Spatial Adaptation on Home-based Enterprises Development in

Kampung

Rita Ernawati

, Arfiani Syariah

, Mega Ayundya Widiastuti

, Muhamad Ratodi

Department of Architecture, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya

Keywords: spatial adaptation, home based enterprises, kampung

Abstract: Housing for low income urban households in developing countries, including numerous kampung in

Indonesia, does not only generate consumption but also becomes productive capital through business activities

known as Home-Based Enterprises (HBE). The use of small home for business activities either directly or

indirectly implies a disruption in domestic activities. The inhabitants adjust their house using many strategies

to overcome the limited space. This article aims to explore adaptation strategies undertaken by households in

the kampung regarding the use of space. This study adopted qualitative method focusing on activities and

realities. Research data were collected using in-depth interviews, direct observation and participatory data

collection, conducted through purposive sampling methods. This study elaborates the spatial implication of

the dual function of housing in kampung. Sharing and shifting of space become general adaptation

mechanisms in achieving suitable living in the kampung.

1 INTRODUCTION

The urban poor develop many strategies in order to

survive living in cities. Housing does not only

generate consumption but also become productive

capital for low income urban households in

developing countries, including numerous kampung

in Indonesia. The phenomenon is widely known as

Home-Based Enterprises (HBEs). Many scholars

have observed that the house may not only be a place

for domestic activities but can also function as a

location for income generation, through business

activities (Tipple, 2004; Kellett and Tipple, 2003;

Kellett and Bishop, 2000).

Lipton (1980) emphasized that HBEs are

qualitatively different from other informal economic

activities because the enterprise activity is centred on

family. The dwelling and the family are the traits of

HBE. Strassman (1987) stated that HBE is not just a

small business in a small structure but also a family

operation in a dwelling. That definition focuses on the

element of dwelling and family as the core of HBE.

Another definition stated that HBEs are small-scale

enterprises operated only by family members; others

may be on a larger scale in terms of space and special

equipments, and conducted by workers external to the

family (Gough and Kellett, 2001).

The implications of business in the house vary.

The use of small home as business activity either

directly or indirectly implies a disruption in domestic

activities. The inhabitants need to adjust the

conditions of the home environment for the

supplementary activities. Many researchers suggest

that spatial implications in the case of HBE still

require further exploration. Kellett and Tipple (2000)

have revealed the need for more comprehensive

studies that examine the negotiation of resource

allocation, particularly space, time, and labour, with

a mutual influence between the business and domestic

areas.

In many kampung in Indonesia, home is not only

a place for social reproduction but also a place for

production. HBEs’ activities in the kampung varys

not only in terms of the scale of the business, but also

in terms of the size and type of domestic space used

to it. The phenomenon of HBEs is also found among

low income households in the kampung of Surabaya.

There are many kampung developed as micro

economic centres based on the local product called

kampung unggulan. Kampung kue in Rungkut Lor is

one of the kampung unggulan in Surabaya established

Ernawati, R., Syariah, A., Widiastuti, M. and Ratodi, M.

Spatial Adaptation on Home-based Enterprises Development in Kampung.

DOI: 10.5220/0008907100002481

In Proceedings of the Built Environment, Science and Technology International Conference (BEST ICON 2018), pages 54-61

ISBN: 978-989-758-414-5

in 2000. Many households in this kampung produced

many kinds of traditional dan modern cake every day.

Houses in the kampung are used not only for domestic

activities but also as production and distribution

space. The inhabitants adjust their houses using many

strategies to overcome the limited space in their

house. The spatial implication perspectives of HBEs

need to be elaborated more in depth, particularly the

strategies regarding the use of space for business and

domestic activities by households. This paper

attempts to explore adaptation strategies undertaken

by households in the kampung regarding the use of

space.

The study focuses on the households’ adaptation

strategies used for domestic and business space. This

study employs qualitative method focusing on a

process and natural conditions. To understand the

mechanism and capture the salient facts, this study

uses in-depth interviews, direct observation and

participatory data collection, conducted through

purposive sampling methods.

