Urban and Regional Planning Review Vol. 4, 2017 | 71 A Study on the Historical Transformation of Physical Feature and Room Layout of Banjarese House in the Context of Preservation -Case Study in Kuin Utara Settlement, Banjarmasin, Indonesia- Meidwinna Vania Michiani* and Junichiro Asano** Abstract This study aims to observe the historical transformation of the traditional maritime house in the embryo of Banjarmasin City, the Banjarese house. By intensifying on the physical features and room layout, this research will deliver a proposal on preventing the somewhat fragile Banjarese house from extinction. Firstly, the study starts with an identification of the general physical components of the remaining Banjarese houses. Secondly, the historical development is analyzed to identify the transformation pattern and room spatial arrangement. Finally, the SWOT method will be utilized to map the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities of, as well as the threat to, the Banjarese house in order to scrutinize the possibility of preservation. The result outlines that, in spite of the general poor condition of the investigated houses, the Banjarese houses represent value and the cultural identity of the Banjarese people and their life. Despite some weaknesses and threats that may deter the Banjarese houses from getting protected, there are more valuable reasons for executing a preservation strategy with government support. In general, this study suggests a strategy of creating a living space where the old house mingles together with the surroundings. Therefore, we intend to protect not only the building itself but also the current life of its residents. Furthermore, we offer this as an idea to preserve traditional homes all over the world and especially those in developing countries. Keywords: Banjarese house, transformation, room layout, preservation 1. Introduction 1.1 Background of the Topic Due to the effects of modernization, traditional houses around the world encounter transformation in three orders which classified as: physical, territorial and cultural (Habraken, 1978, as cited in Anhar, 2010, pp.3). Modernization, that changes the living habits and the needs of the inhabitants indirectly, has an impact on changing the characteristics of their dwellings (Pinijvarasin, 2002-2003). The physical and functional changes represent the efforts to fulfill the resident’s needs and way of life and to adapt to the lack of natural material on today’s modern market (Lestari, 2013). This situation provokes a dilemma for the present inhabitants between * Doctoral Student, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan ** Professor, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan E-mail: meidwinna@gmail.com (C) 2017 City Planning Institute of Japan http://dx.doi.org/10.14398/urpr.4.71 Urban and Regional Planning Review Vol. 4, 2017 | 72 maintaining tradition and keeping up with a modern lifestyle. The Indonesian traditional house can mainly be grouped into two categories: Maritime and Agricultural. Maritime houses are stilt houses built alongside or above the river or sea, found in Sumatera (Palembang), Kalimantan (Banjar), and Sulawesi (Bugis). Agricultural or landed houses are particularly seen in Java, Bali, etc. Compared to landed ones, aquatic dwellings exist only in a few places across the globe, including Indonesia. One case of maritime architecture is the Banjarese house in Banjarmasin, which have existed for many decades. The Banjarese house is a typical riverside vernacular dwellings of the Banjarese tribe that were built between 1871 and 1935 (Saleh, 1980, pp.5). They exist in most of the settlements in the mountainous areas, flat lands, as well as along the riverbanks throughout the Kalimantan region. Built on tall pillars to keep them above water level, they were developed together with other Banjarese dwellings that were originally developed as urban settlements for maritime traders and craft specialists surrounding the palaces of the kings and distinct from rural villages (Zohrah and Fukukawa, 2010). People dominantly occupy around the origin of the riverfront in Banjarmasin as traditional settlements. The houses grew spontaneously along the river and the central city in the old village (kampung), showing the dwelling as a part of a river culture, where the daily activities of the inhabitants depend on the river as a source of drinking water, a place for bathing and washing, transportation, etc. There are eleven classifications of the Banjarese house; the number is quite unusual compared to other maritime houses in Indonesia that commonly are of around two kinds only. This particular facts gives us a firm reason to carry out a study about the Banjarese house. 