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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.

Construction waste is generated throughout the construction process such as during site clearance, material use, material damage, material non-use, excess procurement and human error. The exact quantity and composition of construction waste generated throughout the projects are difficult to be identified as they are keep on changing due to the dynamic nature of the construction activities. Different stages of construction generates different types and composition of waste. Therefore the trend of waste generated throughout the construction stages need to be identified. This paper will critically review literature on construction waste in order to understand the nature of waste generation from construction activities. Based on the literature studied, this paper propose a method to quantify waste for conventional construction. The proposed method comprises four steps. First is identification of construction stages and expected waste generated. Second is selection of construction sites with similar characteristics for uniform investigation. Third is sorting and weighing of mixed waste collected in a dumpster. The last step is summation of the recorded quantity. It is expected that the proposed method should be practical and suits current situation of Malaysian construction projects and support the agenda of National Strategic Plan for Solid Waste Management.