Ngibikan Village Spirituality Design in Javanese Architecture

Abstract

In May 27, 2006, a massive earthquake hit and destroyed Ngibikan, a small village 17 kilometers south of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Yet, in a few days, the villagers rose up and reconstructed not only their houses but also their daily life. In this case, architectural design includes not only building as a material practice but also a humane and spiritual one. This essay employs combined methods of contextual criticism (Attoe, 1978, pp. 103-104) and hermeneutics as modeled by Paul Ricouer (2006). The results of this research also indicate the importance of understanding that the act of emergency rebuilding is not only about physical form but also about the value of spirituality in rebuilding life.