THE CONCEPT OF ALAM TAKAMBANG JADI GURU ON SPATIAL

ORGANIZATION OF THE NEGERI SEMBILAN TRADITIONAL HOUSE IN

REMBAU, MALAYSIA

Mohamad Hanif Abdul Wahab & Azizi Bahauddin

School of Housing, Building and Planning,
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying,
Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia

ABSTRACT

The Malay house is always associated with the traditional lifestyle and the
surroundings. Merantau, a cultural movement process by the outbound and inbound journeys from
the mainland to the ocean via the river can be seen to be influencing the process of building the
Traditional House of Negeri Sembilan (THNS). Riverbanks become the preferred places for the
house settings, guides to forming spaces, room placements and use of spaces. The elements of the
river environs are also seen as symbols and analogies in roof design, structural components and
carved out motifs. The aim of this paper is to analyse the THNS typology
in Rembau district, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Qualitative research method of phenomenology
and ethnography was carried out in Kampung Selemak. It is a village that still features some over
150 years old original house forms. The study conducted by analysing house plans on the physical,
social, practical and functional sides of space organization linked to the environment. Architectural
aspects that were studied included the house orientation system; the rules used for house location
and the house structure formation; internal space positioning, and space usage and flow of
movement. The methods of interview, observation, visual and architectural data collection and
production of measured drawings were used. The study found that the THNS was built mainly
according to the orientation of the nearest river. The surroundings and roles of the river also
affected the THNS design features and terminologies detected through the roof form, the structural
shape, spatial placement, space openings and the rules of interior space usage. The river is not just
for connecting the land to the sea, but also as a living place. The concept of Alam Takambang
Jadi Guru or nature flared become guidance was used in the THNS establishment demonstrating
the combination of these two elements featured in its physical characteristics.

Keywords: Spatial; Orientation; Malay; House; Concept