MEASURED DRAWING - RAINBOW SHOP HOUSES, IPOH

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE
ARC 60305 METHODS OF DOCUMENTATION AND MEASURED DRAWINGS
NO. 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 & 128,
JALAN SULTAN ISKANDAR, 30000 IPOH, PERAK, MALAYSIA
MARCH 2016

DECLARATION
The report is submitted or the subject ARC 60305/ ARC 2323/ ARC
1215 Methods of Documentation and Measured Drawings to School of
Architecture, Building & Design of Taylor’s University to obtain 5
credits for Praticulum 1.
Name of Building : Rainbow Shoplot
Address : No. 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 & 128, Jalan Sultan Iskandar,
30000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Tutor : Ms Siti Balkish ; Ms Zahra Namavar
A group effort by :
1. Kelvin Fong Jia Zheng 0317166
2. Adibah Bahiah Binti Awang 0316318
3. Nor Syarianna binti Khairul Azhar 0318236
4. Canisius Bong Wei Pheng 0318914
5. Evelin Devina 0322176
6. Fatemehal Sadat Fattah Hosseini 0318452
7. Goh Yen Nee 0315551
8. Khor Yen Min 0318149
9. Kimberly Wong Jin Siew 0315145
Acknowledgement :
10. Low En Huey 0317889
11. Ooi Chien Sheng 0320552
12. Ooi Kai Yang 0315663
13. Sonia Mancxia a/p Balaguru 0317751
14. Tan Hsuan Lin 0318975
15. Tan Sheau Hui 0319235
16. Tang Wei Xin 0322731
17. Tay Jit Ying 03190022
18. Wong Kai Chang 0323341

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Acknowledgement
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We would like to take this opportunity to thank and show our gratitude
to the lecturers as well as the owner and tenants of the Ipoh Rainbow
Shop house who have helped us throughout the whole research of this
documentation.  
 
Firstly, we would like to thank Ms.Siti Balkish and Ms. Shirin for guiding
us from the start till the end of the project.
Secondly, we would like to thank Ms. Lee Yoke Chee , the owner of
Ipoh Rainbow Shophouses and Mr. Lim Dong Yuen, Mr. Aiman and Mr.
Adriz and lastly Mr. Lim Kok Kim, tenants of the Ipoh Rainbow
Shophouses, who were willing to lend us a total of five days to measure
the shophouses and took out valuable time to accept our interviews.
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Abstract
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The seven rainbow shophouses have been classified as one of the Ipoh
Heritage Shop house which is located along along Jalan Sultan
Iskandar Shah, New Town, Ipoh. It was built in the 1930s by the British
authorities as one of the earliest expansion project in Ipoh New Town. It
was later bought by a wealthy Chinese tin miner, Feng Xiang and he
then rented the shop houses out to local traders. In 2012, local heritage
enthusiast, Mr. Lim Chai Hock and his family bought the seven existing
shop house and repainted and refurbished them in the colourful seven
rainbow colours.
In a total 18 people, we conducted research, measured and
documented the related data and details on the shophouses and then
compiled them into a set of measured drawings, report, video, photo
book and a physical model.
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IPOH RAINBOW SHOP HOUSES
TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY 2016 MEASURED DRAWING GROUP SIX
TABLE OF CONTENT
TABLE OF CONTENT
DECLARATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENT
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF TABLES
CHAPTER 1 - AIM & OBJECTIVES
1.1 AIM & OBJECTIVES
1.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH
1.4 LIMITATION
CHAPTER 2 - METHODOLOGY
2.1 GANTT CHART
2.2 JOB DISTRIBUTION
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xii - xxviii
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TABLE OF CONTENT
2.3 WORKING PROCESS
2.3.1 MEASUREMENTS
2.3.2 DRAFTING
2.3.3 INTERVIEWS
2.3.4 PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY
2.4 RESEARCHING TECHNIQUES
2.4.1 INTERNET RESOURCES
2.4.2 INTERVIEWS
2.4.3 LOCALARCHIVES
2.5 EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTS USED
2.5.1 DIGITAL MEASURING LASER
2.5.2 METRE LINEN TAPE
2.5.3 MEASURING TAPE
2.5.4 FOLDABLE LADDER
2.5.5 METAL WIRE
2.5.6 SURGICAL MASK
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TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER3-INTRODUCTIONOFIPOHRAINBOWSHOPHOUSES
3.1 RED HOUSE
3.2 ORANGE HOUSE
3.3 YELLOW HOUSE
3.4 GREEN HOUSE
3.5 BLUE HOUSE
3.6 INDIGO HOUSE
3.7 PURPLE HOUSE
CHAPTER 4 - BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF SITE
4.1 HISTORY OF IPOH
4.2 HISTORY OF OLD TOWN AND NEW TOWN
4.3 ANALYSIS OF OLD TOWN AND NEW TOWN
4.4 SITE PLAN
4.5 SITE ANALYSIS
4.6 GENIUS LOCI OF OLD TOWN AND NEW TOWN
19 - 21
22 - 23
24 - 25
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30 - 31
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TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER 5 - HISTORY AND COMPONENTS OF SHOP HOUSES
5.1 INTRODUCTION OF SHOP HOUSES
5.2 HISTORY OF SHOP HOUSES
5.3 STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS
5.3.1 FIVE-FOOT WAY
5.3.2 TIMBER FLOOR BEAMS
5.3.3 PARTY WALLS
5.3.4 ROOF
5.4 EVOLUTION OF SHOP HOUSES
5.5 EVOLUTION OF SHOP HOUSES IN IPOH
CHAPTER 6 - SPATIAL LAYOUT
6.1 DESIGN CONCEPT
6.1.1CONCEPTANDLAYOUT(INDIVIDUALSHOPHOUSE)
6.1.2 CONCEPTAND LAYOUT (SHOP HOUSESASAUNIT)
6.2 SPATIAL ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTION
6.2.1 SPATIAL ORGANIZATION
6.2.2 SPATIAL HIERARCHY
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52 - 53
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TABLE OF CONTENT
6.3 SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP
6.4 BOUNDARY
6.5 ELEMENTS OF THE WALL
6.6 SPATIAL EXPERIENCES
6.7 VISUAL EXPERIENCES
CHAPTER 7 - ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
7.1 INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND ELEMENT
7.2 ARCHITECTURAL INFLUENCES
7.3 ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
7.4 ELEMENTS
7.4.1 COLUMNS
7.4.2 EXTERIOR COLUMNS WITH RELIEF WRITING
7.4.3 BALCONY
7.4.4 COLUMN FINIAL
7.4.5 PILASTER, WINDOWS AND ARCHES
7.4.6 TIMBER LOUVERED SHUTTERED WINDOWS
7.4.7 DECORATED FASCIA ROOF TRIM
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TABLE OF CONTENT
7.4.8 CHINESE STYLED AIR VENTS
7.4.9 JACK ROOF
CHAPTER 8 - MATERIALS AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
8.1 MATERIALITY AND CONSTRUCTION METHOD
8.2 TYPES OF MATERIAL USED
8.2.1 TIMBER
8.2.2 CLAY BRICK
8.2.3 TERRACOTTA CLAY TILES
8.2.4 CERAMIC TILES
8.2.5 LIME PLASTER
8.2.6 CONCRETE
8.2.7 MILD STEEL
8.3 CONSTRUCTION METHOD
8.3.1 ROOF CONSTRUCTION - PITCHED ROOF
8.3.2 FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION - SPREAD FOOTING CONSTRUCTION
8.3.3. MASONRY WALL CONSTRUCTION - ENGLISH BOND METHOD
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TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER 9 - DEFECTS AND DILAPIDATION
9.1 DEFECTS AND PROBLEMS
9.2 TYPES OF DEFECTS
9.2.1 CONCRETE SPALLING
9.2.2 CONCRETE WALL CRACKING
9.2.3 DRY ROT
9.2.4 FLOOR SLAB CRACKING
9.2.5 CORROSION ON METAL FRAME
9.2.6 MOULDING
9.2.7 BIOLOGICALACTIVITY (BIRD DROPPINGS)
9.2.8 BIOLOGICALACTIVITY (PARASITIC PLANT GROWTH)
9.2.9 DEGRADING OF PAINT
CHAPTER 10 - CONCLUSION
10.0 CONCLUSION
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TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER 11 - REFERENCES AND APPENDICES
11.1 INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS
11.2.1 MRS. LIM YOKE CHEE (OWNER OF RAINBOW SHOP HOUSES)
11.2.2 MR. AIMAN AND MR. ADRIZ (OWNERS OF CHAKABOW CAFÉ)
11.2.3 MR. LEE DONG YUAN (OWNER OF RED HOUSE KOPITIAM)
11.2 REFERENCES
11.3 GLOSSARY
11.4 PHOTOBOOK
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LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF TABLES
1. GANTT CHART
2. JOB DISTRIBUTION
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LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF FIGURES
Site Visit to the Rainbow Shop Houses
Source: Taylor’s University 2016 Measure Drawing Group Six
Measuring using Measuring Tape
Measuring using Meter Linen Tape
Recording Measurements of Rear Elevation
Interviewing Mr. Lee, Tenant of the Red-Coloured Shop House
Interviewing Mr. Aiman and Mr. Adriz, Tenant of Green-Coloured Shop House
Members from Media Team Taking a Video
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 9
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LIST OF FIGURES
Members from Media Team Taking a Photo
‘Ipoh: The Town That Tin Built’, Obtained from the Local Archives
Source: National Archives of Malaysia
A Handbook Malaysian Architectural Heritage Survey”, Obtained from the Local Archives
Source: National Archives of Malaysia
Measuring Using Measuring Tape
Distance Measuring Laser
Source: http://digilifeweb.com/Laser-Distance-Measurer-Bosch-GLR225
Meter Linen Tape
Source: http://www.artscene.com.au/shopping/tapes/archival-and-conservation-tapes/lineco-gummed-linen-tape
Measuring Tape
Source: http://www.amazon.com/Komelon-SL2925-Speed-25-Foot-Power/dp/B0016A72CC
Foldable Ladder
Source:http://tjjinmao.manufacturer.globalsources.com/si/6008800554878/pdtl/Folding-ladder/1063083396/
Folding-Ladder.htm
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 10
FIGURE 11
FIGURE 12
FIGURE 13
FIGURE 14
FIGURE 15
FIGURE 16
FIGURE 17
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LIST OF FIGURES
Metal Wire
Source: http://www.homedepot.com/p/OOK-14-Gauge-x-100-ft-Galvanized-Steel-Wire-50142/100200924
Surgical Mask
Source: http://www.mycarforum.com/topic/2698518-how-to-politely-tell-a-colleague-to-wear-a-mask/page-3
Front Elevation of Rainbow Shop House
Front Elevation of the Red Shop House
Floor Plans of the Red Shop House
The Red Shop House: Many Elderly People Visit to the Kopitiam to Gather on a Daily Basis that is Run by
A Friendly 76 Years Old Tenant.
Front Elevation of the Orange Shop House
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 18
FIGURE 19
FIGURE 20
FIGURE 21
FIGURE 22
FIGURE 23
FIGURE 24
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LIST OF FIGURES
Floor Plans of the Orange Shop House
The Orange Shop House: The Local Library was Converted from an Old Tailoring Shop and Is Visited by
Many Students Who Comes Over for Study Sessions.
Front Elevation of the Yellow Shop House
Floor Plans of the Yellow Shop House
TheYellow Shop House: This particular Shop House is Halved, One Part as Goldsmith, One Part as Tailoring
Services, and Tailoring Is One of the Local Trading Here in Ipoh
Front Elevation of the Green Shop House
Floor Plans of the Green Shop House
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 25
FIGURE 26
FIGURE 27
FIGURE 28
FIGURE 29
FIGURE 30
FIGURE 31
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LIST OF FIGURES
The Green Shop House: This Old Chinese Herbal Shop was Converted into a Chic Café, by Transforming
the Original Living Space into a Lounge Space
Front Elevation of the Blue Shop House
Floor Plans of the Blue Shop House
The Blue Shop House: This Shop House is Currently Undergoing Renovation to be Refurbished into a
Soft-serve by Two Sisters.
Front Elevation of the Indigo Shop House
Floor Plans of the Indigo Shop House
The Indigo Shop House: This Shop House is Rented by Mr Rao.
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 32
FIGURE 33
FIGURE 34
FIGURE 35
FIGURE 36
FIGURE 37
FIGURE 38
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LIST OF FIGURES
Front Elevation of the Purple Shop House
Floor Plans of the Purple Shop House
The Purple Shop House: The Purple Shop House is A Great Example of the Local Trading of Tailoring and
Sewing, It Is Still Muchly Retained the Original Form, Putting Only Thread Filled Cabinets On Both Side,
Making It Easy And Convenient For Customers To Draw Customers In.
Map of Old Ipoh Town
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_roads_in_Ipoh
Chinese Tin Mining Workers
Source: https://iccsg.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/arsip-foto-tropenmuseum/collectie_tropenmuseum_arbeiders_
in_de_tinmijn_te_banka_tmnr_10007202/
Photo of Ipoh Town in the 2000s
Source: https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipoh
Site Plan Ipoh New Town and Old Town
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 39
FIGURE 40
FIGURE 41
FIGURE 42
FIGURE 43
FIGURE 44
FIGURE 45
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LIST OF FIGURES
Old Attap Dwellings in Ipoh
Source: http://www.perak.info/Perak_Photo_Gallery/ipoh_street.htm
Expansion of Chinese Shop Houses in Ipoh
Source: http://www.ipohworld.org/2010/05/12/a-cry-for-help/
Flooding from the Kinta River in 1900s
Source: http://www.keretalama.com/koleksi-gamba2-malaysia-dulu2-t3570-60.html
Birch Bridge was Built in 1907 to Connect Old Town and New Town.
Source: http://www.rsmurthi.com/OldPerakPhotos1.html
Shop Houses Typology in Ipoh
Source: http://iwandered.net/2014/01/05/things-to-do-ipoh-malaysia/
Modernized Buildings in Ipoh
Source: http://cilisos.my/7-ways-ipoh-2015-no-longer-feels-like-ipoh/
Hybrid Blocks in Ipoh
Site Plan
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 46
FIGURE 47
FIGURE 48
FIGURE 49
FIGURE 50
FIGURE 51
FIGURE 52
FIGURE 53
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LIST OF FIGURES
Site Section
Shop Houses in Ipoh
Source: http://www.ipohworld.org/2009/09/21/a-house-to-be-proud-of/
Shop Houses in Malacca
Source: http://changnoi1.blogspot.my/2012/07/chinese-shophouses-malacca-malaysia.html
Ipoh Townscape Full of Old Shop Houses
Source: http://wikimapia.org/2010974/Ipoh-Old-Town
Five-foot way
Source: https://www.lickr.com/photos/rsagar/4764482886
Division of the interior of a shop house
Source: https://natashadimitrijevic2015.wordpress.com/
Roof View of Courtyard in a Shop House
Source: http://www.36stewartlane.com/
Connected Shop House Block
Source: http://sporeshop.blogspot.my/
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 55
FIGURE 56
FIGURE 57
FIGURE 58
FIGURE 59
FIGURE 60
FIGURE 61
FIGURE 62
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LIST OF FIGURES
Cantonese Workers in Tin Mine.
Source: http://www.thinglink.com/scene/634631237301960706
Nanyang Architecture ‘Tong Lou’
Source: http://www.thefullwiki.org/Tong-lau
Shop Houses Laid in a Row
Source: http://shophouse-sg.com/
Elements of a Shop House
Source: http://www.sgshophouse.org/shophouse/shophouse/
Sectional Perspective
Five-foot way
Timber Floor Beams
Party Walls
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 63
FIGURE 64
FIGURE 65
FIGURE 66
FIGURE 67
FIGURE 68
FIGURE 69
FIGURE 70
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LIST OF FIGURES
Pitched Roof
Evolution of The Shop House facades
Source: https://www.pinterest.com/explore/architecture-sketchbook/
Ipoh Shop Houses Style
Early Attap Settlements in Ipoh
Source: http://mckklife.blogspot.my/
Evolution of Upper Façade
Evolution of Shapes and Ornaments of Windows
Ground Floor and First Floor Layout
The Rainbow Shop House has Shorter Depth
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 71
FIGURE 72
FIGURE 73
FIGURE 74
FIGURE 75
FIGURE 76
FIGURE 77
FIGURE 78
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xxi

