4.0 Functions of Traditional House

4.0 Functions of Traditional House

From a physical point, the division of three paragraphs in the building structure are adapted to the needs of shelter, giving it strength and also from the environment , use of materials and so on .

The structure of the building has three paragraphs give some varying interpretations. Some say the division of three paragraphs likened to three important stages in human life, namely birth, life and death , which occurred not far from the house .

The composition of the three also gives an overview of the human body which has five senses. The three parts are the head, body and legs. And also it’s characteristic as a Malay house.

To conform to the way of life of the Malays who attach great importance to honor the customs and manners that do not conflict with Islam, the Malay house built structure with a particular room, which is the separate space for men and women.

Space for men located at the front, ie. in a formal space consisting of foyer, porch, house stair, lounging-place or overtime. The central area of the house is used by the women.

This section is a space used for various inside activities. The middle section of the house contains rooms, special rooms for women and for some houses it also has a hall or space interval and clothesline. This room serves as a place for women to meet up and converse with each other.

The backside also known as the kitchen. This section has space for cooking, a cabinet to store groceries, laundry or platform .

Traditional Malay house is not just a portrait of aesthetics and creativity of the Malays, but also supporting the socio-economic needs, culture and environment. Outside the house, there are the well for drinking, bathing and washing.

For the roof, one of its benefits is the height which was built in the shape of a 'V' inverted. The roof is covered with roof light and a good heat sink is usually made ​​from nipah, rumbia and pelepah bertam.

On the side of the roof is equipped with a screen that prevents rain water inside the house and allow the flow of air in and out. The floor section of Malay house is usually high and lifted from the ground level.

This is so because most of the traditional Malay houses are built along the banks of the river and the sea shore, and so Malay house needs to be raised high above the ground. In addition to functioning as flooding countermeasure, it is also suitable for handling wild animal attacks. This system also provides the function of air flow through narrow holes in the floor.