Rumah Gadang : Ruang Dan Budaya Makan Dalam Siklus Hidup Masyarakat Minangkabau

Abstract

Padang restaurants with specialty food rendang represent the Minangkabau's eating culture. The effect of modernization and media social in the eating culture has indistinct the origin of Minangkabau's eating culture and leads to the uniformity of design, mostly its space and physical elements in the traditional building. Whereas in the roots, eating activities according to the Minangkabau custom still carried out, such as Makan Bajamba. It is essential to study the origin of Minangkabau space and eating culture before learning design development. The main problem is how the relationship between space and eating culture in the life cycle of Minangkabau society carried out at Rumah Gadang. By using a mix-method, a qualitative approach is a case study at Rumah Gadang Istana Rajo Alam Tuanku Disambah and quantitative approaches using space syntax analysis on the dimensions of connectivity and integrity. Data were from literature studies, interviews, and direct observations on how Rumah Gadang facilitated eating activities. The result shows that Rumah Gadang effectively assisted the eating culture in the life cycle of its people. The space configuration in the process of eating activities is following the roles of women and men based on a matrilineal kinship system. The seat position rules for Minangkabau men from the matrilineal kinship system divided Ruang Lepas into smaller areas, marked by walls, columns, and seprah clothes. All space of eating activities is a social space where interactions took place as a reflection of Minangkabau customs. The space syntax analysis clarifies the relationship between space and eating activities based on the matrilineal kinship system and the social interactions that occur with the space used. For future research, the space syntax analysis is useful as a perspective to learn the relationship between space and culture.

The Affordances for Dining Activities: Young Generations' Experience in Dwelling Environment

“…For example, in Joglo houses, the Javanese vernacular architecture, dining activities are conducted in gadri which is located behind dalem and senthong as the central part of the residence and close to the pawon or kitchen which is in a separate building behind the main building (Widayati, Rakhmawati, and Pratama, 2019). In Gadang houses, dining as a part of the series of traditional ceremonies is usually conducted on ruang lepas, which serves as the center for all activities while also used to receive guests, with a specific seating arrangement based on the family structure hierarchy and kinship as well as sitting positions that are based on genders (Surya and Adhitama, 2021). Another example is how the vernacular architecture of the Toraja and Sumba houses prioritize communal dining in the living space, which means the wider the living space area, the bigger the number of people can gather to eat together (Wazir and Indriani, 2020).…”

“…From the architectural perspective, the way in which dining activities occur in the housing environment is also closely related to the architectural form of the dwelling. In Indonesian vernacular architecture, for example, the dining culture influences how dining areas and kitchens are designed, as well as the hierarchy in the use of space (Wazir and Indriani, 2020;Surya and Adhitama, 2021). Another example is how the culture of eating while sitting on the floor in Indonesia contributes to the existence of the norm of not wearing shoes inside the house to keep them clean (Wazir and Indriani, 2020).…”

The Dynamics of Kitchen Adaptation Based on the Cultural Spatial System in Minangkabau West Sumatra

“…Weddings are frequently conducted on a massive scale (baralek gadang), and the open space next to rumah gadang's central kitchen is utilized as a temporary kitchen to extend the area for cooking and preparing food. Therefore, the kitchen takes on new value and meaning in this context, becoming more than just a space for cooking but also a place for social interactions 21) .…”