Abstract
The search for innovative ideas and sustainable solutions for urban housing in Southeast Asia as well as other parts of the world should include reexamining and rediscovering traditional urban dwellings such as the shophouse. Based upon the author’s observation in many parts of Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, new housing for lower income populations in urban areas have tended to be high-rise or walkup multistorey fl ats with little or no commercial space within the developments. These high-density urban dwelling environments have the usual problems associated with large-scale high-rise housing projects. They are impersonal, monotonous and boring, and they do not allow much room for individual expression, expansion or personalization of the dwelling. In these planned housing schemes, residential and commercial activity is usually separated. In Southeast Asia where mixed-use urban settlements have been the tradition for generations, the separation of residential and commercial activity usually does not work. Strict and constant supervision is required or else open space around housing areas is soon occupied by unauthorized commercial activity. In the older and more traditional sectors of urban settlements in Southeast Asia, commercial and residential activities coexist together usually in the same building–the shophouse. In older sections of Southeast Asian cities, shophouse neighbourhoods, although seemingly crowded, are lively environments that give cities in the region their distinctive character. An analysis of the traditional shophouse of the Malay Peninsula is described here and is proposed as a model for better urban housing environments, which can sustain traditional ways of urban life Southeast Asia and elsewhere.
Highlights
The Chinese shophouse of the Malay Peninsula (Fig. 1) is the basic unit of the urban fabric in cities and towns in Malaysia (Fig. 2), Singapore [1], and other countries in the region (Fig. 3)
The ground floor is used for commercial purposes such as shops, light industry or service businesses such as laundries, repair shops, etc
In some variations of shophouses, the residential part is behind the shop
Summary
The Chinese shophouse of the Malay Peninsula (Fig. 1) is the basic unit of the urban fabric in cities and towns in Malaysia (Fig. 2), Singapore [1], and other countries in the region (Fig. 3). Sometimes more than one business may share the ground floor space in a single shophouse. The upper floors are for residential use and may contain living units for several families or individuals who may sometimes share facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms. The ground floor shop front is separated from the street by a covered space known as a verandah. Shophouses are built in rows and share party walls between them. Through this configuration, the covered verandahs become continuous covered walkways along the street. Expanded to over seven stories (Fig. 5) This upward expansion of a deep but narrow building raises issues about safety and egress from upper floors. The alley is used for service to the commercial as well as the residential parts of the building
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
