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The longhouse is a well-known traditional dwelling of many natives in Sarawak. A longhouse is a terraced street of separate dwellings covered by one roof. Each family who stay in the longhouse has their separate room. These houses are still in use today and are able to provide the basic shelter needs of the occupants. The use of local materials and the setting that create harmonization with the local environment and climate contribute to the provision of comfort to the occupants. However, the traditional longhouse today is a threatened typology as some of them either have disappeared, are no longer constructed, are tourism attractions or are being maintained as cultural artifacts only. There is a concern that someday the distinct identity of the longhouse might be lost. Therefore, knowledge of construction techniques, assessment of the materials used and typological characteristics of the traditional architecture need to be gathered to preserve the built heritage. A comprehensive document is essential for the preservation and conservation of the traditional longhouse. This paper presents the methodology used and data collected on the typology of the traditional longhouse and its construction method.

The bioclimatic building design is essential for a building to adapt to local climates and to provide comfort for the inhabitants while encouraging energy saver features. Comfort inside the house can be achieved with less dependence on artificial lighting and mechanical ventilation, and the application of eco-friendly materials. Wood and bamboo are examples of eco-friendly materials which are excellent in absorbing heat and allowing natural ventilation thus giving comfort to the occupants. These materials are widely used in the construction of Dayak traditional longhouses in Sarawak, Malaysia. Therefore, a study has been conducted to assess the presence of bioclimatic building design approach in the Dayak traditional longhouse. In the study, observation and photo analysis were carried out at selected traditional longhouses in Sarawak. This study found that traditional longhouses practice bioclimatic building design. The traditional longhouse with its passive design for lighting and ventilation and materials contribute to its natural adaptation to the hot and humid weather conditions in the tropical climate. The findings are expected to generate ideas for bioclimatic building design for other modern houses in a tropical climate. In conclusion, the Dayak traditional longhouse in Sarawak, Malaysia is a good example of bioclimatic building design of the past.

Fifteen years since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which caused massive destruction around the Andaman Sea, people have participated in efforts to reduce tsunami risks in Indonesia. However, the most important question continues to be on whether such efforts are sufficient in dealing with tsunami risks. Among the most striking challenges here is bridging the gap in tsunami risk reduction between the Sumatra mainland and among communities in several small islands. Thus, this research aims to investigate the recent conditions of selected towns/cities in tsunami-prone small islands and identify the impediments to their tsunami hazard preparedness. It focuses on comparing efforts in terms of available facilities for tsunami evacuation plans and the tsunami estimated time of arrival (ETA), which is computed based on deterministic tsunami propagation models. In this regard, five of the observed locations are classified as being in a critical tsunami preparedness condition, namely Balai island, Lahewa of Nias Island, Sabeugunggung of North pagai Island, Surat Aban of South Pagai island, and Enggano Island. Most of them have limited space for tsunami evacuation and a short tsunami ETA, which constitutes an extreme condition requiring immediate tsunami mitigation measures. One possible approach is to construct a vertical tsunami evacuation building or modify existing buildings that can be used for tsunami evacuation on the islands. This article also highlights societal aspects related to tsunami preparedness.