Every region in NTT has a different traditional house style. Houses are built to suit the climate and the natural  environment around them. People in towns and cities no longer build the traditional house using grass, lontar palm, bamboo, rocks, mud or wood. They prefer to use cement, bricks, tin, paint, nails and tiles. 


























Although the architecture differs from one end of NTT to the other, the way the house is designed and the order in which it is built is determined by rules relating to religious beliefs. For example when building a lopo which is a Timorese communal meeting house and granary, each pole has a name and is built in a special order. The four main posts are called mother posts with the one in the southeast corner being called the head post. The ladder to the loft is put there. The lopo has no walls, but the large beehive shaped roof protects the inside. Underneath it is cool from the hot sun.



















House building is a community affair. Neighbours and friends freely join together to help each other. Coming together to mutually help one another is called gotong royong in Indonesia. Gotong royong is stronger in the villages. It is understood that villagers will have times of need therefore they should help their neighbour in their need.












Questions/activities


1. What is gotong royong? Why do you think gotong royong doesn’t work so well in the city? 2. Can you think of examples of gotong royong in your community? 3. Construct a model of a lopo. 4. How does the environment affect the way people build in NTT? 5. Design and construct a house suitable for your climate using local natural products. 6. Colour the picture of a traditional house in the colours shown. Find the picture at the back of the pictures section. 7. Prepare a poster showing all the different traditional houses from the 26 provinces of Indonesia. 8. Find out how much of the building materials used in your house are locally produced. 9. What factors have influenced people to move away from traditional house designs and materials? 10.How is the Atoni traditional house suited to local conditions? 11. Test yourself on the kosa kata. 12. What are western equivalents of Gotong Royong?

Houses - Outside

Learning outcomes:

Be aware of different traditional house styles. Introduction to gotong royong.


Studies of Asia Emphasis

Developing concepts of Asia


Photo Right:

This traditional Atoni house near Soe, Timor is called an ume. The houses are built to keep out the cold mountain weather, but they also keep in the smoke. This results in a high incidence of respiratory problems.


Kosa kata


rumah - house

adat - tradition, traditional law

gotong royong - mutual aid

ume - house

lopo - meeting house and granary

Amarasi - people group on Timor

Atoni - people group on Timor

membangun - to build





Photo Right:

This traditional house in Jopu, Central Flores is over 100 years old. The old man who lives inside is the keeper of the adat and the oldest person in their clan. He is 120 years old. He can still see and speak. When he dies the next oldest male in the clan (his son who is over 60 now), must move into the ‘law’ house.






Photo Right:

A fisherman’s house over the water in Riung, Flores.






















Figure 2: Cross-section of a Timorese lopo.





















Photo Right:

Gotong royong: replacing a roof on an Amarasi house, Timor.