Bubungan Dua Belas

Bubungan Dua Belas, the house of twelve roofs, was built in 1906 as the residence of the British Resident and stands on a hill above the Brunei river, making it the oldest surviving residence in the country. It is now a museum on the relationship between Brunei and Britain from the protectorate of 1888 to full independence in 1984, with photographs, documents and the house itself. The Residency system ran from 1906 until the constitution of 1959, and the house was occupied for most of that time.

Background

In Malay, bubungan means roof and dua belas means twelve. The house stands on Jalan Residency at the foot of the Bukit Subok Forest Reserve Recreational Park, about one mile south of central Bandar Seri Begawan. An earlier house stood on the same spot: a temporary leaf house of 1856, replaced in 1858 by a permanent building that had become a jungle-covered ruin by 1907. The present wooden house was completed by July 1907 and blends Brunei Malay architectural features with Western ones. It was restored in 1998 for its historical and architectural value and renovated again in 2007.

Source: Wikipedia, "Bubungan Dua Belas"

Highlights

• The twelve roofs - the roofline that gives the house its name.
• The 1906 building - the oldest surviving residence in Brunei.
• The hill position - the site above the Brunei river.
• The protectorate exhibition - the record from 1888 to independence in 1984.

When to go

Year round. It keeps set hours and closes on some days including Friday middays. Mornings are cooler for the hill.

Before you go

The museum is small and an hour covers it. Displays are text-heavy in places. Opening hours are limited and worth confirming before going.

Nearby

Bandar Seri Begawan is below, and Kampong Ayer is on the river.

Key facts