LIST OF FIGURES
Parallel Wall Strategy
Spatial Organization
Spatial Zoning
Five-foot way
The balcony
Air Vents at Rear Elevation
Contrast of Dark Interior with Brightly Lit Five-foot Way
Light That Pours into the Space Enhances the Depth of the Space
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 79
FIGURE 80
FIGURE 81
FIGURE 82
FIGURE 83
FIGURE 84
FIGURE 85
FIGURE 86
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LIST OF FIGURES
Repetitive Openings across the Façade Reduce the Artiicial Lightings
Unobstructed Perspective
Cross Sectional Diagram
Southern Chinese Styled Shop House
Source: http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Malaysia/Peninsula/
Colonial Styled Town Hall
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipoh
Transitional Style
Straits Eclectic Style
The Square Tuscan Columns and Pilaster
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 87
FIGURE 88
FIGURE 89
FIGURE 90
FIGURE 91
FIGURE 92
FIGURE 93
FIGURE 94
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LIST OF FIGURES
The Column with Relief Writing, ‘Department Store’
Columns of the Purple and Blue Shop House Featuring Rounded Roman Tuscan Column with Chinese
Relief Writing
Columns of the Indigo and Blue Shop House Featuring Rounded Roman Tuscan Column and Rusticated
Column
Columns of the Green and Yellow Shop House Featuring Rounded Roman Tuscan Columns with Chinese
Relief Writing
Columns of the Orange and Yellow Shop House Featuring Rounded Roman Tuscan Columns with Chinese
Relief Writing
Columns of the Orange and Red Shop House Featuring Rounded Roman Tuscan Columns with Chinese
Relief Writing and Tiled Covered Column
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 95
FIGURE 96
FIGURE 97
FIGURE 98
FIGURE 99
FIGURE 100
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LIST OF FIGURES
Columns of the Red Shop House Featuring Tiled Column
Balcony of Orange Shop House
Parapet of the Ipoh Rainbow Shop Houses
French Windows on Rainbow Shop Houses
The Timber Louvered Shuttered Windows Can be Find at the Back Façade of the Shop Houses
Tumpu Kadau Decorated Fascia
Chinese Styled Air Vents
Jack Roofs in Rainbow Shop Houses
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 101
FIGURE 102
FIGURE 103
FIGURE 104
FIGURE 105
FIGURE 106
FIGURE 107
FIGURE 108
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99
100
101
101
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LIST OF FIGURES
Timber Roof
Floor Joist
Timber Staircase
Timber Frame Arched Windows
Clay Bricks
Terracotta Clay Tiles
Ceramic Tiles
Lime Plaster on Wall
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 109
FIGURE 110
FIGURE 111
FIGURE 112
FIGURE 113
FIGURE 114
FIGURE 115
FIGURE 116
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104
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105
106
107
108
109
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LIST OF FIGURES
Lime Plaster on Chinese Character Columns
Concrete Flooring
Mild Steel Grill
Pitched Roof Construction
Hip Roof Structure
English Bond Method
Concrete Spalling in Yellow Shop House
Concrete Wall Cracking in Yellow Shop House
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 117
FIGURE 118
FIGURE 119
FIGURE 120
FIGURE 121
FIGURE 122
FIGURE 123
FIGURE 124
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116
119
120
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LIST OF FIGURES
Timber Deterioration
Cracking of Tiles of Red Shop House
Corroded Metal Door in Red Shop House
Mould on Green Shop House
Pigeon Droppings on the Floor of Red Shop House
Growth of Fern Plants on Yellow Shop House
Degrading of Paint on Red Shop House
FIGURES PAGES
FIGURE 125
FIGURE 126
FIGURE 127
FIGURE 128
FIGURE 129
FIGURE 130
FIGURE 131
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124
125
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GANTT CHART
JOB DISTRIBUTION
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LIST OF TABLES
FIGURES PAGES
LIST OF TABLES
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3

