Ergonomics in the Contemporary Balinese Building: the Integration between Architectural and Structural Aspects

Abstract

Ergonomic requirements in a building must be reliable. They must meet the safety, health, comfort and convenience requirements specified in the building rules, including the ergonomic safety requirements in a traditional Balinese building. Traditionally, the Balinese utilized their body size to gauge their building's size. However, changes in technology and people's lifestyles have already influenced building techniques. To what extent are ergonomic aspects still used in novel Balinese architecture and building structures? This article examined recent buildings in Bali, integrating architecture, construction, advanced technology and traditional building components. This article analyzed the proper building design and structural system that addresses the ergonomics of the house, the indigenous knowledge of the people, and the advancement of technologies through fieldwork, literature study, interviews and structural analysis using SAP 2000. This study discovered that, traditionally, Balinese people utilized their bodies to determine the scale of their buildings, both in terms of space and structural components. As living standards and technology improved, they have begun to forsake the usage of body parts in measuring buildings. Nowadays, buildings have been designed using meter basis measurement, removing the ability to identify the building's owner using the owner’s body as the basic standard for measurement. They also abandoned conventional structural techniques in favor of reinforced concrete systems, especially for non-religious buildings, because reinforced concrete frame structures supported by brick walls are more secure than wooden frame structures. However, the integration during the planning process between architecture and structural design process has still been performed.