Housing in Hot and Humid Climate – A Case Study

Traditional Malay House

Datuk Baginda Tan Mas Mohar
Traditional Malay houses
The traditional Malay house is divided into two zones, the larger
one being the Rumah Ibu, which serves as the main house, and
the smaller Rumah Dapur, which is the kitchen annex.
At least one raised verandah, known as the Serambi, is attached
to the the house as a seating/relaxation space.
The house is traditionally built upon stilts, which serves multiple
purposes: ventilation, deterrents for wild animals and thieves, and
protection from flooding. Stairs were required to access the
elevated interior.
The roofs are sloped (with regional variations in design), and are
suited for the tropical Malaysian climate.
The Datuk Baginda Tan Mas Mohar is a traditional Malay house
built in 1850 . It is located in the Negeri Sembilan state (southern
region) of Malaysia.
It was built in the basic 12 column style of the traditional Malay
style.
The external wall height is between 3 to 5 metres and the highest
roof peak is at 3.6 metres.
In the Tan Mas Mohar, the serambi (verandah) makes up one
third of the of the whole house and has a lot more perimeter
doors and windows than the Rumah Ibu, and therefore is more
ventilated. In comparison the Rumah Ibu (main house) makes up
two thirds of the total area, but has only two windows and a rear
door.
The building materials used are as follows:
Roofing: Thatched attap roof (palm leaves)
Ceiling: Timber joist
External walls: Timber/bamboo frame
Internal partitions: Insulated timber
Ground floor: Uninsulated suspended timber flooring
Door: Timber door

Indoor air temperature

In a Malaysian case study, it was observed that ambient
temperature in traditional Malay houses were significantly lower
than that of modern public housing built in Kuala Lumpur in the
year 2000.
This is attributed to the lightweight materials used in the Malay
houses which release heat readily and cools the house during
nights.
But the high thermal mass materials used in the modern housing
keeps the temperature lower during the day.

Relative humidity
In the same study, it was deduced that the traditional Malay
houses have a higher level of humidity and a low temperature,
while the public housing units have the opposite.
In addition the maximum relative humidity in the Malay houses is
higher by 7.1%, while the minimum relative humidity is higher in
the public housing by 4.3%.
The mean relative humidity is lower in the public housing by 5.9%.
Internal and external ventilation
The internal and external airflow ventilation is significantly higher
in Malay houses than in the modern housing.
The difference in air movement is also tremendous between the
two.
These findings are vital as the movement of air significantly
reduces humidity and air temperature. Therefore the Malay
house with high air movement provides more thermal comfort
compared to modern housing.