Malaysian Timber

CHAPTER 1

THESIS BACKGROUND

Introduction

This chapter explored on the idea of a past Malay timber culture which was lost as modernisation began in Malaysia. Issues were identified, and this led to the proposal to potentially solve the issue using contemporary timber architecture.

Malaysian Timber

Malaysia is a tropical climate country situated near the equatorial line, being hot and humid throughout the year. With all of Malaysia’s development and modernisation going on, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment states that 62% of Malaysia is still covered by biodiverse forests with 2,650 known tree species.

Northern European countries commonly use softwood for their timber construction. Since Malaysia’s forest is dominated by hardwood with little softwood available, traditional Malay structures uses hardwood such as Jati (Teak) and Chengal for their construction.

Hardwood are deciduous trees that shed their leaves seasonally. They are slow growing trees found scattered within Malaysia. Hardwoods are dark and reddish brown in colour and are more durable and weather resistant than softwood. Despite this positive trait, hardwood is heavier and more expensive than softwood due to being harder and longer to process and is considered to have a more environmental impact. The length of time required to process is attributed to the drying of the natural oil it contains but requires little maintenance after. Currently, it is generally used in furniture and indoor elements.

Hardwoods are divided into three categories, namely heavy, medium, and light hardwood based on their properties. Some of the more commonly used heavy