Teaching & Learning Engagement in Architecture & Interior Architecture Programs
School of Architecture & Built Environment, UCSI University
SITE MATTERS
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A multidisciplinary field walk that invites participants to intuitively engage with the Sepetang site — its materials, atmospheres, and layerred narratives.
Through observation, conversation, and documentation, participants from various disciplines trace the visible and invisible matter of the landscape: from the textures of soil and charcoal dust to the heat-charred surfaces of kilns.
The walk offers insights into the mangrove forest ecosystem, the river canals that link it to the charcoal factories, and the working conditions and latent potential within the charcoal industry. It also explores the fishing village's liminal spaces, highlighting the interdependencies and adaptability between ecology, industry, and community.
These impressions and exchanges serve as seeds for deeper, interdisciplinary exploration.
the site: Kuala Sepetang . Malaysia
the ecosystem: Matang Mangroove Forest
Kuala Sepetang, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca. It is home to the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, covering approximately 40,000 hectares, and recognized as one of the best-managed mangrove forests in the world.
The mangrove forests along the shoreline provide vital protection against coastal erosion and natural disasters such as tsunamis. Mangrove trees typically have a lifespan of 20 to 40 years; if they grow too old without proper management, they may collapse and disrupt the ecosystem.
Therefore, sustainable forest management practices, including silviculture and thinning operations overseen by the Forestry Department, are crucial. In this context, the local charcoal industry plays an important role by participating in the sustainable harvesting of mature trees.
The Matang Mangrove Forest is managed under a 30-year rotational system. Each year, approximately 1,000 hectares are harvested, allowing sufficient time for the regrowth of mangroves over a 30-year cycle across 30,000 hectares of production forest.
An additional 10,000 hectares are designated as permanent forest reserves, primarily along the coastline, providing further environmental protection. Currently, the Matang Mangrove Forest is in its second full management cycle, ensuring a balance between economic use and ecological conservation.
In the Matang Mangrove Forest, sustainable management begins with systematic planting practices.
Young mangrove saplings, primarily Rhizophora species, are planted approximately 1.2 meters apart. This dense planting helps the trees grow straight and tall, reducing branching, which is ideal for timber and charcoal production.
After about 15 years, a selective thinning process is carried out where roughly half of the trees are harvested. This creates wider spacing of about 5 meters between the remaining trees, allowing them more room to grow stronger and larger over the next 15 years.
By the end of a full 30-year growth cycle, a mature mangrove tree can be harvested and processed into approximately 16 logs, each measuring about 1.6 meters in length, which are then used for charcoal production.
This carefully managed cycle supports both the ecological sustainability of the mangrove forest and the economic livelihood of the local charcoal industry.
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The river and canal networks are vital lifelines connecting the Matang Mangrove Forest to the charcoal factories of Kuala Sepetang. Historically and even today, these waterways serve as the primary transportation routes for harvesting and moving mangrove logs.
After trees are selectively harvested within the managed forest compartments, the logs are bundled and floated along tidal rivers and man-made canals to reach charcoal kilns situated near the riverbanks. The interconnected system of rivers and canals allows for efficient, low-impact transport without the need for extensive road networks, helping to minimize disturbance to the delicate mangrove ecosystem.
This traditional, water-based logistics method reflects both the ingenuity and the environmental sensitivity of the local communities who have depended on the mangrove forests for generations.
the industry: Charcoal Factories
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Charcoal production in Kuala Sepetang is distributed along the river canals, sharing the same waterway with the local fishing village. In some areas, the factories and fishermen’s homes sit directly across from one another—just a river apart. Some houses face the charcoal kilns, which operate continuously, day and night.
The factories are typically constructed with zinc-clad roofs for effective ventilation, supported by open wooden frameworks. Some structures feature timber walls with perforations to enhance cross and stack ventilation—crucial for managing the heat generated by the daily kiln operations. Along the riverside, mangrove logs are sun-dried, cut to size, and stripped of bark before entering the kiln. Roots and branches are often leaned against the kiln walls to be used as firewood, maintaining the internal temperature during production.
