The application of open building system for housing scheme in Malaysia

Abstract

Immense resources such as land, material, time, labor, money, energy – are being invested in constructing buildings. However, almost all of these buildings, including those currently under construction and on the drawing boards, are not designed with adaptability and flexibility as intention and will cause inflexibility in the future. The lack of functional adaptability for the future re-activation means that their only fate is demolition. Consuming even more resources, producing more waste, and causing more disruption to the environment are considered to be only some tangible consequences of the demolition. However, alteration of mind-set in residential housing design of single storey as well as high-raised towers will pave the way to sustainability. This research studies the level of flexibility in Malaysian house and the impact of inflexibility on the users is studied. Moreover, this research study investigated the probable barriers on the way of developing the Open Building concept and the measures required to be taken for how to overcome these obstacles on the architectural perspective. Finally, the most appropriate partition wall system and the most preferable material which can be used in Malaysia based on the particular climatic condition of this country are studied. It is found that vast majority of the interior layout of the respondents’ houses are fixed and suffering from inflexibility which eventually it will enforce the respondents to move away from the house. Moreover, the unavailability of the ‘modular walls, fastener and other technical detail’, ‘Financial Issue’ and ‘Lack of clients and consultants’ awareness towards the Open Building’ are recognized by architects as the most important barriers to develop the Open Building System (OBS) in Malaysia. Additionally, sliding partition wall and wood material are chosen by the architects as the most appropriate partition wall system and the most preferable material which can be used in Malaysia based on the particular climatic condition of this country.