Penglipuran Village: Integrated Settlement Layout

By Trustha Rembaka.          

The island of Bali, not only presents the beauty of natural panoramas but also presents new experiences and knowledge about infrastructure and the concept of residential areas. It should be acknowledged that the factors of Hindu customs and religion as the majority have a strong influence, so the existence is well-maintained and sustainable. One of them can be found in Penglipuran Village.

Penglipuran village in the Bangli regency is located in the central part of the island of Bali with the area of 112 hectares covering 50 hectares of agricultural area, 45 hectares of bamboo forest, 9 hectares of settlements, 4 hectares of customary area, and the rest for public facilities. Geographically, Penglipuran village is located 600 meters above sea level which makes the temperature of this village tend to be cool with maintained vegetation. This village has been designated as a tourism village, that’s why the residents work in tourism and merchandise vendors, apart from being farmers, employees, craftsmen, and civil servants.

The philosophy of settlement development refers to Tri Hita Karana, which recognizes the existence of three areas, namely Parahyangan, Pawongan, and Palemahan. Parahyangan is a harmonious relationship between humans and God (sang Hyang Widi) placing the temple building as a place of worship in a high position, as a form of respect to the relationship between humans and God. On the north side, there are temples for worship, including Penataran Temple, Puseh Temple, and Pura Dalem. Pawongan is a harmonious relationship between humans because humans will live side by side and cannot live alone. Houses in Penglipuran Village are connected by special gates so that residents can easily communicate and have cooperation in village activities to maintain a sense of kinship and belonging to each other, including welcoming tourists who come to visit. Palemahan means a harmonious relationship between humans and their natural environment, so that nature and ecosystems are well preserved. It is manifested by maintaining the authenticity of the architecture of the houses and yards, cooperation agreements to clean the environment, spatial planning, and the main route in the middle of the village should not be passed by motorized vehicles to free from pollution, including the conservation of bamboo forests as rainwater catchment areas for springs. Another unique feature is an open space to meet each other in the form of a 'rurung gede' road that climbs higher to the north, and every house has a gate facing this road.

The challenges of modernity have also penetrated the Penglipuran Village area so that part of the construction uses modern building materials, but specifically for the pawon and bale adat, they still use traditional building materials, namely bamboo shingle roofs. The community gradually has an open perspective and when they become a Tourism Village, they are ready to interact with tourists from all over. Things that need to be considered are the area's carrying capacity because the presence of tourists has the consequence of increasing water demand, waste, and transportation burden in the area.

The authentic findings in Penglipuran Village provide insight into the spatial layout of the settlement which can be developed as an integrated area with philosophical content, functions, and balance of human life besides having the potential as a tourist resort. ***