LivaS: International Journal on Livable Space Vol. 02, No. 1, February 2017 : 15-24 ISSN : 2548-7515 (online) Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.25105/livas.v2i1.3834

LOCAL WISDOM OF STRUCTURE AND BUILDING SYSTEM TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE IN RESPONDING TO NATURE

Parmonangan Manurung

Lecturer, Department of Architecture Faculty of Architecture and Design, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT Indonesia which can be further divided Traditional architecture was built on a into several customs, which each of tradition inherited from one generation to them has its own house and bring the next. As a country which has hundreds of tribes, Indonesia has Indonesia as a country which has hundreds of traditional architecture hundreds of diverse customary houses. designed by the ancestors to fulfill the function as well as responding to natural On the other hand, Mangunwijaya (1992) context. The aim of this research is to said that the concept of architecture of find out how the structural and building system traditional architecture in this the archipelago is the adjustment and country respond its natural conditions as the tunings with nature. the context. The method used is qualitative descriptive with the analysis The diversity of geographic condition, of some traditional architecture which have been visited and conducted a culture and social backgrounds produces theory review. The results showed that diversity of architecture in Indonesia. the traditional architecture in Indonesia had been designed to respond to nature Natural and cultural richness brought as context. From the discussion, it can architectural diversity of this country. The be concluded that traditional architecture in each region has an approach in land that stretches from west to east has aligning themselves with nature as a variety of traditional architecture, with context. its diversity in shape and structure Keywords: Local wisdom, traditional system. Differences in geographical architecture, earthquake, climate, context. conditions produce different designs in

response to site conditions. As the site INTRODUCTION conditions, climatic and environmental conditions play a role in providing a Indonesia is an archipelago which has a diversity of architecture in the very diverse geography. Geographic archipelago because of traditional conditions in Indonesia produces natural architecture has a role in responding the conditions which are different from one nature and the environment. another, including culture, and ethnicity. According to Ronald (2002:5) there are This study aims to find out how the traditional architecture in Indonesia more than three hundred tribes in

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LivaS: International Journal on Livable Space Parmonangan Manurung

responds its natural conditions as the areas will be different when compared to context through building structure the hot and humid regions. This affects structures and building systems design. the design of the roof and openings in In order to achieve these objectives, order to response natural light and qualitative research methods had been thermal comfort. Rudofsky (1965:1) used. Meanwhile, to enrich the data and describes as the analysis, some previous field "architecture without architects". In other observations, brief interviews, and words Rudofsky want to show that literature review were also employed. In vernacular architecture is not influenced the field observations, visual condition by trends or particular style but oriented data were collected using a camera to to the needs and potential of nature as record the traditional architecture the context. It can be concluded that the conditions including its structure and local wisdom of our ancestors is wisdom building systems. The analysis is done in dealing with nature as context by comparing the data obtained in the resulting architectural design that can field with a literature study to get a address the needs of the building and in conclusion. harmony with nature.

LITERATURE REVIEW DISCUSSION

Traditional houses in Indonesia were There are four basic elements of a built by the ancestors of Indonesia, also building; building structure, building noticed the natural environment as a systems, building services, and building context. And behold how each of the management (So and Chan, 1999). building work is an attempt to bring the Building services and building Universe (Mangunwijaya, 1992). Management are two elements of Traditional architecture designed by the buildings that are more common in ancestors of Indonesia to respond to its modern buildings. Meanwhile, traditional context and resolved by utilizing local building has been considering the potential. This explains how humans try structure and building systems in its to establish a relationship with nature architectural design. Based on these and create harmony in presenting the considerations, the discussion in this building or architectural work. According paper will be limited to study of the to Lechner (2015), the reasons of structural and building systems that are differences in the architectural design of used by some of the traditional each region are a response to the architecture in Indonesia. The selection climate. Design buildings in hot and dry of cases is done by considering the

