Arte-Polis 3 International Conference on Creative Collaboration and the Making of Place 1

Themes of Environmental Design at Riverbank Area :

Learnt from South East Asia Riverbank
Cut Nur’aini
Lecturer-Department of Architecture
School of Archicture and Planning
Institute of Technology Medan
INDONESIA
nurainiicut@yahoo.com; mamibita@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

This Paper attemps to explain the themes of environmental design at riverbank

area esspecially south east asia. The community who has been living at the
riverbank area have an unique culture with unique perception too about water
and river. For the people who have been living at riverbank area, water and river
not only as essential contex of their life but also contain of spiritual values.
Human and water have been related since the beginning of the mankind. The
important learning from this study is related to two big themes 1). Water and
River 2). Waterbank Area.

Themes of water and river are related to five point, namely : a) water as source of
life; b) the spiritual value of river; c) local wisdom; d) waterbank-based live
tradition; and e) community participation. Themes of waterbank area are related
to seven point, namely : a) the pattern of space; b) Building Style; c). Building
Structure; d) Material Use; e) The Change of Transportation System; f) The
Function of Publik Space; and g) The Change of Dwelling.

Keywords : Environmental Design, Riverbank Area, River and Water, Waterbank

Area

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INTRODUCTION

Nowadays, the regions that located in waterbank area has been appeareance
interesting issues. The waterbank area that located in urban or rural can afford to
give itself a specific character for the environment where its be in a place. The
waterbank area is an encounter area between land side and waterworks side where
border on with sea, lake, river and others (Homby, 1987 in Arief, 2008 : 14). The
waterbank area not always a beach or quay but also a track of all along the river
or urban sides that encounter with swamps or apart of town/ urban that still have
visual bound with waterwork side. Generally, waterbank area can defined as an
area that have visual and physical relation with water. Here, water can defined as
sea water, river water and lake water (Tjahyadi, 1993).

Based on regional planning, waterbank area is a part of river side and included
local protection area that was main group of preservation area, so, to arrangement
and planning waterbank area must be focus on „preservation function‟ toward the
land of all along the river.

All of waterbank area is an unique and very various depend to situation of

geografy, history, culture, time, political concern and all sort of enable its have.
Main succes from effort to develop of waterbank area will definited by how the
reaction of unique and specific quality.

In its development, the waterbank area, especially located in South East Asia have
been given various contribution related to design of waterbank environment. As an
specific area with water as its main element, the waterbank area need a mature
planning and design in order to its development, its areas still give positif
contribution for its environment. So, it is important to study in depth how the
waterbank area in South East Asia establish itself become to have specific
characterise of build environment, through exploration the themes from cases of
waterbank area in there.

The Principles of Structuring Waterbank Area

According to Torre (1989, in Arief, 2008:14) there was some aspect that can help
to succes in developing waterbank area, namely :
1. Theme, theme be related to ecology characteristic, climate, history or sosio-
cultural, so, although the function was same with the other place, however the
local climate and condition will influence the form of planning.
2. Image, the image be related to facilities (recreation, sport center, restorant,
occupancy, visual image) and servicing activities that its accommodate. It was
very important to make interesting image from the waterbank area.
3. Experience, with make an access to the water waterbank area can give a
special experience and knowledge rest on the water characteristic. It can be
achieved with provide open space, take care of flora-fauna, to protude all of
facilities that related to control water characteristic, like water gate line,
canals, artificial lake water organize and etc.
4. Function, function can give indictmen for the area in order to perform its
position optimally. Function also can give accessibility quarantee, circulation
and a good parking place that needed in rush hour, easier and comfortable

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movement of pedestrian, to give a new experience for visitors, create an

ecological environment and finally, provide of standart facilities with better
requirements (occupancy, recreation, sport, shopping center) that can enjoyed
optimally.
Design solution for conservation and development of riverbank area (Wijanarka,
2001 : 178-182) can be achieved with five ways, namely 1. Identity forming, that
can be achieved with two ways, namely intentional designed and organic design;
2. Formation of cultural identity, that can be achieved with conserv the culture and
activities of traditional community at the river; 3. Formation of structure area, that
can be achieved with river system, canal system and land side system; 4.
Formation of space area, that can be achieved with figure ground and line
arrangement; 5. Water conservation, that can be achieved with dam system.

