Tourism Activities in the Traditional Balinese House: The Challenges of Designing a Homestay in Gianyar Bali

Abstract

The development of the tourism sector has had various effects on Balinese people’s traditional practices, including the traditional Balinese house. Since the increase of Bali’s tourist activities, the traditional houses for the Balinese that demonstrated not only a way of shelter but also complex cultural links have become objects of transformation. This transformation tended to fade its meanings and values, even though the Balinese have tried to maintain their culture as tourism resources. This phenomenon is an architectural challenge for the people to produce an innovative design of the transformed house. A descriptive exploratory approach with qualitative methods was used in this paper. Using interviews, field works and architectural examination in Taro, Kendran, and Ubud, this paper explores innovative designs that not only can accommodate traditional functions of the houses but also address the new demands of tourists. Some alternative models of pavilions have been built in many parts of the house, such as in the backyard, adjacent to old pavilions, or by demolishing the old pavilions.