Review Buku Arsitektur Etnik: Pencerminan Nilai Budaya dalam Arsitektur di Indonesia.

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My short review about the book. well almost the same lah kayak di bukunya

Transcript of Review Buku Arsitektur Etnik: Pencerminan Nilai Budaya dalam Arsitektur di Indonesia.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface ....2I. Introduction ..... 3II. Basic Culture4III. Relationship with Architecture6IV. Past and Present12V. Conclusion14

References15

PREFACE

This book report has basic understanding about the relationship between culture and architecture that had been written by a team students of Architecture in University of Indonesia back in 1982. I choose this book report because it explains the basic obvious factors that creates the relationship between culture and architecture. This seminar report open the simple facts which helps my view to understand the correlations.In this book review, I will try to explore and analyze the book with my own perspective of ideas. I hope this writing can give lots of advantages until then.

I. Introduction

A connection with the past is a prerequisite for the appearance of anew and self confident tradition.-Gideon, 1956

Architecture and culture has anything to do with the way people lives and behave. Architecture formed culture and so are the opposite. In our modern cases people in Jakarta are live in individuals while our ancestors told us to live harmoniously in gatherness. Can architecture solve the case? The answer is always been yes, but the fact that modern people need more privacy. The more complicated their life, the more people need a place for them to relax and be comfortable. So, the more individual spaces that will be created. But, what about being not egocentric? How can we occur this kind of culture in our modern life? How cant we withstand our traditional way of life that focus on value of gatherness?This comes to the process of culture that has been changed for years. Every changes are tends to search for balance and finally bear a new form of way of life. Every changes need time to creates valuable culture that can balance life. Indonesia has diverse culture to explore. Back then, there are many highlights of creation and culture has been made throughout the history. This book discuss how cultural context reflect in architecture, which examine the relation in: Religion, Social, Politic, Science and Technology, Economy and Aesthetics.Culture influence the rise and fall of architecture. The context of surroundings and building which explains physical context will help to illustrate the context of culture in the changes of architecture.

II. Basic Culture

In Indonesia, traditional houses are seen as a form of culture. The culture itself shaped the ethnicity, where group of people have the same certain character, whether its physical or non-physical, live together and formed a continuous life, resulting an enormous families. Traditional houses also has their own characteristics, it shows a distinctive values which resulting norms to respect the nature. There are three system that has to be balanced.

These three systems are connected to each other. The human need dwelling, in order to build a dwelling, human has to syncronize and respect their surroundings. These creates norms on the way people lives. For instance, in province of Sumba, there are certain rule of distance between the roof and column. In sectional drawing, the column cannot be parallel with the roof, it has certain distance, cannot be too close, cannot be too far. They believe its an analogue for their member of the certain ethnicity group in Sumba to respect each other and not to be self-centered. This is an example of case which in our modern life, a no.1 individual are mostly being successful at any circumstances (also the person are the most survived), are not welcome anymore because we have to see the context of our new surroundings. Culture in Sansakert language means: Buddayah (plural), Budhi (singular). Parsudi Suparlan explains that culture (kebudayaan) are knowledge that are used for social entities to understand and intepret their surroundings. Something that be repeated overtimes, its culture. Something that we do everyday, its our culture. In most ethnicity group being together in one place to interact and socialize are the key to live harmoniously. A comunal space is created to acommodate their need. Their need of gathering is a culture. The way they interact in one place is a form of culture. The space that has been created is culture.

Ethos and way of lifeNatural environment and soceityInstinctCultureNeedsBehaviorSo what are the process of creating this repeated actions?

The process are based on three different aspects: ethos, environment and human instinct. Culture create needs and then, need creates behavior which will be repeated overtimes. So, if we analyze, behavior is a part of culture that involves needs. If behavior becomes habit it is the fault of culture and the idea from where the culture is created. Interesting point about the difference of focus and understanding between western and eastern philosophy. Eastern philosophy are concern to the macrocosmic object, spiritual elements, obscure, and focus on respecting nature to achieve harmonious life. Whether the western philosophy are more concern to microcosmic object, developing knowledge through scientific analysis, clear, materiallist and rationalist. These different views relate with the ethos of life, the background of society, the geographical condition and so much more. We can conclude that in eastern society, life seen as a spiritualistic journey, heart as the core of life. But if we take a glimpse of western society, rational explanation are the core of their journey of life. In my analysis, it is very debatable that western and eastern are being categorize based on spiritual and rational. Eastern philosophy shown spiritual aspects that are not being explained by rational, but it is actually rational. If we examine a case about Feng Shui, most people thinks its some kind of mythical knowledge with unknown reason. But, in my view, Feng Shui are applied in houses to achieve higher standards of healthiness and prosperity. Most people (except for Chinese ethnicity), thinks its a believing that applied in houses. If Feng Shui knowledge are being straight forward with rational explanation, maybe people will absorb the understanding. This is has anything to do with ethnicity background about why Feng Shui being presented or seen in a mythical way.

