The Relation between the Materials of the House and the Lifestyle in a Village on the Floodplain of the Tonle Sap in Cambodia

Abstract

Houses in the floodplain of the Tonle Sap in Cambodia have been made of natural materials such as wood, coconut palm and bamboo. However, some of houses built recently are made of industrial materials such as galvanized iron sheet. The aim of this study was to clarify the influence of the changes of materials of the houses on the plan and the lifestyle. Our results showed that introducing industrial materials was related to the increased scale of houses and the higher living standard. Further, we found that houses with new materials tended to be more closed and non-flexible.