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The use of batik as design culture heritage of Kampoeng Laweyan, a village in the Surakarta (Solo) province of Java island, Indonesia, is the case study of this paper. The purpose of research is to understand how batik, from its ancestral place of origin, facilitated the rise of a small community from cycles of economic slumps, while facing the external impacts of globalisation. Even as batik preservation gained UNESCO recognition in 2009, some critics argue that economic development is contrarian to the concept of preservation and sustainability. This paper brings together the numerous cultural, historical and socioeconomic perspectives of Indonesia’s batik status as an intangible heritage. Using phenomenological method of critical inquiry, it traces the development of batik as a traditional cloth of both royalty and rural Indonesian society, a dual symbolic expression of folk wisdom which simultaneously facilitating architectural and social preservation of local communities. Interpretative analysis of batik artform as a cultural phenomenon presents the inherent ‘equipment and expertise’ as ways in which Laweyan leverages the economic potential of local cultural heritage in its tourism marketing. Findings show that supportive mechanisms and initiatives at local and national levels create awareness and interest in traditional batik heritage. Nevertheless, a concern for the productive capacities of rural villages must be harmonised with sustainable cultural tourism programmes for social and environmental benefits. From these principal findings, this paper contributes to design research by urging for the modernisation of batik as an iconic representation of Indonesian identity to be sustainably explored. Through designing, production, marketing and promotion via heritage tourism initiatives and through injecting contemporary ideas into batik production, it enables the preservation of generational wisdom through the intangible values of this distinctively beautiful and intricate fabric.

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The primary purpose of this investigation is to inform how indigenous symbols are incorporated into meaning making of social narratives, and the impact of misappropriation, misuse and misinterpretation of symbols with their original intentions. Literatures discussing the process of symbolism perception transformation capacities are reviewed, to present relevant theories and review the consequences of wrongful usage, to understand the unconscious effects of symbols on social construction of behaviours. Perspectives about meaning-making processes and symbolic perception transformation provide insights about the dynamics of symbols' usage for individuals and groups in contemporary society and the impact of conscious and subconscious appropriation in the context of social behaviours. To seek in-depth understanding of the subject, qualitative methodology was applied for this study through interviews with Malaysian educators to uncover the nature and extent of symbolism's influences on societal behaviours. Interviews revealed issues relating the role of symbols' interpretative difficulties to cultural and social narratives, and in the appropriation of significant signs for psychological impact, aesthetic value, and propaganda purposes. Findings suggest the capabilities of symbols to unite and inform about the origins of humankind have weakened, in terms of their representational roles in the evolution of cultures, and their capacity to invoke social identity and change. In conclusion, recommendations are given on ways to enhance the perception transformation through the educator's role in creating accurate symbolism perception, interpretation and universal standards.

Abstract. Environmentalism as the overall concept of ecological architecture is defined as the inter-relations between people, and how built forms affect the surroundings through design, reflecting the impact of technology, human principles of living with nature, and of social connections in communities. Modern ecological designs have smart solutions in planning climatic zones, with optimised natural lighting to lower energy use, and reduce wastage. Passive thermal comfort methods and spatial alignment of buildings to sun orientation have brought the ideals of organic architecture full circle since the “sparse and scarce” principles of technological design limitations guided vernacular urbanism over time. Today’s modern buildings, abstracted from mass-produced designs, are shaped to trends and tastes, bringing attention to the artificial materiality of architectural forms and the hidden costs of innovations. To understand the relevance of sustainable strategies in developing critical regionalism, this paper reviews the scope of ecological architecture principles application for temperate climates, and examines the viability of strategies as passive cooling, thermal comfort and greenery-based ventilation. Through case study discussions of two Malaysian eco-architectural designers, Ken Yeang and Kevin Mark Low, it will also be argued that the spirit of nationalism and cultural regionalism can be integrated effectively into urban built forms.