Conservation and development designing of riverbank area can be achieved with

principal of ordering and contextual. The contextual means :
1. Contextual about the live cultur in riverbank
2. Contextual about the criteria of area
3. Contextual about the first/beginning design
4. Contextual about the designing identity after development
5. Contextual about everything that will be happened in the designing area

The principles of ordering here means to perform a new design of conservation

dan development riverbank area based on basic conceps. Then, five principles
above considering to designing proses of conservation dan development riverbank
area, namely river ecology (sedimentation, sanitation and purity); productivity
(river transportation, source of life that focused on river), urban design (the
structure of area that focused on river patterns, developing area that focused on
area structure, accessibility that focused on river and land side, orientation area
that focused to he river, spatial area to the river that establish in the structure of
area, view from land side to the river; and building arhitecture (building
orientation to the river)

RIVERBANK AREA IN SOUTH EAST ASIA

Mekong River Waterbank Area : River Life Transition, From

Agro-cities to Agritourism
This phenomenon has been found by P. Theerapappisit that located on The
Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). GMS is defined by continous areas that share
the Mekong River, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vienam and
Yunnan Province of the people‟s Republic of China. The Mekong River can offer
various types of tourism opportunities because of their rich combination of
cultural, natural and historical attractions, especially the remote agriculture
settlements of ethnic minorities. Exploration of these attractions without serious
consideration of the environmental and socio-cultural impacts would destroy
cultural heritage resources and reduce tourist numbers in the long run.

It Should be noted that the river in the GMS communities is a spirit of life that‟s is
intrinsically absorbed into the social structures of agricultural societies

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experiencing water as a part of human life in their various social and religious
activities. The themes of gratitude and indebtedness run deeply in their social
relations to nature, and are expresed in cultural activities, for example Loi
Krathong festival, Songkran festival and Kong Karma Kong Kwian. Bounty or
Nam Jai or „water of heart‟ is another character of people in this subregion
underlying moral care among each other and that is why culture of the GMS could
be interpreted as a part of the water of life that represents tranquillity, friendship
and happiness. On the other hand, as a buddhist metaphor, water and river can
represent the mutable, unpredictable and ephemeral nature of life, always
changing character, always altering course (Van Beek, 1995:107 in
Theerapappisit, P, 2002)

Figure 1. Traditional Agro-ecosystem of Thai Culture

Source : Sheng-Ji, 1985 in Theerapappisit, P, 2002
There are some complex issues related to the success of sustainable tourism
development. It can be sustainable only if disadvantage groups of the population
are actively involve in the decision making and benefit-sharing from tourism with
respect to the limit of ecological carrying capacity between generation. The
challenge for tourism development is to assist social and cultural growth that is
within the aspirations and objectives of the host communities. Therefore, each
community should have an individual tourism development option, appropriate to
that particular locality.

There is no evidence that only economic concern would be able to promote

sustainable outcomes for tourism development. Agriculture lands should be
developed as new tourism destination. Cultural identity also shape by the everyday
practices of ordinary people, their feelings and understanding of the conditions of
exixtence. Culture works dinamically as a process without an ending and
interprets life differently, depending on what human settlements in particular
environment have experienced from time to time.
Finally, Buddhist ethics could achieved a balance between unique cultural
identity, diverse social values, environmental resources conservation, integrated
economic development and holistic tourism system.

Ping River Waterbank Area : Developing the Ping River in

Chiang Mai City, An evaluation of plan versus implementation
This theme addresses the concepts on the development of the Ping River
specifically targeting the plan and implementation that has been done by
Oranratmenee. Compared to its potential, the Ping River has not been developed

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to its maximum potential. Environmental development has been partially

implemented due to lack of budget. Riverside development has been partially
made due to limited availability of riverside public land and lack of budget. River
development is impelemented in term of excavation. River route tourism and
water transportation are not yet made. Lack of masterplan, budget, inadequate
wastewater treatment, ineffective management system, low public participation,
conflicts of laws related to the river, all are major problems.

Recommendations are, a comprehensive plan should be developed under several

timeframes and budget requirements with collaborative management of which
responsible parties and public paticipation are included; laws should be resolved
so as to provide benefits to the public rather than private land-owners and
development should be made towards sustainable development.

a b

Figure 2. a. Ways of life along the river in the past; b. examples of riverside
development in front of Municipality Office
Source : Oranratmanee, 2002
The Ping river performs several function for Chiang Mai City including being a
water sources for water supply and daily consumption, agriculture and industry;
being a city‟s wastewater recipient; being a gateway and waterfront; being an open
space and activity area; being a food source for ecological balance.

