Developing an understanding of history is essential for those who would influence the future.
While the Malaysian state of Sarawak has a rich history of architecture and settlements going back to the Stone Age, The Architecture of Sarawak Before Malaysia is the first comprehensive history of the architecture and settlements of the state. Like other states in Malaysia, the region now known as Sarawak has had a complex social, cultural and political history. The state has been influenced by a unique combination of many different groups with many distinct and different voices interacting with each other in different ways. Architecture in Sarawak cannot be separated from political, cultural, geographical, social and economic factors. While this book searches for the origins of the state’s architecture, it also explores the effect of the changing relationships between Sarawak’s groups and sub-groups, including locals, migrants and colonials, on the creation of architecture and settlements. This includes the backgrounds of the ideas behind pre-modern and modern building types, architecture, materials, construction and settlements, and how these ideas changed over time. This book also considers the groups and individuals that were involved in designing, acquiring and constructing the state’s architecture and settlements, regardless of whether or not they were formally trained architects or builders. It aims to reconstruct a picture of architecture and settlement patterns from the period of earliest known physical evidence (about two millennia ago), although the focus is from 1800 to 1963, when Malaysia was formed.
About The Author
Dr. John H. S. Ting is an architect, researcher and educator. He teaches in the architecture program in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra, and has previously lectured extensively in tropical design, construction and Southeast Asian architectural history. He holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, and a professional degree in architecture from RMIT University. His present research investigates the history of architecture in Sarawak, the vernacular architecture of Malaysia, and mobile and prefabricated timber buildings in nineteenth century colonial Southeast Asia and Australia. He also runs his own practice which is involved in commercial, residential, heritage and architectural research projects in Australia and Malaysia.
