Seri Yang Menanti - Regionalism Architecture of Seri Menanti

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Abstract

Seri Menanti is an isolated town in Negeri Sembilan. It is a historical city
where the palace, Istana Lama Seri Menanti has been recognized by Malaysia Book
of Records (MBOR) as the highest timber palace in the country. Now Seri Menanti
remains as the royal city of Negeri Sembilan. As time passed, the customs and
heritage left by this historic city began to fade and disappeared in modernization. In
keeping with current development trends, most school buildings built in Seri
Menanti are built in an architectural style that overlooks the local and sensitive
architectural features of Seri Menanti, area which is known as a historical and
cultural area. Typically the design of the school buildings is in accordance with the
existing template design, making the architecture style unresponsive to the site. The
results of the field study have found that some schools in Seri Menanti have
neglected the features of the local architecture and made the design too alienated
to the site which is considered to be a historically sensitive context. This study
focuses on the features of regional architecture in Seri Menanti by examining local
architectural styles, factors that influence it and the philosophy behind it. The results
of the study will explain the richness and grandeur of regionalism architectural
features that have transcended their ages, and the importance of preserving this
architectural treasure.

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CHAPTER 1

The Awaiting Radiance

A s its name suggests, Seri Menanti is a beautiful small town in the district of
Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. Seri Menanti is the royal city of Negeri Sembilan.
This small, quiet town is located in a valley surrounded by lush green hills.
According to history, the town of Seri Menanti was opened by the Minangkabau
people from Rembau who arrived here around the 15th century. According to
legend, upon their arrival in the area they found three paddy fields, which looked as
if they were waiting for their arrival. Thus Datuk Puteh, one of the travelers here,
named the area Padi Menanti, which was later changed to Seri Menanti (The
Awaiting Radiance) which was influenced by the Javanese language where the word
"Seri" is believed to be "Goddess of Rice" in the Javanese culture.
Seri Menanti is a historical city where the palace, Istana Lama Seri Menanti has been
recognized by Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as the highest timber palace in the
country. As time passed, the customs and heritage left by this historic city began to
fade and disappeared in modernization. The aim of this study was to examine the
features of regional architecture in Seri Menanti area that has home architecture
influenced by Minangkabau influence.

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“Negeri Beradat”

The arrival of the Minangkabau peoples to Negeri Sembilan occurred when
Malacca was conquered by the Portuguese. The capture of Malacca by the
Portuguese has led to the Malacca Sultanate relocated to Johor. The customary
phrase of Negeri Sembilan which reads "Beraja ke Johor, Bertuan ke Minangkabau,
Bertali ke Siak" is a proves that Negeri Sembilan has a variety of cultural influences.

Custom is a living guideline that includes rules of manners and certain
practices practiced by a group of people in their lives. Negeri Sembilan has its own
unique custom practiced by the community, the Adat Perpatih. This custom was
belived as a complete custom of life, and has its own social and cultural significance.
This custom is often associated with the Minangkabau community as it refers to
Dato’ Perpatih Nan Sebatang who is from West Sumatra, Indonesia. Dato’ Perpatih
is the founder of the customary ideology of Adat Perpatih and was the leader of the
Minangs about 500 years ago.

Adat Perpatih is a social structure that involves social relationships and
economic processes based on maternal lineage as the main basis. So thus, the
architecture influence of houses in Negeri Sembilan can be seen as different from
the traditional houses in other states where it has its own identity as the cultural
symbol of its people. According to Raja Nafida (2007), architecture and features of
the traditional house design of Negeri Sembilan is closely related to Adat Perpatih.
The symbol the greatness of a society's culture was once uniquely viewed by the
architecture of their traditional houses. Elements in matrilineal kinship systems such
as economic, social systems and leadership has made the life of the Negeri Sembilan
community one a complete and perfect life (Norhalim, 2007). This custom system
has provided harmony and the well-being of the people over the past hundreds of
years and its influence can be seen in the traditional home architecture of this
community to this day.

