Key research themes
1. How has Nusantaran Architecture been conceptualized and contested as a representation of Indonesian national identity?
This theme explores the development, debates, and controversies surrounding Nusantaran Architecture as a framework for articulating Indonesia's architectural identity. It reflects on how Nusantaran Architecture has been positioned as an alternative to colonial and modernist legacies, emphasizing indigenous traditional forms and cultural authenticity, while also grappling with issues of essentialism, Orientalism, commodification, and political instrumentalization in national tourism and government-led initiatives.
2. What are the stylistic and formal architectural characteristics of early and vernacular Nusantaran Architecture and how can these inform contemporary design?
This theme focuses on identifying, analyzing, and theorizing the architectural elements, facade modulations, traditional construction techniques, and spatial organizations of Nusantaran Architecture. It examines how vernacular and pre-Islamic elements in the Indonesian and wider Malay-Indonesian archipelago context contribute to a unique regional architectural language, offering potential design resources transcending superficial motifs to support more authentic and context-responsive contemporary architecture.