When we talked about dwellings, I believed that there are so many things to discuss about. It could be on the usage of spaces, interior decoration, the house structure and facade design, the location of the house, as well as in terms of property and assets. How about for those people who are residing in the remote area or built the house by themselves?
Some of these people built their homes by using own expertise or hiring traditional house builder, a common practice among the villagers, especially in Malaysia. Everyone has its own ideas and preferences when it comes to homes. It is somehow as if we are the designers and architects in our own world. Indeed, our life has been affected directly and indirectly by these homes and other built forms. Some people may not realise about this underlying connection, but definitely it has impacted us in every single aspect of our life.
For instance, if we take a look on the architectural history, every civilisation has its own features and styles on the built environment. In the Malay world, which nowadays consists of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, shows the very unique and ingenious technology of construction and architecture. The abundant resources of tropical rain forest have greatly contributed to the invention and adaptability of techniques used to respond to the local climate and environment.
From the beginning of the constructing process of the timber house, several rituals are done according to local beliefs. Shaman determined the location of the house and the first column to be erected, locally known as the 'tiang seri' (grand column). The ritual traditions are not only involved in the early stage, as it applies throughout the construction process. In terms of the design of layout plan, the Malay traditional house has a clear function and reasons of each space location, orientations, sizes and etc. It all based on the lifestyle of the people themselves.
Surprisingly, similar situations applied to today's homes too. In the context of Malaysian Malay homes, for example, several rituals normally take place when someone moving into a new house. However, the animism and Hinduism rituals by their old folks are replaced by the Islamic rituals and prayers. Besides that, the layout plan of the house, i.e. the orientations of the toilets and washrooms are diverted from the Qibla direction in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The subtle and peculiar relationship between mankind and the built environment can never be denied. It is somehow one of the underlying reasons behind the living way of mankind. With the advancement of technology, the built environment which consists of architecture, landscape, interior decorations, industrial design, urban planning are now easily accessible and comprehensible by most people.
For most people, the daily life revolves mostly around the house and living spaces. Thus, whether we realised it or not, our lives are greatly influenced by the built environment and vice versa. Perhaps, by understanding and participating of the built environment, it is the perfect solutions for the on-going crisis of the staggering and worsening conditions of our mother nature.
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