Problems of the Ping River related to several aspects including physical and
environmental, ecologycal, economic, social and cultural, governance and
management and also political aspects. River development is being implemented
in terms of axcavation, which should result in higher water carrying capacity.
Comprehensive plan for the area, by covering he river area and development on
both side, have not been made. Problem solving thus is not effectively integrated.
The management system does not effectively work, as it cannot encourage the
related parties to work towards the common goals in a cooperative manner.
It is recommended that he management system should be re-thought, made
concerns the framework of sustainable water based on city development.
Development of the river should be considered the long term use and needs of he
present and future generations by preserving the river, raising awareness and
increasing public participan.

Chao Phraya River Waterbank Area : Transformation by

Modernization of the Traditional Waterfront Settlements in the
Context of their Coexistance with the Aquatic Environment

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This theme, that have been done by Chaweewan Denpaiboon, focuses on the
process and mecanism by modernization of the traditional waterfront settlements.
The main objectives are to discover how, and the reason why the process of
transformation had been happened in order to understand mechanism underlying
transformation by modernization; and to seek develop general conceps for
planning the waterfront settlements based on coexistence and the harmonization of
aquatic environment and city development.

Figure 3. a. canal-side settlements; b. transformation of settlements form :

Mahasawat Community; c. transformation of house form : Mahasawat Community
Source : Denpaiboon, 2001

These findings five important concepts, namely, First, raft house settlements
should be preserved as an institutional tourism for its valuable traditional
habitation; Second, the process of modernization entails two view points : 1.
changes in the people‟s awareness of modernization in four areas for greater
convenience in their way of living; 2. changes in the settlements structures,
building types and building materials. Third, tendencies in the utilization of water
indicated that near the center business distric (CBD) are group of residents related
to natural network of canal and group of residential water-facing houses, both of
which are active in preservation of aquatic environment. Fourth, there must be a
reconsideration of water-based function related to urban design, which is based on
the concept of „access to water‟. Fifth, the present study concludes that adding
value to the water as well as balancing the water condition and human behavior
and life-style are a significant factor for constructing the coexistence of water and
human being to improve water treatment for a better global environment.

This theme shows proposed idea for future waterfront areas based on concepts of
‟access to water‟. Its should be related to urban form such as geography, historic
city for building a ‟new waterfront areas‟ by providing the public space, access to
the water and recreational activities, leisure activities, amenities, improvement of
piers, building facades of house in order to enhance livable waterfront settlements.

Red River Waterbank Area : The Perception of the Water by

Earthmen and the people of the Water, through the Hue
example, the Vietnam old imperial city
Nowadays, the geomancy of ‟landmens‟ is a set of urbanistic corpus rules which
are related to the choise of the location of a site and its adaptation could not be
consigned to the files. This phenomenon has been described by Natalie Nguyen,
an architect in Hanoi. Some forces of wind and water for landsmen called The

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Phong Thuy- wind and water- (feng shui in Chinese) corroborated this conception
: to insure order and stability in the country, strong forces and airstearms are also
studied and canalized. The earth, as the ‟blue dragon‟ and ‟white tiger‟, send out
vital energy (qui or qi) and also that the human has the capacity to receive this
energy, which will influence his health, destiny or descendants. Mountains, hills,
rivers and underground networks are the manifestation of the breath of these two
creatures.

Alive river according to the ‟sampaners‟ is unique too. They live in a ’do’, a
sampan or sometimes in small boats link together or ’ghe’ of average size. Each
part can be modified, sometimes privileging the hosting, the residence place and in
other times the work space. It‟s moveble in regards of the atmospheric conditions,
rain-sun, day-night, and in regards to the sampaner‟s activity. The water is
apprehended not byits surface areabut by its bottom. Hill, valley, fin sand or
stones, each sampaners has a knowledge ‟ by the bottom‟ of its territory. A female
principle, a ‟woman‟, mother of all the things (Dong Hon Chen) gave birth to the
river.

In the city Hue ‟earthmen (landsmen) and ‟sampaners‟ (people of water who live
on a sampan) coexist on the river since the fondation of the city. The combination
of the water perceptions by these two particular social groups creates a unique
view of the city. For the landsmen, the Earth is alive. The water in the city could
be at once naturally generative and modifiable with its transformmable windings.
For the sampaners, the water territory is percieved by its underground geography.
Mothers of all waters, they believe that this river is enchanted by spirit. Their
connection with their own bodies, the education of their children and philosophic
beliefs ensue from their relation with water as an immaterial force. Exchange
routes gradually forgotten, roaming village communities disappearing, the people
of water territories are slowly waning in number.

a c

b
d

Figure 3. a. the 4 cardinals points and the center; b. view of Hue; c. a sampaner pick-
up of sand; d. map of the sampaners repartition in the city in 1998
Source : Nguyen N, 2002

LEARNING
There are two big themes that could be learning from South East Asia Riverbank
which has been found according to the cases above, namely 1. learning about
water and river and 2. learning about waterbank area.

