Tukang is a Malay word to describe a traditional craftsman. Three tukangs, Adiguru Muhaimin Hasbollah, Elias Robani and Isma Sazali Rosti speak about the process of building the Malay timber House of Malaysia- a sophisticated form of rural domestic architecture consisting of rectangular volumes raised on stilts put together using an interlocking joinery technique known as tanggam.
Services
Client
Year
Website
Adiguru Muhaimin Hasbollah
Challenge
This process took about two months, and we were very fortunate to have found three who were willing to be interviewed at their workshops.
We quickly drafted our project proposal and storyline.
From the outset, we decided that the exploration and outputs of client’s research will be in the form of short films featuring interviews with building craftspersons whose work is rooted in craft.
The filming of the Tukang was delayed when many parts of Malaysia was hit by devastating floods that occurred in December 2021. One of the tukangs, Isma, was most affected, with his workshop swept away by rising water. His workshop was reinstated about 6 weeks later and we were generously invited back to continue filming.
Isma Sazali Rosti
Elias Robani
Goal
The Tukang film was well received, hitting almost a thousand views within 3 days of releasing on the project’s YouTube channel. It offered a new perspective on the traditional Malay timber house.
“Exploring the processes of building in the film has in many ways, shift the focus away from the finished creation – i.e., the house – to the act of making. ‘Making’ is seen beyond matters of technicality and practicality. It is seen as a value, an ethos, and an obligation that has been practiced in our diverse traditions as a driving factor to achieve excellence.”
— Ar. Dr. Eleena Jamil