​Harnessing Heritage

Reducing Heat and Carbon Emissions Through the Use of Traditional Building Techniques and Materials in a World Heritage Site in Malaysia​ 

This research looks at how traditional building techniques and materials in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of George Town in Penang, Malaysia, can be harnessed to reduce heat and carbon emissions and improve well-being. The project is led by Dr Jeff Tan (AKU-ISMC) in partnership with Dr Matt Benson and Dr Yogeswary Chellappan (Think City, Malaysia) and Dr Stephen Chan (Universiti Sains Malaysia). It is funded by the British Academy's ODA Challenge-Oriented Research Grants 2024 on the theme of Culture, Heritage and Climate Action. The project seeks to identify ways to adapt to, and mitigate against, the impacts of climate change in the urban environment in George Town by learning from and promoting the use of traditional building techniques and materials.​​