Christine Lee Yet Yee
Foundation in Natural And Built Environment
FINALIZING PHOTOS (10)
12 NOVEMBER 2015
Mid-Sem Break
Last week, I have catagorized all my photos into 5 main sections. I have chose the one best photo to represent the elements that I want to show in each buildings. I have also ammended the description for each photos.
**** The description will be included at the back of the postcards.
**** It will be written in a format like sending the postcards to one of my friend at Pinang.
Minangkabau
- Brief introduction of the building ( included as packaging )
1. Roof
2. Stilts & Materials
3. Stairs
4. Ventilation
5. Ornaments
Traditional Malay House - Rumah Negeri Sembilan
- Brief introduction of the building ( included as packaging )
1. Roof
2. Stilts & Materials
3. Stairs
4. Ventilation
5. Ornaments
Minangkabau
ROOF
STILTS & MATERIALS
BRIEF INTRODUCTION ( In the packaging )
Brief Introduction
The Minangkabau People of Sumatra came to settle in Negeri Sembilan in the 15th century.
Therefore, the influence of the Minangkabau culture was brought to Negeri Sembilan where the buildings were named after "Minangkabau" too.
The Minangkabau is also known as Rumah Gadang ( Big House )
Roof
The building has a hornlike roof structure called Gonjong by the Minangkabau people.
The roof symbolizes the Teratak Perpatih house, commanding a prominent presence in the complex.
The deisgn of the rooft is basically mimicking the two pointed ends of a buffalo's horns is typical of Minangkabau traditional house.
The sail-like "tebar layar" which is known as the gable end of the roof is used to trap and direct air to ventilate the roof space.
Stilts
Timber stilts are used to heightened the building. Due to the influence of Sumatra, the stilts are built to avoid dangerous wild animals, such a snakes and tiger. While in areas located close to big rivers of Sumatra , the stilts help to elevated house above flood surface.
VENTILATION
ORNAMENTS
Traditional Malay House
ROOF
BRIEF INTRODUCTION ( in the packaging )
STILTS & MATERIALS
VENTILATION
ORNAMENTS
STAIRS
STAIRS
Stairs
The stairs are built with natural woods. The speciality of this stairs is the montgomery balusters, a spindle or stair stick which consist of various forms of spindle in woodwork. It act as a support for the handrail of the staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a balustrade.
Ventilation
In between each roofs, there will be some spaces left opened to allow air ventilation which is called "patah"- ventilation joints. The wind will enter from the openening from above and travel into the intertior spaces of the building. Lattices are used to allow better ventilation. Lattice is a structure consisting of strips of wood crossed and fastened together with square or diamond-shaped spaces left between. It is also used as a screen in the minangkabau.
Ornamantations
"Tebar layar" the gable end of the roof is connected together at the end of the "kasau jantan"- the inner wooden plank fixed in a diagonal direction to support the roof. "Balok tarik" which is the wood that connects the "kasau jantan" together is carved into ace-liked sahpes to enhance the design of the minangkabau.
Brief Introduction
Negeri Sembilan Malay House, originally built by a Malay prince in 1898 in Air Garam village in Mambau. Referred to as the 'Ghost House' (Rumah Berhantu) by local villagers.
The building design reflects the Malay vernacular architecture style with malay deisgn elements.
Roof
The roof of the traditional malay house is called the attap where they uses the dried leaves of the attap palm as the material of the roof. The attap palm provides wattle for the roof where the dried attap leaves were thatched together.
Attap roofing have low thermal capacity which provides good insulation against the heat as well.
Stilts & Materials
Early Malay houses can be described as raised on timber stilts. Houses raised on stilts are provided with better natural ventilation. The stilted house catches winds of higher velocity to flow through the stilts.
The house is built of light-weight wood with low thermal capacity. The wood holds little heat and cools adequately at night.
Stairs
The stairs of the traditional malay house does not have a railing. The sides of the stairs are carved with beautiful ornments too. The stairs are in a 75 degree angle which is quite steep. Most of the rumah melayu only have one main stairs at the front which is the one that leads to the main entrance and other stairs at the back of the house.
Ventilation
The warm climate also effects the style of the Malay vernacular architecture. For ventilation purposes, many buildings have large openings on the sides and grilles are provided at high level in gable ends. Fully openable windows also allow ventilation at body level too.
Coconut trees and other tall tress are planted to provide shade but at the same time without blocking the passage of the wind flow at house level.
Ornamentations
In the Malay culture, buildings such as houses and palaces that are highly hand-crafted and beautifully patterned and decorated reflect the building owners high status.
Malays have adopted the Islamic principles of orientation of mosques, particularly the prayer halls which have to be designed and faced towards Mecca.
PACKAGING
12 NOVEMBER 2015
Mid-Sem Break
Malaysian Architecture often include natural materials in the buildings like woods, rattan, bamboo and etc. What reflects the both the buildings that I have chosen which is the minangkabau and the traditional malay house is wood.
Therefore, I decided to use wood for my packaging. Ornamentations are also one of the most significant style of Malaysian architecture. So, I am planning to carve the wood myself to be the cover of my postcards packaging.
MATERIALS
I bought a few plywoods with different thickness. The thickest one will be used as the cover and for carving the ornaments. The thinner ones will be used as the content page for the packaging where the timeline of Malaysian Architecture and the brief introduction of the buildings that I have chosen will be placed at.
I measured the dimension of the postcard and my ideal packaging size. Then, I sawed the woods carefully according to the lines but failed as I am just a beginner in carpentry. Therefore, I got some help from an uncle who is a carpenter to teach me how to cut them.
Then I measured the holes for drilling. The holes are to provide a space for my craftstrings to go through so as to attach all the woods together to form a packaging.
I also bought myself some interesting new toys~
A set of wood carving tools~
1. Macaroni
2. Frimer Chisel
3. Fluteroni
4. Block Cutter
5. Gouge