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By
: Suy Se, Picture Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Illustration
by : Sao Pagnarith.
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The practical design and sturdy
nature have ensured their survival
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The ancient
Khmer houses, to the untrained eye, are similar
to those found in contemporary Cambodia. Traditionally
they are aligned to face the East for prosperity
and as a mark of respect for the sun. They were
also elevated about two and a half meters above
the ground, supported on stilts. The access to the
house is normally via a wooden ladder. The roofing
was made of similar materials: thatched leaves or
straw. The shady space underneath is used for storage
and for people to relax at midday.
It is only upon closer examination that it is revealed
that there are actually five distinct forms of housing,
which have existed since Angkorian times. These
five are known as: Khmer houses, Roong houses (today
called Kantaing houses), Roong Daul houses, Roong
Duong houses and Bet houses. An entirely separate
style of housing is used to accommodate the monks;
these are referred to as Keng houses. |
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The Khmer house
style begins with the erection of four lines
of pillars and crossbeams. Crucial to the
structure is the king post, used to build
the roof, there is a high and steeply sloped
roof and a big lower gable. The high roof
was meant to add to the beauty of the house:
resembling the roof of a temple from a distance.
There are two floors, the lower floor for
receptions and the upper floor for living.
They usually build this kind of house small
and short, approximately four by six meters.
The Roong house, or Kantaing house, is built
without front or back porch, some people build
them long, ten by six meters, with three main
columns supporting ridgepoles However, some
people build short ones, six by four meters,
with two center columns.
A Kantaing house was built with short and
a gently sloping roof to make the building
easier. At the turn of the century it was
mostly housing used by Chinese and Vietnamese,
however, it became increasingly more popular
amongst Cambodians. If they cut obliquely
at the front and the back of the main roof
carving it into the shape of an animal's mouth
then it is called a "Baknok Kantaing
house". Usually this type of dwelling
is about ten by six meters. |
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The Roong House or
kantaing House
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The Roong house,
or Kantaing house, is built without front
or back porch, some people build them long,
ten by six meters, with three main columns
supporting ridgepoles However, some people
build short ones, six by four meters, with
two center columns.
A Kantaing house was built with short and
a gently sloping roof to make the building
easier. At the turn of the century it was
mostly housing used by Chinese and Vietnamese,
however, it became increasingly more popular
amongst Cambodians. If they cut obliquely
at the front and the back of the main roof
carving it into the shape of an animal's mouth
then it is called a "Baknok Kantaing
house". Usually this type of dwelling
is about ten by six meters. |
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| Roong Daul houses
are built it into a long shape with shoulders
for carrying the weight of the house: joining
the roof-rafters. There is a small gable at
the intersection of porches and there are
both front and back porches. Some people build
this one with three center pillars, which
means they come with four compartments and
if there are four center pillars there are
five compartments. |
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Roong Duong housing,
they build with a large roof and there are both
the end piece of the roof at the front and the back.
There are three styles of Roong Duong house: the
first gets its name from the alteration to accommodate
a large foot powered rice mortar called a Kduoung
mortar. The overhang at the back of these houses
provides such a place.
The second style of Roong Duong house was developed
for storage and an additional line of pillars was
included in the original design. Hence, this kind
of Roong Duong house has three lines of pillars
with five compartments.
The third kind of Roong House was especially for
high ranking or wealthy subjects. This was a further
extension and made a much longer and larger dwelling.
This was achieved by four lines of pillars, which
formed five compartments. |
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| Bet houses, were built without shoulders
to join the main rafters of the porch and the roof,
both feet of the rafters of the porch and the roof
are joined at the top of the main rafter of the
roof near the top of the center pillars. |
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| Keng house, they
build with two classes of roof and a lower
part. They enveloped the top floor and the
lower floor surrounding them by a handrail.
But this Keng house laymen rare build, usually,
built in the compound of pagoda for Royal
monk called "Keng of monk house."
