Typology of Traditional Domestic Architecture based on Social Stratifications: The Case of the Mamasa Tribe, Indonesia.

Typologies of traditional domestic architecture across the world are based on numerous criteria. Certainly, social stratification is one among them. Mamasa tribe located in the West Sulawesi Province, which is one of the Indonesian ethnic groups with traditional architecture do so based on the social and economic levels of the community and the caste divisions. Their traditional architectural heritage still maintained to this day is the Mamasa traditional house called banua. The Mamasa community introduced caste divisions based on the social and economic levels of the community which physically influenced the form and typology of the Mamasa traditional house. This study examines the architectural aspects influenced by the social stratification of the Mamasa community: the function, form, space, material, appearance and decorative variety of the Mamasa traditional house. The research employed exploratory qualitative methods. Data collection techniques included direct observations, interviews and literature studies. In-depth interviews were conducted with several traditional leaders related to the Mamasa traditional house. The field data was correlated with data from the literature studies: journals, books, or website sources related to the research study. The findings indicate a strong correlation between the architecture of the traditional Mamasa house and the social stratification that exists in the Mamasa community. The typology based on the social stratification of the Mamasa society is: the first type, Banua Sura' is intended for the tana' bulawan or high nobility class. The second type, Banua Bolong is intended for the tana' bassi or the ordinary nobility class. The third type, Banua Rapa is intended for the tana' karurung or free-people class. The fourth type, Banua Longkarrin is intended for the tana' kua-kua or the slave class. These four types of banua each reflect the social and economic status of the homeowners through their architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]