Vernacular Architectural Characteristics of Floating Houses in the Lake Tempe Tourism area, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Floating houses are a form of vernacular housing for people living in coastal waters, lakes, and rivers in various parts of Indonesia. Living on the water and carrying out daily activities is the identity of a fishing community that is integrated with its environment. People living on the water create house structures to prevent climate change. Some districts in Indonesia use a bamboo raft house system, such as the floating vernacular dwelling in the Tempe Lake area in South Sulawesi. The Tempe Lake floating house functions as a place to live as well as a place to conduct economic activities. The mobile settlement with the floating house system in Tempe Lake has several specific characteristics as the hallmark of the building that can be compared with other floating houses.This study examines the visual and spatial characteristics of floating house buildings that still exist today. The research is qualitative and uses a naturalistic research method. It examines 11 floating houses in Tempe Lake.The findings reveal that the visual characteristics of floating houses consist of raft foundations, columns, roofs, doors, windows, floors, walls, roofs, and latrines. Spatial characteristics include space function, organization, circulation, orientation, and hierarchy. It concludes that there are three categories according to the visual characteristics and spatial characteristics.