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geographical conditions where the traditional houses that are geographically traditional architecture is located. Some situated on the ring of fire. For instance, traditional architecture located in islands how is a traditional house solving the which are prone to earthquakes such as problems caused by earthquakes? Field Island, Java Island and observations showed that Nias traditional Islands (as shown by Figure 1.) have house is located on the south side of the been chosen. Meanwhile, to analyze the island of ; it is also called as system of the building, some of Omo Hada. This house has some traditional architecture that consider diagonal column known (called as V- natural ventilation and natural lighting Shape) and play a role as a structure systems in its design have been selected system to resist lateral forces caused by as a case study. the earthquake. V-Shape structure system is able to withstand lateral forces 1.1. Responding to Earthquake during an earthquake occurs so that the Indonesia is a country which is prone to building can remain stable. The natural disasters because it is located connection between the columns and around of the ring of fire (Wijayanto, beams are not using nails, causing 2016).This condition makes Indonesia is buildings can be moved dynamically to prone to earthquakes, especially for the rhythm of the earthquake. islands located in the ring of fire. Figure Meanwhile, according to Pudjisuryadi, et. 1 shows the earthquake zone map al. (2007), Nias traditional houses (Omo indicating areas in Indonesia, which is Hada) were able to resist an earthquake prone to earthquakes. Sumatra measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale (especially Nias Island), Java Island and without any damage, while modern Sulawesi Island are vulnerable to buildings are located in the same area earthquakes. Therefore, traditional have collapsed. Results of research architecture that is located in these areas conducted by Pudjisuryadi, et. al. (2007) has been chosen as a case study. showed that Omo hada has a very stable Although they were situated in locations structure system. The foundation system that are vulnerable to earthquakes, the as a base isolation has ability to reduce traditional architecture of those areas the internal forces as well. has capability to respond the earthquake impact through their design approach. Our ancestors have responded to these conditions by the design approach of their traditional architecture, especially

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Figure 1. Indonesian Earthquake Zoning Map. (Source: http://www.pu.go.id) Besides the Nias Island, Java Island also shows that local knowledge of our has the risk of earthquake. Therefore, ancestors is a problem solving in the traditional architecture in Java Island responding to earthquakes. The design is one of the works of architecture that approach they have done has resulted in responds earthquake through its the design of buildings that can respond structural design. Prihatmaji (2007) in his to lateral forces are generated. research found that the structure of the On Sulawesi Island, one of the most Java traditional house (called ) is famous and very unique traditional capable to withstand earthquake forces architecture on this island is . zone 3. The structural factors of this This traditional house of Toraja people traditional house has capability to has an interesting shape with its soaring withstand vibration earthquake forces roof. The main building material is wood, through a ductility of soko guru (main while the roof cover material used either vertical structure system) wood, or stone. Toraja is located in an construction quality of the connection, earthquake prone area so that the and the proportion of the length-width- shape, material and structural system of height rong-rongan. Prihatmaji also the Tongkonan is designed to respond to recommends that the use of traditional these conditions. The system structure Javanese house at present considered has similarities with other traditional to be safe, if the system pedestal made houses in Indonesia, especially flops, because 3-dimensional skeletal traditional Batak house. structure and the loading system is able Meanwhile, in responding to the force to cope with earthquake force vibration in caused by the earthquake, Tongkonan, the seismic zone 3. His research also

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responds with different local materials. and re-stabilized after the shaking stops According to Sir (2015), the structural (Manurung, 2011). This type of elements Tongkonan house standing Tongkonan is also known as Stone freely, so that the building will remain Tongkonan because the house uses stable when withstand lateral forces that stones as its roof covering materials. The occur despite the load of the building is stone material used as the roof cover very large. The shear stress on the has a dimension of 60x40 cm with a ground will work flexibly, thus creating thickness of 2 cm. The results of equilibrium as a result of a reaction equal interviews with the residents of the Stone to the action. Figure 3 shows how load of Tongkonan house indicated that the Tongkonan is distributed to the ground. house may have more than a hundred years old. Although superbly over a Most Tongkonan houses use bamboo as hundred years old, material and structure its roof material. However, one type of of the building is still in very good Tongkonan house use stones as its roof condition. Figure 3 shows the connection material (Figure 4). This local material system of stone material with the roof tied up using bamboo skin on a roof frame. Connective connection used structure so as not to fall during causing the roofs of buildings to survive earthquakes. When an earthquake is during an earthquake. happening roof covering material will move following the earthquake forces

Figure 2. V-Shape structure system is a structural respond to lateral load caused by earthquake. (Source: Manurung, 2012)

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Figure 3. Load distribution on Tongkonan house . (Source: Sir, 2015)

