TRADITIONALHOUSES

Introduction
The Tindal people, a sub-ethnic group of the KadazanDusun, live the district of Kota Belud, which is 77km from Kota Kinabalu—approximately about an hour drive. The Tindal race live alongside other natives of Kota Belud like the Bajau and Iranun; and also the Chinese.

Construction materials of a Dusun-Tindal house:
1. Roof is made of the thatched leaves.
2. Walls, doors and windows are made of bamboo strips.

Architecture of a Dusun-Tindal house:
1. The house is built on stilts.
2. It has slanted side walls that are made of bamboo strips to allow for good ventilation.
3. It has one large room and small room on the upper floor
4. It has a dining and cooking area with a traditional cooking fireplace.

Introduction
Dusun Tatana is one of the KadazanDusun sub-ethnic groups that is mainly residing in the central and northern part of the Kuala Penyu district, a region about 114 km south of Kota Kinabalu.

Construction materials of a Baloi Tatana house
Baloi in the Tatana dialect is house. All construction materials are gathered from the surrounding area.
1. Roof is made of thatched leaves (atap or taap).
2. Wall is made of mangrove palm (nipah).
3. Door is made of mangrove palm (nipah) but the replica house uses wood planks.
4. Floor is made of nibung.
5. Supporting beams are made of bakau round timber.
6. Rattan is used as binding material.

Architecture of the Baloi Tatana replica house
The design of the house is based on a house of a renowned former village head (ketua kampung), nicknamed O.T. Saga, of the Tambailik village in Kuala Penyu, built between 1940 and 1950.
The replica house is built on a balah bumbung style, common for big houses. Balah Bumbung is a Brunei term—it is style of roof with one ridge and two sloping panels in opposite direction.
The built up area is 30 (width) x 40 (length) feet, and the wall is 10 feet high. The replica house is on two floors with modern amenities like flush toilet, showers and kitchen on both floors. There is also a traditional kitchen on the upper floor, equipped with a cooking fireplace (rapuhan).

Introduction
The Kadazan Penampang people, part of the KadazanDusun group, live in Penampang, a district that is only about 10km from the Kota Kinabalu city centre. The Kadazans living in this district is said to have migrated from the Papar district some 200 years ago.

Construction materials of Kadazan Penampang house
The replica house at the Koisaan Cultural Village in KDCA Hongkod Koisaan were made of modern materials but during former times, the traditional hamin—which means house— were made of natural materials that were available in the surrounding area like:
1. Bamboo
2. Dried leaves
In the past, the interior walls were made with flattened bamboos, layered with woven bamboo. The roof was made with thatched dried leaves.

Architecture of Kadazan Penampang house
A Kadazan Penampang house is a simple dwelling, built on low stilts. All spaces—the living room, bedroom and cooking are—are on the same floor.

Introduction
The Keningau district, situated approximately 128 km south of Kota Kinabalu, are populated primarily by the sub-ethnic groups of the KadazanDusun race—Kuijau, Gana, Naba and Liwan.

Construction materials of Keningau Dusun house
The replica Dusun Keningau at the Koisaan Cultural Village in KDCA Hongkod Koisaan were made of modern materials but traditionally, a baloi—which means house—were made of natural materials that were sourced from the nearby Crocker Range like:
1. Tree bark
2. Dried leaves
3. Rattan
In ancient times, the walls were made with dried tree bark and the roof was made with thatched dried leaves.

Architecture of Dusun Keningau house
Houses were made on high stilts as it was easier to monitor the compound from that angle. Houses were also carved with traditional motifs. Each motif has its own meaning, describing the nature and folklores of the Dusun in that area.

Introduction

The Dusun-Lotud community, a sub-ethnic group of KadazanDusun, mostly resides in the villages of the Tuaran district with a population of around 10,000 to 11,000 people.

A traditional Dusun Lotud house is constructed from materials that are collected from the nearby jungle and it takes between one to three months to gather materials for one house. Everyone in the village works together (mitabang) to build a house.

Construction materials of a Dusun-Lotud house
1. Walls are made of sago trunk or bamboo.
2. Floors are made of nibung palms.
3. Floors beams and posts are made of are made round or square hard wood.
4. Roofs are made of rumbia palms.
5. Rattan is used as binding material.

Architecture of a Dusun-Lotud house
A Dusun Lotud house is divided into five rooms:
1. Verandah, known as soliu or soliw, is an area for discussion with guests and for ceremonial activities.
2. Corridors, known as olot-olot, is a pathway to separate the verandah and the kitchen.
3. Cooking and dining area, known as soriba, is also an area to store all cooking utensils and where the cooking fireplace (rapuhan) is.
4. The attic section, known as tilud, is for storing paddy (lokut). It is also used as a safe place during attacks from enemies.
5. Bedroom, known as kawas.