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1. Water and River

a. Water as a source of life

The theme of water as a source of life is very visible explicitly, because all of
discussion above always directed to explain something about human interaction
with the river, like days activities for example accross the river, sell several
thing, shopping at raft market; and also the activities that be related to
traditional activities like religion and nationality celebrate.
b. The spiritual value of the river
The river in South East Asia is an important element which have specific
spiritual values for each place. These values has been made every changes in
the environment and settlement of the community to always keep maintain that
something urgent and important related to interaction between human and the
river.
‟Spirit‟ of the river always run together with traditional activities of local
people and their community and also in urban planning concepts with all
elements inside like settlements and center of town. The river is purified for
them, so local people always build their residents near on the river and develop
in the waterwork side.
c. Local Wisdom
Even all of the cases has been described about design guide lines, renewable,
settlements, transformation of settlements, building transformation and also
tourism, but all of items could not be applied without respect of local wisdom.
All of the waterbank area in South East Asia, at the end of discussion, always
carry ‟local wisdom‟ on the head, as an effective way to understand the
environment and settlement phenomenon in riverbank area.
d. Waterbank-based live tradition
The themes above has been showed that transformation cause of modernization,
industrialization and even politic could not change their character of
waterbank-based live tradition.
e. Community participation
Without participation of local people to develop waterbank area will bring out a
new problems in the environment. All of the people who live in riverbank area
have an unique ways to organize themself related to urban space require and the
concepts that their believed to build a resident.

2. Waterbank Area
a. The pattern of space
There are two patterns of space that has been found and prominent, namely (1)
line pattern that following waterwork side and (2) disperse pattern that
following agriculture land side. First pattern, usually has been found at the rural
and urban area; and second pattern has been found at the rural area that the
majority of people was farmers and have a spacious farming. In the region that
developing the river as a canal, the pattern of space is disperse, following the
canal setting and concentrate at the canal.
b. Building Style

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There are two type of building style in the riverbank area, namely traditional
and modern style. Transformation of building style has been happened cause
of transformation of building function.
c. Building Structure
Building structure in waterbank area related to location and setting of building.
Building that located in land side use concrete and that located in waterwork
side use wood and timber.
d. Material Use
The buildings use wood and timber as main material, especially the buildings
that located in the rural area. Buildings in the urban area still use wood and
timber too. Commercial building use variatif material like glass.
e. The Change of Transportation System
Nowadays, transportation in the riverbank area not only by way of the river but
also by way of road and street in the land side. Eventhough, some place has
been changed the transportation from water system to land system, like road,
street, pedestrian and railway track.
f. The Function of Publik Space
Public space in waterbank area has been transformed following the change of
transportation system. Now, public space not only the river itself but also
street, pedestrian, railway track, green open space like kids playing area,
gardens and new canals in uban area.
g. The Change of Dwelling
There are two models of dwelling transformation that has been happened in
south East Asia, namely (1) raft house to pillar house and (2) pillar house to
land house. First model occured in riverbank settlement that located at rural
area and second model occurred in riverbank settelement that located at urban
area.

CONCLUSION
The society in the riverbank area in South East Asia have the same culture and
opinion about important meaning of water and river. Water and river are two
elements that can‟t be separated in tradition of life for the people who lived in the
waterbank area. The local people believed that water and river have a spiritual
spirit for their life. Every process to develop the riverbank area, it must involve
local people in there cause the local community have an ability and knowledge
itself how to make a good environment that suitable for them. With involve local
people, it must be minimize the problems that maybe appear.

The study of environmental design at river bank area showed two big learning,
first, about Water and River and second, about Waterbank Area. Themes of water
and river are related to five point, namely : a) Water as Source of Life; b) The
Spiritual Value of River; c) Local wisdom; d) Waterbank-based Live Tradition;
and e) Community Participation. Themes of waterbank area are related to seven
point, namely : a) The Pattern of Space; b) Building Style; c). Building Structure;
d) Material Use; e) The Change of Transportation System; f) The Function of
Publik Space; and g) The Change of Dwelling.

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