The Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing the Built Form of Nias Island, North Sumatera, Indonesia

Authors

  • Bhakti Alamsyah, Julaihi Wahid

Abstract

Indonesia is a vast country with diverse cultures and rich traditions. Architecture was observed to be one of the national heritage artifacts preserved over time in the country. The preservation of traditional architecture is not only for tourism but more importantly to develop its potential to meet the needs and vision of the society. Moreover, the ever-changing urban space of the country is growing and developing in line with the increase in population thereby making the traditional architecture of the natives disappear slowly. Architecture is not just an assembly of the building materials on a plot of land but also the manifestation of a complex milieu comprising of culture, social and technological aspects required to meet human needs and facilitate their activities. This research was, therefore, conducted to discuss the potentials of Nias architecture elements as an appreciation of traditional architecture. Nias is a small island located on the North-West coast of Sumatra. This remote location distinctly creates unique cultural procedures, customs, and beliefs which influence the socio-culture of its inhabitants and have become the significant cultural practice and customs on the island. It has also been argued that the influence of local culture, especially in the formation of Nias traditional houses, has an impact on the construction of the dominating style of buildings between the North and South Nias. Meanwhile, the Nias culture is generally said to be relatively similar between the two regions but the configuration of the buildings is distinctively different due to the building materials available, the tradition of the people, and the surrounding environment.

Published

2020-10-16

Issue

Section

Articles