Introduction

Majority of the Kadazans living in Papar are of the Tanggara group, also part of the KadazanDusun group. They usually cultivate paddy, catch fish and gather products from the jungle for work.

Construction materials of a Kadazan Papar house
1. Walls, known as obon, are made of nipah, known as kumbar.
2. Staircase is made of the trunk of palm tree.

Architecture of a Kadazan Papar house
1. Veranda, known as bantalan.
2. Sitting room, known as bintuhan.
3. Store room, known as suambi.
4. Attic room, known as tindud, for keeping valuable items like gong and paddy.
5. Kitchen, known as yapuhan.

Kadazan Papar houses are normally located near the river and therefore the houses
are built on pillars, known as oigin, to avoid them getting submerged in flood water.

Introduction

The Ranau disctrict, home of the famed Mt. Kinabalu, is situated 108 km from Kota Kinabalu and 227 km from Sandakan. This hilly district is populated mainly by the Dusun community.

Construction materials of the Ranau house
Bamboo grows abundantly in Ranau and therefore is used extensively throughout the house. Roof is made of thatched leaves.
The materials for the replica house at the Koisaan Cultural Village in KDCA Hongkod Koisaan were sourced by the people of Ranau.

Architecture of the Ranau house
The Ranau traditional House in Koisaan Cultural Village in KDCA Hongkod Koisaan was inspired by Datuk Dr. Othman Minudin. It was designed based on the traditional houses in Ranau.

Introduction

The Murut community, part of the KadazanDusun group, mostly live in the southwest interior of Sabah especially in the districts of Keningau, Tenom, Nabawan and Beaufort. Traditionally, they are shifting cultivators and live in longhouses, built near river banks or streams.

Construction materials of a Murut house
1. Roof is made of thatched dried leaves.
2. Wall is made of sheets of tree bark.
3. Floor is made of bamboo strips.
4. Rattan is used as binding material.

Architecture of a Murut house
Like other traditional houses in Sabah, the Murut longhouse is built on stilts and each longhouse contains four types of rooms:
1. Common living room, known as salo.
2. Common passageway, known as tetangah.
3. Individual family apartment, known as sulap.
4. Kitchen, known as rapur.

One of the famous features of a Murut house is the lansaran, a bouncy dance floor that functions like a trampoline, located in the salo room. This wooden dance floor, originated from the Tahol tribe, a sub group of Murut from the Pensiangan district. Dance performances and games are usually played on the lansaran during celebrations.

One of the games played on the lansaran is jumping (meningkawot) to reach a suspended object like a wooden doll bird and bank notes. This game is played to celebrate victory in a battle; to celebrate elau, a ceremony to deliver goods to relatives in other villages; to celebrate ulipon; and to celebrate festivities like menugal and harvest festival.

Introduction

The Dusun in the Tambunan district, is also part of the KadazanDusun ethnic group. The district is about 80km from Kota Kinabalu and is surrounded by the Crocker Range.

Construction materials of a Dusun Tambunan house
All materials are sourced from the nearby jungle.
1. Pillars are made of hardwood
2. Walls and floors are made of bamboo
3. Windows are made of bamboo strips
4. Rattan is used as binding material.

Architecture of a Dusun Tambunan house
A traditional Tambunan house has:
1. Verandah, known as pandatan.
2. Living room, known as sirang.
3. Attic, known as dumping.
4. Bedroom, known as dambing.
5. Cooking fireplace, known as dampuran.

Introduction

The Rungus people, a sub ethnic group of KadazanDusun, mostly populate the Kudat district, an area that is 190km north of Kota Kinabalu. Traditionally, they are shifting cultivators.

The Rungus traditional dwelling is a longhouse, In the olden days, longhouse was preferred because it provided protection from wild animals and also pirates, known as mangazou.

Construction materials of a Rungus house
1. Roof is made of woven leaves and bamboo.
2. Higher-level floor is made of bamboo.
3. Lower-level floor and walking alley are made of the trunk of a betel palm due to
its sturdiness.
4. Posts are made of rounded hard wood.
5. Walls are made of tree bark.
6. Rattan is used as binding material.

Architecture of a Rungus house
Some of the noticeable differences between a Rungus longhouse and Murut longhouse, another sub-ethnic group of KadazanDusun, are the Rungus ones are built on shorter stilts and it has a slanted side walls that are made of bamboo strips to allow for good ventilation. Each longhouse comprises of:
1. Several family quarters, known as valai
2. Verandah
3. Living room
4. Dining area and kitchen
5. Sleeping area
6. Attic