Rumah Kechik: Reviving Unesco Heritage shophouses in Melaka, Malaysia

In Singapore, the design team may have previously done residential projects that involved additions and alterations (A&A) to original houses, in which the existing houses are not demolished, but rather adapted to meet the new needs of the new clients; in-depth researches that included real time experience of the site were called for prior to commencing design work on Rumah Kechik. 

“This research methodology of approaching design is something that we have always done, but for Rumah Kechik, it’s the biggest lesson and insight we gained,” says Keng. 

“It reinforced our design process, and inspired a lot of the materiality that was eventually chosen and applied in the project. Not to mention, it also opens doors and connections to local makers, suppliers and fabricators whom we collaborated with in the project.”

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With the front façade restored to its former glory, a contemporary metal framework was introduced into the design to increase the integrity of the existing 200-year-old structures.

“Of course, these metal columns and beams might look out of place in these heritage structures, but they gave physical clues to where the new intervention begins and where the existing elements of the shophouses were—that duality in the aesthetics, showing the old versus the new,” adds Keng.

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Through careful subtraction of a part of the existing slab in the second storey, the bolstered framework allowed for a theatrical entrance with a double-height internal courtyard, opening into a linear spatial arrangement that pays homage to the structures’ heritage.

“In the traditional Malaysian setting, secondary houses–often housing kitchens, servant quarters and such—attached to main residences were known as ‘Rumah Kechik’ (translates to ‘small house’ from the Malay language), signifying their smaller scale and subordinate relationship to the main house,” elaborates Keng.

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Hence, with Baba House seen as the “main residence,” the additional amenities in Rumah Kechik feature a narrative that pays homage to a home of old, spanning more than 5,165 sq ft across the three shophouses. 

Each dining area was conceived as part of a home, comprising the living room, formal dining room, casual dining room, verandah and kitchen.

In one of the dining halls, a backlit wall feature showcases repurposed clay roof tiles salvaged during the renovation of the main roof over the five-foot way.

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The layout culminates in an open courtyard at the rear, strategically designed per the client’s request to accommodate potential future expansions of Baba House.

A modern reinterpretation of traditional louvred timber screens, often seen in traditional Southeast Asian shophouse typologies, were fitted into the windows, filtering light and ventilation into the sheltered walkway on the second floor.

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Meanwhile, alongside existing timber beams and roof rafters that were carefully retained and restored to their original state to celebrate the building’s heritage, the original 200-year-old brick walls were intentionally exposed through the painstaking chipping away of the existing plaster.

This strategy enhances the brick walls’ breathability, a technique initially developed to combat maintenance issues arising from the site’s high water table. This innovative approach effectively addresses the challenges that come with traditional plaster and paint finishes, which are often deteriorated due to excessive moisture absorption.

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Furthermore, internal fenestrations and portals were carved into the existing walls to promote visual connectivity, while also allowing for natural light to permeate through the spaces.

Finally, curated furniture pieces decorate the interior to resemble the erstwhile domestic spaces, whereas locally sourced and crafted materials like Peranakan tiles and terracotta breeze blocks accentuate the cultural resonance.

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