Wooden Hut
Interview with Malaysian Timber Board by Suria Zainal
MTB: Coming to your house, you have this solid wooden column in your compound, which you've referred to as "Tiang Seri'. Can you tell us its origin and the whole idea behind it?
LW: I used to help my father in a shop in Tanah Merah, Pendang. I noticed that certain times of the year, we would be selling cloths of different colours and other items to our Malay clients in bulk. I asked my father why the sudden need for these items as he did not normally buy in bulk. I later learnt that the items were needed in preparation of a ceremony to celebrate the raising of a "Tiang Seri" or central pillar, which would provide an anchor for the geometry of a whole new house. This particular "Tiang Seri" which I had raised outside my house is made of Chengal. A very old true-to-tradition Chinese craftsman took three whole months to craft it, and it was the first structural piece to be raised. The "Tiang Seri" supports the roof structure. Placing it outside the house and with a fan-shaped structure on its upper end may give one the impression that the purpose of having it is more for aesthetic reasons but it was actually incorporated based on its original/traditional purpose. With my years of exposure in Australia, combined with my upbringing in Tanah Merah, Pendang, Kedah, what I have attempted to do through this house is to re-enact parts of the natural environment in which most of my childhood was spent.
MTB: It's common for brick walls to be plastered and then painted. What is your idea of leaving the brickworks exposed in your whole house and the concrete floor bare in your studio on the ground floor?
LW: I agree that it's not a common trend to leave bricks exposed in housing projects here and to most Malaysians, this looks incomplete. But due to my upbringing in Pendang, I believe that bricks in their natural shade and state blend very well with timber and this au nature/ concept is again an attempt to bring one as close to nature as possible. The bricks were rather expensive to source and prepare, given that they would not be plastered over. The same concept applies in leaving the floors of my studio on the ground floor in bare concrete. In the long run, however, both the exposed brickworks and the concrete floor require minimum maintenance for my family. I have my office, studio, a multi-purpose area and a conference room on the ground floor, and the flooring for all these rooms is bare concrete, making it easy to hold receptions, receive clients and work in.
MTB: You have made use of timber strips in various applications. Please explain the species used as well as the general concept behind the design of the house?
LW: The general concept of the house design is to keep it as environmentally friendly and energy-efficient as possible and blend aspects of nature into its design. The idea behind using strips of timber placed vertically as bars in place of walls is to allow free flow of air into and around the house. This will reduce dependence on air-conditioners. As for the rest, I use Meranti (Shores spp.) timber strips, which are laminated to be made into doors, Chengal for the stairs, Resak for the front door while the flooring strips are made of Kempas (Koompassia malaccensis). The various species have different grains and what I've done is to show others, especially my potential clients, that timber is a very versatile material which can be utilised in various ways to bring out their warmth and natural beauty. The idea of a leaf-shaped timber ceiling in the master bedroom is again an attempt to bring one closer to nature. The design of the house and the various specifications of timber in all these applications are both experimental and demonstrative
MTB: In terms of promoting the increased use of timber in housing construction, and having won PAM 2004 award for your unconventional house recently, where do you think you will be heading from here?
LW: I love timber as a construction material and this house is my proof to people that it is possible to apply our forefathers' knowledge of living in harmony with nature, as opposed to against it, and achieve energy and resource efficiency in today's modern living conditions. Although my clients have been mainly those living in bungalows and detached homes, one of my goals is to develop these same concepts and translate them for incorporation into designs of more affordable homes in Malaysia.
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