Critical aspects must be considered when building a house, especially structural resilience against natural disasters like earthquakes. Indonesia’s location at the convergence of three tectonic plates increases the risk of earthquakes, which can occur at any time.
Ferri Eka Putra, Head of the Building Materials and Structural Engineering Center at the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), mentioned several criteria for constructing disaster-resistant homes.
“This begins with choosing the right materials and structures for the house,” Putra explained during a talk show titled “Safe Homes to Support Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure” held on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at the UGM Innovation and Creativity Center (GIK UGM).
Putra noted that one common type of damage is the collapse of house columns and cracked or fallen walls, often due to construction processes that do not meet safety standards.
“Typically, buildings collapse because the walls lack support,” he added.
However, a good building is not always robust; it can also be designed to absorb damage and allow occupants to evacuate.
Therefore, he advises anyone looking to build a home to check its compliance with the guidelines for safe, simple housing outlined in Government Regulation No. 16 of 2021.
“When building, especially with a budget that is not very flexible, make sure to prioritize function and structure first,” he concluded.
Nanda Ika Dewi Kumalasari from the Housing Provision Implementing Agency (BP2P) Jawa III stated that their role involves the construction of apartment buildings, special housing, self-help housing, infrastructure, facilities, and public utilities, as well as coordinating land provision and housing development.
In this regard, BP2P offers a Self-Help Housing Clinic (KRS).
She mentioned that KRS is a knowledge resource for technical services and information about disaster-resistant simple housing.
She indicated that the community can use KRS services to consult on housing construction plans tailored to local conditions and the client’s budget.
“We will provide house designs and certified construction workers. For consultations, the community need not worry, as BP2P offers KRS services for free,” she explained.
She noted that BP2P has provided almost 1,500 services this year and aims to improve the quality and quantity of services in the future to assist the public in achieving safe and sustainable housing.
Professor Bambang Suhendro, an earthquake and structural engineering expert from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM), explained that earthquakes occur due to sudden shifts in tectonic plates with varying strengths.
These shifts or faults release stored energy, causing vibrations.
Faced with the threat of earthquakes to home resilience, Indonesians have historically developed architectural models that are safe from natural disasters like earthquakes based on local wisdom.
“If we observe, our ancestors had knowledge reflected in the styles of traditional houses in Indonesia, such as Javanese and West Sumatran houses,” he stated.
Professor Suhendro says these types of buildings are designed according to the natural conditions faced by Indonesia’s ancestors.
For example, some traditional houses in Sulawesi and Sumatra have hollow spaces underneath, designed to protect against waves or floods.
Additionally, the space under these traditional homes can be used for storing crops or tethering livestock.
“Therefore, we need to learn from the local wisdom embedded in traditional houses to develop ready and resilient homes against natural disasters,” he concluded.
As a point of information, the talk show on earthquake-resistant simple homes is part of the events for World Habitat Day and World Cities Day 2024, organized by the Ministry of PUPR in collaboration with UGM.
Celebrating World Habitat Day aims to remind everyone that everyone has the right to a decent and sustainable place to live in the future.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang
Photographer: Donnie