Revitalizing Joglo Structures: AD REM for Sekar Djagad
By SASO Architecture Studio

As part of a collaboration with the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, my team and I—Nam Joo Kim, Stefan Novakovic, and myself, Andi Subagio, embarked on an exciting project exploring adaptive architecture. This approach revitalizes old structures by giving them new functions, and it has been gaining momentum in Indonesia. We aimed to relocate and adapt an abandoned Joglo in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, transforming it into a community space for Padepokan Sekar Djagad. The project runs from March 2023 to August 2024. In this story, I would like to share our journey, highlighting the purpose, processes, obstacles, and outcomes of this endeavor.
Joglo structures are traditional Javanese houses known for their distinctive roof designs and cultural significance. Across Indonesia, many of these vernacular buildings have been abandoned and are at risk of disappearing. Through this adaptive reuse project, we sought to preserve and reinterpret these structures, particularly Joglos, giving them new life while maintaining their historical and cultural values.
Our primary goal was to go beyond simple restoration. We wanted to align new living functions with cultural preservation and historical value, ensuring that Joglos are not only saved but also made relevant to contemporary needs.
This particular Joglo, with high historical value and an intact wooden structure, was originally located in Siraman, Gunung Kidul, where it served as a family residence. It was then carefully dismantled and transported to Mutihan, Sleman, where it would be repurposed as a dance studio for Padepokan Sekar Djagad. The project process followed several key phases: the acquisition and assessment of the Joglo’s condition, the dismantling of its structural elements, transportation to the new site, adaptive design development, site and material preparation, and finally, the reconstruction of the Joglo in its new context.
Our adaptive design approach focused on preserving the essence of the Joglo by retaining its defining components such as the rong-rongan, tumpang sari, and saka guru. These architectural elements are integral to expressing the Joglo’s identity and spiritual values. However, preservation did not always depend on their exact physical form. We explored ways to honor them through philosophical symbolism and through the activities housed within the building, allowing the spirit of the Joglo to live on through experience and use.
While the key physical features were referenced and adapted, we reinterpreted their presence to meet new spatial requirements. The result was an approach that respected both the physical and symbolic heritage of the Joglo, ensuring that its historical and cultural significance remained intact even as it evolved to serve contemporary functions.
One of the most significant and meaningful design gestures emerged from a spatial challenge. The saka guru, or four main wooden columns, traditionally form the structural and spiritual core of a Joglo. However, in this new context as a dance studio, these columns would limit movement and visibility. To resolve this, we replaced the saka guru with light, using illumination as a symbolic and functional presence. The light marks the original positions of the columns, maintaining the spiritual center of the Joglo while allowing an open span for performance and movement. Through this transformation, light became both a structural metaphor and an active participant in the dance, embodying the intersection of function, symbolism, and emotion.
Structurally, the project retained key elements such as the main roof and central spatial hierarchy, transforming them into a column-free space with wide spans. Traditional wood was integrated with steel through carefully detailed joints, ensuring both strength and aesthetic harmony. This hybrid material approach allowed us to combine the warmth and cultural authenticity of wood with the precision and durability of metal.
The repurposed Joglo now functions as a vibrant community space containing a dance studio, a secretariat room, a gamelan room, restrooms, and a parking area. Each space is designed to support both the functional and cultural activities of Padepokan Sekar Djagad. The dance studio provides a generous, flexible area for movement and performance, the secretariat supports administrative work, while the gamelan room sustains traditional music practice. Supporting facilities such as restrooms and parking further enhance the building’s usability for daily operations.
One major challenge during the process was integrating steel and wood materials in a way that preserved the Joglo’s integrity. Achieving this required the development of detailed joint systems that maintained both structural and visual balance. This process demanded not only technical precision but also deep craftsmanship and an understanding of how traditional and modern methods could coexist in one structure.
The result is a space that succeeds in both function and spirit. The Joglo has been transformed into a functional, culturally significant building that continues to serve its community through art and performance. It preserves its historical materials and spatial values while adapting to modern needs, embodying the harmony between human, natural, and spiritual elements that lie at the core of Javanese architectural philosophy.
Through this project, we reaffirmed that adaptive architecture extends beyond visual restoration. It is about revitalizing the spirit of a building, aligning it with contemporary cultural and functional needs. The AD REM: Joglo project stands as a testament to how architecture can honor the past while serving the present and future, keeping heritage alive through transformation and continuity.