Typology of Wood Joint Geometry in Basemah Highland Vernacular Architecture, South Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

Ghumah Baghi is the vernacular architecture of the Basemah highland, South Sumatra, Indonesia with distinctive wooden joints. Wood joint categories are divided based on geometry and arrangement, form, position, direction, move or no move, assembly, flush or not flush, additional reinforcement, component change, and resistance to loads. The problem of this study was: what types of wood joints were used in the construction of Ghumah Baghi? This study aimed to discover the typology and variations of joints based on geometry and arrangement. This study used a descriptive qualitative case study method. The data were collected through documentation, interview, and direct observation, and the analysis was carried out by comparing the types of wood joints from the literature. The research findings showed that there were 8 types and 36 variations of wood joints based on the theirition, shape, and unique geometry. Wood joints are affected by the availability of materials, geographical conditions, and assembly. Based on the typology of the wood joints, Ghumah Baghi construction is a knock-down construction resistant to earthquakes. This study was an initial study of making a prototype of an earthquake-resistant, knock-down house based on the structure and construction of Ghumah Baghi.