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1.0 Aim and Objectives

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1.1 Aim
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The aim of this measured drawing is to document the architectural and
cultural significants of No. 116,118,120,122,124,126 and128, Jalan
Sultan Iskandar.
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1.2 Objectives
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Our main objectives of the site visit are to produce a complete set of
drawing based on No.116,118,120,122,124,126 and 128, Jalan Sultan
Iskandar. In addition, we are to document the cultural and architecture
significance of the seven rainbow shop houses in comparison to the
other shop houses along Jalan Sultan Iskandar. We are also to include
the existing building construction techniques analysis in the
documented report.
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Figure 11.0 Aim & Objectives

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1.3 Learning Outcomes
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During the period of this course, we have learnt several standard
architectural techniques used in measured drawings, record drawings
and as-built drawings to preserve an accurate representation of the
historical structures.
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Along with learning to record measurements,we have also learnt to
adaptively categorise the type of architectural historic structure on site.
After recognising the structure, we learned to implement an array of
documentation methods, ranging from interviews to self-research.
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We were introduced to several requirements, specific for the purpose of
documenting the measurements of the building and hands-on
measurement, we progressively learned more efficient ways of
recording measurements by distributing the work correspondingly to
develop more efficient results.
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Figure 21.0 Aim & Objectives

CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY
WORKING PROCESS
RESEARCHING TECHNIQUES
EQUIPMENTS AND INSTRUMENTS USED
GANTT CHART
JOB DISTRIBUTION

Task
Adibah
Jit Ying
Kai Yang
Research Anna
Report Yen Min
En Huey
Check all drawing sheilly
Site Sheilly, Canisius, Sonia
Floor plan Sheilly, C. Sheng, Raymond
Section Evelin, C.sheng, Raymond
Elevation Canisius, Sonia, Raymond, Evelin
Door & Window Schedule Canisius, Sonia,
Details Canisius, Sonia, Kelvin, Sheilly
Axonometric Kelvin
Model Making adibah
crysmond
kimberly
kai yang
sogol
casey
siao hui
jit ying
Photo, Video, Interview
Report - 7/3/2016
Documentation Drawing - 7/3/2016
Model Making
[3] Job Distribution List
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2.2 Job Distribution

2.3 Working Process
Takingmeasurementsoftheshophousestructuresonsiteisoneofthe
key objectives of this project. Measuring involves the use of equipment
to record dimensions as accurately as possible. These measuring
equipment include: measuring tape, ruler, laser measuring tool, etc.
When measuring, various techniques are used to ensure the
precision necessary to record accurate measurements. A common
technique implemented is to take a picture of a measuring tape or
ruler placed beside the desired structure, this provides a scale for
reference during model making and drafting.
All students were put together into a group consisting of two to four
people (depending on the size and area to be covered) and were
assigned to a speciic space to ensure maximum eficiency.
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Measuring
using
Measuring
Tape.
[4]
Measuring
using Meter
Linen Tape.
[5]

Recording
Measurements
of Rear
Elevation.
[6]
2.3.1 Measurements
After successfully obtaining the measurements, it was recorded into
formatted A3 graph papers which includes title, dimensions, date,
name and remarks.
The measurements were recorded using different coloured-pens
which are used to indicate the different important components to an
organised drawings.
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2.3.2 Drafting
Drafting was done by who were adept in AutoCAD after the
measurements were recorded in order to improve the overall progress
and to create a general layout of each space. As drafting were being
conducted in AutoCAD, missing measurements were quickly realised
and attended to. As a result, this process ensured that we have a
more complete and comprehensive measurements.
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2.3.3 Interviews
Interviews were carried out by members of the report team to obtain
speciic information that cannot be retrieved online or printed books.
The interviewees include the owner of the seven shop houses ( Mrs.
Lee Yoke Chee), the tenant of the red-coloured shop house ( Mr.Lee
Dong Yuen), the tenant of the green-coloured shop house ( Mr.Aiman
and Mr. Adriz ), the tenant of the purple-coloured (Mr. Kok Kim).
Interviewing
Mr.Lee,Tenant of
the Red-coloured
Shop House.
[7]
12
Interviewing Mr.
Aiman and Mr.
Adriz, Tenant of
Green-coloured
Shop House.
[8]

2.3.4 Photography and Videography
Photographs and videos of the site and its surroundings were taken by
members who were more experienced in the ield of photography and
video-editing. The photos and videos to be used for video making, to
create photo books, in reports and drawings.
Members
from Media
Team Taking
a Video.
[9]
Members
from Media
Team Taking
a Photo.
[10]
13

2.4 Research Methods
2.4.1 Internet Resources
Obtained basic information from dependable internet resources such as
online journals, newspaper articles and archives.
2.4.2 Interviews
The more detailed historic information of the site is obtained through
interviews. Owner, Lee Yoke Chee and tenants, Mr.Lee Dong Yuen,
Mr. Aiman, Mr.Adriz, and Mr.Kok Kim was interviewed to obtain more
information on the history, culture and technical aspects.
2.4.3 Local archives
Related architectural documents and academic journals were borrowed
from the local archives.
‘Ipoh: The Town
That Tin Built’,
obtained from the
local archives.
[11]
‘A Handbook:
Malaysian
Architectural
Heritage Survey’ ,
obtained from the
local archives.
[12]
14

2.5 Equipment and Instruments Used
In order to obtain accurate measurements, there are several types
of equipment that can be used, each one having their own unique
function to be utilised in different circumstances. These equipment include
measuring tape, 50 metre linen tape, measuring laser, ladder, string,
masking tape and mask. Besides measuring equipment, DSLR cameras
were used to capture photos and document videos of the entire building.
Measuring
using
Measuring Tape.
[13]
15

2.5.1 Digital Measuring Laser
Digital Measuring Laser is capable of measuring up to 80m with great
accuracy. This device is used to measure great distances, for example,
wall to wall or loor to ceiling. With this device, we have worked
effeciently during the on site measurement.
2.5.2 Metre Linen Tape
The 30m and 50m linen is usually used to measure long features where
it cannot be measured with measuring tapes. On site, we used this tape
to measure when we are documenting the length of the site context. It is
also used when measuring tapes are too stiff to be used when measuring
curved surfaces.
Distance
Measuring Laser.
[14]
Meter Linen
Tape.
[15]
16

2.5.3 Measuring Tape
Measuring tapes are also known as tape measures. It is the basic
measuring equipment among the other measuring equipment. It is long
retractable tape made of a long, thin and slender metallic strip which
contained different measurements units. Usually it is used to measure the
length of loors, walls, and furniture. The range may vary depending on
brand or types. The average measuring tape can measure up to 8 meters.
2.5.4 Foldable Ladder
Foldable ladder is often used to measure elevated structures or beyond
human reach. This is because the height of the shop house is more
elevated than its width.
Measuring
Tape.
[16]
Foldable
Ladder.
[17]
17

2.5.5 Metal Wire
The ornaments in the shop houses are usually beyond our reach
when using foldable ladder. For safety purposes, metal wire is used to
duplicate the organic shape of the ornaments before bringing it down for
proper measuring process.
2.5.6 Surgical Mask
Surgical masks are used on site to prevent carbon monoxide and dust
from entering during inhalation. This is because our site is located along
the main road of Ipoh and also the old shop houses were very dusty.
Metal
Wire.
[18]
Surgical
Mask.
[19]
18

CHAPTER 3 INTRODUCTION OF
RED SHOP HOUSE
ORANGE SHOP HOUSE
YELLOW SHOP HOUSE
GREEN SHOP HOUSE
BLUE SHOP HOUSE
INDIGO SHOP HOUSE
PURPLE SHOP HOUSE

CHAPTER 3 INTRODUCTION TO THE RAINBOW SHOP HOUSE
20

3.0 Introduction of the Rainbow Shop Houses
The rainbow shop houses comprimises of seven shop houses, No.116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 and 128, Jalan Sultan Iskandar respectively,.
As the name suggests, the shop houses get its’ name ‘Ipoh Rainbow Shop House’ by its’ eye catching rainbow coloured exterior. They
were repainted by the current owner, Mr. Lim Chai Hock, who aspire to use the bright coloured facades to liven up the dead town of Ipoh.
FRONT
ELEVATION OF
RAINBOW SHOP
HOUSES
[20]
21

3.1 The Red Shop House
Name : Red House Coffee
Usage : ‘Kopitiam’ Coffee Shop
Current Tenant : Mr. Lee Dong Yuen
Background : Mr. Lee is the second tenant of the shop house.
He has rented this shop house since 1969. He irst started off by
selling clotheswear but due to the emergence of shopping malls
in the 1980s, the businesses in New Town dropped drastically and
eventually were forced to close down. He then decided to forfeit his
clothes wear business in 1985 and converted the shop into a coffee
business with his sister and friends. He used to live at the upper
loor with the employees but has since been vacant and utilised as
a storage area.
Front
Elevation
of the Red
Shop
House.
[21]
Floor plans
of the
Red Shop
House.
[22]
22
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN

[23] THE RED SHOP HOUSE : Many elderly people visit to the kopitiam to gather on a daily basis that is run by a friendly 76 years old tenant.
23

3.2 The Orange Shop House
Name : Library
Usage : Local library and Tuition Centre
Current Tenant :
Overview :
Front Eleva-
tion
of the Orange
Shop House.
[24]
Floor plans
of the Orange
Shop House.
[25]
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
This local library used to be a tailoring shop, as can be
24
seen on the Chinese relief writing column,advertising the name of
the shop. The library consists of Chinese and English.collections
which registered members can borrow. At the upper loor, tuition
classes and study sessions are also held there for the primary
school students. The special interior feature in this shop house are
the bookracks and entrance (door frame, window frame) which are
made out of durian tree logs.

