TEAM

Master Thesis of Günter Zöhrer
Polynesia - Melanesia - Indonesia. A Comparison of Traditional Architecture

The indigenous architecture of Indonesia and Oceania is part of the variety of cultures of this region. Due to the fact that the settlement of Oceania, which has been going on over a period of thousands of years, started in Indonesia it is possible to observe and document the development of new forms of architecture step by step.

In cooperation with Professor Erich Lehner from the Technical University of Vienna I am planning to go on a research tour to Sumatra and New Caledonia. The task is to measure and document the existing traditional architecture and to subsequently produce CAD-drawings and 3D-models. Particular regard will be placed on structural aspects. The final goal will be the development of simulations explaining the structural process. Further the influence of cultural aspects is of major importance for the construction of such buildings. In Sumatra I am especially interested in the “Batak Houses”, and thus I will visit the Toba Batak, Karo Batak and Minangkabau.

In New Caledonia I will concentrate on the traditional buildings of the “Grande Case” and I am planning to visit villages on the island of Lifou.

Data will be collected in the form of sketches, whereas the measurements will be carried out with the help of laser measuring instruments, so called Distos. An elaborate photo-documentation will be conducted. Further interviews with the inhabitants will be carried out in order to learn more about the backgrounds of the architecture and the way of life in the houses and villages. The stay in the region will last for 1 1/2 months and I will be accompanied by Professor Lehner, who is the advisor of my thesis project.

An initial step for my thesis project was a research trip to Samoa, New Zealand and Fiji, which I financed with my own resources. On the spot we measured traditional buildings – like for example the “Fale Tele” and “Fale Afolau” in Samoa and the “Mbure” and “Rausina” in Fiji. In cooperation with anthropologists the various cultural aspects that influence these architecture where explored. Back in Austria I worked out CAD-drawings and 3D-models which will also be part of my thesis.

The final results of the thesis will be summarized in a web page and published via internet. This should support the conservation of the cultural heritage in these regions.