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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN Centre for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia
(MASSA) Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Architecture)
THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC2224)
Project: Theorizing Architecture
NAME: NAROKA CAROLINE ID: 1001C74796
LECTURER: NOR HAYATI JUNE 2014
MARKS & GRADES
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THE WOODEN HUT
One of Architect Wooi’s hill top residences, allegedly known as, ‘the Wooden
Hut’, a well-‐known project that is awarded by PAM 2004 for excellence in the
construction of an energy efficient and environmentally friendly bungalow. The
house design was said to have been based on a traditional Malaysian cultural
house, the Kampong house. The whole idea was critically thought of and
analyzed during his travels that deeply surveyed wooden houses on stilts, all
accompanied by his childhood experience as a Kampung boy. Architect Wooi ‘s
childhood puts him in an advantageous position to be one of the greatest
architects in Malaysia. Due to this, he got to experience things during his time
and age that helped him in understanding Malaysian culture at its purest of
forms thus his creativity gets to be at peak during present time considering
technology growth which simplifies things. The Architect considers the Kampong
house as, “a most natural way to live comfortably in a humid tropical country like
Malaysia.” The following are some of the proudly applied design characteristics
and other supporting theories that relate to his design, ‘the wooden hut’ (Wooi’s
current residence): -‐
‘The Wooden Hut’-‐ Ar.Wooi Lok Kuang’s Residency
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Kampung House Setup
The wooden hut is said to be a 3storey family home (with a lower ground floor)
of which responds quite well to the climatic conditions of Malaysia (sun, rain and
wind fully appreciated) as it is a vocal representation of sustainability to the
sense of adhering to site context via vernacular architectural ideas such as large
roof overhangs, low wide windows and so on so forth. One of Ar. Wooi’s house
traits is, it’s conduction of cross ventilation effectively to the point of not needing
ACs around the house as most of modern houses do in such hot humid climates.
This was achieved through excessive openings to almost every inch of the house
giving the interior space a free flow of air and/or wind to perform the cooling
and carry out warm humid air. One would think what about the privacy of the
residents? Well, the openness was designed to perform two things in a role, that
is, create the boundlessness to nature (open spacious spaces) and privacy
through wooden designed vertical blinds that still allow the free flow of air.
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Excessive and masive openinings
Another climatic conscious trait of Ar. Wooi’s residence design includes the large
overhangs from the roof. These are basically a necessity to the traditional
Kampong Malay house. The large overhangs help with the generation of shade
around the house for a cooler environment. The whole theory is made possible
due to the fact that, the shade created by the overhangs generates a cooler
ground depending on the sun’s casting position. This in turn contributes to the
cool air being swept into the residence and the warm air out in the opposite side
depending on the direction of the winds. Another great factor of large roof
overhangs include the ability to keep the building envelop away from direct
sun’s rays thus heat absorbed or transmitted by the materials composing the
envelop is minimized.
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Long Overhangs able to provide shade and cool breeze to the house
The house design fits in respect of the postmodernist theory of architecture.
Post-‐modernist theory came to rise during the modernist time of movement but
has proved to be different from it in terms of ideas. One of the features being, the
juxtaposition of styles, which includes the blend of traditional contemporary and
newly inverted forums with exaggerated traditional detailing. The same applies
to the wooden hut, due to the architect’s childhood and place of growth, he had
much knowledge about the kampong types of houses making it easy to use the
theory behind the making and the mechanical functioning of the house to his
advantage when designing for his own house. The architect also considers a chic
modern day house in the hilltop suburbia kind of houses in order to produce the
new design fitted to his liking and environment at large.
Another feature of Post modernism, a sense of anything goes thus forms filled
with humor irony ambiguity and contradiction. Taking a look at the Wooden hut
from two different directions, the house looks totally like they are not part of the
same design/ element. The Architect plays with different forms to achieve the
spaciousness, rhythm and boundlessness journey between the inside and the
outside. As said houses falling under this theory always comes out as startling,
surprising and sometimes even amusing. The wooden hut at first glance comes
out as an amazing design that is not like any of the houses nearby in the
neighborhood. It has this long central pillar (tiang seri) anchoring the geometry
of the house attached to the roof (16m high). To a normal non-‐Malay person,
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they would not understand it but in actual fact it is a symbol used when erecting
a new house in a new community letting them know that a new family is moving
into the community. This shows that, this manner of architecture deals with
familiar shapes and details used in unexpected ways making the products from it
always unique.
Tiang Seri
The wooden hut is not just a house to Ar. Wooi but one of his greatest statements
portraying idealistic portrait through the epitomes of phenomenology (poetics in
spaces) through his tropical haven, which is the structure. In many other ways
the house doesn’t just sit on the site context but rather merge into it. The
experience approaching the house creates a rhythm within the home setting, a
journey sensed to unravel in distinctive layers, speaks Ar. Lok Wooi.