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To begin they must
fill in the land where they plan to build the house. After
flattening the surrounding area, they will erect a warehouse
structure to ensure they have all the suitable materials
to build the actual house. As with all occasions an auspicious
date must be chosen according to astrological observations.
Most ancient Cambodians would build houses between January
and March. There are certain days that they can start
building, these are: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
In the past they didn't start on Sunday and Monday because
of the word of custom says: " Sunday and Monday are
the days of marrying wood", if they insist on building
on these days then they have to be very careful in case
it falls down. Although Tuesday is considered a lucky
day, if a building were to be commenced on this day it
would never be finished. Thus Tuesdays were also avoided
as starting days. Before starting to build, they usually
put a pair of Sator (an offering made from coconut, candles
and incense) and they light the candles and incense sticks
to pray to the god called "Prah Phoum" (the
god of the village). They ask permission to build and
show the spirit where the house will be built. After that,
they place wooden sticks to be markers called "Khneng
Phoum". When they dig the hole for the pillars they
are very careful with rubbish falling into them. They
believed that if the rubbish falls in the hole the house,
when completed, would receive a multitude of guests. On
the actual day of building they take a piece of red cloth
to tie at the top of center pillars. They also prepare
black sugarcane, which still has both white root and leaves
on it. This is the tied higher than the center pole. After
that, they prepare a ceremony called "Pithy Sen",
in the ceremony there is a boiling of pig head, a pair
of chicken, two cups of tea or some wine, four fruits,
one riel of money, a white piece of cloth for a shirt,
a bowl of perfume and a suitcase of construction ware.
The clergy recites prayers and sprays the water to the
top of those center pillars, and next the chief of the
contractor prays to the Prah Pisnoukar while the clergy
hit three times of Khmous (a kind of metal used to be
hit when there is a ceremony or wedding) all contractors
gather to pull up the center pillars very quickly. Although
nowadays the ritual and symbolism may be loosing its role,
the end result is still a functional and ever practical
solution to housing. It is for these reasons: of being
both practical and affordable that the Khmer house has
endured through the centuries and will no doubt continue
to do so. It would be easy to overlook the cultural and
social history involved in the ancient Khmer houses. |
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Factors to
be avoided in construction of a house
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- A levee
in a rice field goes straight to the front of the
house
- A Tamarind tree grows on the left side of the
house and a well on the West
- All kinds of roots growing into the ground house
because it will cause the house owners to be scared
- Building escorting cook house (have to build parallel
to deep of main house)
- The main roof running parallel to the road
- The top of the pillars is bigger than the foot
of the pillars
- Building in front of temple because it stays in
front of Gods eyes it would cause difficulties when
he opens his eyes in the morning.
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Khmers, with
their strongly developed superstitions, are cautious
about the kind of pillars used in the construction
of a house. Thus, the contractor needs to select
pillars and timbers carefully.
If any wood has the symbols that they cannot use
them to build the house they have to replace them.
The symbols are as follows:
- Paim Sambak Wood: the wood has bark inside. This
is because when the tree was young it was chopped.
When the tree matured the wood covered that place
and lead to having the bark on the inside. The ancient
Khmers didn't allow it’s use; it would cause
danger to people who live in such a house.
- Konlong Wood: the wood that has a bad inner heart.
They can see through a lot of three point of articulations
around the tree. Ancient elders didn't allow using
as center pillar because it will cause chronic disease.
- The tree that has the whole inside, but if it
has the whole from the foot to the top it is allowed
to use it. Such a tree is called " Banghot
Tnaol."
- The wood that has been used as a scratching post
by pigs is considered bad luck.
- The wood that has the symbol of chicken foot at
the foot of tree is also inappropriate.
- The pillars must not to have sub joint of articulation
under the crossbars, bolts and bars.
- The contractors cannot carve at the middle of
the pillars to put crossbars, bars and bolts. |
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
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