[26] THE ORANGE SHOP HOUSE : The local library was converted from an old tailoring shop and is visited by many students who comes over for study sessions.
25

3.3 The Yellow Shop House
Name : Pusat Jahitan Yooh Ming & Kedai Emas Kam Tuo
Usage : Then – Tailor
Now – Tailor and Goldsmith
Current Tenant : -
Overview : This local library used to be a tailoring shop, as
can be seen on the Chinese relief writing column,advertising the
name of the shop. The library consists of Chinese and English.col-
lections which registered members can borrow. At the upper loor,
tuition classes and study sessions are also held there for the primary
school students. The special interior feature in this shop house are
the bookracks and entrance (door frame, window frame) which are
made out of durian tree logs.
Front
Elevation
of the Yellow
Shop
House.
[27]
Floor plans
of the
Yellow Shop
House.
[28]
26
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN

[29] THE YELLOW SHOP HOUSE : This particular shop house is halved, one part as goldsmith, one part as tailoring services, tailoring is one of the
local trading here in Ipoh.
27

3.4 The Green Shop House
Name : Pak Fook Tong Medical Hall a.k.a Cakchibow Café
Usage : Then – Medical
Now – Café
Current Tenant : Mr Aiman, Mr Adriz
Overview : Cakchibow Café opens daily from 5pm to 1am and clos-
es on Tuesday. Previously, this shop house was named Pak Fook
Tong, a shop which sold Chinese herbs and medicine. Thus, the
previous business has inspired the Cakchibow Café owners to name
their drinks after medicine names. Using recycle pallets and worn-out
tyres, they constructed them as chairs and tables. Live bands are
also welcomed to the café to provide entertainment to the customers.
Furthermore, seats are provided at the outdoor areas such as the
balcony and ive foot way of the shop. Plants are also planted at the
balcony for beautiication purpose.
Front
Elevation
of the Green
Shop
House.
[30]
Floor plans
of the
Green Shop
House.
[31]
28
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN

[32] THE GREEN SHOP HOUSE : This old Chinese Herbal shop was converted into a chic cafe, by transforming the original living space into a lounge space.
29

3.5 The Blue Shop House
Name : Hello Elvis
Usage : Then – (unknown)
Now – Ice-cream
Current Tenant : -
Overview : Hello Elvis, owned by a pair of sisters from Batu
Gajah, Perak, who are ice cream maniacs. When they were young,
their late father will always bring the sisters to Ipoh Town for a visit.
Both sisters have tons of fond memories here at Ipoh Town. Thus,
as commemoration of their late father, they started a business here,
naming the shop after their late father’s favourite singer. Besides that,
both sisters are also interested in preserving the heritage of Ipoh.
Front
Elevation
of the Blue
Shop
House.
[33]
Floor plans
of the
Blue Shop
House.
[34]
30
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN

[33] THE BLUE SHOP HOUSE : This shop house is currently undergoing renovation to be refurbished into a soft-serve cafe by two sisters.
31

3.6 The Indigo Shop House
Name : Rao Hair Guru
Usage : Then – Grocery Shop
Now – Saloon
Current Tenant : Mr. Rao
Overview : Rao Hair Guru is owned by a hairstylist who is also into
photography. Mr. Rao has made the upper loor as a studio for his
photography.
Front
Elevation
of the Indigo
Shop
House.
[36]
Floor plans
of the
Indigo Shop
House.
[37]
32
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN

[38] THE INDIGO SHOP HOUSE : This shop house is rented by Mr. Rao.
33

3.7 The Purple Shop House
Name : Perniagaan Kok Kim
Usage : Then – Tailoring
Now – Sewing Products
Current Tenant : Kok Kim
Overview : Sewing products like thread, buttons and cloths are sold
in this shop house. The owner also provides tailoring services. The
upper loor of the shop house is used as storage for the sewing prod-
ucts.
34
Front
Elevation
of the Purple
Shop
House.
[39]
Floor plans
of the
Purple Shop
House.
[40]
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN

[41] THE PURPLE SHOP HOUSE : The purple shop house is a great example of the local trading of tailoring and sewing, it is still muchly retained the original
form, putting only thread illed cabinets on both side, making it easy and convenient for customers to draw customers in.
35

CHAPTER 4 BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF
SITE
HISTORY OF IPOH
HISTORY OF OLD TOWN AND NEW TOWN
ANALYSIS OF OLD TOWN AND NEW TOWN
SITE PLAN
SITE ANALYSIS
GENIUS LOCI OF OLD TOWN AND NEW TOWN

CHAPTER 4 BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF SITE
4.1 History of Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of the Perak state, Malaysia. The word Ipoh
means dart poisons - the Orang Asli used the poisonous latex of
pokok ipoh to smear their blowpipe darts for hunting.
The town is situated at in the heart of Kinta Valley, previously one of
the richest tin ore in the world. Legend has it that Ipoh was founded
by a Malay Chief named Tok Dato Panglima Kinta after losing his
territory and entered Kinta River. Early settlements of Ipoh consist of
many kampungs and villages that was setup at the Kinta riverbank.
The Kinta Valley had seen small-scale Malay mining in about 1880
before the inlux of Chinese immigrants that transformed the industry.
The Mandailing Malays came from earlier settlement in Selangor after
the civil war there between 1867 and 1873 while the increased popu-
lation of Chinese in Ipoh was the result of direct immigrant from China.
Map of
Old
Ipoh Town.
[42]
Chinese
TIn Mining
Workers.
[43]
37

Subsequently, the growth of Ipoh started to accelerate in the thirty-
year period from 1884 when Kinta Tin Rush began. From a small
riverine kampong, Ipoh quickly grew into the second largest town
in the Federated Malaya States, after Kuala Lumpur. But in 1986,
the tin mining industry withered along with the collapse of tin prices
worldwide.
On 27 May 1988, it was granted city status by the Sultan of Perak,
Sultan Azlan Shah. It is divided naturally by the Kinta River into two
main townships - Ipoh Old Town and Ipoh New Town. Both Ipoh Old
Town and New Town is now registered as a heritage area.
Photo of
Ipoh Town
in the
2000s.
[44]
38

Site Plan
Ipoh New
Town and
Old Town.
[45]
39

4.2 History of Old Town and New Town
The old town of Ipoh began to be laid out on the west bank of the river
by the Dato Panglima Kinta in 1886 by dividing the land into lots and
selling them off to the Chinese.
In 1892, a ire destroyed about half of the dwellings of wood and attap.
Rebuilding were then commenced and taken charge by WJP Hume,
the Collector of Land Revenue, to realign,straighten and widen the
streets and metal them, redraw and allocate the property lots, build
brick drains, plant shade tress, introduce and develop street lighting
and construct buildings in brick which in turn created Old Town’s
systematic grid-iron urban layout.
The grid-iron urban layout also relates muchly to the Railway Station.
This relationship is indicative of the important role transportation
played in Ipoh’s development. Historically, as a tin mining town, the
transportation of tin was a primary focus.
Old Attap
Dwellings
in Ipoh.
[46]
Expansion
of Chinese
Shop
Houses in
Ipoh.
[47]
40

Parallel with the growth of the tin mining enterprise was the gradual
expansion of the “Old Town” southwards, here we ind Chinese - style
shophouses with stucco mouldings, combined with pitched Chinese
tiled roof in bright colours.
The major development in Ipoh between 1905 and 1914 was the
physical extension of the urban area due to overcrowding in the Old
Town and the continued risk of looding from the Kinta River. As part
of this process of expansion, the Hugh Low Bridge was widened and
strengthened and a new bridge, Birch Bridge, joining Brewster Road
was opened in 1907.
By 1925, the “ Old Town” of Ipoh had extended southwards to form the
“New Town”, with two major streets, Hugh Low Street ( Jalan Sultan
Iskandar) and Brewster Road ( Jalan Sultan Idris Shah), running
parallel to each other north to south with arterial roads arching out in
an east-west direction.
Flooding
from the
Kinta River
in 1900s.
[48]
Birch bridge
was built
in 1907 to
connect Old
Town and
New Town.
[49]
41