2 THE CONCEPT OF HBE

HBE has been described in various terms according

to different authors’ points of view, although it

basically has a similar meaning. According to

Marsoyo (2012) ‘home-based enterprise’ indicates a

practice within the informal sector. HBE can be

defined as a small-scale, shared, economic activity in

the dwelling and its surrounding space, which is

managed by family members who lived in the house,

where the workers are the family members, or other

labourers, or both. There are three components of

HBE, which are business activity, family and

space/house (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The Core of HBE (Marsoyo, 2012)

HBEs can be seen from two points-of-view, the

micro and the macro. From the macro point of view,

HBE partakes of two categories, namely, the informal

sector in the urban economy and urban housing. From

the micro perspective it combines three aspects:

business, family and space. Beyond these, of course,

the definition of an HBE is rather complicated,

debatable, and impossible to state as single formula.

This is because of it encompasses a very broad range

of activities, from simple through to complex

(Marsoyo, 2012).

2.1 HBE in Many Perspective

2.1.1. Economic Perspective

Some scholars consider the phenomenon of HBE

viewed from the perspective of income. HBE is

considered to be a form of domestic economic

activity, due to its potential as a source of income for

households and for its economic multiplier effect on

families and communities. Tipple (2005) (Tipple,

2000) showed that the percentage of income from

kampung’s in Surabaya was found to be 60% higher

than in India (58%). Its means that home-based

economic activity will significantly contribute to the

urban economy.

It is clear from the previous description that a

sustainable household livelihood becomes important

and the role of HBE cannot be separated from the

process of economic activity itself. In this context, it

is not only households who benefit from this, but

there is an influence on the larger environment; at the

local, urban, and national levels.

2.1.2. Social Perspective

Kellett and Tipple (2000) and Tipple (2000) argue

that a house used for HBE is not only important as a

workplace but also as means of social interaction. In

terms of social perspectives, HBEs play an important

role for every households by providing daily

necessities. The neighbours as buyers are not only

buying, but also creating social relationships, both

with other buyers and the operator. Its means that

there is a reciprocal relationship between home-based

economic activities and the consolidation of social

networks.

2.1.3. Urban Planning

Research on urban planning and management in

developing countries still pays little attention to

HBEs. Many argue that HBEs are recognized as

facing many obstacles especially in relation to urban

planning. It is because HBEs do not fully comply with

urban planning standards, building codes, or zoning

plans. Meanwhile, HBEs are considered as

problematic, rather than as income generating to the

Spatial Adaptation on Home-based Enterprises Development in Kampung

urban economy through providing livelihoods for

low-income groups.

Along with the development of the urban

planning system especially in developing countries,

the real setting of the HBE needs to be included,

because it provides a local service facility. Kellett

(2000a) emphasised that HBEs are not only for

income generation, but also have a role as a local

service facility within a neighbourhood. The role of

HBEs as local service facilities suggests that HBEs

need to be supported and accommodated in the urban

plan.

2.1.4. Housing Policy Perspective

In perspective of housing policy, the benefits of HBEs

go beyond income generation and employment and

the consolidation of housing. They can also

contribute to upgrading and rehabilitating slums.

Therefore, there are at least three benefits that can be

considered in housing policy, as follows: first, HBE

can be an asset in improving living standards; second,

by improving living standards, people in low income

groups can also gradually improve housing

conditions in a way that has been referred to as

housing consolidation; and third, their subsequent

effects are able to improve the wider environment,

such as through settlement upgrading and

rehabilitation.

2.1.5. Environmental Effects Perspective

Some researchers argue that the informal sector,

including HBEs, is assumed to be a problem for the

environment. In fact, the domestic activities of the

household such as cooking, sweeping, vacuum

cleaning, painting, and redecorating can cause the

release and spread of indoor pollutants at home.

Those impacts will be worse if the household is

occupied in motor servicing, small restaurant, or craft

production. However, Perera and Amin (1996) and

Tipple (2005a: 296) (Tipple, 1999) state that the

negative impacts (pollution) on the environment of

informal sector activities, including HBEs, are

minimal.

2.1.6. Spatial Implication

The spatial implications of HBEs are related to the

configuration of space, spatial organization,

territoriality, and boundaries. Bishop and Kellett state

that: the line and boundaries between reproductive

and productive activities are managed through a

complex, culturally-embedded mechanism in which

individuals, households and groups are continuously

negotiating and re-negotiating the relations and

boundaries between themselves (2000: 54).

The boundaries of the area for business and

domestic use are largely determined by culture.

According to Kent (1991), spatial boundaries, both

conceptual and physical, are continuously changed

and varied, differing from one culture to the other.

