Urban-Architectural Forms of Historic Southeast Asia

Historic littoral cities and sites of Southeast Asia—those that grew along coastlines, seascapes, and river confluences—evolved from a dynamic interplay of indigenous settlements, trade, and cultural exchange. These urban formations have historically defied easy categorization. For the first time, Jahn Kassim and Ibrahim systematically characterize a series of sites whose urban-architectural cores reflect a spectrum of evolution rooted in indigenous urbanism and architecture.

Departing from traditional eco-urbanism themes, this book examines 20 cities and subregions that exemplify recurring morphological, architectural, and iconographical patterns—condensed through a historical and formal lens. Despite their diversity and apparent disorder, broad patterns emerge within these coastal urban landscapes. By using morphology as a tool, the book reveals how these dense, yet sustainable and bioclimatic, urban patterns from the past can inform contemporary approaches to regional planning, architecture, and visual expression—highlighting a localized, indigenous dimension to sustainability.

Tracing their development from the 16th century onwards, the narrative moves through periods of colonial syncretism, external influences, and reverts to earlier, pre-classical origins—showing how sustainability and identity are rooted in fundamental climatic and cultural patterns.

This book will appeal to scholars, students, and practitioners across architecture, urbanism, cultural geography, design, visual arts, and Southeast Asian studies. It offers a novel perspective on the evolution of coastal cities, emphasizing their enduring morphological and cultural signatures.

Author Biography

Shireen Jahn Kassim is the Director of EAG Consulting SDN BHD, a multidisciplinary consulting firm in sustainable design, engineering, and heritage services.

Illyani Ibrahim is an associate professor at International Islamic University Malaysia. A corporate member of the Institution of Geospatial and Remote Sensing Malaysia (RISM) and associate member of the Malaysian institute of Planners (Mip), she specialises on the application of Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote sensing in environmental analysis and cultural conservation of heritage.