III. Relationship with Architecture

Human interaction are caused by the needs of social interaction. This need able to create architecture for dwell, to protect and prosper. Its also related with context of environment, technology, perfect use, aesthetics, association, and context of century.A traditional Javanese house are not similar with the traditional house of Bali because there are certain needs from each ethnicity background. It depends always in needs and way of thinking. The context of environment, we can see that nature of each province are different. The using of technology, talking about the construction of the houses, mostly Indonesian traditional houses are using woods as their whole construction. And mostly they heighten the level of house, separated from the ground to adapt with the condition in the forest. Aesthetics correlate with style also has its symbolic meaning. Functionality is the key to achieve a perfect use of architecture. Architect and designer has to deliver the functionality through create or using the perfect typology. A success communicating the function, also success to generalize peoples perception.Architecture and cultural values cannot be separated. These values will be explained and analyze.

1. ReligionTalking about religion, people are closed minded, meaning that there are certain rules that has to be done in order to be closer to God. It is a theory of human attitude towards believing in something (God). Before other religions came into Javanese culture, Javanese has already understand the concept of their own believing called animism. Batak tribes has a conception of their own God, called Debata Mulajadi Na Bolon. It lives in the sky and has its own other names according to each Gods task. In southern shore of Yogyakarta, there are also believes in Nyi Roro Kidul. To respect her the houses must be directed to where they believe she lives. When we correlate these cases and architecture, surely we understand that any of these has its own scientific explanations. If we analyze why those houses has to be directed to that side, is because it gives good ventilations.

Temple of Mukteswar in Khajraho, India. 10th century

When Majapahit rules, Hindu religion was widely developed, there were many candis all over the province of Java. But since Islam expanding its religion in Javanese island, the Hindu people tried to find peace to hold on their religion views by ran to safer area, Bali. Hindu religion in Bali has a combination between Buddha, Hindu and their tradition of life. Balinese people thinks that this world is only a portal to go to a better world, they believe in reincarnation, life is their religion, their basic life is depends on eternal world. This views then translate to their houses in their daily life, including their position of their houses, which direction they aiming to and based on what the houses spatial organization. The picture above are the pattern of houses and each has its own yard. Their house facades are facing to the mountain which is on east (Kaja). The mountain are a sacred sanctuary where candi pura had been build. As to the western side or Kalod are the back of the houses. To build the house, it has its own rule called asta kasola-kosali and asta Bumi. This rule is also arrange the organization of plan, dimension, orientation/direction, and some other forbidden rules. The Islamic building like mosques and Christian churches are also based on their conception of creating space to respect to God. Each of this sacred places are not based on where the religion comes from but also, where it builds. The mosques building in Indonesia has different roof shape than the original mosque in Saudi Arabia. Muslim came to Indonesia through India (Gujarat), so it affect the way Islamic building formed in Indonesia.

2. Social InteractionSocial interaction are made by minimum of two people. There must be a cooperation to achieve something together. Indonesia and India had a process of acculturation. India brought their culture through the process of trading and Indonesia accept well about conception of Buddha. So as a result of social interaction, then comes Borobudur as a sacred place to worshipping devines and ancestors. When we look at longhouse of Dayak tribes in Kalimantan, we will think its a cooperation between small groups of family that agreed to leave together. Yes, and the fact is it is a tradition that has been preserved for so long. This house acommodate the big family to gather and increase the feel of tolerance to each other. The longhouse probably a good example on how architecture dwelling gathers the family values. Not always our interaction runs smoothly as it is, there were conflicts and competitions between some group ethnicity that can result a form of shield. Traditional house of Batak Toba, conflicts were everywhere, so the columns are made of enormous wood, the houses are made to face the streets and the terraces were created as a fighting area to fight against the enemies from outside.

enemies

In my opinion this creation of terraces are a part of architecture shaping needs. This are not one way process, its a cyclic creation. After the terraces had been made, it would have a made different behavior of fighting. A vertical fighting was might be the idea of protecting themselves without being out in the field with the enemies, but the strategy of fighting will be different from the original idea after the real condition on the terrace. They might be hard aiming for the enemy or different position would be made to easily kill the enemy.But the fact was, people got so tired fighting all the time and killed so many people and then plugged the victims hair to build their own roof (yes, its a part of a rule to make a new house in Kabihu Mato Langu tribe). People need to socialize and increase their capabilities to actualize their skill, to share their experience and wash away their worries so these needs are a basic form of a positive social interaction that creates large spaces for people to communicate to each other.

