Discovering the potential of organic material in architecture

Abstract

Indonesia is abundant with natural resources in the form of organic materials from the earth and floral ecosystem. Based on natural resources, Indonesia's buildings are built using the organic materials from their surrounding area, such as woods, palm trees, bamboos and rattans that can be used as architectural elements. The organic material reflects the architectural development in Indonesia, starting with a single raw material via the joining of different building parts up to the finished building. It also visualizes the identity which will be presented with local wisdom from the knowledge and the ideas. This paper aims to identify main organic materials in Indonesia regarding the physical properties and aesthetic values that are encountered by human senses. Materiality acknowledges as a flux that is passing processes of continual transformation; it is commonly called "thingliness" or "woodiness". Furthermore, it encompasses three components, medium, substance, and surfaces, which are not separated or dominant from nature; it is built as a unified whole. This study proposes an idea to give impacts of the build environments on traditional and contemporary design. By adopting a sustainability approach to organic material selection and specification extends the inspiration in the design stage of the building process.