Stilts (architecture)

Stilts are common architectural element in tropical architecture, especially in Southeast Asia and South America. The length of stilts may vary widely; stilts of traditional houses can be measured half meter to 5 or 6 meters. In Indonesia, the construction of the house symbolizes the division of the macrocosm into three regions: the upper world; the seat of deities and ancestors, the middle world; the realm of human, and lower world; the realm of demon and malevolent spirit. The typical way of buildings in Southeast Asia is to build on stilts, an architectural form usually combined with a saddle roof.[1]

Stilts can be found in Indonesian vernacular architecture such as Dayak long houses,[1] Torajan Tongkonan, Minangkabau Rumah Gadang, and Malay houses. The construction is known locally as Rumah Panggung (lit: "stage house") houses built on stilts. This was to avoid wild animals and floods, to deter thieves, and for added ventilation. In Sumatra, traditionally stilted houses are designed in order to avoid dangerous wild animals, such as snakes and tigers. While in areas located close to big rivers of Sumatra and Borneo, the stilts help to elevated house above flood surface.

In traditional stilt houses, wood is a prevalent structural material used to manufacture the stilts. This is usually from a local lumber source, with many traditional stilt houses in Asia using bamboo for structural support.[2]

In the Avieiras stilt houses along the Tagus River in Portugal, canes growing by the riverbank and trunks of large trees were used as stilts to support the homes of local fisherman. Over time, concrete slabs have been added to support the wood and extend the pillars foundation into the ground, making buildings more stable in the case of flooding.[3]

Over the years many cultures have modified aspects of their construction method to improve the stability and strength of buildings on stilts. In Sumatra, severe damage from flooding and other natural disasters has modernised many aspects of stilt house construction, with concrete being added to foundations of some buildings more prone to such events such as flooding, earthquakes, and large storms. By using concrete slabs in construction as well as by using concrete pillars, the stilts supporting the main building on top have been less damaged by recent events as compared to previous years. The improvement of technologies such as the durability of nails and screws has also made the connections between the pillar and various beams stronger.

• Piloti