3. Science and TechnologyIn the age of Neolithic, human learn to produced food and create tools for their daily needs. Also creativity increases by producing ornaments of symbolic meanings. Their believe in something was also produce the sacred place; a house with columns from wood and stone, an enormous sacred stone, house of ceremony, panggung batu (from Nias) and many more. The construction, what material it was being build also the craftsmanship of the traditional houses are unique.

Umpak batuTraditional house of Batak Simalungun tribe in North Sumatera are located in higher grounds, the tropical climate and intermediate temperature (not too cold and not too hot) affects the way the house being constructed. Much humidity allows base floor to fall apart. So it was risen above the ground and supported by columns. The tools are pickaxe, axe, crowbar, and machete to processed cutting woods, carving woods, flatten the foundation, and cutting ijuk/bamboo/sheath. The materials are ijuk, enau sheath, wood, board, bamboo, and stones.The construction are being done by over 60 people. The structure itself are using woods and the supported part are consist of stone base (umpak batu) being planted into the ground. The function are as firm base and also to direct the weight of the house into the ground. This house is anti-earthquake.Another example is Tana Toraja Traditional House in South Sulawesi. Palawa Village located 1500 meters above the sea, there are lots of mountains and valleys. The soil consists of lime stones, the woods are fully planted with bamboos. This house has the same strategy to protect the wet and humid ground, they have to highten the level of floor. The society lives in small groups and has breeding live stocks. The construction itself are build by the material from the woods: nipah, bamboos, woods, rattan weaving and clay as color additive to draw motives on the house. The structure of the house consist of three main part: below (under the house), middle (core of the house) and upper (roof). The differentiation of each part tells they connects and dependent to each other. The umpak batu or the foundation from stone is to separate the wooden structure from the ground. The height of the house from the ground itself is maximum 2.35 meters. Below the house there is a block stair which is used as a sloof, to move the weight from the columns to the ground.The structure of the house are actually simple: columns and beam are used as a hold the weight and transfer it down to the ground. The joints are using rattan with tie and pin system.

IV. Past and Present

This book examine and explain the connection between the past and the present, how culture reflects the architecture, searching the basic concept also the rule that has been developed throughout the years and how it appears now. Some say that past is the key to know about the future or past is a process of reflection to the future. The past and the present cannot be separated, it has become a timeline. Our architectural environments in the past comes from various backgrounds of ethnicity, creates various needs and eventually, behaviors. Fletcher (1928) wrote in his book A History of Architecture on The Comparative Method said that in order to examine the architecture background, we needed to understand these steps:1. Analyze the factors that can affect a form of architecture: the physical environment, the civilization and the historical background2. Attention to the character of the architecture, the overall quality, the originality and the development analysis by many theories. 3. Showing an example of main building that shows a result based on the factors4. Analyze the comparation of each elements of building.

What Fletcher wrote, in my opinion, is to search balance between the build environment and the natural environment itself also analyze whether one building to another has deficiencies or more advantages. It all comes to create the best dwelling for human and its eco-systems. The human and its dwellings, the form of dwelling, the function, and nature affect the form space are components of discussion which helps to analyze the concept creation of space.We can see now the modern life changes the way people lives and behaves, the condition of the nature is also having a degradation, the function of living is not only to survive in groups but how to survive as an individuals. In this way it will generate a form of different architecture. There are no longer houses for big families and its communal space, there are no longer longhouses with many rooms with one family, no house heighten their floor from the ground, excepts the tribals who survive the acculturation and modernization. We found many small houses with its small family. We found people who are live alone in one big house for him/herself. We found a big family live in small house. The houses are moving from simple to complex, from symbolic ornaments to unique shapes and always depending on the gadgets. These kind of urban cases are moving towards a separation of valuable life-lesson that we can learn from the past.

CONCLUSION

We can conclude that traditional living are focus on the unity of living, respects to the ancestors, always based on valuable rules, and the basic need were to survive. This review are focusing on how traditional life reflects the traditional architecture. The houses are traces of national identites that shouldve been improved and preserved.

REFERENCES

Isaacs, Harold. R. 1975. Idols of the Tribe: Group Identity and Political Change

Bouwman, Dr. P.J. Sociology, Pengertian dan Masalah

Tim Penulis.1982. Pencerminan Nilai Budaya dalam Arsitektur di Indonesia. Jakarta: Djambatan

http://mbaht21.blogspot.com/2011/11/fakta-tentang-keajaiban-dunia.html (accessed October 22nd, 2013)

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