Malay House

In contrast to the country that prioritises heating, this precedent prioritises cooling. The Malay House’s climatic design includes three components: ‘raised floor’ (lantai tinggi); ‘walls and openings’ (dinding dan bukaan); and ‘doubled slope roof’ (bumbung cerun bertingkat). These are the key building components to maintain the occupants’ indoor comfort and acts as protection from wild animals.

‘Raised floor’ encourages air movement underneath the floor. When combined with the use of a timber gapped floor, the air that flows beneath will infiltrate through the house’s interior, promoting air circulation. Some places in

Malaysia get flooded occasionally. The elevated floor kept water from entering the dwelling.

Traditional Malay houses feature a lot of windows all around them. This promotes cross ventilation and aids in natural cooling without the usage of air conditioners.

The ‘doubled slope roof’ is used to create an opening between the top and bottom roofs. Warm air accumulated beneath the top roof flows out via the opening, preventing heat from becoming trapped indoors. The roofing material is nipa palm, which has a low thermal capacity. (Mohd Sahabuddin, 2015)

Precedent English Cottage House

The typical English cottage homes exist in a variety of styles and are made of various materials. Materials were primarily chosen based on their local availability. Depending on the area, clay, stones or wood may be used primarily in its construction.

A traditional English home composed of clay and straw is known as the English Clay Cottage. Renowned for its distinctive, rural appearance and environmental friendliness. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, clay cottages were common in the UK. These houses are still around in rural areas. (Barton, 2023)

Clay cottages are robust, energy-efficient homes made from clay and straw. Local availability of clay cottage building supplies reduces the environmental impact. Clay walls that are thick offer strong insulation and aid in controlling the temperature inside.

The thatched roof of an English cottage is one of its distinctive features, built of layers of straw. Due to the plentiful supply of the material, straw roof thatches have long been a common element of rural British structures.

Straw roofs in Britain date to the Bronze Age and have a shaggy, attractive appearance. Straw roofs are not only beautiful and ever-popular, but they also provide a lot of benefits. They provide insulation and weatherproof protection against winter weather. In the summer, straw roofs also offer ventilation and UV protection. Straw roofs are a green building option since they are organic and sustainable.

A natural thatching material that is somewhat durable is straw. Straw roofs typically last between 15 and 20 years. Straw roofs can last for more than 45 years if maintained properly and kept in the ideal circumstances. (Hampton, 2021)

Conclusion

In my opinion, although we may not be able to replicate an exact example from the past in our constructed environment, history contains a wealth of lessons from which we can learn. Looking back with a broader perspective will allow us to discover more intriguing knowledge that we can apply in today’s circular economy.

While many studies and explorations are being conducted to uncover strategies to achieve net zero, the answers are most likely already available someplace. The answer does not always have to be a new discovery, it could be a rediscovery of what used to work or how it was done previously.

Based on the precedents above, despite the differences in era and climatic conditions, each one captures a valuable element of the circular economy. Circular economy arose out of necessity, whether it was a lack of energy or materials, they were able to find answers most of the time within the community itself. Exchanging materials or manpower, it was the practices that made them survive.

Globalisation and the industrial revolution transformed the way communities used to function and this must change now. Practising circular economy will not only assist to preserve the earth’s finite resources but will also help to rebuild the strength of local communities.