DCA 3062 HISTORY OF ASIAN ARCHITECTURE

Topic 1 : Introduction to History of Asian Architecture

BY
NOOR AINI MISTAR
LECTURER
Architecture Program, Dept. of Civil Engineering
 DCA 3062 HISTORY OF ASIAN ARCHITECTURE

CONTENT

• INTRODUCTION
• ASIAN BACKGROUND
• CHARACTERS OF ASIAN ARCHITECTURE
• FACTORS AFFECTING THE ASIAN
ARCHITECTURE
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INTRODUCTION
HISTORY

i. is the study of the past, particularly how it relates to

humans
ii. a narrative to examine and analyse a sequence of past
events, and objectively determine the patterns of cause
and effect that determine them

ARCHITECTURE

i. combination & integration of arts and sciences

ii. must fulfill the user needs as well as respecting the
context and nature

JABATAN KERJA RAYA

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ASIAN CONTINENT BACKGROUND

REGION

i. Covers 1/3 area of earth

ii. Lies from Ural Mountains to Japan, and from Suez
Canal to Sunda Islands.
iii. Divided into 7 parts:

a. Middle East (Egypt, Iraq, Etc)

b. Russia (Asian Region)
c. Indian Sub - Continent
d. China, Mongolia, Korea
e. Japan
f. South East Asia (Exclude Malay Archipelago)
g. Clusters Of Malay Archipelago

JABATAN KERJA RAYA

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CHARACTERS OF ASIAN ARCHITECTURE

COLOURS

i. Varies in colors such as earth tone colors, bright

tones e.g. red, yellow, blue, green
ii. Differs base on cultures, lifestyle and beliefs

JABATAN KERJA RAYA

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CHARACTERS OF ASIAN ARCHITECTURE

SHAPE & FORM

i. Most likely to be in geometrical form

ii. Affected by beliefs, climatic changes, materials as
well as construction technology

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CHARACTERS OF ASIAN ARCHITECTURE

DECORATIONS

i. Using a lot of floral and figures

ii. Affected by beliefs and religious as well as lifestyle

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FACTORS AFFECTING ASIAN ARCHITECTURE

i. Have a greater impact on
building shape,
orientation, colors as well Religion
as space planning
ii. Differ from one another

Science &
Materials
Climate Technology Social

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RELIGION
• Religious and beliefs are very much affecting the architecture.
• The building form are base on the beliefs in God’s law, the beliefs in the
way of life govern by the religion.
• The space planning sometimes reflect the symbols of certain religion such
as cruciform shape (Christianity), axis line (Buddhism).
• Some other religion such as, Islam, the space planning are base on the
rules of segregation between male and female, the positive environment
that can be created.

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RELIGION
• In the manners of the decorations and ornamentations, it symbolizes
heavily the beliefs in their God.
• The colors of the ornamentations are also give the same meaning : beliefs
in their God.

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CLIMATE
• Climatic influences on architecture are substantial and can be extremely
complex.
• Buildings take different forms depending on precipitation levels in the
region – leading to dwellings on stilts in many regions with frequent
flooding or rainy monsoon seasons.
• Flat roofs are rare in areas with high levels of precipitation.
• Similarly, areas with high winds will lead to specialised buildings able to
cope with them, and buildings will be oriented to present minimal area to
the direction of prevailing winds.

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CLIMATE
COLD CLIMATES
• invariably have high thermal
mass or significant amounts of
insulation.
• usually sealed in order to
prevent heat loss, and openings
such as windows tend to be
small or non-existent.

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CLIMATE
WARM CLIMATES
• tend to be constructed of lighter
materials and to allow significant
cross-ventilation through
openings in the fabric of the
building.
• Large overhang to protect the
user from heat and rain as well
as shades the interior
• Pitched roof to allow the
movement of heavy rain
• On stilts and large opening to
allow ventilation
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CLIMATE
CONTINENTAL CLIMATE
must be able to cope with
significant variations in
temperature, and may even be
altered by their occupants
according to the seasons.

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CLIMATE
MEDITERRANEAN VERNACULAR,
AND THAT OF MUCH OF THE
MIDDLE EAST
• often includes a courtyard with a
fountain or pond
• air cooled by water mist and
evaporation is drawn through
the building by the natural
ventilation set up by the building
form.

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CLIMATE
NORTHERN AFRICAN VERNACULAR
• often has very high thermal
mass and small windows to keep
the occupants cool,
• and in many cases also includes
chimneys, not for fires but to
draw air through the internal
spaces.

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CLIMATE

Such specializations are not designed, but learn by trial and

error over generations of building construction, often
existing long before the scientific theories which explain why
they work.

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MATERIALS

• Govern many aspect of architecture

• The materials selected are related to the surrounding
environment
• As example : if the surrounding area are rich with timber
sources, the materials of the building are 90% using timber.
• Another example : In hot and dry area, such as Africa, most of
the materials are using sand stone and earth clay.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Technology applied are differs from one to another

whereas it depends on the development of the country
• For example :
• Malay community often built their house by using only
joinery system (tanggam) as well as ‘pasak dan
sesendal’

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Another example :
• In Chinese architecture, the systems used can be
added with another structure to a different angle
without interrupting the whole system.
• It was called as Tou Kung system

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SOCIAL

• The way of life of building

occupants, and the way they
use their shelters, is of great
influence on building forms.
• The size of family units, who
shares which spaces, how
food is prepared and eaten,
how people interact and
many other cultural
considerations will affect the
layout and size of dwellings.

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SOCIAL

• For example, the family units of several East African ethnic

communities live in family compounds, surrounded by marked
boundaries, in which separate single-roomed dwellings are built
to house different members of the family.

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SOCIAL

• In polygamous communities there may be separate dwellings

for different wives, and more again for sons who are too old to
share space with the women of the family.
• Social interaction within the family is governed by, and privacy
is provided by, the separation between the structures in which
family members live.

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SOCIAL

• By contrast, in Western
Europe, such separation is
accomplished inside one
dwelling, by dividing the
building into separate rooms.
• Culture also has a great
influence on the appearance
of the buildings, as occupants
often decorate buildings in
accordance with local
customs and beliefs.

JABATAN KERJA RAYA

Thank You