that the Terengganu Malay house may be of Khmer-Indo Chinese origin, said Raja Bahrin in his book, The Terengganu Timber Malay House.

Terengganu, Kelantan and Southern Thailand’s Petani probably constituted the great Malay Kingdom of Langkasuka located in the north-eastern coastal region of Malaya which lasted from the second to the 16th century; this could explain the similarity in design.

In Terengganu, people normally describe the size of a house by the number of posts holding up the roof structure. A house with six supporting pillars or posts is called Rumah Tiang Enam, while the bigger type with 12 posts is called Rumah Tiang Dua Belas.

The beauty of the Terengganu house is in its simplicity and functionality. The intricate woodcarvings can be found only on its gables and windows.

The cengal wood keeps the house cool. The large windows, extending almost from roof to floor, let in abundant light and air. The space under the house is used for various activities and storing large objects.

People sit, eat and sleep on the floor. The walls and ceiling are sometimes made of tightly woven bamboo mat (pelupoh) instead of hard wood. Most of these houses are not painted but varnished with damar minyak, a translucent termite repellent that gives the wood a rich hue.

The houses usually face the north-south axis, so that it will not be heated up by the rising and setting sun.

Restoring tradition in Kuala Terengganu

By LOH FOON FONG

Raja Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Shah and Jon Eddy, DiGi’s Chief Technology Officer, at the ceremony.

The Terengganu state government is going to turn Kuala Terengganu into a waterfront city soon. The master plan for the Shah Bandar area is being finalised and is likely to be shown to the public later this month.

“The state government will then call all stakeholders to respond,” a conservationist, who declined to be named, said.

Under the plan, Masjid Putih (Zainal Abidin) will be rehabilitated and more public places and boardwalks culminating in Kampung Cina and Pasar Payang will be created, she said.

While new public plazas will take on Islamic designs, the Chinese theme in Kampung Cina will be preserved, she said.

“There are proposals to build shop houses on stilts or on some reclaimed land in Kampung Cina. These shop houses will be fronting the sea and will be similar in design to the old shop houses that have the back facing the sea,” said the source, adding that houses with illegal extensions will have to be demolished.

“Most premium locations in other countries are the riverside and sea front. But in Terengganu, backs of buildings face the sea and people treat it as a dumping site. So there are plans to have buildings face the sea so that it is appreciated as an asset,” she said.

Besides Shah Bandar, other areas earmarked for development are Gong Bada, Seberang Takir, Kuala Terengganu, Tanjung, Bukit Besar, Losong and Kuala Ibai, she said.

“The Menteri Besar wants to conserve the cultural and historical past of Terengganu and is careful about what goes up in Terengganu. It’s refreshing for people who are concerned about conservation,” said Raja Datuk Kamarul Bahrin Shah, who is advising the Menteri Besar on conservation.

Khairiah Talha, secretary general of Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning and Housing, pointed out that many cities in the world cannot be distinguished because they all have similar looking skyscrapers. However, people remember landmarks such as St Basil’s cathedral in Moscow, the Big Ben in London, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris for their unique and outstanding architecture.

“They preserve their architectural heritage that are centuries old,” said Khairiah.

“Successful cities must have a rich history, are recognised worldwide, create a sense of belonging and have a mix of old and new buildings which blend well,” she said.

In 1990, 45% of Malaysians lived in urban areas. In 2002, the percentage increased to 56% and in 2020, it is projected to be 75%. With rural areas fast disappearing, there is a need to preserve the past as part of our identity, she said.

Khairiah spoke on Successful Cities and Civilisations to 80 students aged 14-18 from Terengganu who were later taken on a tour of restored houses at the Terengganu Museum site.

This month, Raja Bahrin and his team will restore a 97-year-old Terengganu Malay house called Rumah Tiang Enam. Only 30 students will be selected to help out in the assembling and restoration of the house, which will take about eight weeks.

Some men setting up the Tiang Seri – the main pillar of a Malay house – during a ceremony to mark the beginning of the restoration of a Terengganu Malay house.

“The walls, roof and floor will be restored and the extensions made to the house removed,” said Raja Bahrin.

After restoration, the building will serve as a handicraft centre where many dying arts and crafts of the Malays will be kept alive, said Raja Bahrin.

The project is in line with Terengganu’s own plans to establish Kuala Terengganu as a heritage city, said Jon Eddy, DiGi’s Chief Technology Officer.

The Amazing Malaysians project started in March with conservationist Balu Perumal who instilled his knowledge of wetlands to children in Kuala Gula, Perak. The children also set up an education centre and a wetlands park.

Others identified for the project are lion dancer Siow Ho Phiew from Johor who will teach children various aspects of lion dancing and lion head making, ex-journalist Diana Rose from Sarawak who will educate Melanau children about their heritage, and story teller Romli Mahmud from Perlis who will share the joys of expressive storytelling.