'anatomy of a square foot': a protest to the unrealistic housing costs in malaysia

anatomy of a square foot

the ‘anatomy of a square foot’ is an installation that attempts to highlight the unrealistic costs of affordable housing in malaysia. curated in a small gallery in a leafy suburban neighbourhood in kuala lumpur, the project takes shape as an open box, assembled by concrete bricks in a bid to raise questions on the absurdity of ‘land’. the envelope of the structure looks like a simple concrete wall. but if one approaches and peeks through the holes, they face a set of painted bricks stacked on top of the other — resembling residential units.

with this exhibition, khairul hiffni & shamin sahrum invite visitors from all walks of life — from curious neighbors to local municipality’s workers — to be surrounded by these housing units, all while exploring and understanding one of the most precious available resources; land.

visiting neighbors and passerby’s who interacted with the installation work

recreating living conditions within malaysia’s mass housing estate

through this installation, the designers (see more here) protest the overwhelming housing costs in malaysia. thus,

the ‘anatomy of a square foot’ is a way to illustrate the reality of real estate development in reducing basic human living conditions.

as the designers mentioned, housing estates hold a special place in most malaysians — everyone has a memory or an encounter with a housing flat. they may have lived in one, visited someone in a housing flat, or grew up near one. that said, the designers sought to recreate the living conditions within housing estates; the courtyard, a void, a slither of a view in between gaps in the wall. experiences that may bring visitors back in time, to a place familiar or foreign to each individual. ‘anatomy of a square foot’ reflects the incessant urge to continuously develop land and humanity’s living future.

interior view of the housing block of the main installation through one of many peepholes

eye-level peephole view into the interior courtyard of the block

peephole view into the heart of the block

exterior view from the courtyard of suburbia projects gallery

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individual brickworks sold as housing 'units'

‘anatomi kaki persegi’ showcase hosted in suburbia projects gallery, a renovated terrace house in the suburbs of kuala lumpur

one of the works displayed among the show ‘anatomi kaki persegi’

signage installation in suburbia projects gallery

along with physical works, digital works also accompanied the pieces

project info:

name: anatomy of a square foot
designer: khairul hiffni & shamin sahrum

curator: suburbia projects

curatorial writer: rebecca yeoh

photography: zakee man studio

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina petridou | designboom