basic notes on factors affecting the construction of malaysian architecture
in initiating ideas to design a building, physical factors in the forms of climatic influences or site topographical conditions and cultural factors in the forms of social values or social belief have become not only as constraints but also as the source of factors of consideration for the forms, content and the look of the malaysian building‘s architecture despite the acceptable philosophical approach by many practicing architects that ‘form follows function’.
one way to basically understand malaysian architectural characters is by visualizing the forces which frequently shaped it’s form and content. sometimes it is also very necessary for us to examine and study it’s background from ancient times to the present days.
history have thus proven that 2 obvious factual factors have been affecting the types of architecture in building construction activities, here in malaysia, which can be identified as follows:
1. rural buildings were normally and still constructed of easily or cheaply available local materials which were/are subjected to quick deterioration. the forms have been comparatively simple and have changed very little through the times.
2. in normal urban areas [and recent development in rural construction activities too], most buildings constructed would focused on quality wise. they are normally built in permanent materials and conceptually designed to suit their functions and their intricacy in the forms and architectural designs are determined by the cost expended for their purposes.
due to the rapid advancement of the malaysian governmental management and ruling both politically and economically times to times, the urban architectural scene changed comparatively more frequently and quickly than in rural areas.
problems maintaining architectural records in malaysia
due to the ease of deterioration of the rural buildings and due to the destructive activities of man, the ravages of nature and to certain extents the lack of maintenance exercise initiatives carried out, very few buildings especially ancient buildings, survived up to the present day which left rare records of the malaysian historic architecture traces.
another factor that play its important role in influencing the malaysian architectural characters and identity in recent times will be the architect himself/herself. architect’s own personal and conceptual approach in designing his/her building will determining the values of architecture he/she would like to portray. there is no single set of laws that restrict the freedom of expression in architecture now in malaysia nor does it obligatorily necessary? well, if that’s so, every architect is free to exhibit his/her own personal architectural attitude. BUT/however for the sake of the architecture itself, it would be wise to exercise it with respectful values.
with the above facts, will malaysian vernacular architectural characteristics or identity and its regionalism vitality be strong and powerful enough to compete with the proclaimed universality and world–wide applicability of certain values of the international modernism? do you have the answers?
in initiating ideas to design a building, physical factors in the forms of climatic influences or site topographical conditions and cultural factors in the forms of social values or social belief have become not only as constraints but also as the source of factors of consideration for the forms, content and the look of the malaysian building‘s architecture despite the acceptable philosophical approach by many practicing architects that ‘form follows function’.
one way to basically understand malaysian architectural characters is by visualizing the forces which frequently shaped it’s form and content. sometimes it is also very necessary for us to examine and study it’s background from ancient times to the present days.
history have thus proven that 2 obvious factual factors have been affecting the types of architecture in building construction activities, here in malaysia, which can be identified as follows:
1. rural buildings were normally and still constructed of easily or cheaply available local materials which were/are subjected to quick deterioration. the forms have been comparatively simple and have changed very little through the times.
2. in normal urban areas [and recent development in rural construction activities too], most buildings constructed would focused on quality wise. they are normally built in permanent materials and conceptually designed to suit their functions and their intricacy in the forms and architectural designs are determined by the cost expended for their purposes.
due to the rapid advancement of the malaysian governmental management and ruling both politically and economically times to times, the urban architectural scene changed comparatively more frequently and quickly than in rural areas.
problems maintaining architectural records in malaysia
due to the ease of deterioration of the rural buildings and due to the destructive activities of man, the ravages of nature and to certain extents the lack of maintenance exercise initiatives carried out, very few buildings especially ancient buildings, survived up to the present day which left rare records of the malaysian historic architecture traces.
another factor that play its important role in influencing the malaysian architectural characters and identity in recent times will be the architect himself/herself. architect’s own personal and conceptual approach in designing his/her building will determining the values of architecture he/she would like to portray. there is no single set of laws that restrict the freedom of expression in architecture now in malaysia nor does it obligatorily necessary? well, if that’s so, every architect is free to exhibit his/her own personal architectural attitude. BUT/however for the sake of the architecture itself, it would be wise to exercise it with respectful values.
with the above facts, will malaysian vernacular architectural characteristics or identity and its regionalism vitality be strong and powerful enough to compete with the proclaimed universality and world–wide applicability of certain values of the international modernism? do you have the answers?