2.2 Adaptation Strategy

In numerous fields of social science, adaptation is

considered as a response to risks relating to the

interaction with environmental change, particularly

changes in the physical environment such as in

dwellings, urban areas, the state, or the world.

Humans basically face the same adaptive challenges

as all organisms, but humans are more varied because

of different cultural influences. Human adaptation

depends on cultural adaptation.

The descriptions of coping strategies so far have

placed the emphasis on general applications, while

Berry (1980) proposes a model with three basic

elements of ecology, culture, and behaviour. Bearing

in mind harmonious coexistence between the three

elements, Berry (1980) formulates three adaptation

strategies for coping with changing environmental

conditions: adjustment, reaction, or withdrawal.

In the context of HBE, Tipple and Kellett (2003)

have identified two categories of adaptation strategies

which are sharing of space and extending of space

based on their study in developing countries. In

additional, Marsoyo (2012) formulate three

adaptation strategies undertaken by households in

relation to ‘constructing spatial capital’ in the case of

HBE, that is (a) the sharing of space, (b) the extending

of space, and (c) the shifting of space (Figure 2).

Figure 2: The Concept of Adaptation Strategy on

HBE (Marsoyo, 2012)

Furthermore, these three categories of space use

may be grouped into two basic patterns, namely:

intensive use of space and extensive use of space.

This grouping gives more detail about the use of

space based on the physical aspects of the space.

Thus, the sharing and shifting of space take place

BEST ICON 2018 - Built Environment, Science and Technology International Conference 2018

without increasing the overall net floor area. For this

reason, both categories are grouped into the intensive

use of space. Conversely, the extending of space is

automatically included in the opposite pattern, of

extensive use of space (Marsoyo, 2012).

The ‘sharing of space’ is generally adopted by

households to accommodate business activities at

home, as this can be done in large or small housing.

Households living in limited space generally employ

a pattern of shared space, in which family interaction

takes place in locations that are not exclusive or

restrictive.

The ‘extending of space’ is the transformation

of adaptation strategies undertaken by households in

terms of expansion, or ‘adaptation strategies by

extending’. The household must invest great effort to

make the separation of business and domestic

activities more apparent. Extending space can be

done by adding physical space horizontally and/or

vertically, and may also include encroachment into

public space. The latter requires a greater social than

physical effort than the former, with social effort

needing to be expended to assure neighbourhood

relations.

The ‘shifting of space’ is a strategy used by

households to accommodate business and domestic

activity at different times of the day which

accommodates the extremely small size of the house.

The households become more creative in managing

the space to accommodate the business activity. This

means that the activities taking place within the space

are segmented by time (Kent, 1993).

3 DISCUSSION

3.1 General Condition of Kampung Kue

Kampung Kue is an urban settlement in Rungkut Lor

Gang 2 Surabaya. Almost all of the households in this

kampong have a side business, that is making cakes.

All production processes starting from ingredients

preparation, cooking, packaging and selling are done

at their homes. Every cake production activity is

carried out by themselves with the help from family

members and some are assisted by workers. The idea

of setting up to a cake village business was so

interesting that the business became the main source

of income for the majority of residents in the Rungkut

Lor. For large-scale producers, the workers who

helped the production process came from other cities,

such as the Kediri and Solo. Some are from outside of

Java. The workers lived and settled by rent a house

around the production house owned by residents in

the Rungkut lor area because the production process

was carried out every day.

From the production activities carried out by

the producer assisted by the workers, there are some

who do not carry out a complete production process

until the production process is stored in a long time.

Several categories of producers were obtained based

on activities and business space used in their homes

as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Used of Space in Kampung Kue

Household

The space used

Business space

category

1. Elva

Home storage space

integrated with the

kitchen

Own

2. Choirul

Home storage space

integrated with the

living room and

dining room

Rent / board /

contract

3. Ismail

Storage and packing

space are in the

bedroom which is

also functioned as a

work space /

business

Rent / board /

contract

4. Kinarti

Without storage

because after the

production process

finished, the

customer take it

directly

Rent / board /

contract

The used space for production activities of each

producer in Rungkut Lor is a space for the production

process and space for post-production. The space for

the production process consists of dough preparation

space, making wet cake and pastries space, frying

steaming space, roasting space, packing space, and

mixed space. The space for the post-production

process consists of storage space, sales space or

mixed space. The space used for business activities at

each producer depends on the business space that is

owned or the space that can be used, because not all

producers carry out the entire production in full.

