Mimesis-Semiotics Method as an Alternative to Dynamic Vernacular Heritage Conservation: An Application on The Karo Traditional House in Dokan Cultural Village, Indonesia

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Anna Lucy Rahmawati, Lilianny Sigit Arifin, Yohanes Basuki Dwisusanto

2022 ISVS e-journal Vol. 9 Issue 4 Article Cited by 3 Quartile

Abstract

The values of local wisdom that communicate the cultural identity of a community have recently received the attention of researchers in heritage conservation. However, the values of local wisdom, especially those expressed through vernacular architectural heritage are being increasingly challenged by contemporary life. In its broad definition, heritage is understood as a dynamic concept closely related to the “community” and the “continuity” of traditions and practices, including the various changes that occur. This study aims to develop and apply the mimesis-semiotic method to support the conservation of Karo's vernacular heritage by embracing the dynamic concept of heritage. The mimesis-semiotics method is elaborated from Tchertov's spatial code, in which there are three types of spatial codes used to analyze, namely architectonic codes, object-functional codes, and social-symbolic codes. Research shows its effectiveness in terms of finding repeated spatial codes when applied to a vernacular setting. These findings can be used as recommendations on a practical level to support the conservation of vernacular setting as demonstrated through the application to the Karo vernacular house. The paper concludes that the mimesis-semiotics method in relation to dynamic conservation can be employed based on its orientation to the role and relationship of the Subject-Model-Object, in the conservation of traditional settings © 2022, ISVS e-journal.All Rights Reserved.

Affiliations

Department of Architecture, St. Thomas Catholic University, Medan, Indonesia; Department of Architecture, Petra Christian University, Surabaya, Indonesia; Department of Architecture, Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung, Indonesia