HOME AS A REFLECTION OF OWNER'S IDENTITY: CASE STUDY ON TERRACE HOUSE IN MALAYSIA
1
CHAPTER 1
RESEARCH PROGRAM
Reasons for choosing the topic
Terrace style housing has been an integral part of Malaysian lives since its introduction during the British colonial rule. One of the reasons the style was introduced is because the design can provide mass housing in a short time and at a lower cost due to the design of the house being mirrored in the exterior and the interior. Due to the fact that the design and construction has to be finalized and finished in a short time, the terrace house designs are rigid and lifeless and do not reflect the culture and identities of the ethnic and cultural diversity of a Malaysian.
In spite of the designs of the house being similar, the home owners are still able to transform the rigid design that reflects their identity. For example, the addition a certain element displayed at the house, particularly at the front porch, that most likely requires time, money and effort to reflect the owner’s identity.
The research’s motive is to find out what are these elements that distinct these various identities.
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1.1
Problem Statement
Housing design in Malaysia has been similar and rigid. Malaysian consists of
different ethnicity, but yet the design does not reflect the identity of the people. A typical Malaysian lives in residential areas, in terrace houses that are not designed to adapt their different needs and culture, but instead, are uniformity designed in order to allow the speedy process of construction, choosing to ignore the cultural differences and more importantly, individual needs of the home owners. Despite of the ignorance of the designers to take note about including features to accommodate with the different cultures, the owners had their own way to reflect their identity into these houses. They spent money, effort and time to reinvent the house, for example, in the front yard, where they include architecture elements which reflect their true identity, thus
CHAPTER 1
RESEARCH PROGRAM
Reasons for choosing the topic
Terrace style housing has been an integral part of Malaysian lives since its introduction during the British colonial rule. One of the reasons the style was introduced is because the design can provide mass housing in a short time and at a lower cost due to the design of the house being mirrored in the exterior and the interior. Due to the fact that the design and construction has to be finalized and finished in a short time, the terrace house designs are rigid and lifeless and do not reflect the culture and identities of the ethnic and cultural diversity of a Malaysian.
In spite of the designs of the house being similar, the home owners are still able to transform the rigid design that reflects their identity. For example, the addition a certain element displayed at the house, particularly at the front porch, that most likely requires time, money and effort to reflect the owner’s identity.
The research’s motive is to find out what are these elements that distinct these various identities.
2
1.1
Problem Statement
Housing design in Malaysia has been similar and rigid. Malaysian consists of
different ethnicity, but yet the design does not reflect the identity of the people. A typical Malaysian lives in residential areas, in terrace houses that are not designed to adapt their different needs and culture, but instead, are uniformity designed in order to allow the speedy process of construction, choosing to ignore the cultural differences and more importantly, individual needs of the home owners. Despite of the ignorance of the designers to take note about including features to accommodate with the different cultures, the owners had their own way to reflect their identity into these houses. They spent money, effort and time to reinvent the house, for example, in the front yard, where they include architecture elements which reflect their true identity, thus