Arsitektur Tropis
Definition
Tropical architecture — a design approach that prioritises climate responsiveness as the primary generator of architectural form, favouring natural ventilation, solar shading, elevated floors, deep overhangs, and lightweight materials over mechanical conditioning. In Indonesia, arsitektur tropis is both a historical practice rooted in vernacular building and a contemporary design movement that positions climate intelligence as an ethical and aesthetic value distinct from imported Western modernism.
Example
The campus buildings of the University of Indonesia in Depok, designed by Gunawan Tjahjono from the 1980s onward, are often cited as exemplars of contemporary arsitektur tropis — their deep colonnades, cross-ventilated plans, and red-tile roofs integrating climatic performance with a distinctive Indonesian institutional character.