Plants Keep "Hobbit House" Standing

By Rohaiza Ab Rahman PASIR PUTEH (Kelantan, Malaysia), June 23 (Bernama) -- Hidden in the village of Kampung Kelubi, a neighbourhood here, is a house that is almost entirely covered in foliage. A glance at the house would have one convinced that it is uninhabited, but is in fact what a couple and their four children have been calling their home for the past 20 years. Amizar Adnan, 48, and her husband Wan Mamat Wan Junoh, 52, have raised their children in the house that netizens are now dubbing the “Hobbit House”, for its likeness to the structure depicted in the J.R.R. Tolkien novel, The Hobbit. The house has gained attention after it was posted on Facebook and went viral on the social media platform, garnering over 58,000 likes. Comments ranged from amused to scathing, with several users accusing the house owners of being “lazy” for letting their homes become covered in climbers and creepers. PLANTS KEEP HOUSE STANDING However, the couple had a very good reason for letting their home go green. Amizar said her husband had the idea of planting creepers around the house to increase the house's structural integrity after the walls of the 70-year-old wooden house started rotting and coming apart. “My husband has repaired our dilapidated home many times, but the repairs never lasted long. Then he came up with this novel idea to prevent the walls from falling apart by using plants to hold the wood together. “It was an unconventional idea, but I went along with it because our house was becoming more run-down by the day,” she told Bernama when met at her home, recently. Wan Mamat’s idea was successful and came with an added bonus – the plants have now made their homes cooler. “The creepers have not only provided structural integrity to our house, it has also provided excellent insulation for our house making it as cool as an air-conditioned home,” said Amizar. She is happy for the fact the creepers provided cooling comfort amidst the current hot weather. CLEAN AND TIDY Amizar, who runs her own business, said her family kept their home and surrounding environment in a clean and tidy condition. “Before I go out to work I would spend an hour or more cleaning the interior of the house. We have yet to find any dangerous insects or snakes inside the house,” she said. Wan Mamat, who is also self-employed, said he had no plans of upgrading the house. “I would perhaps continue working on strengthening its structure, but I would keep its original design. We are comfortable here, the way it is,” he said. Wan Mamat said his home has attracted quite a number of tourists and is also a favourite location for wedding photo shoots of couples from around the area. His son Wan Mohd Hasanudin Wan Mamat, said friends who visited his home for the first time tended to have difficulty in believing he resided there. “It is only upon entering that they see the interior of my house looks just like theirs. The 25-year-old who had just graduated from a public university in Malaysia's northern Perak state said he loved his home. “This house is my family’s abode,” he said with pride. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA