Analysis of Cultural Order Patterns in Jongko Houses in the Gempol Market Area

Abstract

The Gempol Market area has transformed from a communal residential park into a market and later into a mixed-use space combining commercial and residential functions. This shift reflects the gradual privatization of public areas, shaping both the neighborhood's physical layout and social identity. The key concern is how this process creates relatively stable cultural patterns despite informal development driven by individual spatial decisions. This study aims to identify and analyze the cultural ordering patterns of rumah-jongko buildings in the Gempol Market area using N. J. Habraken’s theoretical framework. A descriptive qualitative approach is employed, based on pattern analysis from field observations, visual documentation, and interpretation of spatial arrangements, guided by four Habraken principles: agent intervention, pattern similarity, continuity, and consistency. The results indicate that rumah-jongko patterns evolve from individual owner decisions influenced by economic roles, commercial needs, material choices, and interactions with surrounding structures. These decisions gradually lead to collective agreements, resulting in uniform two-storey buildings with commercial spaces on the ground floor and residences above. The study concludes that the spatial order of the Gempol Market area reflects a gradual, consistent pattern–type–system integration that expresses the cultural order present in the built environment.