Launch Of "RUDINARA:The Story Of The Handmade House"

The amazing story of Rudinara an Aga Khan award winning wooden house and how it came to be built by employing traditional joinery of lVlalay craftsmanship in housebuilding is documented in a book titled 'Rudinara: The Story Of The Handmade House'. Jointly published by MTC and Marshall Cavendish (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, the book was written by Datuk Dr. Rudin Salinger, the house owner himself.

Completed in 1993, Rudinara is situated on three acres of land in the State of Selangor in Peninsular Malaysia. The house was constructed entirely by hand, over six and a half years, by a local master craftsman (the late Ibrahim Adam) who was half-blind and had no right hand, with the help of a few septuagenarian helpers.

The beautiful Rudinara is a post-and-beam wooden dwelling raised on stilts to reduce the impact on the land and the environment. It is by far, one of the best representations of vernacular architecture in Malaysia. It was built in the traditional way of the Malays, yet is modern in a form that creatively interprets rather that imitates Malay culture and reflects its owners' (Datuk Dr. Rudin and Datin Munira) Islamic faith. It stands tall as a modern day, highly functional, energy-efficient structure. An environmentally friendly house, it was built virtually without making any cuts in the land and with only felling the trees on the actual area that the house sits on. In 1998, Rudinara was one of the seven structures selected (from a shortlist of 424 places worldwide) to receive the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, presented by the King of Spain at the Alhambra in Granada. The award is a highly coveted acclaim among architects and builders worldwide.

At the book launch held on 25 January 2007 at Rudinara, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Datuk Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim lauded the effort to document the processes that took place to construct the house. This, he said, would contribute towards the development of a nation that values its culture, and would serve as a useful reference material for students and others with deep interest in architecture and heritage.

$One for the album (from left lo righl): Senior Group Publisher & Head of Marshall Cavendish Publishing Group, Mr. Shane Armstrong, Oatin Munira, Datuk Rudin, Daluk \Vong and Tunku Tan Sri Osman.$ "This unique house is the only one of its kind in the world. None like it will ever be built again as the craftsmen with the skills to build such houses are getting scarce. In the realisation that such skills form part of the core of our collective Malay-Chinese-Indian culture, the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage has come up with various programmes to nurture those with an interest in woodcarving and traditional craftsmanship. One of our initiatives is the establishment of the National Institute of Craft, aimed to develop the artistic interest and craftsmanship among the younger generation to ensure continuity in traditional skills," said the Minister. His speech was read by his Deputy, Datuk Wong Kam Hoong.

"It is also hoped that in future, many more people will seriously consider traditional craftsmanship as a vocation, through the recognition that arts and craft can provide good basis for a comfortable living, judging from the high acclaim accorded to product designers like Philip Starck and even our very own highly accomplished woodcarver Norhaiza Noordin," he said.

Speaking at the launch, MTC Chairman, Tunku Tan Sri Osman Ahmad said wood is becoming more popular again and many local architects and interior designers have begun to use a lot more of it in their projects. "In Malaysia, it is beginning to be highly appreciated by the urban dwellers in general, and the affluent in particular. Apart from providing versatility in terms of design and function, wood is also prized for its beauty, and is pleasantly cool to the touch in our hot and humid tropical climate. Wood has always been, and will continue to be the best building material that has ever existed," he said.

The book will be distributed worldwide and will be exhibited at the globally-acclaimed Frankfurt and American Book Fairs. The book is also available at all major bookstores in Malaysia beginning January 2007.