Conservation of Rumah Warisan Haji Su, Kuala Terengganu
Malaysian Timber Council Belian Award for First Price Commercial and Public Building Category 2017
Timber is a transient material. Despite its ephemerality, a welldesigned timber building, confirming to the genus of a place, adaptive to its ever changing climate and constructed to the appropriate technology of the day, may well last a long time. Rumah Haji Su in Kampung Losong, Kuala Terengganu stood as a testimony. Two houses; Rumah Bujang Berpeleh Kembar Tiga (built in 1890s) and Rumah Limas Belanda (built in 1940s) aptly named after the dominant roof style, has lasted the ages despite their long and colourful history. Inherited from his family and later owned by Haji Su Abdul Rahman, a shipping magnate in the pre-wars day, the houses had seen its days of glory and wane. He was on record to have owned several ships or Perahu Besar plying the sea to Southern Thai and a steam ship plying south to Singapore.
Rumah Bujang Berpeleh Kembar Tiga was used as a family home over the many decades since late 1890. The sheer size of the structure, fitting the social status of its owner created a challenge to the engineering of its timber structure. This particular house was built mostly in ‘chengal’ – perhaps the hardiest known wood of Malaysia. The construction technology was based on the traditional Malay architecture employing a system of structural connection known as ‘tanggam and pasak.’
Rumah Limas Belanda was a later addition constructed in 1941. Surprisingly, not only the typology breaks away from the prevailing Rumah Berpeleh style then, the owner had chosen a more modern Dutch Hip Roof style, and a ‘baloon-frame’ construction method. Even the interior architecture, breaks away from the traditional natural colour to a more vibrant European hues. Rumah Haji Su had stood the test of time. It had seen history of this nation unfold, from the time of Malay Sultanate, British Rules, Japanese Occupations, and later Malayan Independence. The restoration would hopefully extend its life for many more long years.
Conservation of Masjid Sultan Alaeddin Kuala Langat Selangor
Built in 1926, Masjid Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah at Kampung Bandar, Kuala Langat was fine surviving example of early brick building in Malaya. Studies made during the restoration also revealed many interesting advances of the day; use of ferro-cement technique and portland cement for the domes, brick buttress structures and marseilles roof tiles.
Designed by Tengku Hitam, and modeled after Masjid Muhammadiah Kota Bharu, Kelantan, the works was supervised by PWD on the request of the Sultan of Selangor and built at the cost of 26,000 Malayan Dollar.
It was adorned by 6 types of domes constructed of ferro cement shell structure on steel girdles – a unique method of construction technique of the day.
Restoration commenced in 2016 and completed in 2018.
Conservation of Rumah Tengku Teh Dungun Kuala Terengganu
Built in the late 1800s, Rumah Tengku Teh Dungun, wife of Dato Bijaya Sura, was a unique example of an early colonial brick building in the early urban setting of Kuala Terengganu. Jalan Tok Lam was once the town’s major business street linking directly to the port of Kuala Terengganu. The building was an amalgam of brick structural façade for a largely traditional timber house – the brick section functioning as an trading place and the timber section as living quarters.
The building was later acquired to house the office of Kuala Terengganu Municipality before it was handed over to Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia Terengganu.
