Re-adapting Buoyant Vernacular Architecture in Indonesia

New solutions for Indonesia’s floating vernacular architecture

Re-adapting Buoyant Vernacular Architecture in Indonesia

New solutions using floating vernacular architecture to enhance community wellbeing using local materials and expertise

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    Re-adapting Buoyant Vernacular Architecture in Indonesia

    The Research in Practice Grant created a first buoyant amenity prototype in Jatiluhur Reservoir, West Java, where an existing community in Purwakarta lives on the water.

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    Re-adapting buoyant vernacular architecture in Indonesia

    The research addresses the challenge of sustaining water-related vernacular architecture in Indonesia where cultural wisdom is deeply rooted yet disrupted, and the building typology is perceived as facing relevant issues.

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    Re-adapting Buoyant Vernacular Architecture in Indonesia

    A model created by local people shares ideas for the amenity's development, informed creating of a mockup that was used as a reference for the renovation of the floating building according the community’s needs and input.

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    Re-adapting Buoyant Vernacular Architecture in Indonesia

    To increase the transferability of the construction process, a series of IKEA-like step-by-step and easy-to-construct designs were developed for local artisans to follow using local materials. This important step enabled know-how to be shared and ensured the community could be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the structure.

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    Re-adapting Buoyant Vernacular Architecture in Indonesia

    After the design process was completed, construction of the floating structure to accommodate 20-30 people began.

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    Re-adapting Buoyant Vernacular Architecture in Indonesia

    Two buoyant structures – a community hub and fishing tourism center – will be moved to another part of the lake where water levels will be sufficient for year-round floatation.

This research addresses the challenge of sustaining water-related vernacular architecture in Indonesia, where cultural wisdom is rooted deeply yet disrupted, particularly in buoyant structures facing relevance issues.

Last updated: March 04, 2024 Bandung, Indonesia

Research in Practice Grant (RPG) Recipients

  • Rionaldi Gunari

    Indonesia

  • Laurentius Nicholas Rodriques

    Indonesia

  • Gani Wiratama

    Indonesia

The primary goals of the project include therefore developing a sustainable methodology and exploring new solutions for readapting buoyant vernacular architecture, seamlessly integrating it with thriving communities, using local materials and expertise.

External reviewers

The research methodology revolves around a holistic, transformational, and transferable approach. It scrutinizes the tectonics of buoyant amenity shaped by local craftsmen and bamboo joineries. Community engagement is pivotal, involving series of participatory workshops in making sure the buoyant structure fits into the lifestyle of the Jatiluhur community. Serial iterations are conducted to refine each finding into more relevant spatial structure unison with local context. The involvement of local community in every aspects of the research has boosted their confidence in exploring untapped potential of their building culture.

The resulted of two buoyant structures and one open platform are expected to be community hub and future fishing tourism center. The complex is promoting economic viability for community in maintaining the future of vernacular readaptation. This exemplifies the sustainable readaptation of Indonesia's water vernacular architecture and provokes the discourse on nationwide development in this domain. The proposed transformation mitigates potential environmental impacts and addresses challenges of replicability and regulatory compliance.

Project updates

Report documents the research process

A report by Nicholas Rodriques, Rionaldi Gunari and Gani Wiratama was submitted to the Holcim Foundation that documents the research process and includes illustrations of the joinery techniques used for bamboo construction. It explores new solutions for re-adapting buoyant vernacular architecture, seamlessly integrating it with thriving communities, using local materials and expertise.

The step-by-step diagrams from the report are available for download as PDF or Flipbook.