The provision of adequate quality housing for the mass population has always been a major challenge for a rapidly developing country like Malaysia. As the country heads towards higher
level of urbanization, it is expected to face accelerated demand on housing and the associated environmental impacts. Only by encouraging the development of more efficient buildings or through implementing a holistic construction approach that is addressed right from the onset of the design stage, harmful environmental impact to the surroundings can be mitigated. This paper highlights the potential of applying flexibility a design approach that has been widely adopted in traditional construction – as an inherent design strategy for modern urban mass housing.

The proposed design strategy entails an open plan that enables retrofit and reconfiguration to be made quickly, economically, and repeatedly, without involving excessive site labor, time, and cost; as compared to the currently adopted design strategy which is associated with rigid structure, interlocking plan, and predetermined function. It makes possible the creation of dwellings that may grow old yet without becoming obsolete; incorporating the latest design ideas and technologies, yet have a sense of history on the Malaysian housing design (the Rumah kampung design); allowing the communities to live for generations, yet incorporating the potential of adaptation. By examining the background research and the fundamental design principles, the paper suggests that only dwellings with a high degree of flexibility may enable the integration of dual aims and principles of affordability and sustainability in mass housing, thereby facilitating the movement of the country’s construction industry towards mechanization, industrialization, and standardization.