MALAY INFLUENCED BENCHES DESIGN

Abstract

Outdoor benches are one of the important elements in landscape design especially at heritage sites. The design of these benches will add to the overall identity of the whole development. The purpose of this research and design is to propose an outdoor bench design that will compliment the concept of Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design (KAED) Malay Heritage Living Lab at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak Campus. The objective of this design is to innovate the outdoor bench design so as to incorporate the value of Malay traditional elements. For this purpose, Malay traditional design elements taken from five states in Malaysia served as the main inspiration. These states are Perak, Melaka, Terengganu, Kedah and Kelantan. As the Malay motifs in the traditional design were derived from nature, they give a strong connection between the park and its immediate site. Other important elements in designing the furniture such as ergonomics, safety and material ere taken into considerations. The outcome of this research and design exploration of Malay traditional elements from different states in
Malaysia, is the discovery of a new concept of outdoor bench for heritage sites.

Keywords: Malay traditional elements, outdoor benches, ergonomic design