Preserving Local Wisdom Through Nusantara Architectural Design
Indonesia is rich in diverse cultures, one of which is the wealth found in the design of traditional Nusantara houses. However, amid the flow of modernisation, the existence of traditional houses is increasingly eroded. Besides changes in lifestyle, high construction costs and construction complexity cause many traditional houses to be abandoned or significantly modified.
On the other hand, the need for decent housing in Indonesia remains very large. The government targets the construction of three million houses, especially for low-income communities (MBR). In this context, innovations based on technology and local wisdom become crucial to address the national housing challenges.
Through the BTN Housingpreneur programme, PT Bank Tabungan Negara (Persero) Tbk encourages the birth of housing solutions that are not only affordable but also innovative and sustainable without leaving local identity. “BTN collaborates with the Indonesian Institute of Architects to obtain the best Nusantara architectural designs from Indonesian architects and aspiring architects,” said BTN President Director Nixon LP Napitupulu.
In the BTN Housingpreneur 2024 event, BTN invites Indonesian architects to create the best ideas in subsidised house designs grounded in Nusantara culture through the Nusantara House Design Competition. Meanwhile, in 2025, Rumah Nusantara becomes one of the competition categories that promotes thematic housing design ideas based on affordable, sustainable local wisdom that can be implemented in the homeland.
“We believe that this event will be a moment for the emergence of brilliant ideas regarding innovative house designs that still prioritise local wisdom elements,” said Nixon. Through this event, BTN hopes that more Indonesians can own dream homes that are habitable and environmentally friendly.
BTN Corporate Secretary Ramon Armando said that the implementation of BTN Housingpreneur is expected to attract as many talented individuals in Indonesia as possible to present superior designs for subsidised houses needed by the people. “This becomes a good opportunity for the birth of attractive house designs with Indonesian cultural characteristics and prioritising sustainability aspects, in line with BTN’s commitment to creating added value for stakeholders, society, the environment, and the nation,” he said.
The BTN Housingpreneur programme opens opportunities for the public, including students, to create new innovations and technologies related to the housing ecosystem based on entrepreneurship. This programme brings together architects, developers, and young talents to create real solutions in the national housing sector that are relevant to the needs of the younger generation and the general public. Through this initiative, BTN hopes to produce innovative young property entrepreneurs and present quality homes with a local nuance that remain affordable.
Presenting ‘Inner Beauty’ Through Groving House
The Growing House concept presents adaptive housing based on Indonesian local architecture. In BTN Housingpreneur 2025, Rumah Nusantara becomes one of the competition categories. One of the winners, Groving House, presents a different approach amid the trend of subsidised housing that is often considered uniform and lacking flexibility.
Instead of highlighting mere external aesthetics, the Groving House concept starts from what is called inner beauty—values, philosophy, and deep functions hidden behind the physical form of the building.
Designed as a small house measuring 6x10 metres, Groving House appears simple and does not show Nusantara characteristics. It turns out that the approach taken by Mifta Syahrudin, Architect from Midun and Partners Architect, indeed does not get trapped in visual symbols like joglo roofs or traditional ornaments like other Nusantara houses. Its main innovation lies in the effort to translate the basic philosophy of Nusantara architecture into more essential elements, namely materials and how space works.
“Most of us see Indonesian houses as beautiful from their ‘skin’, their shape. But if we look at their inner beauty, we can know the depth of the story from the house itself,” said the First Place winner from the general participant group in the Nusantara House business idea category at BTN Housingpreneur 2025.
The inner beauty concept in Groving House starts from the understanding that traditional Nusantara houses are not just about form, but also how the building “breathes”. According to him, the nature of Nusantara house materials is porous, meaning air and light can enter.
“So, one of the old materials is like gedek or woven bamboo which is porous in nature. Light can enter, air can enter. When we try to study and analyse it, we transform it into new materials, so the Nusantara element is there,” said Mifta.
This philosophy is then transformed into modern materials such as glass blocks for lighting and rosters for air circulation. With this approach, local values remain alive, but more adaptive and contextual. Even, the materials are flexible—they can be replaced according to availability in each region without eliminating the essence of the concept.
Besides material philosophy, the Groving House innovation is also evident in the growing house concept. This design is not static, but designed to follow the life cycle of its occupants. “This house is divided into three concepts: when single, when married and having children, and when married but living with parents. The concept adjusts to the buyer. Plus, there is space for MSMEs,” said Mifta.
When single, the house can be made open without partitions for efficiency, while when having a family, partitions can be added as needed, and when living with parents, the space is adapted to accommodate parents.
Groving House becomes even more appealing because its development is not only horizontal