By Arief Afandi, Lecturer, Department of Art, Design and Media, School of Arts, Sunway University
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a clear final warning for change. If we do not halve our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, it will be catastrophic for all of us.
The message is clear. The shift to a low-carbon world needs to happen now. Or never.
Cities account for over 70% of global CO2 emissions that come from motorised transport systems relying on massive amounts of fossil fuels. Developers of cities create buildings and infrastructure with carbon-intensive materials.
How can we find ideas to create solutions in rapidly urbanising cities?
The Austronesian region, including Malaysia, has a rich history and diversity of traditional arts and crafts.
Malaysia’s old and traditional buildings are inherently ‘green’ or sustainable as they have evolved over centuries and are designed in the most efficient way to adapt to their local environments, such as providing thermal comfort in the Malaysian tropical climate.
We are fortunate to still have local artisans who continue to bring these age-old crafts to life. However, due to the recent COVID pandemic, these artisan communities have lost their source of income with the depleting demand for their crafts and artisanal skills.
A study by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA) illustrated that in mid-2021, more than 90% of the arts and culture practitioners were negatively impacted, 77% having lost most or all of their income, 75% of the jobs have reduced in the market, and 8% of arts venues have closed permanently.
Perhaps an innovative way to solve the negative impact of climate change and the pandemic on our local creative industries is to look at the growing number of young architects and interior designers skillfully combining generations of traditional artistic wisdom with contemporary design technologies. They are exploring regional narratives, local skills and materials and creating new sustainable buildings that have a strong sense of national identities.
Besides being able to integrate attractive artistic elements into building designs, architects and designers who work with traditional craftsmen have an opportunity to learn how traditional buildings are designed and find new ways to integrate these into buildings.
Traditional construction methods and spatial design work with nature and not against it. These construction methods utilise locally available materials with low embodied carbon and energy.
The incorporation of local timber, earthworks, and thatch can not only result in aesthetically interesting buildings but could deliver cost and energy savings in building maintenance.
Instead of being limited to a modern palette of materials and construction techniques of concrete, steel, and glass, which are progressively increasing in prices, architects and designers have a lot to gain from traditional building craft forms and exploring working with sustainable materials.
Besides being good for the planet, architects and designers who work with traditional craftsmen would be able to explore new ways to integrate “genius loci “or “the spirit of a place” to increase the comfort level of an urban environment.
An architect who understands the history and tradition of the place and subsequently integrates them into the design can create spaces with cultural connections. This results in unique spaces which are comfortable and attractive for people to live, learn, work and play. It will also boost tourism and attract investments in the long run.
The use of traditional arts and crafts within the context of architecture brings local craftsmen communities into the economic fold by providing employment opportunities for them.
A fusion of architecture and interior design might breathe new life into these age-old forms and skills.
Some examples of integrating traditional art into modern architectural finishes will be to adopt Terengganu brassware as door ironmongery detailing, Sarawak Penan handwoven products as acoustic panels finish, or the Kuala Kangsar Labu Sayong design into clay tiles.
This intervention could not only revive and promote regional art forms but also honour and support crafts communities and their livelihoods.
With architects and designers working together, we could preserve our cultural heritage and derive long-term social and economic benefits. And on top of it, create a more sustainable future.
This topic was presented at Christian Petra University (Surabaya, Indonesia) as part of an online guest lecture to their faculty and students in October 2020