3.2 Used of Space on HBEs Development

in The Kampung

The data obtained from the survey show that the space

for production is used routinely every day in the

afternoon until early morning. The production

process is carried out periodically in several small-

scale producers that do not have storage space. They

make cakes in small quantities and make more

Spatial Adaptation on Home-based Enterprises Development in Kampung

quantities if there are orders. Direct production results

are taken by customers or sold directly in the corridor

area of the village. Some producers have a production

scale that is large enough to reach approximately

1000 pieces everyday with various types of cakes,

assisted by 2-4 workers. Their working time tends to

be routine because the cakes are sold every morning.

The following table presents the schedule of space

use for cake production in Kampung Kue Rungkut

Lor Surabaya

Table 2: Activity Schedule for Conducting HBE in

Elya’s House

Time Activity Room User

10.00-

12.00

Cooking

Kitchen,

Washing

room

Wife,

grandmother,

employee

15.00-

16.00

Cake

production

preparation

Kitchen,

Washing

room,

Bathroom

Wife,

grandmother,

employee

16.00-

18.00

Cake

production

process

Kitchen,

Dining

room,

Washing

room,

Bathroom

Wife,

grandmother,

grandfather,

employee

18.00-

19.30

Cake

packaging

Kitchen,

Dining

room,

living room

Wife,

grandmother,

grandfather,

employee

19.30-

21.00

Cake

marketing via

online

Dining

room,

Living

room,

Bedroom

Wife, husband,

employee

From the results of the mapping on figure 3, it

can be seen that the process of making cakes starts

from preparation to marketing uses the space that is

already in the house. Some parts of the room in the

house are used as multifunction rooms according to

the need to support the process of preparation to

marketing the cake. They share their living room and

dining room to produce cakes. Outside the production

hours, they use the dining room and living room as

their function

Figure 3: Used of Space for HBE in Elya’s House

The function of space for production processes

such as cutting material, measuring dough, etc. which

is a dry activity mixed with dining room which is also

used to gather and eat together. Then, there is a

function of space for packaging and production

marketing that mixes with the dining room and living

room. This shared use of space shows that there is a

portion of space in the house that is also used as the

business space.

Table 3: Activity Schedule for Conducting HBE in

Choirul’s House

Time Activity Room User

02.00-

04.00

production

preparation –

session 1

Wet kitchen

or dry kitchen

Wife, husband

05.30-

06.00

production

preparation –

session 2

Wet kitchen

or dry kitchen

Wife, husband,

employee's,

10.00-

12.00

Cooking and

producing

cakes

Wet kitchen

and dry

kitchen,

washing

room,

bathroom

Wife, husband,

employee's,

15.00-

18.00

Cake

production

process

Wet kitchen

and dry

kitchen,

dining room,

washing

room,

bathroom

Wife, husband,

employee's,

18.00-

19.30

Cake

packaging

Wet kitchen

and dry

kitchen,

Diningroom,

living room,

terrace

Wife, husband,

employee's,

BEST ICON 2018 - Built Environment, Science and Technology International Conference 2018

Time Activity Room User

19.30-

21.00

Cake

marketing via

online

Diningroom,

living room,

bedroom

Wife, husband,

employee's,

Figure 4. Used of Space for HBE in Choirul’s House

The house has a limited space. The bedroom

connected with the dining room and living room.

Although it has a limited area, this house is used as

production space and display. There is a sharing space

and shifting activities between rest activities and cake

production processes, some of which are carried out

in the bedroom. In accordance with the timetable for

space use, it can be seen that there are patterns of

changes in activities in the same space. The TV room,

living room, and terrace at 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

change function from the rest space to the space of

packaging and marketing cakes

Table 4: Activity Schedule for Conducting HBE in

Ismail’s House

Time Activity Room User

18.00-

22.00

Preparation

process to make

dough

Terrace or

kitchen

Wife,

Husband

00.30-

03.00

Frying Kitchen

Wife,

Husband

03.00-

05.30

Packing

Bedroom

Wife,

Husband

and kids

Marketing

Corridor

in front of

the house

Husband

15.00-

16.00

Washing tofu

and drying

process (filtered

until tofu not

containing

water)

Kitchen Wife

From the mapping table 5, it can be seen that

the production process, including cutting ingredients,

packaging, etc., is carried out in a room which is also

used to gather, watch TV and eat together. The use of

the bedroom space for the other activities of cake

production process shows that there is a part area of

the house which is sharing space and shifting time

with the business space.

