Orang Seletar adaption to urbanisation through housing in relation to sense of place

Abstract

The resettlement of the Seletar People from coastal living to houses built on land through development policies of Iskandar Region Development Authority has shifted the landscape of the Orang Seletar community settlement which forced them to adapt within the bustle of the urbanized dwellings. As the development comes closer to their villages, the community must be prepared for changes in their lifestyle. Besides that, the current housing scheme allocated to them does not reflect the identity of their community. The current approach of their living dwellings creates an atmosphere that is not conducive for living, which deters vitality of the area. A housing unit should go beyond the unit level and contribute to the macro scale development and the environment. The scope of studies for this research will focus on the concept of adaptable and flexible space, principle and characteristic on the physical environment and relationship to the development of the Orang Seletar community at Kampung Bakar Batu, Perling, Johor Bahru. The research objectives are to identify the definition of home beyond the physical boundary of the community, to verify their community attachment in relation to increasing trend of urbanisation and to outline design strategies that can be implemented which aims to improve sense of place in an urbanised Orang Seletar housing and community. Findings suggested that the community requires an informal setting of living space. There is also a need to have a transitional space between private and public spaces to create a sense of intimacy, a quality which cannot be seen or felt in their existing houses. Furthermore, there is also a need to allow the unit designs to achieve a high degree in porosity which will blur the physical boundary between indoor and outdoor and at the same time should respond to the tropical climate.