The interiority of buildings in tropical countries requires specific characteristics unlike those in countries with four distinct seasons. Buildings in non-tropical climates must protect their inhabitants from extreme weather, meaning that the architecture’s connection with nature is necessarily limited by a boundary which can withstand extreme climatic differences. In tropical countries, on the other hand, the temperature does not fluctuate much throughout the year, so the temperature difference between seasons is not extreme. This characteristic is reflected in traditional Nusantara architecture, which incorporates a breathable wall so that free winds come in, reducing heat. The roof is tilted or saddled-shaped to keep rain water away from the building. The architecture uses organic materials and includes terraces for dialogue with nature. Modern Indonesian architecture, however, particularly in large cities, is mostly closed off, severely limiting the interaction with nature. Since the advent of air conditioning (AC) technology during the 1980’s, architecture has changed to seal the boundaries of the building. Advances in information technology such as Internet and smartphones have made for further changes to architecture in the area; some functional spaces are being discarded, while others are expanded. The relationship between architecture and nature is now constrained by impenetrable materials such as brick, concrete and glass, as opposed to the more traditional, permeable boundary. In contrast to this trend, modern Indonesian society is tempted to form a closer relationship with nature. This paper examines how a relationship between nature and the interior of buildings may be accommodated again, presenting some existing projects by several architects from Europe and Asian countries—including the authors’ own work—as case studies.

Human is the centre of natural exploitation and built environment, a belief that has been existed since the beginning of civilization when human started to adapt into the natural environment and to articulate nature into built-environment. Human as creator and innovator of the built environment put himself at the centre of the universe: geographically is at the middle ground in between the mountain and the waterfront, chronologically is in between the sunrise and the sunset, and ideologically is in between heaven above and underworld beneath the earth. He stands at the middle of circles that define inside and outside and denote sacred and profane. Water is the essence of life. Therefore, the forested hills and mountains that provide steady supply of fresh water are preserved and well protected, spiritually and physically. To ensure the continuous flow of the lifeline, the forests are protected against violations and destructions, through rituals and social rules. The choice of location for the built-up area of the settlement is carefully considered against natural and supra-natural factors, in order to ensure the harmonious relationships between human, nature, and the spirits. In rational sense, it is to ensure the survivability of the community’s existence and its livelihood.

Title: Traditionalism In Dutch Colonial Architecture In GorontaloHumans basically cannot break away from the past which gave birth to the thoughts and values. These thoughts and values passed down continuously without any or with very little change that they become the customs and culture of the people. This kind of understanding is called traditionalism. It is assumed that traditionalism also exists in architecture as a product of human culture. Gorontalo as a rapid growing city during the Dutch colonial period kept a number of buildings from that era. The Dutch colonial buildings are results of Dutch culture either in their pure form or those that have been combined with traditional culture and the condition of the surrounding environment. The results showed that traditionalism in Dutch colonial architecture has an influence in the city of Gorontalo. These influences can be found in terms of the design of the floor plan, the shape of the building, the shape of the roof, the shape of the openings and the use of ornaments in buildings.

AbstrakKota Cimahi pada awalnya merupakan salah satu bagian dari Kabupaten Bandung, dengan pesatnya pertumbuhan akhirnya ditetapkan sebagai kota administratif pada 29 Januari 1976, selanjutnya menjadi kota otonom pada tanggal 21 Juni 2001. Cimahi saat ini menjadi salah satu kawasan pertumbuhan Kota Bandung di bagian Barat. Jumlah penduduknya saat ini adalah 561.386 jiwa, dengan pertumbuhan rata-rata 2,12% per tahun (sumber: database kependudukan Kota Cimahi tahun 2014). Ruang Terbuka Hijau (RTH) di beberapa kota di Jawa Barat mengalami penurunan baik dari segi kualitas maupun kuantitas. Hal tersebut berdampak pada penurunan kualitas lingkungan hidup perkotaan dan menimbulkan masalah perkotaan seperti terjadinya bencana banjir, khususnya pada musim penghujan, peningkatan pencemaran udara, dan berkurangnya indeks kebahagiaan kota akibat minimnya ruang terbuka yang tersedia untuk interaksi sosial. Kesamaan konfigurasi penataan tapak dalam hal ini kesamaan tipologi penyusunan massa bangunan, jumlah penghuni dan sasaran penghuni yaitu masyarakat berpenghasilan rendah (MBR) kedua rusunawa Kota Cimahi, yaitu Cibeureum dan Leuwigajah menarik untuk diteliti manakah yang lebih efektif penataan RTH dan pemanfaatannya serta faktor-faktor penentu apa sajakah yang berperan. Dalam pengelolaan, pemeliharaan dan pemanfaatan RTH rusunawa memang tanggung jawab utama pengelola rumah susun, dalam hal ini pemerintah Kota Cimahi, namun perlu keterlibatan semua penghuni dalam merawat dan menjaga kebersihannya, khususnya dalam membuang sampah pada tempatnya dan menggunakan sarana yang disediakan dengan bertanggung jawab.

Title: Numeric Analysis Of Air Distribution In Air-Conditioned Room To Obtain Optimum Energy Effeciency LevelThe demand for household energy in Indonesia is dominated by air conditioning sector. One of the efforts to optimize air conditioner (AC) is to figure out the best air distribution pattern. Nowadays, there are three air distribution types of marketed AC; (1) perfect mixing, (2) displacement, and (3) radiant cooling. This research examines the influence of those types toward energy consuption to ensure indoor thermal comfort. It was conducted by conducting literature review, mathematical calculation, and numerical simulation. Based on SNI 03-6572-2001, the research applied comfort criteria of indoor air temperature of 24oC as setpoint with 28.1oC initial temperature. Energy consumption is estimated based on time required to achieve the setpoint. The fastest cooling time is obtained by displacement in 80 seconds, then perfect mixing in 112 seconds, and the longest is radiant cooling in 460 seconds. Energy calculation establishes three scenarios of heat load represented by air con’s idle time; (a) high load, 30 seconds, (b) moderate load, 60 seconds, and (c) low load, 90 seconds. For 300 hours of operational time per month, displacement consumes (a) 148.4, (b) 116.6, and (c) 96 kWh/month, whilst perfect mixing needs (a) 160.9, (b) 132.8, and (c) 113.1 kWh/month. Lastly, radiant cooling spends (a) 191.5, (b) 180.5, and (c) 170.6 kWh/month.