Figure 4.Stone as roof material on Tongkonan House (Source: Manurung, 2011) 1.2. Responding to Climate life; it shows that human thermal comfort becomes an important things that must Indonesia is a country that has a humid be considered in any design process. tropical climate. In tropical countries, temperature and humidity becomes a In the beginning of the design process, problem in the architectural design the local climate should be considered to process, as mentioned by So and Chan produce the design which is energy (1999), external temperature can be conscious and efficient in energy use around 35 degrees Celsius with humidity (Iyendo, et.al. 2016). A research ranging from 90% to 100%. Furthermore, conducted by Iyendo, et.al. indicated that they said that too hot or too cold on both the vernacular and temperature can be dangerous to human contemporary building showed that the

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design of vernacular buildings more in Indonesia. As Lechner (2015) said, in sustainable than modern buildings. As a hot and dry climates, window size is country that is located below the equator, smaller so that the hot air does not get Indonesia has a hot humid climate. into the building, while in the heat and Every region in Indonesia has related humid climates size of the window is differences in climate and humidity larger. In hot and dry areas flat roofs levels. Climatic conditions responded in shape is relevant due for low levels of different ways by our ancestors in rainfall in this area, the opposite occurs producing traditional architectural design in hot and humid area (Figure 5)

Figure 5. Traditional house in North Sumatera (Source: Lechner, 2015)

Research on the influence of traditional However, without an effort to provide roof shape in Central Java (Purwanto, good air circulation, will reduce the et.al., 2006) found that the roof shape performance of the building itself. The the which has no air circulation in the result of this study indicates that the local roof, contributing the heat in the room wisdom of our ancestors in designing below, which affect the thermal comfort. their house is done by considering the The main Limasan roof modifications are environmental context. Roofs and widely used in modern buildings. openings design take into account the

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surrounding conditions so as to answer and the ground allows the creation of air the needs of thermal comfort of the movement and provide comfort in building. Whereas the modifications buildings (Figure 6). In some traditional made by modern buildings do not houses, the space created beneath the consider the environmental conditions as building functioned for various purposes the context. and activities, either as pets or as a place for some activities. Magunwijaya According to Lippsmeier (1984) building (1992) mentioned that the or orientation towards sun and wind, and under house is really a high-quality the shape and construction as well as problem-solving. It means. It means the the selection of appropriate materials, completion of the ancestors to the can create a good room temperature. In climate issue and the humidity is an general, traditional architecture in outstanding local wisdom in responding Indonesia was designed with an to natural as building context. orientation towards the sun, wind, and oriented to the mountains and the sea. In order to providing thermal comfort and These design considerations influence expel warm air, Nias leave the thermal comfort in the building openings on the roof. This approach because of the direction of sunlight and allows hot air to quickly leave the air movement into the building. building and replaced by fresh air coming Tongkonan house in Toraja oriented into a building through openings are north-facing so get the sun's light and provided along the front side of the heat stable the whole day. Alahudin building (Figure 2). This approach shows (2012) mentioned that Tongkonan using that our ancestors have excellent bamboo roof (traditional) has room understanding about air flow, and know temperature lower than Tongkonan using how to drain the lighter hot air through metal roof (modern). This indicates that the top of the building as well as fresh air the local material has better performance to enter through the walls of the building in reducing heat caused by solar shell. On the other hand, in terms of the radiation. orientation of the building, some traditional houses in Indonesia are High humidity levels responded wisely by oriented towards the north so as to get a ancestors to lift the building. Stilt houses very good daylight quality. As Livingston as a typical traditional houses in the (2014) said north side of the building will archipelago is an excellent solution, it receive the most consistent light, easily separates building floor from the ground. controls light distribution, and reduces The space created between the buildings the risk of direct light.

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Figure 6. Stilt house is a problem solving for humidity. (Source: Author)

CONCLUSION In addition, our ancestors also have designed a traditional architecture with Indonesian ancestor had designed their consideration of thermal comfort. This is traditional houses considering building done to respond to different climate in elements such as structural systems and each area, a traditional house located in building systems. Structural systems of a hot area has dimensions larger the houses were designed as a response openings than traditional home in the to the load that occurs, both the building cooler areas. Opening at the top is loads and loads caused by earthquakes. designed to circulate the hot air out of Traditional building situated in the area the building, while the fresh air flow of "ring of fire" has been designed with through the openings in the building earthquake-resistant design approach; it shell. This shows that our ancestors had is applied through the system structure, to have an understanding of the material selection, as well as the type of principles of thermal comfort and how to foundation used. Pedestals foundation apply them in the design of their . system has been able to respond to lateral force caused by earthquakes.

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