4.3 Analysis of Old Town and New Town
Ipoh consists of many layers of development, each with its own
unique building types. The era of pre-independence had colonial
shop houses while we can see more modernized form in the post-
independence era.
In terms of typography, in the past, Ipoh faced major looding prob-
lems, this resulted in New Town’s streets being built at a higher level
as compared to the streets in Old Town. The topography of Old Town
pans out as a gradual slope towards the Kinta River. New Town’s
topography is generally lat.
In terms of urban blocks, Old Town has more low-rise buildings and
pre-war shop houses. On the other hand, there are more mid-rise
buildings and rectilinear forms in New Town.
42

4.3.1 Urban Form
4.3.1a Shop Houses
Whether in Old Town or New Town, shop houses are seen along the
roads throughout Ipoh. Shop houses in New Town and Old Town
differ in terms of design. Traditionally, families will manage business
below whilst domestic activities are carried out upstairs. Now, lifestyle
changes induced many to modify their shop houses for different
usages and activities. Despite that, the exterior is usually unchanged.
4.3.1b Civic/ Monumental
With post-war modernization,medium and high-rise blocks began to
emerge in both Old Town and New Town. Mid rise structures consists
of more than ive storeys, deviating from the traditional typology of
low-rise shop house blocks. In New Town, the majority of residential
apartment, ofices and shopping malls fall under this category.
Shop
Houses
typlogy in
Ipoh.
[50]
Modernized
buildings in
Ipoh.
[51]
43

44
4.3.1c Hybrid Blocks
Hybrid blocks are deined as former shop house block with at least
one lot having undergone modiications, such that it is no longer con-
forms to the shop house block morphology. Some were built higher,
serving as ofices, clan associations or even hotels. These selective
transformations turn an entire block of shop houses into a mix of dif-
ferent building forms.
Hybrid
Blocks in
Ipoh
[52]

JLNRAJAMUSAAZIZ(JLNANDERSON)
JLNDATUKONNJAAFAR(JLNCOCKMAN)
JLN SULTAN ISKANDAR (JLN HUGH LOW)
JLN YAU TET SHIN
JLN MASJID (JLN HUME)
HALAPASARBARU
HALAPASARBARU
4.4 Site Plan
[53] Site Plan
45

4.5 Site Analysis
The Rainbow Shop House is located along the main road of
Ipoh New Town, Jalan Sultan Iskandar, crossing with Jalan
Datuk Onn Jaafar. The shop houses faces the main road,
allowing good accessibility and circulation. In addition, the
wide entrance receives ample sunlight into the shop houses.
The building form are of hybrid blocks as some of the former shop house blocks undergone modiications, such that it no longer conforms to
the original shop house block morphology that is still intact as those of the Rainbow Shop House . Some were modiied and built higher up to
until 5 storeys, while some maintained the height, the facade was modernized.
46
Site Section.
[55]
Jalan Sultan Iskandar
Shop house
massing on site.
[54]
Jalan Sultan Iskandar

4.6 Genius Loci of New Town and Old Town
47

CHAPTER 5 HISTORY AND COMPONENTS OF
SHOP HOUSES
INTRODUCTION OF SHOP HOUSES
HISTORY OF SHOP HOUSES
STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS
EVOLUTION OF SHOP HOUSES
EVOLUTION OF SHOP HOUSES IN IPOH

CHAPTER 5 HISTORY OF SHOP HOUSES
5.1 Introduction of Shop Houses
The deinition of a shophouse according to Chen Voon Fee’s
Encyclopedia of Malaysian Architecture is a ‘two-storey urban house
with a ground loor shop open to the road and living quarters upstairs’.
The shophouses was a unique urban housing form found in
Southeast Asian historic cities, such as Penang, Malacca etc. , it is an
architectural form that evolved from the blending of the perceptions of
the Chinese merchants and European aesthetics.
And what emerged was a narrow, small scale terraced structure
that provides business for a ground loor and residential purpose for
an upper loor which accommodate the social needs and business
requirements of the early traders,while implementing climatic
considerations, that minimised the effect of heat, rain and glare of a
tropical climate by using thick,brick walls with high ceilings, a roof with
ventilation, a shop front with verandah and balcony.
Shop
Houses in
Ipoh.
[56]
Shop
Houses in
Malacca.
[57]
49

The typical two storey shophouse, with the ground loor for trading
and the irst loor for residential use is still a standard feature in the
centers of Malaysian towns and cities (Yeang,1992). These buildings
are important for the understanding of the city’s social environment,
and signiicant period of the city’s growth as they are the oldest extant
urban dwelling in the country.
The design of the old shophouses in the old town centres today is
unique to this region only, particularly Malaysia, Singapore and
Thailand. Even though part of the built form can be tracedback to
southern China and European countries, the corridor or ive-foot-way
(kaki lima) is added after 1880s, giving it its unique character.
The early masonry old shophouses built in the 19th century were
usually around 6-7 meters wideand 30 meters deep, sometimes
extending to 60 meters. The narrow frontage, particularly in Malacca,
Five-foot
way.
[59]
Ipoh town-
scape full
of old shop
houses.
[58]
50

due to the paying of tax according to the width of the façade facing
the street during the Dutch period (Too, in Chen, 1998). The plans of
the old shophouses are basically divided into several segments that
include the courtyard.The number of courtyards relates to the length
ofthe old shophouses, whereby the longer it is the more number of
courtyards available. The early old shophouses commonly served as
shop, residence, stable and animal yard all at the same time (Heritage
of Malaysia Trust 2003-04).
Roof-
view of
Courtyard
in a shop
house.
[61]
Division
of the
interior of a
shophouse.
[60]
51

5.2 History of Shop Houses
The built form of Chinese shop houses was irst developed in Malacca
and later spread to other Malay states. This was the result of new
urban settlements. The shop houses, as a prototype, functioned both
for commerce and residence and had always formed part of the urban
settlement pattern of the Chinese.
It is believed that merchants dominated the population in the Straits
Settlements while the Cantonese came in a much larger group
because of the tin mining boom. The location of the Chinese in
Malaysia,according to their ethnic group had likewise inluenced their
distinctive architectural styles.
Urban Chinese in Malaysia seemed to have congregated within towns
along economic lines similar to their practices in Canton, China where
traders and the profession also congregated in single narrow lanes or
in city sectors. The Chinese urban areas, consists of rows of houses
Connected
Shop
House
Block.
[62]
Cantonese
workers in
tin mine.
[63]
52

larger group because of the tin mining boom. The location of the
Chinese in Malaysia,according to their ethnic group had likewise
inluenced their distinctive architectural styles.
Urban Chinese in Malaysia seemed to have congregated within towns
along economic lines similar to their practices in Canton, China where
traders and the profession also congregated in single narrow lanes or
in city sectors. The Chinese urban areas, consists of rows of houses
nd shop houses built along narrow streets with narrow frontage.
Developed in parallel with the architecture in the Nan Yang region in
the 19th century. The shop house had a basic pattern both in the loor
plan and elevation, although both of these aspects had evolved over
the course of time. The shop house prototypical form later became
popular in urban areas where the Chinese formed the majority. This
became the general pattern of the Chinese architecture throughout
Malaysia in the early 20th century.
Nanyang
architecture
‘Tong Lou’
[64]
53

5.3 Structural Components of Shop Houses
Shop houses are laid out in rows or blocks. Each block is
bounded by a main street (at the front), side lanes and a back lane.
Each block is also joined by a continuous sheltered ive-foot walkway
(kaki lima) in front to provide shelter from tropical weather conditions.
Regarding to Gurstein, shop house is a shop with a dwelling above.
Shop houses were usually built as part of a terrace, often with their
upper loor overhanging the irst storey to form a pedestrian covered
arcade. A typical shop house characteristics are as follows:
i. Facing a street
ii. Built in a row, next to one another along a street, with no gaps or
spaces in between
iii. Contains a party wall separating shop houses on either side
iv. Low rise, 2-3 storey, long and narrow
v. 5 foot way
vi. Multi-functional, combining residential and commercial use
54
Shop
houses laid
in a row..
[65]
Elements
of a shop
house.
[66]

55
6.2.1 Five-Foot Way
6.2.2 Timber Floor Beams
6.2.3 Party Wall
6.2.4 Roof
[67] SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Main Structural Components of Shop Houses:

5.3.1 Five Foot Way
Five foot way is a signiicant feature of the rainbow shop houses. The
frontporchorverandah,openattheeitherend,isaquintessentialfeature
of shop house architecture. Referred to as a “ive-foot way” because
this was the minimum width required by the building regulations.
In Malaysia, the ive foot ways dates back to the time of the Colonial
Government, when Stamford Rafles drew up a town plan for his
ledging settlement and determined that each house should have a
covered passage in his Jackson Town Plan of 1822.
Shuhana and Bashri (2003) consider the ive-foot-way as helping
to create a continuity and sense of unity to an urban ensemble. It is
responsive to the hot humid climate and the drenching rain. The
human scale of the ive-foot-way together with the horizontal or vertical
uniformity creates an urban composition that is unique and readily
recognizable thus assisting in creating a clear sense of place.
56
Five-Foot
Way.
[68]

5.3.2 Timber Floor Beams
The loor and beams are built with timber beams which carried the weight
of loors and roof, this is an atypical characteristics of the shophouse.
Floors are made of timber planks in the past while reinforced concrete
beams and slabs are added on for support in recent years.
The irst loor slab is constructed out of timber structure. The timber wall
plate were inserted to act as a support for the main beams. Timber loor
joists will then be added onto the beams. Later on, pieces of timber plank
will later be added on to the top of the joist.Agap will be left in between all
of the timber plank allowing the plank to have enough spaces to expand
when the weather is hot.
57
Timber
Floor
Beams.
[69]

