Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers

Carpentry skill in constructing timber architecture is fast vanishing in Malaysian building industry. As such mass housing schemes are dominated by masonry architecture, leaving the skills of working with timber only to construct the roof frames and doorways. High cost of timber relative to masonry...

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Main Authors: Said, Ismail, Desa, Abdul Malik, Syed Ariffin, Syed Ahmad Iskandar
Format: Conference or Workshop Item
Language:English
Published: 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:http://eprints.utm.my/839/
http://eprints.utm.my/839/1/constructing_timber_architecture%282006%29_ismail_said.pdf
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author Said, Ismail
Desa, Abdul Malik
Syed Ariffin, Syed Ahmad Iskandar
author_facet Said, Ismail
Desa, Abdul Malik
Syed Ariffin, Syed Ahmad Iskandar
author_sort Said, Ismail
building UTeM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Carpentry skill in constructing timber architecture is fast vanishing in Malaysian building industry. As such mass housing schemes are dominated by masonry architecture, leaving the skills of working with timber only to construct the roof frames and doorways. High cost of timber relative to masonry is one of the influencing factors for the industry to put aside the value of timber architecture. Notwithstanding, the carpentry skills in making furniture, doors and windows are available in small to medium scales. This paper presents a real project of constructing small-scale timber architecture by merging the skills of furniture carpenter with the skills of masonry workers. A freshly developed means of communication and working environment comes almost naturally to allow the three parties to work in coherent to the objective. Timber building components which require top level precision are prepared by the carpenter. On-site building erection and assembly process are left to the masonry workers who are obviously the most capable. Completed timber components are carted to the site, and assembled by the masonry workers, and when necessary assisted by the carpentry workers. The masonry group takes the heavy-duty tasks such as lifting and positioning the posts on the stumps and fixing the beams into the mortises prepared by the carpenters. And, the carpentry group does the finishing tasks including painting. The architect coordinates the two teams with reference to the drawing and some work specifications. It is found that through accurate drawings and skills of furniture carpenter and masonry workers the construction of a high quality standard timber building is feasible.
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institution Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
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spelling utm-8392017-09-06T04:59:08Z http://eprints.utm.my/839/ Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers Said, Ismail Desa, Abdul Malik Syed Ariffin, Syed Ahmad Iskandar GV Recreation Leisure Carpentry skill in constructing timber architecture is fast vanishing in Malaysian building industry. As such mass housing schemes are dominated by masonry architecture, leaving the skills of working with timber only to construct the roof frames and doorways. High cost of timber relative to masonry is one of the influencing factors for the industry to put aside the value of timber architecture. Notwithstanding, the carpentry skills in making furniture, doors and windows are available in small to medium scales. This paper presents a real project of constructing small-scale timber architecture by merging the skills of furniture carpenter with the skills of masonry workers. A freshly developed means of communication and working environment comes almost naturally to allow the three parties to work in coherent to the objective. Timber building components which require top level precision are prepared by the carpenter. On-site building erection and assembly process are left to the masonry workers who are obviously the most capable. Completed timber components are carted to the site, and assembled by the masonry workers, and when necessary assisted by the carpentry workers. The masonry group takes the heavy-duty tasks such as lifting and positioning the posts on the stumps and fixing the beams into the mortises prepared by the carpenters. And, the carpentry group does the finishing tasks including painting. The architect coordinates the two teams with reference to the drawing and some work specifications. It is found that through accurate drawings and skills of furniture carpenter and masonry workers the construction of a high quality standard timber building is feasible. 2006 Conference or Workshop Item PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://eprints.utm.my/839/1/constructing_timber_architecture%282006%29_ismail_said.pdf Said, Ismail and Desa, Abdul Malik and Syed Ariffin, Syed Ahmad Iskandar (2006) Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers. In: Proceedings of the 2nd international conference International Network for tropikal Architecture, 3-5 April 2006, Duta Wacana Christian University, Yokjakarta. (Unpublished)
spellingShingle GV Recreation Leisure
Said, Ismail
Desa, Abdul Malik
Syed Ariffin, Syed Ahmad Iskandar
Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers
title Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers
title_full Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers
title_fullStr Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers
title_full_unstemmed Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers
title_short Constructing timber architecture: Merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers
title_sort constructing timber architecture: merging the skills of architect, carpenter and masonry workers
topic GV Recreation Leisure
url http://eprints.utm.my/839/
http://eprints.utm.my/839/1/constructing_timber_architecture%282006%29_ismail_said.pdf