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Problem Statement

The issue in question is the identity of the Seri Menanti's architectural style
that is increasingly undergoing modernization. Seri Menanti is a town rich of
historical and cultural heritage. Since the acceptance of Islam in Malay land, the
customs of the Malay community have experienced cultural assimilation, making the
laws and syariat of Islam are implemented into the culture. As one of Minang's
sayings goes:

“Adat basandi syarak
Syarak Basandi Kitabullah“

In fact, the democratic system practices in Negeri Sembilan still uses the
customary system of Adat Perpatih and the King's election still uses the customary
electoral system using the concept of "Putera Nan Empat". With the pace of
modernization in keeping with current trends, the development of the architecture
around the town faces the challenge of displaying the autonomous identity of this
region cultural significance. According to the current trends, most of the religious
schools in the area were built with regular daily school design, making the area lose
its identity as a "Negeri Beradat" with a strong emphasis on customs and heritage.

Research Aim

The aim of this thesis is to study and develop an architectural design that is
able to reflect the history, customs and heritage of Seri Menanti by using the
Regionalism architecture approach in designing an Islamic Religious School.

Research Questions

Below are series of questions that contributes to this study:
1. What is the effect of regionalism approach in designing an Islamic Religious
School in Seri Menanti?
2. What are the historical and cultural features of Seri Menanti and the manners
of seeking knowledge in Islam that can be applied in school design?
3. What are the design strategies that are able to adapt the historical, cultural
and heritage features of Seri Menanti city as a historic the Royal City of Negeri
Sembilan?

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Research Objectives

From the questions raised, this study will ensure that it achieves its objectives:
1. To determine the impact of regionalism architecture approach on the design
of a religious school in Seri Menanti.
2. To study and identify the historical and cultural features of Seri Menanti that
can be applied to the design of a school.
3. To devise a design strategy capable of adapting historical, cultural and
customary features of Seri Menanti to portray it as a historic and Royal City
of Negeri Sembilan.

Significance of Study

In keeping with current development trends, most school buildings built in
Seri Menanti are built in an architectural style that overlooks the local and sensitive
architectural features of Seri Menanti, area which is known as a historical and
cultural area. Typically the design of the school buildings is in accordance with the
existing template design, making the architecture style unresponsive to the site. The
results of the field study have found that some schools in Seri Menanti (figure) have
neglected the features of the local architecture and made the design too alienated
to the site which is considered to be a historically sensitive context. This study
focuses on the features of regional architecture in Seri Menanti by examining local
architectural styles, factors that influence it and the philosophy behind it. The results
of the study will explain the richness and grandeur of regionalism architectural
features that have transcended their ages, and the importance of preserving this
architectural treasure.

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Figure 2 : Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Menanti

Figure 3 : Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Seri
Menanti

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Scope of Study

The aim of this thesis is to study and develop an architectural design that is able to
reflect the history, customs and heritage of Seri Menanti by using the Regionalism
architecture approach in designing an Islamic Religious School.

Research Methodology

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Thesis Framework

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CHAPTER 2

Literature Review

R egionalism in architecture have always been one of the key to succeed in
designing a building that not only implementing the culture of said region into
the design itself but to also understand the philosophies and history behind of
those designs and culture in the first place.
Regionalism in architecture could be described by Iftekhar Mazhar Khan in the book
Regionalism in Architecture into three levels, firstly on the level of concept secondly,
on the level of ‘modus operandi’ and thirdly, as a solution to a specific problem that
is happening.

Firstly on the level of concept, it is believed that we can easily find the
regionalism in a form of structure and holds together the series of decisions taken
before certain building is built along with a method of deciding whether the design
discussed manage to fulfill every request asked by the clients in most promising way.
This step is really important as unlike culture, architecture does not change so easily
with their evaluation and this regionalism offers this type of self-discipline. There
were many different ways architects views regionalism for example, Kenneth
Frampton view is as ‘critical regionalism’ where a group of architects gathered to
represent a regional constituency and act as if they are the lawyers for a set of
regional constituency and along the way act as the shield of resistance against the
onslaught of value free-internationalism. Meanwhile, William Curtis, ‘authentic
regionalism’ is a mixture of deep regional structures and ‘international’ to create a
solution and thus inspires architects. To him, architecture should be non-arbitrary
and contemporary and not a pastiche of styles and form.

