Dwita Hadi Rahmi

Koto Sentajo in Riau, Indonesia, offers a unique example of a culture where traditional architecture and customary practices remain central to daily life. As a living settlement shaped by matrilineal kinship and indigenous governance, its core spatial elements, the Rumah Godang (traditional house), mosque, and Balai Adat (customary hall), function as anchors of cultural continuity. This study addresses the challenge of sustaining vernacular heritage in the face of modernisation by examining how traditions are maintained through communal rituals and spatial organisation. Using ethnographic methods, the research documents how the Rayo Duo festival (the second day of Eid al-Fitr) mobilises community members across generations to reactivate customary roles and restore ancestral houses. Findings reveal that cultural sustainability in Koto Sentajo depends on integrating social structure, spatial form, and philosophical values, embodied in the concepts of Tungku Tigo Sajorangan and Tali Tigo Sapilin. The study concludes that the endurance of the Rumah Godang is not merely architectural but rooted in living practices, making Koto Sentajo a model of community-led conservation and indigenous resilience.

Historic urban settlements have physical structures, where all cultural expressions, architecture, and the entire physical area reflect the social and cultural life of the people over time. Changes and continuity of social values affect the spatial pattern of settlement and gradually cause the socio-spatial transformation of the area. This study aims to document the socio-spatial pattern transformations of Laweyan historic urban settlement in Surakarta city by examining the relationship between the social activities of the community in batik business and its spatial configuration. This qualitative research obtained data from field exploration, in-depth interviews, and document studies. The identification of current physical and social conditions and the document studies were verified by the results of the community memory of their past socio-spatial conditions. The result shows that Laweyan experienced three periods of batik business, which are the early period, glory period, and decline period until current period. The dynamics of the development of batik business have triggered the transformation of the socio-spatial pattern in each period of development. The social transformation occurs in the employment orientation, social relations, and social strata of the residents, which affects the spatial transformation, including the spatial patterns, functions, land use, and accessibility. These transformation of Laweyan that can still occur will affect its sustainability as a historic urban settlement in Surakarta.

Braga Street is a commercial area and a popular tourist destination in the centre of Bandung. Known as “De Meest Europeesche Winkelstraat Van Indie” (the most European business street in the Dutch East Indies), it features a continuous row of colonial-era shop buildings with pedestrian pathways and distinctive architecture that is over 100 years old. Despite ongoing urban development and the commercialization of tourism, this corridor has managed to retain much of its spatial and visual character. This study aims to examine how the historical corridor of Braga Street maintains its distinctive morphological and visual identity amid contemporary urban transformations. It specifically addresses the question of how spatial and visual factors contribute to the corridor’s ability to preserve its heritage values while accommodating modern functions. Using a qualitative method with a morphological approach involving historical overlay maps, figure-ground analysis, and enclosure evaluation across different time periods, the research identifies spatial and visual factors that support the corridor’s endurance. The findings reveal a persistent spatial continuity reflected in consistent figure-ground and enclosure patterns, complemented by contextual architectural facades and supportive landscape elements that enhance pedestrian comfort. However, this continuity is not absolute, as adaptive reuse and new developments introduce partial ruptures in the urban fabric. The study’s contribution lies in demonstrating how quantitative morphological indicators can inform strategies that balance conservation with contemporary urban needs.

Traditional architecture is a cultural expression of a community that has developed from time to time with changes in and continuity of its cultural values. There are cultural values that remain stable and can still survive in contemporary culture, whereas others change following the socio-cultural development of the community. There needs to be a balance between the change in and continuity of cultural values to achieve the sustainability of traditional architecture. Balance can be achieved if the core of its heritage, which is the cultural values of the community, is maintained and if the heritage values of old cultural products can be appreciated in contemporary culture. Tenganan Pegringsingan Village, a traditional Bali Aga village, has developed into a cultural tourism village. Most of its residents are involved in tourism activities, having opened art shops in their houses and selling crafts in the open spaces of the village. Problems arise when changes in the architecture of the village and residents’ houses, regarding which there is fear that they will affect the sustainability of residents’ traditional cultural values, increase. This study aims to examine the changes in and continuity of traditional architecture in the Tenganan Pegringsingan Village settlement. It observed the village and spatial layout of houses, conducted in-depth interviews with homeowners and village leaders, and was supported by data from questionnaires. Qualitative analysis was carried out, supported by maps, photos, and architectural drawings. This study revealed that there are changes in four elements of village architecture due to tourism, including village spatial design, the function and design of awangan (open space), the function and layout of houses, and building façades. The intervention of the government and the involvement of the community in tourism activities for economic interests have triggered many changes. However, the continuity of these components still exists because the village community continues to strongly hold traditional rules. Tenganan Pegringsingan Village is under threat due to the decline of its architectural continuity, which will obscure and degrade the cultural values of its heritage. The balance between the change in and continuity of the elements of village spatial design and houses, which is strongly influenced by the dynamics of the community’s cultural life, is the novelty of this architectural research.