5.3.3 Party Walls
Origins of the party walls can be traced back to the rural village in southern
China. Villages in Kwangtung are often walled, and houses within the
community share common party walls.
Party walls are known as load-bearing walls to separate the shop houses
from their neighbours. The shop houses are connected with a shared
party wall, which bears the weight of the purlins and the tiled roof. Wooden
stilts are used as a beam with wooden planks laid on top of it. Party walls
also act as a barrier to avoid spread of ire, while transferring the weight
of the roof to the ground .
58
Party
walls.
[70]

5.3.4 Roof
The masonry wall and timber roof is a Chinese English construction
compromise combination. The timber roof is a common high pitched roof
structure found in most shop houses which creates a space to insulate
the rooms below from direct heat.
Jack roof is also applied in the roof. Jack roof is in which a smaller,upper
roof overlaps the main larger roof, leaving a space between them, allow-
ing natural draught to enter. This cools the heated roof and reduces the
radiation that would otherwise transmit to the room below.
59
Pitched
Roof.
[71]

5.4 Evolution of Shop Houses
The shop houses progresses and changes over time due to stylistic
and cultural inluences. While most of the structural components
remains essentially the same, the evolution mostly happens on the
shophouses’ facades. Heights, widths, forms, colours and materials of
the facades, the patterns and subdivision of windows are some of the
different entities.
60
Anthony Too (in Chen 1998) contends that the decorative styles that
typiied the facades of Malaysian old shophouses were built from
memoryor based on copybooks of styles found in parts of southern
China, where European revivalist inluence played a major role. The
nouveau riche in both the emerging Malaysian towns and the treaty
[72] Evolution of the shop house facades.

5.5 Evolution of Shop Houses in Ipoh
In the core zone of Ipoh, there are a total of 1132 buildings, of which
were classiied as local heritage. The uniqueness of the shophouses not
only lies in its’ facades, but also in the value of its’ overall architectural
structure and form which showcases the diversity of the different styles.
Heritage shophouses in Ipoh were classiied into six styles since 1880s
to 1920s which are the ‘Transitional’ Style, the ‘Neo-Classical’ Style, the
‘Eclectic’ Style. the ‘Art Deco’ Style, the ‘ Early Modern’ Style and the
‘Modern’ Style.
In the analysis which follows, four phases in the development of the six
architectural style of shophouses in Ipoh will be identiied as :
1) Attap structure
2) Early permanent shophouses
3) Transitional facade shophouses
4) Fully Europanized facades
61
Ipoh Shop
Houses
Styles.
[73]

The earliest shop house phase was to be constructed of wooden posts
supporting an Attap roof, open to the street in typical Chinese fashion, the
wares are displayed on street-side counters. But due to the major ire in
1892, WJP Hume, the Collector of Land Revenue, constructed buildings
in brick which in turn created Old Town’s systematic grid-iron urban layout.
Shop houses were then built of brick, coated with stucco , these buildings
were the earliest permanent shop houses constructed in Ipoh. Typical
of the facade of this irst permanent type of shop house is the simple
arrangement of supporting pillars and unhidden, unadorned
cross beams or breast summers. The distinction emphasised
here is that there really is no facade in the earliest shop houses.
Later on, all shop houses start having their upper facade divided into
two or three equally sized window openings set into a masonry wall.
62
Early Attap
Settle-
ments in
Ipoh.
[74]
Evolution
of Upper
Facade.
[75]

The initial simple upper loor slowly becomes more elaborate in struc-
ture and in ornamentation in the mid 1800s. During this transitional
phase, double or triple windows began to acquire Palladian ornamenta-
tion, as did the entire facade. The variety of shapes and ornaments on
windows during this phase runs a complete range from square topped
openings, through all degrees of segmental arched spaces to completely
round-headed fanlights. Stucco frames and hoods lined openings,which
include not only windows and loor-length doors, but also small round
vents positioned between and above windows.
By the early 1900s, the evolution of the facade, from a simple to fortnight
arrangement into a Palladian-inspired motif, culminates in an eclectic
mixtures of Old-Dutch, pattern-book Regency and Venetian arcades.
Aftter 1900s, a fully emerged classicism emerged, the full appearance of
unadulterated classical motifs include pediments, venetian arches, rusti-
cation,festoons, baroque foliage, consoles, and elaborate false
63
Evolution
of Shapes
and Orna-
ments of
Windows.
[76]

CHAPTER 6 SPATIAL LAYOUT
DESIGN CONCEPT
SPATIAL ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTION
SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP
BOUNDARY
ELEMENTS OF THE WALL
SPATIAL EXPERIENCES
VISUAL EXPERIENCES

65

6.1 Design Concept
In the early twentieth century, as the expanding colonial urban econo-
mies absorbed large numbers of labor migrants, the shop house
in New Town, Ipoh grown rapidly to accomodate the increasingly over-
crowded conditions in Old Town.
The architectural solution that was employed was to build lexible and
pratical shop houses that was economical to build. And it was much in-
luenced by ‘Anglo-Chinese Urban Vernacular’ style in which reference
to the incorporation of the Southern Chinese building form and Colonial
urban plans.
The design concept can be further discussed in the context of:
1. An individual shop house
2. Multiple shop houses as a unit.
66

6.1.1 Concept and Layout ( Individual Shop House)
The shop houses were designed to have two loors in which the ground
loor is used for trading and the upper loor as a living space, providing
an economical space for the rapidly growing community. As shown in
the layout diagram,the ground hall and the irst loor hall are the main
space. At the end of the hall, there is a door that con- nects to the rear
court where the service space is located and a long staircase leads to the
storage or living space upstairs. The tenants can access to the back lane
through the rear court. The interior spatial planning was maximised but
keeping it to its’ minimal by avoiding unnecessary partitions.
67
(Trading
Space)
(Living
Space)
Ground
Floor
and First
Floor Layout
[77]

In comparison to the older shop houses in Old Town, it is visible that the
Rainbow shop houses are much shorter in terms of depth. This is due to
the overwhelming demand of living and commercial premises in a short
period of time, resulting in the simplifying the layout to its’ most effecient
form to shorten the construction process. The common depth usually
applied to shop houses is 6-7 meters wide and 30 meters deep, some-
times extending to 60 meters. But the rainbow shop house is shorter and
narrower, coming in at 5 meters wide and 21 meters deep.
In short, the shop house was design with maximum effeciency,
lexibility and practicality in mind.
68
The
Rainbow
Shop House
has Shorter
Depth
[78]

6.1.2 Concept and Layout ( Shop Houses as a Unit)
Apart from design considerations for the spatial planning of an individual
shop house, the shop houses was also carefully designed as a unit to
maintain the effeciency throughout.
The shophouses are designed based on a rectangular plan as an
individual as well as a whole unit. One of the basic reasons for the rec-
tangular plan was that it provided a pair of parallel walls for the support of
loor beams and roof trusses. Another advantage is that it allows rooms
or houses to be put nest to each other economically in terms of both the
use of space and construction.
In parallel wall houses one party wall will provide half the support
needed for the loors and roofs of two houses. Also there is no wasted
space, and rows of houses can be arranged to face each other acrros
access streets.
69
Parallel Wall
Strategy
[79]
Rectangular plan to provide a pair of
parallel walls for the support of beams and
roofs. And no wasted space as houses are
arranged next to each other.

The parallel wall strategy is the layout of typical traditional shop houses.
Each house is acoomodated bewtween two parallel walls. The parallel
wall arrangement allows many houses to be arranged side by side,
sharing party walls. Arranged opposite each other, with a street in be-
tween, such shop houses are an effecient way if organising space.
70

6.2 Spatial Organization and Function
6.2.1 Spatial Organization
The rainbow shop houses has a strong axial plan, as the spaces of the
ground loor and the irst loor shows linear sequence. Linear organiza-
tion consists essentially of a series of spaces. These spaces are linked
as they are related to one another. The ground hall is symbolically impor-
tant to the shop houses as it is emphasized by the location, in the middle
of the linear sequence. Due to the rectangular layout of the shop house,
the public have a tendency to walk into the shop house due to its strong
directional form.
6.2.2 Spatial Hierarchy
There are three division areas in the shop house which are arranged
according to the hierarchy as shown in Fig. ; the public space: the ive-
foot way, where people can freely walk through the covered walkway;
the semi-private main hall which has boundaries but can be entered by
public and lastly the private rear court.
71
Strong Di-
rectinal Axis
[80]
Semi PrivatePublic Private
S p a t i a l
Planning on
Floor Plan
[81]

6.3 Spatial Relationship
GROUND FLOOR
The rainbow shop houses have spaces that linked by a common space.
For instance, the ground loor that consists of three spaces, the front
hall acts as the common space that link the ive foot way and the rear
court. The front hall and rear court share a common border which is the
wall with a door and a window that allows natural light to penetrate into
the hall. The wall clearly segregates the two spaces so that the occu-
pants are able to deine and respond to each space in its way. Spatial
continuity of the ground loor is not interrupted as the window of the
common border allow public to see through till the end of the rear court.
However some tenants use furniture or curtains to cover up the win-
dows so that the rear courts which consist of service area and storage
are out of the public’s sight. This is to concentrate the focus of the cus-
tomers as well as to ensure the privacy of the rear court is maintained.
72
FIRST FLOOR
As for the upper loor that consists of 3 spaces – the balcony, the hall
and a room facing the back lane. They are spaces that linked by a
common space which is the hall. These spaces used to share the same
nature and common bond when the upper loor was used for living.
However for the rainbow shop houses, the hall is the dominant space
based on the ceiling height and size of the space, with the two spaces
supporting the hall. Due to the size of the hall, functions can be unde-
ined. The balcony and room are relatively small due to lesser usage.
The connection of large and small space make the large element seem
larger and the small element seem smaller (Kai, I.L. ,1982). These 3
spaces are link to each other forming a linear sequence of spaces.

