Malaysia is a country with a hot and humid climate, also known as a tropical climate where it has hot temperatures and high humidity all year round. In order to suit this climate, traditional houses in Malaysia are designed to respond to the climate. Traditional wooden house designs in Malaysia have existed for hundreds of years, crafted by local builders who consider cultural practices and the surrounding hot and humid climate. These traditional homes are designed to be comfortable without relying on air conditioning, thus requiring less electrical energy. However, modern houses today are generally built with bricks and lack large openings that respond to the hot and humid weather. This leads to a dependence on air conditioning to achieve indoor comfort. In order to demonstrate the indoor thermal performance of both types of houses, a comparison study is necessary. The objective of this study is to compare the impact of brick and concrete construction (modern houses) and timber construction (traditional timber Malay houses) designs on indoor temperatures, and subsequently examine and propose the design strategies to reduce indoor temperature for houses appropriate for hot and humid climate such as in Malaysia. The study combines literature reviews, onsite observations, and on-site measurements. Three houses are analyzed: (1) Tengku Fatimah Zaharah House (TFZH) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), a traditional wooden house over 100 years old; (2) the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FKAB) Environmental Research House (FERH) that resembles typical modern brick bungalow, which lacks passive design strategies; and (3) Bandar Seri Putra House (BSPH), which incorporates some passive design strategies. The results show that TFZH performs best, followed by BSPH. FERH performs the worst. The study indicates that while traditional house designs are the best, modern brick houses can also achieve good indoor comfort if appropriate passive design approaches are considered. The study also shows that a bungalow with brick construction can achieve good indoor thermal comfort with only the help of ceiling fans if properly designed. This study aims to contribute to sustainable architecture by providing a detailed comparison of the thermal performance of different building materials and design approaches. It is hoped to assist architects and building designers in creating energy-efficient, climate-responsive housing that ultimately contributes to a more sustainable and comfortable living environment.