Kampung Batik Laweyan is a batik tourist destination located in the city of Surakarta. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Kampung Batik Laweyan was visited by all tourists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism in Kampung Batik Laweyan experienced a decline. Some batik entrepreneurs have switched professions to become culinary entrepreneurs, so currently, several new dining areas are emerging. Architectural changes that occur are changing the function of the space in the batik entrepreneur's house into the dining areas. This study aims to identify changes in the function of space in the houses of batik entrepreneurs in Kampung Batik Laweyan. This research method uses the descriptive-qualitative method. The results of this study are in the form of a description of the changes in the function of space that occur.

Bangunan pusaka menjadi asset bagi sebuah kota. Pusaka merupakan peninggalan masa lalu, dimana hasil karya tersebut memiliki nilai sejarah, pemikiran yang berguna keberlanjutan manusia selanjutnya. Menurut Piagam Pelestaian Kota Pusaka 2013, inventarisasi dan dokumentasi menjadi instrument penataan dan pelestarian kota puska. Penulisan ini mengkaji peranan dokumentasi digital pada bangunan pusaka dengan studi literatur review. Melakukan sintesis artikel yang terbit dari tahun 2017 sampai dengan 2020, dengan jumlah artikel yang sesuai sebanyak 5 buah. Kesemua artikel dominan mengangkat permasalahan tentang keberagaman dokumentasi bangunan pusaka baik digital dan manual. Keberagaman tersebut menjadi potensi untuk meningkatkan akurasi identifikasi bangunan pusaka. Temuan dari artikel yang disintesis membuat model atau skema untuk meningkatkan efektifitas dokumen digital tersebut selain melengkapi dokumen yang sudah ada. Potensi keberadaan dokumentasi digital sebagai awal pengelolaan bangunan puska, terbuka utuk melakukan banyak kegiatan untuk meningkatkan dokumentasi digital dan mengkolaborasikannya

The urban landscape, which is in a dynamic environment, continues to change, meaning it has transformed the relationship between humans and the environment. Many changes have occurred since the early formation of the city until now. Nevertheless, many heritage urban landscape that has been formed hundreds of years ago are continuing to date with their various elements remain the same. Jeron Beteng is a part of the Yogyakarta Sultanate Palace, which has existed since the early construction of the palace. This traditional area was once a residential area for the abdi dalem (people who served the Sultan and Palace) and the sultanate princes or brothers of the Sultan. Along with the developments of Yogyakarta, Jeron Beteng has developed into a dense urban settlement. Various changes have occurred, both the function of the area, architecture building, and land use. As a heritage area, it is interesting to know whether Jeron Beteng can adapt to the changes and continue as the cultural identity of the Yogyakarta Palace. This paper is based on research that intends to identify the urban landscape characters of Jeron Beteng and examine the continuity of its physical landscape characters as the cultural identity of the Yogyakarta Palace. A qualitative method is used with two approaches: interpretation of the history of Jeron Beteng and qualitative approach based on the contemporary empirical phenomenon. This research found that Jeron Beteng today is the culmination of hundreds of years of physical and social management. It is not just a collection of heritage buildings, events, and precincts, but the whole landscapes, that have unique characters. The character of Jeron Beteng is mostly formed by its physical elements that have heritage values, mainly the Palace, Alun-alun, and the beteng wall. Changes in the spatial and physical environment have happened, however, the essence or core of the physical landscape character of Jeron Beteng is continuing and contributes to the cultural identity of the Yogyakarta Palace and the city.

Selokan Mataram, a 31.2 km irrigation canal linking Opak and Progo Rivers in the Province of Yogyakarta, initiated and built by Sultan HB IX during the Japanese Occupation, has essential historical values and cultural heritage. It was built to provide water for agricultural activities in the area. At the moment, however, the Selokan Mataram is under the pressure of urbanization and rapid development. Such pressures are threatening its heritage values. This paper aims to examine Selokan Mataram from a cultural landscape perspective, examine the values of its cultural heritage, and document the pressures, threats, and efforts that the government has undertaken to preserve it. This research uses a case study approach, where data and information are obtained through secondary data, field observation, and interviews with multiple sources. The research argues that Selokan Mataram is a ‘cultural landscape’ that is important to Yogyakarta. It has and fulfills important values to be registered as a cultural heritage. At the same time, as one crucial cultural landscape, Selokan Mataram and the surrounding area is threatened by the rapid development of the city where the local government is not fully able to manage and control it. This research recommends that Selokan Mataram should be declared as a cultural heritage area, so that efforts can be further supported and strengthened to preserve it.