Home Garden Concept of Rumah Gadang based on Minangkabau Culture

Abstract

Minangkabau culture is one of the oldest cultures in Indonesia. The embodiment of Minangkabau culture can be found through Rumah Gadang. Information and research results relating to Rumah Gadang are already numerous, but the garden of Rumah Gadang still need to be exploited through research in order to reveal the concept. This study aims to identify, analyze, and formulate the home garden concept of Rumah Gadang based on Minangkabau culture. The study was conducted by using a qualitative-descriptive approach through exploration of custom document, interviews, and field observation. Identification and analysis were carried out on elements of and its location on the garden to produce a home garden concept of the Rumah Gadang. The studied garden concept was taken from the famous Minangkabau proverb: alam takambang jadi guru. The proverb indicates the use of garden elements in the Rumah Gadang home garden. The garden elements are categorized into hardmaterials and softmaterials. The hardmaterials identified were to include rangkiang, tabek, lasuang, batu tapakan, cages, and separated kitchen. The softmaterials identified were to include hedges, medicinal plants, ornamental plants, fruit plants, and herbs. Some elements were layouted by Minangkabau custom with certain philosophies, such as rangkiang. The garden layout and circulation are comprehensively configurate a semiformal design.