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Learning from tradition

By SHARMILLA GANESAN
star2green@thestar.com.my

FROM HERE!!!

Practicality, coupled with green sensibilities, defines this architect’s work.

AN architecture lecturer and inventor believes that a green lifestyle is something that has existed in Malaysia for hundreds of years, and just needs to be reintroduced again.

Architecture lecturer Dr Azimin Tazilan draws inspiration from traditional Malay lifestyle in his inventions.

Dr Azimin Tazilan, a senior lecturer and research fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, was inspired by the traditional Malay lifestyle that surrounded him during his childhood in Perak to come up with several eco-friendly inventions that he hopes will someday be a regular part of our street architecture.

“Going green is not a trend. It started a long time ago. Traditional Malay houses, for example, didn’t need air-conditioning, because they were designed with excellent cross-ventilation and overhang roofs. Sometimes, in our rush to use ideas and innovations from somewhere else, we forget that we have many of the solutions right here in our own country,” says Azimin, 37, who exhibited several of his green inventions at the recently-held International Green Technology and Purchasing Conference 2010.

Among the creations he showed off there was the ecsCUBE, an eco-friendly street vendor booth. This portable booth, which comes with a self-contained solar unit, does not require electricity to run. The vendor operates from within the kiosk, which houses storage units and rubbish storing facilities. The booth can also slide out to create more space.

Azimin says the Government is currently curbing the activities of street vendors, due to their tendency to throw rubbish in the vicinity and become eyesores. He points out, however, that these street vendors are a very important part of Malaysian culture.

“Historically, we’ve had people selling food and other items by the roadside for over a hundred years. Growing up, it was such a big part of our childhood. So why does (the Government) want to remove something that is part of our culture? Look at countries like Indonesia and Thailand, the (roadside stalls) are part of their cities’ identities,” he says.

Multi-functional: The ecsPOSE is a multi-purpose streetlamp powered by solar cells. Its foldaway benches provide seating areas and it can be fitted with a handphone charging outlet and a loudspeaker for making announcements.

While he understands that the stalls can present not just aesthetic, but hygiene problems, he emphasises that moving the vendors into food courts is not the answer.

“We should give the vendors a solution that works for them, and at the same time is sustainable. Operating in a food court is completely different from being a mobile street vendor, because they build up a specific customer base. With the ecsCUBE, the vendors can continue to operate in the same way, but in a more eco-friendly manner,” he explains, adding that he has a few different versions of the street vendor booth in the works to suit different kinds of street businesses.

His inventions are a part of “micro-architecture”, a term he coined while working on his PhD. He uses the term to refer to elements of the urban landscape that are structures, but not permanent. Sustainability, he says, is key in developing microarchitectural elements.

“My obligation is to being green. In today’s world, eco-friendly elements have to be included into both architecture and micro-architecture,” he says.

Eco-friendly hawker stalls – the ecsCUBE (left) is solar-powered and has rubbish-storing facilities while the ecsPORT (right) is a mobile cabinet.

Another example of Azimin’s “green” inventions is an eco-friendly public toilet, the ecsTRACT. To make the facility as sustainable as possible, he turned to elements of traditional Malay architecture. The building, which runs on photovoltaic energy, is designed without a main door to create cross-ventilation, let in more light and disperse odours. The overhang butterfly roof further promotes ventilation while also working to harvest rainwater. A mini landscaped area planted with pandan and lemongrass helps eliminate unpleasant smells. Azimin also takes care to disturb the area’s natural landscape, such as plants, trees and rocks, as little as possible, and instead tries to include them in the overall design.

An interesting feature of the eco-toilet is that each toilet stall has a wall panel made of sandblasted glass, which is opaque but allows outlines to be seen through (similar to shower doors). The idea is to prevent vandalism, molestation and even uncivic behaviours like standing on the toilet seat, by giving the impression that someone may be able to discover what is going on. Being self-powered makes the toilet perfect for remote areas as well, making it a good option for the tourism industry. There is currently a version of the ecsTRACT in use at the Langkawi Geopark.

“Public toilets are usually built away from public spaces because of the smell, which causes vandalism and crime to occur there. I designed my eco-toilet to resemble a mini-resort, which can be built anywhere. There are even spaces for people to wait while their partner or companion uses the facilities,” Azimin explains.

This consideration for practical usage, coupled with green sensibilities, is a defining characteristic of Azimin’s work. Another of his creations, the ecsPOSE, embodies all these elements. Conceived as a eco-friendly multipurpose street post, the ecsPOSE is like a cross between a streetlamp and a roadside bench: solar panels collect energy during the day to light up the lamps at night, while foldaway benches provide seating areas. The panels also double up as shade for pedestrians. The post can be fitted with a whole host of necessities, such a handphone charging outlet and a loudspeaker for making announcements.

The ecsTRACT is a public toilet like no other. It is solar-powered and designed for good ventilation to prevent unpleasant smells

“Micro-architecture should be designed with practicality in mind. Why waste so much resources and energy making just a lamp post, when it can be multi-functional and even power itself? That is what being sustainable is about,” he says.

Ironically, coming up with these ideas was not the real challenge for Azimin. He discovered that commercialisation was the real hurdle. Ideally, he would like the Government’s support in making his inventions a part of Malaysians’ daily life. Getting the backing he needs, however, is easier said than done.

“Government agencies can be very close-minded. They hesitate when they see something different. Also, the bureaucracy involved makes the commercialisation process very slow,” he laments.

He isn’t giving up, however, especially since he has racked up various accolades for his innovations. The ecsTRACT bagged several gold medals at the British Invention Show 2007 in London, while the ecsPOSE received a gold medal at the International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, and a bronze at the Malaysia Technology Exhibition 2009. The ecsCUBE, on the other hand, landed the gold at the Malaysia Technology Exhibition 2009.

“The green movement is something that needs the whole country to get behind. I will keep trying, because I want to see my inventions on the street.”

> For more information on Dr Azimin Tazilan and his inventions, go to azimintazilan.com