The Architect makes use of sustainable material elements as part of his design
technique to represent the spirit of journey through the regeneration of
vernacular architecture into current contemporary context, intertwining of
spaces to create harmony through open plans, modernistic concepts and clever
use of large openings to link interior and exterior spaces all as a part of rhythmic
symbolism (the workability of elements together). He favors these materials due
there unfailing nature of bring up a more natural authentic look and feel to
spaces. Throughout the house, Ar. Wooi levels the rigidity of wood and
concrete with soft fabrics and textiles. In the bedrooms, the design captures
the epitome of tropical romance, amongst which, four-‐poster beds veiled in
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white muslin that looks so dreamy (Even Ar. Woois’ three young children
have this set up. Whereas, his further exploration with wood lands him
breath-‐taking staircases drawn with an admiring gasps for its floating effect.
Every step is built from a single plank of Chengal wood, with united ends held
steadily to the wall with 10cm bolts.
Bedroom’s Setup Staircase
His dining hall is enclosed almost entirely by glass and unapproachable from
the outside due to its height on the slope of the hill outside. A clever
technique to elevate the floor levels while still enjoying the view without
worrying about robbers breaking into the residence as the level is high and
the lower floor fully secure as the dogs have free reign over the entire floor
and garden. There is only one access into the living room level built of solid
wood held by a latch from the interior. Further more, he successfully manages
to embed geometrics to design illustrates thus the dire need for importance
detailing.
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Dinning Room Entrance
The Architect pays a closer attention to the details of his creation with the use of
local wood like Chengal to bring out the authenticity of the design. He converts
wood to Blinds in his study to avoid the need or use of glass, which is turn the
whole space functions has one but with partitions for privacy. He goes ahead to
making use of vertical wooden components as shedders to some of the spaces
facing the sun’s direction. This creates a very unique façade and a distinctive
technique (using wood) that defines his personality as a designer of building.
(A) Wooden Blinds as Partitions (B) Wooded Vertical Component and (C) Wooden panels for Shades
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Upon discovery of a million things one can do with wood, Ar. Wooi decides to get
creative and make his own foot steps for others to tail when he came back from
Australia to discover plaster ceilings were all rage in Malaysia, ‘ No false ceiling’
he says emphasizing on the need to finish archetype alteration. With proper use
of geometry to the Living room and the use of decent wood (Chengal), he designs
one of a kind ceiling that exposes all the members of the making, continuing to
mark the rhythmic inspiration derived from the floor plans. This style helps to
exaggerate the space (appear bigger) and support of free flow of air. The choice
of materials, stresses on innovative modernist way of material use.
Living Room Ceiling-‐ inspiring rhythm Ceiling design of rhythm
In a deduction, it is possible to assume that any style of architecture without any
natural and personal elements added into it for the defining of the character of
the resident of the building, does not make sense as one of the expression goes, ‘a
man’s home is his castle.’ Ar. Wooi Lok Kuang put all the factors (mentioned
above) such as his technique of using wooden elements to obtain authenticity of
the design, his sense of geometry in postmodernism architecture and last but not
least his childhood experiences to analyze kampong house and re-‐apply all into
one impressive design that reflects and defines him.
Words 1700
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REFERENCE
Yoon, Chin. M, 2006. Airy, Not Fairy. StarMag -‐ Spaces, [Online]. N.A, N.A. Available at:http://wooiarchitect.com/article1.php [Accessed 22 June 2014]. Ar. Wah, L. C, 2004. Wooi Residence. Architecture ASIA, [Online]. 4, N.A. Available at:http://wooiarchitect.com/article3.php [Accessed 23 June 2014]. Ling, C. A , 2011. House Proud. Surface Asia Magazine, [Online]. N.A, N.A. Available at:http://www.surfaceasiamag.com/read-‐news-‐3-‐0-‐404-‐house-‐proud.surfaceasia.magz#.U7pHb42SwrU[Accessed 23 June 2014]. Zainal, S, 2004. Wooden Hut. Interview with Malaysian Timber Board, [Online]. N.A, N.A. Available at:http://wooiarchitect.com/article3.php [Accessed 24 June 2014]. Yoong, Y, 2005. Wooi's Wow Factor. New Straits Times, [Online]. N.A, N.A. Available at:http://wooiarchitect.com/article2.php [Accessed 25 June 2014]. YOON, C. M, 2006. Airy, Not Fairy. The Star Online, [Online]. N.A, N.A. Available at:http://www.thestar.com.my/story.aspx/?file=%2f2006%2f2%2f5%2flifeliving%2f13247997&sec=lifeliving [Accessed 26 June 2014]. N.A, Administrator, 2008. Wooden Hut. MTC, [Online]. N.A, N.A. Available at:http://www.mtc.com.my/info/index.php?option=com_content&id=22:wooden-‐hut&Itemid=34 [Accessed 26 June 2014].