Figure 5: Used of Space for HBE in Ismail’s House

Table 5: Activity Schedule for Conducting HBE in

Kinarty’s House

Time Activity Room User

15.00-

16.00

Cooking

preparation

kitchen Wife and

husband

16.00-

20.00

Making

dough

kitchen Wife

20.00-

23.00

Cooking

cake

kitchen Wife and

husband

23.00-

01.00

Packaging Kitchen,

living room

Wife,

husband

and kids

03.00-

03.30

Prepare to

marketing

Kitchen,

living room,

terrace

Wife,

husband

03.30-

05.00

Marketing Living

room,

terrace

Wife,

husband

Spatial Adaptation on Home-based Enterprises Development in Kampung

Figure 6: Used of Space for HBE in Kinarty’s House

From the results of the mapping, it can be seen

that family’s activities to produce cake were not only

carried out in the kitchen. At production hours, they

also use the bedroom, living room and terrace. From

the characteristics mentioned before, it can be seen

that with the limited space, the cake production

process, starting from preparation to marketing, can

be done by switching or mixing the existing space in

the house with the cake production activities. Dry

activities in the form of preparation, packaging and

marketing can be done in the living room, and terrace

mixed with kitchen and bedroom. The wet activities

such as washing, processing and cooking are still

done in the kitchen.

3.3 Adaptation Strategy on HBE

Development in Kampung Kue

The availability of space is a fundamental element in

operating a business at home. There is no guideline

about how large or small a space can be used for a

business, because this will depend on the

characteristics of the business type. Several types of

business only need a small space and others need a

large space.

Table 6: Adaptation Strategy on HBE Activity in

Kampung Kue

Household

Used of Space for

HBE

Adaptation

Strategy

Elva

Uses only part of the

house (dining room,

living room,

kitchen)

Sharing Space

Shifting Space

Choirul

Mahfudua

Used all available

space in the house

Sharing Space

Shifting Space

Household

Used of Space for

HBE

Adaptation

Strategy

Ismail

Used all available

space in the house

Sharing Space

Shifting Space

Kinarti

Used all available

space in the house

Sharing Space

Shifting Space

These findings support the results of iElisa, E.

(2016), Yandi, Yatmo, & Atmodiwiryo (2013), and

Winarni, et.al. (2013) adaptation strategy expressed

an innovation method to overcome the scarcity of

space for daily activity. Kampung inhabitants have a

great level of tolerance for overcrowding condition.

In the context of HBE, Marsoyo (2012) stated that

doing business in the house potentially creates greater

crowding and higher densities. The use of space is not

only related to space in the house, but also space

outside the house.

The adaptation strategies are conducted by

households as a response to multiple-activities in the

limited space. Business activities in the home lead to

a shift in the used of space. During the day, space in

the house is more dominated by business activities.

Based on the interpretation of the physical elements

of the built environment, through such methods as

interviews and other observations during the

fieldwork, this study reveals two strategies in

adapting a small house for business activities. The

‘adaptation strategy by sharing’ means that a

domestic space in the house originally intended to be

used for domestic activities is shared for business

activities. Shifting strategy means conducting

different activities in the same space at different time.

4. CONCLUSION

This study elaborates in great detail how households

exploit space in their housing through creative and

flexible actions to generate income as part of

achieving balance between conducting domestic

activity and business activity. Sharing and shifting

space are two common adaptation mechanism

implemented by the inhabitant in kampung kue.

Sharing space is done through flexible

arrangement of the furniture. Moving furniture to

expand the working space, positioning of other

elements, and the vertical placement of furniture are

also included in this category. Shifting space is done

through scheduling of the use of space for domestic

activity and business activity. During the midnight

and early morning, extremely small spaces are

exclusively used for business activities and when

BEST ICON 2018 - Built Environment, Science and Technology International Conference 2018

activities are completed, these spaces take on

domestic functions, for instance as a place for family

interaction or sleep.

The use of space is not only related to the space

in the house, but also the space outside the house,

which might in some cases, be public space. This use

of space requires the operator to follow the norms of

life in the kampung.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thanks to 2015 class students in

architectural research courses in Department of

Architecture, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya who

helped to organize the data collection.

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