“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
There is a long-standing tradition in the Architecture School of UNIMAS where, during the first semester of First Year, students are required to build a 1:1 scale structure that can fit a single person. This tradition is a legacy of our founding Dean, Professor Nurakmal Abdullah Goh, with the first cohort constructing a bamboo sculpture along the entrance road to UNIMAS’s main gate and near the lake by the Student Pavilion in December 2017.
Fast-forward seven years, the final project for the first-year architecture students (Cohort 8) continues the tradition established by the first cohort, this time expanding beyond UNIMAS, to engage with the Bidayuh Salako community of Kampung Pueh, Sematan.
Over five weeks, students immersed themselves in the community’s rich heritage—interviewing the Tuai Rumah, Encik Menjis, and the Ketua Kaum, Encik Eran, about the community’s history and socio-culture—and translated these into timber installations that reflect the community’s identity and values.
Within 3 weeks, students prefabricated their designs at the Faculty of Built Environment (FBE) Wood Workshop under the guidance of Encik Zaini and Encik Razif from PUSAKA Sarawak, transported them to Sematan and assembled on-site, with all six installations completed within two days.
These include Sunlit Cradle, a dual-purpose structure for sunbathing and stargazing, and Paddy Breeze, a shaded retreat inspired by swaying paddy fields. Others, like Timber Tales and Bungin Nutan, foster parent-child interaction and community engagement, while The Hermit Roots provides fishermen with a tranquil space for reflection. The only installation located inside the longhouse is Rinduk Rapueh, a seating bench with a unique display shelf that also serves as a playful structure for children.
This project not only serves as a meaningful learning experience for the students but also gives back to the Kampung Pueh community. By celebrating their heritage and creating functional spaces that enhance daily life, the project demonstrates the power of architecture to inspire, connect, and strengthen community bonds.
Encik Menjis expressed his gratitude, noting how these spaces bring joy, especially for the longhouse children who now have outdoor play areas. “We hope these structures will stand strong, continuing to benefit the Pueh community,” he shared.
The children were undoubtedly the most excited participants. As soon as the students completed all the timber installations, the children eagerly followed us through the assessment, enthusiastically serving as both the load test and safety/security test. When asked, “Which one is your favorite?” one child joyfully responded, “Semua! Bila penat main sitok, boleh rehat sia!”—expressing how much they loved playing at the treehouse before taking a well-earned rest at Bungin Nutan, conveniently located nearby.
This project showcases architecture’s ability to transcend mere design, connecting people and honoring heritage. For these budding architects, it’s more than a lesson in building—it’s a lesson in humanity.
Students’ feedback when asked “What aspect of the project is most useful or valuable to you?”:
“The most valuable aspects were the hands on experience of engaging with the villagers and construction phase. Meeting with villagers provide real world insights into user needs. While building the structure and seeing it appreciated by the villagers was a rewarding experience.”
“The assignments goes from mind to the external world, I think through the process it helps us to build a firm connection with our surrounding, and helps to find our style. Additionally, we discover vast topics throughout the design process which will be helpful in our future assignments.”
“(The project) encourages creative thinking and experimentation as I can observe different types of designs from everyone in the group and this help me to think in a different perspective.”
“The brief helped me discover information about the given site, Sematan, that I never knew before. I also gained new knowledge about building a human-sized model for our timber installation and learned more about wood materials and construction.”
“Problem solving and decision making. I found this process particularly useful, as we often had to come up with creative solutions to challenges as a team especially during crit session. Other than that is project management, where where we have to manage the deadlines, delegating tasks and ensuring we stayed on the same track was a key aspect that helped me improve my leadership skill.”
After completing the entire studio project, another question was posed: “What new things have you learned from these three projects?”
“I now understand abstract and how to express in the form of art.”
“1. Time management is crucial to not disrupt work flow and focus. 2. Self discipline is a skill or habit that must be instilled deep within since young or mastering it later on in life will take a toll on oneself. 3. Communication is key in every situation. No one can read minds. Making assumptions is harmful to oneself and to others around them.”
“I learned how to give instruction and sometime be a leader, learned how to work in a team, make our bond between studio mates closer, listening to ideas from different people and try to accept them even though we don’t agree on it, practice husnuzon 😂 — sometimes they didn’t mean to do it.”
This annual timber installation is undeniably demanding and exhausting, but the impact it creates far outweighs the challenges. The Architecture Programme hopes to preserve and sustain this initiative as an integral part of the architecture design studio curriculum—an invitation to learn by doing while giving back to the community. After all, that is precisely why we call it what it is—a tradition.
Written by Yon Syafni Samat, Course Coordinator for BEA1016 Architecture Design Studio 1, Semester 1, Session 2024/2025.
If you’re interested to learn more about the Architecture Programme at the Faculty of Built Environment, UNIMAS, head over to our website fbe.unimas.my or social media accounts under @fbe_unimas.
This article is related with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) – Quality Education.
This article is related with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 11) – Sustainable Cities and Communities.