Most architects did not try to define regionalism but try to convey what it
means to them. In all likelihood, these architects do not question the validity of the
concept even when the accurate definition cannot be determined. It is explained by
Paul Rudolph in a seminar that he does not against regionalism and he also finds that
some buildings are much more regional than the others. Paul Rudolph has identified

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the types of building which have had more of the regional influence in them such as
houses and those buildings that were hard to identify whether it has any regional
influence in them in particular the airport or any other modern technical facilities.
He also has identified the forces that move regionalism such as culture, social needs,
habits and norm and those that work against it, such as technology and automobiles.
In the meantime, Habib Fida Ali sees a little inconsistency between regionalism and
the so-called ‘international styles’ if we do not see them merely as styles. It is on the
same reasoning of if there is a specific demand of a specific site on a specific culture,
it will count as regional architecture.

All in all, although we did not conclude and agree to a specific definition to
describe regionalism, perhaps it is a word that does not need to have a specific
meaning. It is the fact that everyone agrees that ‘regionalism’ exist and while it might
not be too obvious to the one that’s operating them but it is still very much visible
to the outsider. People tends to mistake culture as something fragile that needs and
extensive care but people also tends to forgot that culture does not only exist on the
outside for the world to see but also deep within our self.

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CHAPTER 3

Architectural Significance

A rchitecture design research study is based on several factors that led to the
evolution and development of traditional Malay houses are there in Seri
Menanti. Among the factors that influence this design are the regional custom that
make the traditional houses design here have its own identity. This aspect involves
the study of the influence of custom and temperament affecting the traditional
houses of Negeri Sembilan. The adaptation of Negeri Sembilan traditional house can
be seen on the design of the Minangkabau-shaped long roof with varied slope. It
symbolizes the uniqueness of the custom practiced by the people of Negeri
Sembilan. This study is a study to prove that custom and environmental factors and
temperament have influenced the architecture, especially the traditional house
design in Seri Menanti. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the
methodology of the study is related through the collection of data through the
process of observation, literature review, and the taking of relevant photographs. In
addition, field studies were conducted on the design of traditional houses in Seri
Menanti. Comparative analyzes of Seri Menanti's evolution of houses through
photographs, site sketches and interview sessions were conducted on a number of
locals, homeowners and custom heads to serve as a document of this study.

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Regional Customs

The early migration of the Minangkabau people to Rembau in the early 15th
century and the arrival of Raja Melewar has further increased the numbers of
Minangkabau people emigrated to Negeri Sembilan and made it the second state of
the Minangkabau community (A. Samad, 1994). The migration of the Minangkabau
people to Negeri Sembilan has greatly influenced the traditional house design in
Negeri Sembilan. According to Yaakub (1996), traditional Malay house is a house that
is formed in the Malay community together with the evolution of the Malay culture
itself. However, traditional house designs have been assimilated into the local
culture in accordance with the environment, cultural influences and customs.

The Negeri Sembilan traditional house is called “Rumah Bumbung Panjang Negeri
Sembilan”. It is the only long roofed house in Peninsular Malaysia. It is these
characteristics that distinguish the Negeri Sembilan house from the others, that
symbolize the uniqueness of the indigenous Adat Perpatih custom practiced by the
community.

The system of maternal lineage or matrilineal kinship system is the customary
system practiced by the community in Negeri Sembilan. The matrilineal kinship
system in the customary tradition has been the life system of the Minangkabau
people in Negeri Sembilan since their ancestors hundreds of years ago (Rais 2007).
Custom practices have been brought and developed by the Minangkabau people
from West Sumatra who have migrated to Negeri Sembilan. An important feature of
the matrilineal kinship system is that the rights of inheritance and inheritance are
passed on to mothers and women. Systems such as social, economic and
organizational leadership are important features of the matrilineal kinship system.
However, something unique in this matrilineal kinship system is that the mothers,
daughters and descendants of their relatives have been given the privilege to rule
over posterity, inheritance, and power (Norhalim 2007).

Malay culture is quite unique in many things, including language, culture, foods,
cloth, weapons, martial arts, transportation and so on. The Malays have successfully
developed their own civilization by reference to accentuate its identity in the
international community (Mastor, Rosdan & Mohamad Tajuddin 2007). He added
that many people who do not know and still blurred background with traditional
Malay house because it is considered obsolete, outdated and bucolic. Although the
typology looks different according to the context, the concept of space is the same
as it works on the same principles and thinking. Environmental factors such as
climate and environment are factors that affect the architectural form of traditional

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Malay houses on sloping roofs, wide eaves to drain rainwater quickly. In addition,
there are openings on floors, walls and even roofs for good cross ventilation systems
to address thermal comfort issues. Houses at first was used by the Malays with long
and gabled roof design according to their environment or regional factor. The
development of the design and style Malay houses next occurs through a process of
assimilation to each other when they are interconnected across the region and area
of residence.