The extreme heat and conditions of charcoal production create new potentials for materials, causing deformation, crystallization, and shrinkage. These transformations can be explored as site-specific aesthetics that evolve over time.
charcoal kiln. ------------------------------- log preparation & temporary storage --------------------------------- factory envelop
charcoal factory & production ------------------------------ river ------------------------------------------------ mangrove forests
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The charcoal kiln is constructed from bricks layered in a circular pattern, coated externally with clay. It measures approximately 6 meters in diameter and height. Stepping inside, one can still feel the residual heat retained within the brickwork—a testament to the kiln’s thermal mass and constant use.
The factory facades have no standardized design. Instead, they are assembled from materials salvaged from the village—discarded timber window frames, zinc sheets, and other found objects—creating shelters in a distinctly vernacular style. Over time, these surfaces weather, degrade, and char uniquely, giving each structure a singular aesthetic shaped by use and exposure.
The factory floors are a rich tapestry of textures: layers of ash, embedded footprints, sawdust from processing mangrove wood, and occasional biochar fragments. Cockle shells, often sourced from the nearby fishing village, are scattered across the soil to reduce moisture and prevent slipping. These materials interact with the earth, subtly transforming the properties of the muddy ground beneath.
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Every part of the mangrove tree holds value and purpose. Rooted in vernacular wisdom, the bark—when soaked and processed—produces a distinctive natural dye known for its water-repellent and UV-resistant properties. When applied in thick layers, especially on cotton, it forms a durable coating once used to make workwear for men laboring in the mangrove forests or out at sea.
This traditional method was nearly lost with the rise of synthetic materials like nylon and plastic. Over time, community members—through oral histories and interviews with village elders—painstakingly pieced together the forgotten process. Today, it has been revived by a group of young women in the village who reintroduced the technique as part of a cultural and artisanal initiative, blending heritage with contemporary design.
The resulting dye leaves a deep reddish-brown tone on fabric and carries a smoky, earthy scent—an indelible marker of place and memory.
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The site is layered with rich textures and materials found across the ground, along the river canal, and within its surrounding context. Through mapping, these surface conditions reveal the intricate material palette that defines the everyday landscape of the area.
The sectional study illustrates a vertical stratification—from materials stacked above ground to those embedded below, such as soil layers and submerged elements within the riverbed. As the tidal cycle shifts throughout the month, the rising and receding waters expose these hidden layers beneath one’s feet, offering a deeper understanding of the site’s dynamic and living materiality.
Through site walks along the charcoal factories and river waterways, we collected materials found on-site—observing their color, texture, properties, and conditions. This hands-on engagement, using both tools and bare hands, deepened our connection with the local resources and sparked curiosity about their potential.
Moving beyond observation, we began to experiment—mixing and manipulating the materials in various ways to explore their possibilities for future applications in making.
This phase not only concludes our site-based material discovery but also lays the groundwork for an intuitive and exploratory approach to material experimentation in the chapters to come.
the community: Fishing Village
The mangrove forests form the ecological backbone of Kuala Sepetang’s charcoal industry, while the rich biodiversity and riverways also sustain the local fishing economy. These systems are deeply interdependent—mangrove trees are sustainably harvested for charcoal production, while the surrounding ecosystem supports marine life for the fishing trade. Scattered along the river canals, charcoal factories operate alongside the fishing settlements, contributing to the rhythm of daily life.
Fishermen’s houses and charcoal kilns face the same river, allowing boats to transport harvested wood and fresh catch directly to the shore. The buildings in Kuala Sepetang, whether homes, shops, or factories, are positioned for the convenience of river access. The spatial order of the village flows naturally from river to house to road, forming a seamless network that supports both industries and community life.
Shops and eateries cluster around these access points, becoming social nodes where morning routines unfold and conversations are exchanged. Even the vehicles and furniture reflect the village’s adaptive ingenuity—industrial materials and components are repurposed for flexible, multifunctional use. This layering of domestic, industrial, and communal life defines the village’s liminal condition, a space continuously shaped by its negotiation between nature, livelihood, and adaptation.
Street------------------ Storage/Garage -------------------- Kitchen---------------------------Office-------------------------------------Packing-------------------------------------Processing ------------------------------------------------------------------ River
The sectional cut through the street reveals the spatial zoning of a fisherman’s house: storage spaces are positioned near the road for logistical ease, followed by a functional kitchen that separates the working area from the docking zone where the day’s catch arrives. One would live on the floor above ground, while the lower level is reserved for work and movement. This spatial sequence—from roadside storage to kitchen, working zone, and boat mooring at the river—forms a fluid and purposeful flowline within the internal layout of the home.