Ho Xue Ying (Karen)
A0126194
AR2221 AY 2015-2016 Semester 1 Assignment 1
Tutor: David Oktavianus
Tutorial Group: 04
Building Chosen: Borneo Longhouses
THE IBAN DAYAK LONGHOUSE AS A COMMUNAL SPACE
1. Introduction
2. Social life and hierarchy
3. Space and layout
4. Space and rituals
5. Changes after time
6. Comparison to other similar buildings
7. Conclusion
Introduction
The Iban, also known as the ‘Sea Dayaks’ are native people of West-Central Borneo. Despite increasing urban migration, a large number of them still chose to reside in traditional longhouse settlements along the river and streams. (Refer to Appendix A)
The longhouse is a large wooden structure that is raised on stilts with a pitched roof and serves as a home and communal dwelling for the Iban community and their extended family. Many variations exists between the different indigenous people…show more content… Unlike the Iban longhouse where the apartments of each family is housed under a single roof with a designated communal space, the stilt houses of Banjarmasin are individual houses built in close proximity to one another, with communal walkways linking the houses to one another. (Refer to Appendix C)
The systematic and hierarchal layout of the Iban longhouse is not present in the housing community of the Banjarmasin stilt houses. Also, the Banjarmasin do not uphold such a strict social distinction and rituals as compared to the Iban people.
Both the Iban and Banjarmasin community hold festivals to celebrate their harvest. The Iban people holds the Rice Harvesting Festival to celebrate their rice harvest, as rice planting is their main livelihood. Similarly, the Banjarmasin people hold daily festivals to celebrate their day’s harvest of fish, signifying their symbolic and close relationship with the river (Nevison 1998).