Selecting-Dismantling-Assembling (Javanese Culture Artifact Values in Modern Lifestyle)

Abstract

The traditional Javanese house owns reassembling wooden structure, which is done by dismantling and reestablishing it. It suits the philosophy of the Javanese family structure that a married child should settle in a new house. By detaching a part of the parents’ house and reassembling it in a new location and be used by the child. This value of strong family bonding is presented in the traditional Javanese wooden house design. To bring out the Javanese house into the modern day lifestyle society, De Desa villa uses the Javanese building concept however with modern functionality. De Desa villa is chosen as a study case for having typical characteristics. Identification the background of its emergence is associated with the owner’s background. Which is done by interviews. Photo documentation and field observation are done to obtain physical data. The analysis is done by linking theory, physical data and interviews. The set up process of Javanese traditional house: selecting – dismantling – assembling are the main activities in realizing traditional artifact. Values and meanings are constantly present in each step of the process. Its function as a villa is expected to be appealing to the modern day lifestyle society. As explained by Rapopport (1998) that tradition does not insist to be fully accepted nor rejected. Appreciating traditional artifact does not oblique to accept the social system that it carries. It is also not necessary to reject to its value system.