Regionalism Architecture Of Seri Menanti

The design of traditional Malay houses can varied by style and typologies in Malaysia.
Every state in Malaysia has its own style of traditional houses. Minangkabau houses
are often associated with traditional houses in Negeri Sembilan due to their
influence on the system of government in Negeri Sembilan. The culture of the nation
influenced their architecture. The meaning of culture is very broad, encompassing

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all aspects of the life of a group or people, including systems or practices of daily
living, belief systems and religion, customs, education, arts and sociopolitics.
(Yaakub 1996). These factors have affected the initial design of traditional Malay
houses such as the elevated house design, gabled roof and the use of materials like
timber.

However the shape of the roof in Seri Menanti's is a later influence on the evolution
of traditional houses in the community here. Evolution is the development and
changes that takes place due to certain factors such as cultural factors, place and
even climate.

The life of a place and its customs have also shaped the changes that surround it.
According to Raja Nafida (2007), evolution is a development that takes place in the
patterns of human life, animals, flora and fauna. Human life patterns are influences
that come from the origins of everyday life. Minangkabau is an ethnic group that
people often refer to. According to Mochtar (2014), the Minangkabau people in the
region are tall, even the tallest in Indonesia. They travel all over the country in search
of a better life, education, and experience. Through cross-border activities,
Minangkabau people bring their culture and traditions. When one travels from its
place of origin, they bring in the culture, the customs of the new place, their lives
changed and the evolution takes place.

The custom practiced by the Minangkabau people was the custom of matrilineal and
maternal culture, the world's largest matrilineal society where property and land
were passed down from mother to daughter, while religion and politics were men's
affairs. This custom is said to have influenced the tradition of many Minangkabau
men as a region. This tradition has established some communities of Minangkabau
region elsewhere in Indonesia as the culture and design of the home has influenced
their area of living by adopting Minangkabau customs and cultures such as Kampar-
Siak, Jambi, Riau and has brought the evolution of house typology all the way to Seri
Menanti.

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The Minangkabau house has a retractable roof in the form of buffalo horns
and is known as "Rumah Gadang". It is also called “Rumah Adat” or custom house
because it is used as a place for performing customary rituals. According to Sudirman
(2007), custom house are house that are based on customary norms and called
''babiliak ketek, babiliak gadang" (small room, large room). Rumah Gadang is also
known as the Minangkabau custom house which is based on the matrilineal kinship
system. According to Sudirman (2007), Minangkabau traditional architecture
especially the Rumah Gadang or Rumah Adat can be referred to as the vernacular
building which is born from the culture of the people who practice the matrilineal
kinship system. This custom house is also known as a “Rumah Gonjong” hollow
house or "bagonjong house" because it has a pointed roof, which has a dramatic
curved roof structure with wide gable and curved ridges and there are certain
principles in the construction of the Minangkabau custom house (Syamsul 2004).

This design and typology is due to the influence and culture of the local
community coming from various elements. Each building structure produced has its
own values and philosophy in line with its lifestyle. Generally, the term or language
calls for the names of traditional Malay houses can be identified by the shape of
architectural elements such as the roof and pillars (Zulkifli 1985). According to Raja
Nafida (2007), the traditional house of Negeri Sembilan is better known as “Rumah
Bumbung Panjang Negeri Sembilan”. In its early history, the house was better known
as the “Rumah Minangkabau Negeri Sembilan”. Thus, it can be said that Negeri
Sembilan showcased the entire design of the long-flowing roof of Minangkabau. The
lofty roof-like design of the leaves has the same home as the main house (Rumah
Ibu), serambi, anjung and kitchen that joins the rumah ibu. High flooring and wooden
stairs is a image and element that is said to be the custom of Rumah Bumbung
Panjang Negeri. According to Yaakub (1996) the Negeri Sembilan house, the roof
looks a bit low and a little flimsy, with a raised roof between the roof of the mother
house and the porch. Typically, the tall house is the house of the customary chiefs
and their nobles (Raja Nafida 2007) have different sizes and architectural styles and
this can be clearly seen in the design of their serambi.

