DISASTER MITIGATION ANTHROPOLOGY: CULTURAL-ARCHITECTURAL RELATIONS IN THE BOYANG HOUSE OF THE MANDAR ETHNIC GROUP
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58432/ppx8ae72Keywords:
vernacular architecture, local culture, indigenous knowledge, disaster mitigation, Mandar ethnic groupAbstract
The Boyang house is a traditional dwelling of the Mandar people in West Sulawesi, functioning not merely as a residence but as a cultural symbol and an adaptive system to environmental challenges. This study examines the relationship between culture and architecture within the framework of disaster mitigation using a cultural anthropological approach. The research assumes that the form and structure of the Boyang house embody local values that serve as strategies for mitigating natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and strong winds. Employing a qualitative-descriptive method with ethnographic fieldwork and architectural analysis, the study reveals that architectural elements—including raised stilts (2–3 meters high), spatial orientation, and use of local materials such as ulin wood—hold both symbolic and functional significance in sustaining community resilience. The findings demonstrate that the Boyang house represents an integrated disaster mitigation system, where structural features such as the taru-taru joinery system (wooden peg connections without metal) provide 40% greater elasticity than conventional modern construction, while the radial banua tondo settlement pattern reduces tsunami impact by 60% through natural flow channeling. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating indigenous knowledge into culturally-based disaster mitigation planning and offers the Cultural-Architectural Resilience Nexus (CARN) model for contemporary adaptation.
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