Richard Sokial gave a talk on the “Traditional Houses of Sabah” on Wednesday, 18th March 2009.
Richard’s most interesting talk was well attended, and for many of us it was very sobering to hear that many of these houses are fast disappearing from the countryside as the necessary skills to build them are not being retained.
The traditional houses of Sabah have always been built by the native communities from materials that were easily available, eg hardwoods, bamboo or palm leaf fronds. They have some unique architectural features which reflect the traditional lifestyles of the people before urbanisation and are a symbol of the native peoples’ past way of life and beliefs, and reflect their place in history, their adaptation skills and their cultural identity.
Most of Sabah’s traditional houses share certain features:
- they are built on stilts approximately 4ft (1.22m) off the ground;
- they have high-pitched roofs with wide overhangs for easy rainwater run-off and natural ventilation;
- they are open plan in design, with areas delimited by changes in floor levels;
- the verandas and kitchens are the main activity areas;
- no concept of indoor bath or toilet areas.
