Malay Traditional Furniture: Form and Space

Abstract

Malay craftsmen have created a practical and functional living shelter known as Malay traditional house. The Malay house is designed in a simple square form. Square form creates a practical space that is easy to organize household items. The houses are constructed using medium weight fiber material—timber. Timber is easy to cut and form house structure elements such as floor, roof trusses, and wall stud. The combination of form and space creates many design elements used by occupants to serve, organize, and sustain the Malay way of life in a traditional Malay house. The scope of research is focused on Melaka traditional house, the earlier Malay civilization in Peninsular Malaysia. The analysis focused on house components of the structure and spatial activities in the house. In conclusion, the elements’ integration of form and space in Malay traditional houses has revealed the existence of built-in furniture. The main function is to organize household items and to store utensils and equipment.