Beneath the Shadows of Palm

Palm oil, derived from Elaeis guineensis, is a land-intensive industry prominent in the global South. Malaysia is now the second largest producer and exporter of palm oil, since the establishment of first palm plantation and mill in 1917. It has caused significant environmental degradation and contributed to a to a wasted renewable energy resource in its current form of practice and production. Furthermore, global demand for palm oil have raised serious concerns regarding labour rights of migrant workers and the plight of stateless children in rural communities.

Despite the primary focus on palm oil production, the palm tree itself yields only 10% oil, with the remaining 90% of the tree constituting biomass waste. Palm oil or its derivatives are present in up to 50 percent of everyday products in our grocery stores, including toothpaste, soap, shampoo, chocolate and etc. This thesis explores how architecture can transform the energy flows and operational practices within the agro-industrial palm oil sector. It seeks to engage with the production landscapes of Kuala Selangor through the innovative use of palm biomass waste across three key phases: 1) Visibility: Hybrid town hall and primary school; 2) Monitoring: an ecological jetty; and 3) Reinstating: the rural landscape through community workshops that promote material storytelling, strengthen socio-cultural relationships, and encourage sustainable spatial practices for future generations. Palm waste including palm fronds, palm kernel shells and mature palm wood that reaches the commercial lifespan of 25 years is developed into the palm building tectonics across all phases. The Compressed earth block constitutes locally available clay, sand, palm kernel shells and palm fronds which becomes an affordable material with an increase of compressive strength which replaces cement in the stabilization process. In the new age of Anthropocene requires a shift in the conception of space-time and the magnitude of synergistic transformation. The cultural identity of place can be restored if we begin to acknowledge the various forms of life, matter and landscape. Architecture, in this context, encourages a new transition or liminality towards a space for radical discussions and responds to the calling of extractive landscapes.