The roof design of the traditional Negeri Sembilan house besides slightly
flickered left and right, has two gradients and gabled at both ends of the roof. Rumah
Bumbung Panjang is a traditional Malay architectural heritage. Evolution of the roof
has been changed from time-to time influenced by the cultural elements of Malay
ethnic in the area or regionalism. A person's daily life or way of life for the local
community is affected by the environment of the area in which he or she lives. The
custom practiced by the tribes in the customary land has influenced the architecture
of their houses. The Biduanda tribe is an indigenous tribe located in Negeri Sembilan

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(Norhalim 2007). Study found that the effect of regionalism among the Malays are
mostly from Biduanda tribes. This proves that the people and the indigenous people
have influenced the design of traditional houses in Negeri Sembilan. The life of the
Malays always responds by amending, changing and improving through adaptation
to suit their environment (Zulkifli 1985). Space requirements for the daily life of the
Malays has added the tip or the base of the serambi and the serambi on the design
of traditional Malay houses in Negeri Sembilan.

Malay house design implemented with local customs has affected the plans
and activities taking place in the area that led to the development and expansion of
a Malay house through a person's status. In addition, the traditional Malay house is
often associated with the environment of the package in a traditional Malay house
that cannot be separated. Therefore, the design of the house has a front porch and
the windows are low to the ground level to adapt to the environment and are
designed for sitting rather than standing.

Serambi is usually decorated with cross-shaped carvings. The variety of
ornamentation and its ornamentation is influenced by the local religion and culture
or the state itself. The design of Negeri Sembilan houses has several typologies such
as a one-storey porch or two-storey porch. According to Raja Nafida (2007) the
design of the Negeri Sembilan house is according to the porch where the porch near
the stairs is called the serambi pangkal and the porch near the stairs is called the
serambi hujung. "Pangkal untuk orang adat, hujung untuk orang syarak dan
penghulu". The design of the floor plans, windows and doors of the house clearly
reflects the design principles based on function.

The culture, customs, and activities of its occupants form an integral part of
the design of the floor plan. (Kamarul Afizi & Ibrahim 2007). Rumah Ibu has the
largest and highest space. There are rooms in the mother's house and stairs leading
to the attic. This loft takes away the height and level of the rooftop space provided
by this home's structure. Rumah Ibu is open and connected to the kitchen by the
door leading to Selang. The Selang is non-walled and is a platform for some kitchen
functions. It serves as a space for girls to chat. Seclusion and privacy of the room,
men and women can be seen in a traditional Malay house in Seri Menanti.

Traditional houses of Negeri Sembilan have been identified for their
evolution on a rooftop roof or a variegated long roof design. It symbolizes the
uniqueness of the Adat Perpatih customs practiced by the people of Negeri
Sembilan. The house is a traditional Malay heritage and is one of the basic needs in
life. Traditional Malay house design heavily influenced by environmental conditions,

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lifestyle, economic status, climatic conditions and regionalism. The early houses built
in Minangkabau have greatly influenced the traditional design of Negeri Sembilan.
The influence of architecture on the homes and residences of the people in Negeri
Sembilan began with the arrival of the region from Sumatra to Negeri Sembilan was
influenced by the customary and geographical factors that led to the formation of a
unique and distinctive identity.

The breakdown of the typical traditional house in Seri Menanti, its spaces, features,
their uses and the philosophy behind the design are as follows:

Serambi

Serambi is the first space to be
found when entering Rumah
Bumbung Panjang Negeri
Sembilan. Usually, this space
serves as a gathering place for
either to talk, or meetings. In the
tradition of the Malays, it is
considered impolite if guests enter
the house directly, for they may
seen things that may embarrass
the host like a messy house, or the
aurat of the women inside.
Serambi also serves as a guest
lounge before being invited to
enter the house, as soon as the
host has time to prepare for the
guest's presence. It is one of the
teachings of Islam to respects the
guests, which are applied in traditional Malay culture. In addition, the design of the
Serambi of Rumah Bumbung Panjang Negeri Sembilan which is flat throughout the
area is in line with the custom of Adat Perpatih which emphasizes the value that
every human being is equal even if they have different positions in the world.

