Revitalization of Traditional Villages

The Sumba traditional village is a site of the ancestral heritage of the Marapu belief that tells the wisdom, principles, and philosophy of life of the community. Traditional villages are formed from a number of traditional houses whose construction goes through several stages of ritual. One form of Marapu's belief in architecture is regarding the meaning of balance in a space, as reflected in how the pillars of a traditional house stretch out lines from the four cardinal directions which are marked in the center by a fireplace for cooking, a symbol for the existence of life. The design of the previous Sumba traditional house basically did not have a spatial separation of space for humans, but in the form of three levels, namely the lowest level for livestock, the second level for human activities, and the third level as a food barn.

The way of life of the Sumba people which is reflected in the spatial dimension of the traditional house needs to be reinterpreted by the younger generation now in the form of revitalizing the traditional village. The form of local wisdom in the achievement of architectural creativity by the Marapu ancestors needs to be adapted to the forms of activities and daily needs of indigenous peoples today. The revitalization of traditional villages is an effort to re-empower traditional houses, continue the skills to build architecture, and maintain the spirit of collectivity to the younger generation. In line with this, efforts are needed to synergize the basic needs for modern residential comfort, for example related to cleanliness, sanitation, the need for clean water, to electric power.

One approach that needs to be considered in revitalizing traditional villages is the use of local materials. There are a number of types of local materials that take root in Tana Humba, not only as basic building materials, but also the orientation of the mindset of the ancestor's heritage which is still relevant to today's ecological needs.