6.4 Boundary
Boundary is the most explicit formal quality of space. Roof, ceiling and
the wall are the physical boundaries of space as the formal quality of the
space depends on the coniguration of these elements. The spaces of
the shop houses are deined by various coniguration of wall, roof and
ceiling. The ive foot way is a narrow walkway in front of the entrance of
the shop houses. It is an interior space because it has a roof, but show-
ing the qualities of an exterior space as it is not enclosed by solid walls.
The boundary of the ive foot way space is deined by the four columns,
which is visually transparent and therefore have open quality.
Another interior space with exterior quality is the balcony. The reason is
because the balcony of the shop houses is partially covered by the roof.
However this space is not surrounded by full height solid wall but parapet
wall, thus showing the open quality of an exterior space.
73
The
Balcony
[83]
Five-foot
Way
[82]

6.5 Elements of the Wall
A wall may consist of windows and doors. The connection of interior to
exterior is a very important aspect in Western architecture and often a
successful building is deined by how accessible the building to its exteri-
or view. However in Chinese architecture, the connection between inte-
rior and exterior is totally discouraged but inside the building, the spaces
are highly accessible. Windows and doors are the functional elements on
a wall as both of these elements provide light and ventilation as well as
accessibility from interior to exterior (Kai, I.L. ,1982).
Based on our observation, we realised that the walls facing the back lane
have limited or small windows that show the inluence of Chinese archi-
tecture. These openings are not large enough to be called as windows,
but they are used as air vents for the shop houses. Air vents are small
openings on the wall to encourage ventilation.
74
Air vents at
rear eleva-
tion.
[84]

The rainbow shop houses are recently renovated by the new owner, Mr
Lim. The original form of the shop houses may have no windows on the
wall facing the back lane, only small openings can be found. This shows
that the rear of the shop houses have no relation to the exterior. Air vents
or windows of the rainbow shop houses are installed to suit modern func-
tion. Each shop house has a door on the wall to allow access to the back
lane.
Unlike the exterior boundary, the interior boundary of the shop houses
which is the wall that segregates the ground loor hall and rear court has
a large window and door that provides access and view to the rear court.
The window allow the occupants to monitor the activity at the rear court
from the hall.
75

6.6 Spatial Experiences
6.6a Ground Floor
1. Ground Floor Hall
As entered from the ground loor entrance, a moderately spacious space
can be seen as no permanent partition were added in to the rather nar-
row yet long space, apart from the Yellow shop house which were split
into two halves interiorly.
Spatial Features:
-Brightly lit, receiving ample sunlight from the wide entrance
-Moderately spacious
-Well ventilated
All seven shop houses have different businesses thus resulting in slight
different spatial experience, which will be reviewed latter.
76

77
[85] Contrast of Dark Interior With Brightly Lit Five-foot Way

2. Ground Floor Rear Court
The ground loor rear court is brightly lit by window openings which are
situated high above the ground. This space is a private space for the
tenants.
Spatial Features:
- Brightly lit, receiving ample sunlight from the wide entrance
- Well ventilated
78

79
[86] Light That Pours into the Space Enhances The Depth of Space

6.6b First Floor
1. First Floor Hall
This space is spacious as it has high ceiling roof which creates a sense
of welcoming to the users. Repetitive arched windows are placed on the
side of the wall to allow natural sunlight inside the space.
Spatial Features:
-Brightly lit, receiving ample sunlight from the wide entrance
-Well ventilated
80

81
[87] Repetitive Openings Across the Facade Reduce the Artiicial Lightings

2. First Floor Balcony
The balcony is the unique feature of these shop houses. It has an ade-
quate space for doing house chores or having family gatherings. Back
in decades, this space is very useful to dry wet clothes. This is because
maximum sunlight can be obtained in this space.
Spatial Features:
-Brightly lit, receiving ample sunlight
-Well ventilated
82

83
[88] Unobstructive Perspective

6.7 Visual Experiences
84
[89] Cross Sectional Diagram
The balcony allows the occupant to have a wide view of Jalan Sultan Iskandar and surrounding context. If view from the ive
foot way, visual transition of spatial qualities is achieved by the great depth of the hall. The pedestrian walkway allows the public
to have a good view of the façade. On the upper loor, there are no skylights for the occupants to view the sky. The connection
of the interior and exterior is achieved by the windows on the upper loor.

CHAPTER 7 ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND ELEMENT
ARCHITECTURAL INFLUENCES
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
ELEMENTS

CHAPTER 7 ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND ELEMENTS
7.1 Introduction to Architectural Style and Elements
Architectural elements are the unique details and the components that
together,formsthearchitecturestyleandstructureofthebuilding.Changes
in architectural elements relects the evolution of social cultural trends, as
well as economic and technology devolopment. The architecture of the
early 20th century of Ipoh is assimilated by the process of a fusion of
traditional Malay archipelago architecture and the introduction of culture
and architecture from the Chinese Immigrant and the British Colonial
Government.
The rainbow shop houses too comprises of Malay, Chinese and colonial
inluences, speciically, late transitional style and straits eclectic style that
the latter sub-chapters will be focusing on.
86

7.2 Architectural Inluences
The main architectural inluences of the seven rainbow shop house is
Southern Chinese Architecture as well as Colonial architecture.
7.2.1 Southern Chinese Architecture
Chinese architecture revolves around Chinese tradition and culture
starting from the Shang dynasty. In the early 19th century , there were an
inlux of Chinese immigrants from the southern province of China. These
immigrants brought in Chinese architecture, combining the principles and
tradition with local Malay architecture and Colonial inluences to form
Southern Chinese Architecture. Many Chinese architecture elements and
details were expressed throughout the exterior and interior facades.
Southern
Chinese
Styled Shop
House
[90]
87

7.2.2 Colonial Architecture
Ipoh has once been colonized by the British, and its’architectural style has
been inluencing the local architecture scene since the 17th till mid 20th
century. Colonial architecture is a representation of European aesthetics
that the locals have been fascinated with, and progressively implemented
it onto the building facade as decorations.
Some of the main elements that features the Colonial architecture style is
Greek column, portico and louvred windows.
Colonial
Styled Town
Hall.
[91]
88

7.3 Architectural Style
The architectural style of the rainbow shop houses can be classiied as
transitional and straits eclectic style.
7.3.1 Transitional Style
Thetransitionalstyleischaracterizedbybuildingswithrelativelyrestrained
use of ornaments on its façade. Doors and windows remain predominantly
timber framed and shuttered although the use of glass in small plates
on the shutters later became common. Transoms are lat arched or
semicircular inilled with glass. Vents are employed with an elegance
of economy, architectural composition as squares or diamond between
windows. Ground loor masonry walls have symmetrical double doors, a
pair of window and bat shape vents above. The style incorporates many of
the features of the ‘grand’ classical style, reinterpreted and adopted to suit
the shophouses vernacular may include pediments, pilasters, keystones
and arches. From 1910’s the use of reinforced concrete allowed wide roof
overhangs and more elaborate cantilevered concrete decoration
Transitional
Style
[92]
89

(consoles). This style exhibits almost exclusively a bipartite elevation or-
der, i.e elevation with two windows. Structurally, buildings of this style
incorporate extensive use of masonry with the introduction of reinforced
concrete lintels and beams, timber upper loor and tiled roofs.
90

7.3.2 Straits Electic Style
This is the most spectacular style particularly in the use of ornamenta-
tion. The tripartite arrangement of three windows on the façade reduces
the actual wall space to the minimum and provides maximum ventilation.
In later examples, the wall surface is replaced by columns or pilasters
framing the windows. The constrained indigenous façade designs bor-
rowed freely from the various ethnic traditions. Chinese panel frescoes
are often combined with Malay timber fretworks that fringe the cape of
the roof. Brightly coloured ceramic tiles and plaster delicately moulded
into bouquets, festoons, plagues and other elaborate ornamentation bear
testimony to the artistry of the shophouse builders. The development of
reinforced concrete in the 1910’s enabled large spans to be achieved
and more elaborate cantilevered details to be incorporated into facades.
Structurally, buildings of this style incorporate extensive use of masonry
with irst loor timber fenestration and tiled roof.
Straits Elec-
tic Style
[93]
91

7.4 Elements
7.4.1 Columns
The Tuscan order has a very plain design, with a plain shaft, capital and
base. These Tuscan columns can be found around the exterior of the
shophouses. Other than the normal round shaped column, some columns
are rectangular in shaped, with the Tuscan order elements of astragal,
ovolo and abacus at the bottom and top part of them. As mentioned, Tus-
can order is originated in Italian architecture predating the Greek order.
As seen from the irst loor of the shophouses, a Tuscan pilaster is in-
stalled on both sides of each shophouses. Tuscan orders are commonly
used in Early Shophouses style. Tuscan is a type of order originated in
Italian architecture predating the Greek order, while the pilasters are orig-
inated from Greek architecture and borrowed in the structure of these
shophouses.
The square
Tuscan
columns and
pilasters.
[94]
92

7.4.2 Exterior Columns With Relief Writing
This characteristic is common and widely used in the art deco era, where
the art deco style is introduced to replace strait eclectic style. The col-
umns are made up of bricks and lime plaster inishing. The words are
made with molds and pasted on with plaster and let them dry. The words
literally represents their shops’ name.
The column
with relief writ-
ing, ‘depart-
ment store’.
[95]
93