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Rumah Ibu

Rumah Ibu is the main space of
Rumah Bumbung Panjang Negeri
Sembilan. Rumah Ibu has the
widest and highest space. There are
rooms in Rumah Ibu and stairs
leading to the attic. This attic takes
away the height and level of the
rooftop space provided by this
home's structure. Rumah Ibu was
designed open and connected to
the kitchen by the door leading to
the “Selang”. This main room is
called "Rumah Ibu" in honor of her
role as housekeeper and housewife.
In Islam, mother is considered to be
a noble and honorable position. In
keeping with its name and function as a place for family members to relax together,
this clearly shows that the Malay community is very concerned about the bonds
between the members of the family to be happy and harmonious.

The level of the windows is designed to be very low, which is designed for the sitting
level rather than human-stand level. This is to hide the appearance of women in the
house, in line with the Islamic religion that protects women's dignity. Rumah Ibu is
the the main space that link to other parts of the home, including access to the attic.

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Rumah Dapur

Rumah Dapur is the space of must in
every Malay houses. It is a place for
women to cook and a special place
for female guests to symbolize the
role of women as male supporters.
This space also serves as a special
place for family members to gather
while eating. In the tradition of the
Malay community, outsiders are not
allowed to go to the kitchen to avoid
persecution elements in society. At
mealtime, the kitchen becomes a
place where parents pass on their
family's orders, views and advice.
This is to strengthen the ties between
family members and the community.

Room
The room is a secret space for the host and family members. Usually boys and girls
will be separated. It symbolizes the Malays practice Islam in their lives.

Windows
Most of the windows in the house in Seri Menanti is the kind of opening to the
outside and has a wooden lattice on the bottom of the window as the circulation of
air and also serves as a safety barrier for children. In addition, the windows are also
carved with carvings that have floral and geometric motifs.

Roof
Malay house roof always kind of leaning to the suitability of rainy weather tropical
heat. The roofs of traditional houses also have projections (porches / overhangs) for
shade from the heat and heavy rain. Along the tip of the roof edge is always installed
eaves or carved beautiful place marked refinement of the Malay community.

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Climate Factor

Weather factors play a role in the basic design of buildings. Frequency of rain
in Seri Menanti results in sloping roofs and slopes in their house design to prevent
flooding. The warmth of the weather also contributes to more open design such as
the presence of large windows, serambi and poles that even provide ventilation to
the basement. The uniqueness of a traditional home in Seri Menanti is that it uses
high-rise floors. This is a key feature of traditional building that benefits residents in
maintaining the comfort of the interior and the safety of wild and poisonous animals.

From the science point of the building, high floor construction can promote
air velocity under the floor. With the use of timber gapped floors, the wind below
the home floor will enter the interior to assist in the process of conversion and air
circulation. A study conducted by Hanafi (1994) states that humid and moist soil
conditions in the region require adequate lighting to dry them. In addition, monsoon
season not only wet the land but floods sometimes occur. Therefore the elevated
floor method is very suitable for the climate in the region.

The next component is 'walls and openings.' On the facade of a traditional
house in Seri Menanti, number of openings or windows are numerous and
comprehensive, from floor level up almost to the ceiling (full-length window). The
height of this opening is very suitable as it is located at the body level. Hassan and
Ramli (2010) conclude that the large openings factor with large windows and
ornamentation above the windows on each facade can improve cross ventilation.
This situation enables the circulation of cold air to circulate hot air inside the home.

The last component is a 'doubled pitch roof' which serves to channel hot air
out through the cavity between the upper and lower roofs. This cavity helps to allow
the circulation of hot air to be trapped in the roof space through the 'stack effect'
method. While the use of lightweight building materials such as the 'rumbia roof'
helps to cool the top of the roof as the 'rumbia roof' has low thermal capacity. This
material does not store heat and cools immediately as the day goes down.

Among the design features roof Traditional Malay house that is responsive to
the local climate is the use of 'tebar layar' are hollow. Like the 'sloping roof', the tebar
layer also works to allow good ventilation for the upper part of the house. In
addition, the traditional roofing projections of the house help protect the facade and
windows from the scorching sun and heavy rain. The protection provided by these

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roof projections allows windows and openings to remain open even in the event of
heavy rainfall and intense heat.

