Characteristics of the Bajo Tribal Settlement in Torosiaje Laut Pohuwato District, Gorontalo Province, Indonesia

The Bajo settlement in Torosiaje Laut Village in Gorontalo Province in Indonesia has a distinctive feature: wooden houses with wooden posts, walls and planks with partly thatched roofs built on the coast and partly formed into the sea. Its residences are in the form of houses on stilts and use fixed poles. Arising from these unique characteristics, it is currently also a significant tourist attraction. This research analyzes the characteristics of the Bajo tribal settlement and the factors that influence the growth of human settlements in Indonesia. The research was carried out in Torosiaje Village, Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo. It employed a qualitative approach with phenomenological methods. Data collection involved participant observation, structured interviews and a literature survey. Data analysis involved a discussion of the characteristics of the Bajo Tribe Village in Torosiaje Laut Village using qualitative descriptive techniques. This involved describing according to the actual situation. The findings show that the Bajo Tribe houses in Torosiaje Village have unique characteristics because they are built on water, are simple and can adapt to extreme environments. The village houses are built on stilts made of wood with a saddle-shaped roof, and some are shield-shaped and made of zinc and thatch. These wooden houses have poles 3-4 meters high, stuck into the bottom of the water to a depth of ± 1 meter. Each house generally uses 16 -20 poles. The more poles one uses, the less vibrations caused by sea waves are felt. There are lessons to be learnt from these settlements about building in harmony with Nature.