1.2 Research Problem At present, the Banjarese house is in a state of extinction and experiencing major physical transformations. The changes in housing have occurred mainly due to the introduction of new building materials and systems (Viquar, 1998, pp.1). Aside from that, a lack of attention from the local government in protecting the traditional houses and a lack of self-consciousness by dwellers has also contributed to the further worsening of the overall physical condition of the remaining houses. Michiani and Asano (2016a, 2016b) found out that only a small number of the houses remain; mostly in a bad condition, and that their original style had been altered and modified by the owner. The houses that are spread across some of the areas of South Kalimantan, such as Keramat Baru, Sungai Jingah, Marabahan, Teluk Selong, Banua Anyar, Kuin Selatan, Kuin Utara, etc.; mainly stand as single buildings and not as a part of a group of houses. An immediate preservation action is required for keeping the traditional architecture as a part of the habitat of the community (Noviarti et al., 2013). Without protection, the buildings tend to lose their characteristics. Nevertheless, the viability of the traditional structures is governed by motivations and functional considerations of the people inhabiting the house (Hanan, 2010). Furthermore, it should be noted that an absence of a concrete vision for urban planning and development control tools caused the occurrence of physical and social transformation in the area (Hareedy and Deguchi, 2010). 1.3 Target Location Banjarmasin, the capital city of South Kalimantan, is the oldest city in Borneo island (today Kalimantan), which was first established around the 16th century along the Kuin and Alalak River Urban and Regional Planning Review Vol. 4, 2017 | 73 Fig.1 Location Map (Source: Michiani and Asano, 2016b) (Subiyakto, 2004). Renowned of its unique waterscapes , Banjarmasin comes to be called “the City of a Thousand Rivers” and “Venice of the East”, as a large number of rivers flowed all through the city in the earlier days. This study focuses on the remaining Banjarese houses in the Kuin Utara sub-district in the North District of Banjarmasin, located six kilometers from the central city (Fig.1). Based on the Decree of the Banjarmasin mayor No. 488A/DPU-CK/VII/2009 about the priority of handling squatter areas and traditional settlements, Kuin Utara is one of five sub-districts, which is set as a traditional area in Banjarmasin City (Rahmitiasari et al., 2014). The settlement situated along the downstream of the Kuin River is closely linked to the history of Banjarmasin City. This settlement is the embryo of Banjarmasin, the oldest Banjarese village that previously developed to become the greatest Islamic kingdom in Borneo (Goenmiandari et al., 2010). The Banjarese Kingdom is the first Islamic empire in Kalimantan, built by Sultan Suriansyah (1526-1550). In 1612, the palace was burnt down by the VOC (1). No remains exist; thus, the exact location of the palace cannot be determined. However, researchers and scientists believe that the site of the royal residence is in the same place where the present burial complex of Sultan Suriansyah is. In the context of tourism, several historical and cultural attractions can be viewed within the area. There is not only the royal burial complex of Sultan Suriansyah, but also a historical mosque named the Sultan Suriansyah Mosque, and one more place, the floating market of Muara Kuin. Designated by the government as a historical tourism village, it can be agreed that Kuin Utara has historical value worthy of investigation as the city's embryo. Consequently, there is a strong reason for the remaining Banjarese houses to be revitalized as to upgrade the overall value of the area as an important historical site. 2. Aims and Methodology 2.1 Aims of the Study This research seeks to observe the physical transformation process of the Banjarese house by analyzing the period or phase of change and its cause. Another objective of this study is to discuss the spatial room configuration of the present Banjarese house as well. The final result of this Urban and Regional Planning Review Vol. 4, 2017 | 74 research will allow us to consider the possibility of house preservation and to propose a suitable preservation method. However, there is a lack of research investigating the historical transformation of the physical form and room layout of the Banjarese houses in Kuin Utara, Banjarmasin. There is also less study, discussion or proposals of guidelines for preserving these traditional houses. Hence, this study places an emphasis on housing development and offers a direction for protecting the remaining Banjarese houses. 2.2 Research Method This research starts with a general investigation of the target location along the Kuin Riverside in Kuin Utara sub-district (Fig.1). The target houses were chosen up to the fourth layer as a maximum from the main road. Based on the observation, only thirteen remaining Banjarese houses are still occupied. Integrative research approaches were held to gain the data by field survey, observation, and interviewing. The dwellers from the target houses were interviewed by using questionnaires, consisting of questions about their construction and renovation chronologies: year, reason, shape, and size.