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The family has Javanese roots stretching back six generations in Malaya, and the architecture carries an interesting mixture of influences. The original house followed the Malay rumah panggung tradition, with later additions taking inspiration from the keraton of Surakarta and Yogyakarta.

The original house was raised above the ground for ventilation, with separate wings for privacy and porches where people could gather.

We liked how naturally these different influences coexist. There are old timber walls, carved windows and furniture that have survived generations, alongside newer additions that make no attempt to disguise their age. There is even an iron bridal bed from the 1940s, old family photographs, handwritten notes and belongings that have been kept over the years.

It also made us think about how we tend to classify traditional houses according to architectural styles, when the histories behind them can be far more interesting. Here is a family of Javanese descent living in a Malay vernacular house, later incorporating elements of Central Javanese architecture.

And there must be countless kampung houses across Malaysia whose histories are just as interesting, if only we knew whom to ask.

That is what we hope to discover through Rumah Kampung Kita.

📍 @tanah.embahheritage1939, Sungai Pelek, Selangor

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