[96] Columns of the Purple
and Blue shop house
featuring rounded Roman
Tuscan column with Chi-
nese
relief writing.
[97] Columns of the Indigo and
Blue shop house featuring
rounded Roman Tuscan
column and rusticated
column.
[98] Columns of the Green
and Yellow shop house
Tuscan columns with
Chinese relief writing.
94

[99] Columns of the Orange
and Yellow shop house
Tuscan columns with
Chinese relief writing.
[100] Columns of the Orange
and Red shop house
featuring rounded Ro-
man Tuscan column with
Chinese relief writing and
tiled covered column.
[101] Columns of the Red shop
house featuring rusticated
columns and tiled column.
95

7.4.3 Balcony
A balcony is an external extension of an upper loor of a building, which
allows a greater movement of air inside the building, as the doors open-
ing onto it are usually louvered. This function response to the Malaysian
weather perfectly. It also serves to enlarge the living space and range
of activities possible. The use of balconies were irst manifest in the city
of Valleta as the result of the increasing inluence of the baroque move-
ment, in which the balcony was Europeans favourite device. In the past,
balconies are supported by corbels made out of successive courses of
stonework, or by large wooden or stone brackets. The balcony of the
shophouse is supported by the main columns situated around the shop-
houses, which is considered a modern balcony in the balcony history. The
exterior and also the interior wall of the balcony is made up of bricks and
lime plaster inishing. Also, the outline of the balcony is highlighted with
white protruding plasters and also decorated with openings on the front
wall of the balcony.
Figure shows column supporting the balcony, the
highlighted outline of the balcony and the small open-
ings on the front wall of balcony.
Balcony
of Orange
Shop
House
[102]
96

7.4.4 Column Finial
As the name implies, a column inial is an element which marks the top or end of some objects, where the inial head and base neck are the
two main parts of the column inial. In this case, it’s the small ornament which located on top of the column, which is usually for decorative
purpose. The delicate and artisanal handicraft shows how much details and curves was projected on this ornament. The column inial can
be found on the columns of the balcony, which added some interesting element to the front elevation.
Parapet of the
Ipoh Rainbow
Shop Houses
[103]
97

7.4.5 Pilaster, Windows and Arches
A full-length French window is paired with a full-length timber shutters and
a louvered arch above the it to accommodate the hot and humid weather
in Malaysia. The Straits Eclectic style developed a style of breaking the
façade into 2 or 3 moulded openings. The tripartite arrangement of three
windows on the façade reduces the actual wall space to the minimum and
provides maximum ventilation. It is seen that the Western architecture style
is working with the Malaysian architecture and its climate. These windows
are used on the front and rear façade of the irst loor of the shophouses.
The window trim is made up of plaster and bricks, which consists of the
arched part (header casing) and the column part (jamb casing). The head-
er casing is made up of few layers of arches with a keystone at the center.
There’s no particular function for the keystone but for decoration only. The
jamb casing is in the style of a Tuscan column, which include the elements
of astragal, ovolo and abacus, in where it is in contact with the arch ends
and the ground.
French
Windows on
Rainbow Shop
Houses
[104]
98

7.4.6 Timber Louvered Shuttered Windows
This type of window is used widely in the “Southern Chinese” Eclectic
Style. Normally, it is place at the upper loor facade of the shophous-
es. It allows a minimum light to pass through and is used mostly for the
air ventilation of the shophouses. Direct sunlight should not be used for
day-lighting as it is accompanied with thermal radiation, which will make
the internal temperature increased. The windows adapted the materials
that are easily ind in Malaysia, which is timber.
[105] The timber louvered shuttered windows can be ind at the
back façade of the shophouses.
99

7.4.7 Decorated Fascia Roof Trim
A detailed Islamic inluenced ‘tumpu kasau’ can be found on the roof
eaves. ‘Tumpu Kasau’ also means fascia board in malay, where it is the
exterior part of the house that serves as the irst line of protection and
defence from the harsh weather. It gives the rooing system a smooth
appearance as well as offer protection such as prevent rain water from
splashing to the One of the Islamic element found on the building.
Tumpu Kadau
decorated
fascia
[106]
100

7.4.8 Chinese Styled Air Vents
Chinese-style air vents are found on some shophouses, where it is made
of lime plaster. It is also one of the Chinese element present on the shop-
houses. It serves as a decorative element which gives the elevation of the
shophouses an interesting element. Also, it provides air ventilation and
allows light to penetrates in.
Chinese
Styled Air
Vents
[107]
7.4.9 Jack Roof
Among the shop houses, it can be seen that the parapet gable rooing is
for intermediate shophouses and hip-styled rooing is for the corner shop-
house. But within the shophouses, some roofs have the additional jack
roof on top of them. A jack roof is a gable roof with a raised secondary
rood that allows for the movement of air and also allows lights to come
in. The addition of this roof reduces the internal heat built-up especially
during day time. This is a building element that response to the local cli-
mate condition of Malaysia.
Jack Roofs
in Rainbow
Shop
House
[108]
101

CHAPTER 8 MATERIALS AND BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALITY AND CONSTRUCTION METHOD
TYPES OF MATERIAL USED
CONSTRUCTION METHOD

CHAPTER 8 MATERIALS AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
8.1 Materiality and Construction Method
The type of construction materials and techniques used in the heritage
shop houses of Ipoh share similar construction materials and elements
as those in the heritage areas of Malacca and Georgetown.
The inluence of Straits Chinese community as well as the British Colonial
was prominently shown in the materiality and construction method. Both
entities brought in construction elements that they were familiar with
respectively from China, Europe and also India which the British once
colonised.
As shop houses were built with the intention of being practical economical,
most of the materials used were selected to be durable, long lasting and
cooling in response to Malaysia’s tropical climate.
103

8.2 Types of Material Used
8.2.1 Timber
Timber is one of the traditional materials extensively used in the seven
rainbow shop houses. Architectural elements in the shop house which
features timber includes :
1. Roof Beam, Batten, Corbel
2. Floor Planks, Joists,
3. Stairs ( Including Handrail, Baluster, Thread Stringer).
4. Door and Windows ( Including Arched fanlights, Louvres)
Timber is a highly durable traditional material which can last for a long
period of time. It can be easily obtained locally, making it an economical
material. In addition, it is also easy to work with as it can be carved into
desired shapes and ornaments.
Timber, as a good heat insulator was used in response to the tropical
climate. It is further enhanced into louvre shutters to delect direct sunlight.
Timber
Roof
[109]
Floor Joist
[110]
104

The type of timber used in the seven rainbow shop houses is Chengal
wood. Chengal wood is applied in the roof, staircase and looring of the
seven rainbow shop house.
Chengal wood is a heavy hardwood with a density of 915-980 kg/m3
that
is naturally hard and heavy. Such characteristics make them suitable for
all forms of heavy construction. It is very resistant to termite attack and
fungal infestation, making it durable and long-lasting.
Timber
Staircase.
[111]
Timber
Frame
Arched
Window
[112]
105

8.2.2 Clay Brick
The main wall structure of the seven rainbow shop house is constructed
out of load-bearing clay brick.
Clay brick is one of the oldest building materials used by man, yet it is
still widely used until today due to its material durability, high strength,
sustainable and highly long-lasting.
Clay brick is also an eficient tool in response to the tropical climate as it
is porous, allowing air or moisture to pass through it and it is also a good
heat insulator,thus a good material for the wall to regulate the temperature
within the shop house.
In addition, its’ high strength allows it to sustain and bear and support
heavy loads.
Clay Brick
[113]
106

8.2.3 Terracotta Clay Tiles
‘V’proiled, unglazed, natural coloured terracotta clay tiles are used as the
roof tiles for both the main roof and jack roof on the seven rainbow shop
houses. The particular manufacture for the clay tiles was J.H. Morgan
and Sons from Mangalore. These clays were brought in by the British in
colonial times from India.
Terracotta clay tiles is a clay-based ceramic with lasting strength and
durability. With proper installation, it can last 50 to 100 years or more.
They do not rot in wet climates and are not susceptible to destruction by
pests.
In the ierce heat, terracotta tiles are slow to absorb heat, and allow the
roof to breathe, which helps keep the buildings cooler for longer
Terracotta
Clay Tiles
[114]
107

8.2.4 Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles can be seen in interior walls, columns and loorings of some
of the seven rainbow shop houses.
Ceramic tiles have great adaptability as it can be applied onto nearly any
surfaces including the wall, portico, loors or even as interior inishing. It
is easy to maintain as it is impervious to water damage and can be easily
cleaned. It also highly durable, making it long-lasting.
Ceramic
Tiles
[115]
108

8.2.5 Lime Plaster
The seven rainbow shophouses’ masonry walls were rendered in a
plaster made from river sand and lime, mixed in equal proportions. They
were then given a coat of lime wash, giving it a creamy white colour.
Lime is a adaptable yet durable material, making it an ideal material
for wall and ornamental inishes. Lime hardens much more slowly than
cement, which makes it more workable for old bricks. Once lime plaster is
properly set and cured, it can last for centuries.
Lime plaster surface in semi-permeable allowing moisture to rise from the
base of the walls and evaporate for cooling effect.
As seen on the Chinese relief writing column on the rainbow shop houses,
lime plaster were also used to mold the Chinese stucco decorations as
well as the Chinese characters which were used to advertised the shops.
Lime
Plaster on
Wall
[116]
Lime
Plaster on
Chinese
Character
Columns
[117]
109

MEASURED DRAWING - RAINBOW SHOP HOUSES, IPOH

MEASURED DRAWING - RAINBOW SHOP HOUSES, IPOH

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