INGENIEUR
DISMANTLING PROCESS
No documentation was carried out to record all the processes . Only a sketch plan was used at the site to guide the workers during the dismantling process . The sketch was drawn on the back of a A3 calender paper .
A temporary roof was not used to protect the house which is a requirement of HDM .
A conservator was not appointed to provide advice during the conservation works in contradiction of normal practice required by HDM
Workers were not issued with proper attire or health and safety precautions .
Although a measured drawing report was produced by the university , it was never used for guidance . A black marker was used to tag all the structural elements .
All the roof structures , roof beams ( 9 metres ), walls , window panels , decorative timber panels , fascia board , door , timber floors , floor beams , columns and beams were taken down ( Rumah Ibu and Serambi ) from top to bottom .
All the decorative features of dragon head ( roof ridge ) were demolished because the roof tiles had to be removed . Many different sizes of nails were found .
Original timber was used as a tool to loosen the wall . The existing fabric was nailed by the workers with temporary new timbers to bundle them up .
The original fabrics sustained damage as a result of improper dismantling .
Rope was used to keep the structure from falling directly to the ground to avoid more members being cracked or damaged .
The Tiang Seri was the second last structure taken down . It is supposed to be the last structure .
All materials were stored temporarily under fruit trees within the house compound . They were not covered with plastic and were exposed to the rain .
All the timber floors was nailed and were manually separated using a crowbar .
The toughest job was lifting up the main column of Rumah Ibu . It was quite a heavy structure and only a few workders were involved . The structure warped and almost broke away as the workers could not hold it up correctly . The workers should not have dismantled the first part of the column .
32 VOL 85 JANUARY - MARCH 2021
REASSEMBLING PROCESS
No documentation was carriied out according to HDM requirements .
A temporary roof was not used to protect the house which is requirement of HDM
A conservator was not appointed to provide advice during the conservation works in contradiction of normal practice required by HDM
Workers were not issued with proper attire or health and safety precautions .
The contractor did not refer to the measured drawings .
A ritual ceremony was not done before reassembly which is normal in these circumstances .
The suspended column ( buah butun ) of Rumah Ibu was reassembled , still in its original colour , prior to being repainted with shellac .
The original column structure was reconfigured to increase the height of the underneath space to about ten feet which is out of proportion .
In-situ alterations of the new timber joints ( column )
A concrete platform as a base for the front staircase was built later . Where to put the staircase was probably a last-minute decision .
A process of trial and error was followed to install the new staircase by putting in too many columns for support
The existing materials were not covered throughout the project and were thus exposed to the rain .
The perimeter wall of the house was painted ( shellac ) in timber colour .
The strength of the column extension is questionable in terms of distribution of the jointing patterns .
Erection of the main structure ( column ), started with the front side of the Anjung area . This is not a traditional way of erecting the house . The Tiang Seri is the main column and should be erected first , with others following .
Figure 7 : Issues and challenges in the dismantling and reassembling processes of Rumah Maimunah Yaakub