Indonesia is rich in diverse cultures, one of which is the wealth\nfound in the design of traditional Nusantara houses. However, amid the\nflow of modernisation, the existence of traditional houses is\nincreasingly eroded. Besides changes in lifestyle, high construction\ncosts and construction complexity cause many traditional houses to be\nabandoned or significantly modified.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the need for decent housing in Indonesia remains\nvery large. The government targets the construction of three million\nhouses, especially for low-income communities (MBR). In this context,\ninnovations based on technology and local wisdom become crucial to\naddress the national housing challenges.<\/p>\n
Through the BTN Housingpreneur programme, PT Bank Tabungan Negara\n(Persero) Tbk encourages the birth of housing solutions that are not\nonly affordable but also innovative and sustainable without leaving\nlocal identity. \u201cBTN collaborates with the Indonesian Institute of\nArchitects to obtain the best Nusantara architectural designs from\nIndonesian architects and aspiring architects,\u201d said BTN President\nDirector Nixon LP Napitupulu.<\/p>\n
In the BTN Housingpreneur 2024 event, BTN invites Indonesian\narchitects to create the best ideas in subsidised house designs grounded\nin Nusantara culture through the Nusantara House Design Competition.\nMeanwhile, in 2025, Rumah Nusantara becomes one of the competition\ncategories that promotes thematic housing design ideas based on\naffordable, sustainable local wisdom that can be implemented in the\nhomeland.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that this event will be a moment for the emergence of\nbrilliant ideas regarding innovative house designs that still prioritise\nlocal wisdom elements,\u201d said Nixon. Through this event, BTN hopes that\nmore Indonesians can own dream homes that are habitable and\nenvironmentally friendly.<\/p>\n
BTN Corporate Secretary Ramon Armando said that the implementation of\nBTN Housingpreneur is expected to attract as many talented individuals\nin Indonesia as possible to present superior designs for subsidised\nhouses needed by the people. \u201cThis becomes a good opportunity for the\nbirth of attractive house designs with Indonesian cultural\ncharacteristics and prioritising sustainability aspects, in line with\nBTN\u2019s commitment to creating added value for stakeholders, society, the\nenvironment, and the nation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The BTN Housingpreneur programme opens opportunities for the public,\nincluding students, to create new innovations and technologies related\nto the housing ecosystem based on entrepreneurship. This programme\nbrings together architects, developers, and young talents to create real\nsolutions in the national housing sector that are relevant to the needs\nof the younger generation and the general public. Through this\ninitiative, BTN hopes to produce innovative young property entrepreneurs\nand present quality homes with a local nuance that remain\naffordable.<\/p>\n
Presenting \u2018Inner Beauty\u2019 Through Groving House<\/p>\n
The Growing House concept presents adaptive housing based on\nIndonesian local architecture. In BTN Housingpreneur 2025, Rumah\nNusantara becomes one of the competition categories. One of the winners,\nGroving House, presents a different approach amid the trend of\nsubsidised housing that is often considered uniform and lacking\nflexibility.<\/p>\n
Instead of highlighting mere external aesthetics, the Groving House\nconcept starts from what is called inner beauty\u2014values, philosophy, and\ndeep functions hidden behind the physical form of the building.<\/p>\n
Designed as a small house measuring 6x10 metres, Groving House\nappears simple and does not show Nusantara characteristics. It turns out\nthat the approach taken by Mifta Syahrudin, Architect from Midun and\nPartners Architect, indeed does not get trapped in visual symbols like\njoglo roofs or traditional ornaments like other Nusantara houses. Its\nmain innovation lies in the effort to translate the basic philosophy of\nNusantara architecture into more essential elements, namely materials\nand how space works.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of us see Indonesian houses as beautiful from their \u2018skin\u2019,\ntheir shape. But if we look at their inner beauty, we can know the depth\nof the story from the house itself,\u201d said the First Place winner from\nthe general participant group in the Nusantara House business idea\ncategory at BTN Housingpreneur 2025.<\/p>\n
The inner beauty concept in Groving House starts from the\nunderstanding that traditional Nusantara houses are not just about form,\nbut also how the building \u201cbreathes\u201d. According to him, the nature of\nNusantara house materials is porous, meaning air and light can\nenter.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, one of the old materials is like gedek or woven bamboo which is\nporous in nature. Light can enter, air can enter. When we try to study\nand analyse it, we transform it into new materials, so the Nusantara\nelement is there,\u201d said Mifta.<\/p>\n
This philosophy is then transformed into modern materials such as\nglass blocks for lighting and rosters for air circulation. With this\napproach, local values remain alive, but more adaptive and contextual.\nEven, the materials are flexible\u2014they can be replaced according to\navailability in each region without eliminating the essence of the\nconcept.<\/p>\n
Besides material philosophy, the Groving House innovation is also\nevident in the growing house concept. This design is not static, but\ndesigned to follow the life cycle of its occupants. \u201cThis house is\ndivided into three concepts: when single, when married and having\nchildren, and when married but living with parents. The concept adjusts\nto the buyer. Plus, there is space for MSMEs,\u201d said Mifta.<\/p>\n
When single, the house can be made open without partitions for\nefficiency, while when having a family, partitions can be added as\nneeded, and when living with parents, the space is adapted to\naccommodate parents.<\/p>\n
Groving House becomes even more appealing because its development is\nnot only horizontal<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/preserving-local-wisdom-through-nusantara-architectural-design-1777301840", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }