An Overview Towards Potential of Adaptive Reuse Concept on Abandoned Tobacco Smokehouses in Bachok Kelantan

Tobacco has been used since prehistoric time and is known as the native plant of the South America,specifically in Peru and Ecuador (Musk and Klerk,2003).It has been introduced in Malaysia more than 100 years ago.Bachok district is a Malaysia's tobacco granary where the productivity and quality of tobacco production in Bachok is greater than other places.Due to the fall in tobacco demand,the tobacco smokehouses are now abandoned without being used by the tobacco producers.Now,Kenaf plant (Hibiscus cannabinus) has become an alternative crop to replace tobacco as the 5,000 tobacco growers in the country were affected by the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) enforcement in 2010 (mStar,2008).The fall of the tobacco as industry is also driven by the government controls over tobacco production as the tobacco might give adverse effect to people.The decreasing demand in tobacco has caused many tobacco smokehouses owners to abandon their smokehouses.Buildings that are idle,have become the breeding ground for mosquitoes and unwanted wild animals.This has given a bad outlook to that particular area in Bachok.Therefore,this paper will discuss the possible potential of tobacco smokehouses by applying the adaptive reuse concept,the underpinning concept of conservation projects around the world.The discussion is also made based on the study of the abandoned industrial buildings potentials to transform the smokehouses into reusable buildings.