Construction Method

The art of traditional construction methods revolves around how a traditional
house is built using existing resources in the surrounding area. The house in Seri
Menanti also practiced old construction methods that did not use nails but pegs and
pegs to strengthen and strengthen the building.

Can be summed up here, a traditional Malay house installation method is the
earliest pioneers of the concept of 'Industrialized Building System' (Industrialized
Building System - IBS) in the world. It is more stable and sustainable than other
modern ones as it can withstand the huge floods that often hit the region during the
monsoon season. In addition, the traditional house can also be dismantled,
reassembled and relocated either 'open and installed' or lifted altogether in tandem
with the new location. These are some of the advantages of traditional construction
methods that use lightweight construction materials.

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CHAPTER 4

Conclusion

H ouse was originally built to meet the basic needs of human life. It is built as a
shelter from hot weather, rain and protect from danger like wildlife.
According to the Maslow Hierarchy, living space is the third most important
necessity of human life after food and clothing. Previously, the construction of
settlements of the Malays mostly in the riverside and in rural areas. This is because
forest resources such as bamboo, rattan, timber, rumbia and other types of timber
are easy to obtain so that they can use as house columns, floors, walls and roofs.
Most of these plants grow in the forests and along the river. Carpenters make full
use of forest resources for home construction. Hardwood such as logs, cengal and
meranti were used as house columns, bamboo was used to make floors and walls
and nipah leaves were woven into a roof. Likewise, with the construction of the
Malay Palaces, the same carpenters with the same expertise built the palace and
houses of the villagers. Thus, there is an equation of the form and the Malay art of
architecture in the old days. In the meantime, the Malays are also very popular with
the culture and philosophy of life. It is recognized by the lifestyle of the Malays who
have a close relationship with the universe.

From the standpoint of design, The traditional houses in Seri Menanti
particularly are very sophisticated and has smart characteristics, yet touched with a
comfortable lifestyle in accordance with custom and surrounding environment.
Smart features include cooling or natural ventilation, shading, safety and security
and privacy. Themost significant properties in traditional Malay house is that it was
elevated on the pillar. Advantages arise from this 'solvency'; including avoiding wild
animals from entering, and being elevated from flood levels. The house is also cooler
by ventilation on all sides (from the top, sides and bottom). In addition, the vacant
lot below the house also calls 'kolong' which is a great place to store all kinds of
appliances.

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Culture and customs also play a large role in shaping the architecture of Seri
Menanti. For example, the presence of Islam has influenced the orientation of the
building towards the Qiblah. The definition of space is also organized and altered
according to the use of customary customs, feasts and family activities. The
traditional home design of Seri Menanti has undergone evolutionary changes that
have been influenced by the custom of the Minangkabau people. The migration of
the Minangkabau people to Negeri Sembilan brought their customs and culture
despite there are already early design of the house in Negeri Sembilan. When
migrating from one place to another, they still practice the culture and traditions of
their place of origin. The design of the Rumah Bumbung Panjang Negeri Sembilan
has its own philosophy and uniqueness as well as architecture that is widely known
around the world. The uniqueness of the house in Negeri Sembilan is characterized
by maternal or matrilineal-style relatives and customary teachers.

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References

1. Raja Nafida Raja Shahminan. 2007. Senibina rumah bumbung panjang Negeri
Sembilan. Adat Perpatih
- Esei Pilihan, 191–197. Kuala Lumpur: Jabatan Warisan
Negara.heritage.gov.my/index.php/ms/penerbitan/buku-terbitan-
jwn/250.

2. Sudirman Is. 2000. Kajian nilai-nilai budaya pada ekspresi tata ruang dalam rumah
Adat Minangkabau:
- Kes kajian: Luhak Tanah Datar Sumatera Barat. Tesis diss., Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia, Johor.

3. Sudirman Ismael. 2007. Arsitektur traditional Minangkabau, nilai-nilai budaya
dalam arsitektur rumah adat. Padang: Bung Hatta University Press.

4. Syamsul Asri. 2004. Prinsip-prinsip pembinaan rumah Adat Minangkabau. Tesis
diss., Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor.

5. Yaakub Idrus. 1996. Rumah tradisional Negeri Sembilan. Shah Alam: Fajar Bakti.
6. Zulkifli Hanafi. 1985. Kompedium sejarah seni bina Timur. Penang: Universiti Sains

Malaysia.

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