Javanese vernacular architecture and environmental synchronization based on the regional diversity of Joglo and Limasan

Abstract

Joglo and Limasan are traditional Javanese architecture structures and the most preferred vernacular dwellings in Java. These houses spread to other areas through Central Java and the Yogyakarta Province of Indonesia. Given the local characteristics, the architecture of these structures is not merely identical in some aspects but is also based on the people and the natural environment.This study examines how environmental synchronization related to vernacular sustainability can be achieved based on the regional diversity between Joglo and Limasan in Central Java for contemporary custom. The architectural features of form, size, orientation, materials, and openings from samples of 10 areas in rural Central Java are compared to discover their distinctive sustainability methods. This study aims to prove the capability of the Javanese to synchronize their house in various ways. The reasons behind such synchronization are explored from both natural and social aspects to gain an enhanced understanding of the disparity in vernacul ararchitecture in relation with the environment. Results indicate that within the same category, houses in each area show their indigenous architecture as result of synchronization with the local nature and the social circumstances of the people.

Key words： Javanese house; Vernacularsustain-ability; Traditionalarchitec-ture; Environmental syn-chronization; Thermal comfort