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A rice barn is a type of barn used worldwide for the storage and drying of harvested rice. The barns' designs are usually specialized to their
function Function or functionality may refer to: Computing * Function key, a type of key on computer keyboards * Function model, a structured representation of processes in a system * Function object or functor or functionoid, a concept of object-oriente ...
, and as such may vary between countries or between provinces. Rice barns in Southeast Asia appear quite different from rice barns found in other parts of the rice cultivating world. In the United States rice barns were once common throughout the state of South Carolina.


History

The rice barn structure, usually built on
stilts Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground. In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, wav ...
with its variations, is common throughout
Indonesian archipelago The islands of Indonesia, also known as the Indonesian Archipelago ( id, Kepulauan Indonesia) or Nusantara, may refer either to the islands comprising the country of Indonesia or to the geographical groups which include its islands. History ...
. It can be found in
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see below' ...
tradition as '' Rangkiang'', also in Batak, Toraja, and Sasak traditions. A
leuit Leuit is a type of vernacular rice barn found in the Sundanese architecture of Western Java, Indonesia. It used to store rice after harvest for future and daily use. A leuit is an essential part of Sundanese agricultural tradition, especially ...
, or similar structure of it, is believe as an ancient structure which was quite common in agricultural society of Java. A study of bas-relief from hidden foot of the 9th-century
Borobudur Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur ( id, Candi Borobudur, jv, ꦕꦤ꧀ꦝꦶꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ, Candhi Barabudhur) is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indonesi ...
in Central Java, revealed that the ancient Javanese rice barn is remarkably similar to present Sundanese ''leuit lenggang'' (long stilted rice barn), which demonstrate a continuous tradition of rice barn construction on the island.


Rice barns in Southeast Asia


Indonesia

Rice barns in Indonesia (known as ''lumbungs'') are built on four poles, usually stand between 1½ metre and 2 metres up from ground level. The upper storage area often has a distinct omega shape created by bending flexible framing of split bamboo or betel nut trees to support the roof. The roof is generally covered with ''alang-alang'' grass and the sides are made of woven, split bamboo (called ''pagar''). The pole support structure beneath the raised, enclosed rice barn is open with no walls. A floor or platform is constructed of wood and bamboo about 1/2 metre above the ground. This lower platform provides a convenient, shady place for people to sit and relax. In many traditional villages this lower sitting area is a meeting place for village residents where both business activities and social interaction commonly occur. In
vernacular architecture Vernacular architecture is building done outside any academic tradition, and without professional guidance. This category encompasses a wide range and variety of building types, with differing methods of construction, from around the world, bo ...
of
Indonesian archipelago The islands of Indonesia, also known as the Indonesian Archipelago ( id, Kepulauan Indonesia) or Nusantara, may refer either to the islands comprising the country of Indonesia or to the geographical groups which include its islands. History ...
rice barns are made of wood and bamboo materials, and roof usually made from dried grass, palm leaves, or ''ijuk'' (''
Arenga pinnata ''Arenga pinnata'' (syn. ''Arenga saccharifera'') is an economically important feather palm native to tropical Asia, from eastern India east to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines in the east. Common names include sugar palm, areng palm (als ...
'' fibers), and most of them are built raised up on four or more posts to avoid rodents and insects. The styles could be differ according to each Indonesian ethnics architectural styles. The omega shaped curved roof is typical Sasak style of Lombok island. The distinct tongkonan style roof can be found on the rice barns of Torajan. Other examples include the Sundanese ''
leuit Leuit is a type of vernacular rice barn found in the Sundanese architecture of Western Java, Indonesia. It used to store rice after harvest for future and daily use. A leuit is an essential part of Sundanese agricultural tradition, especially ...
'' and Minang '' rangkiang''.


Laos

Rice barns in Laos commonly reflect the design of Laotian homes, though they are usually separate buildings from the home. The rice barn, built on wooden or
bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, but ...
piles Hemorrhoids (or haemorrhoids), also known as piles, are vascular structures in the anal canal. In their normal state, they are cushions that help with stool control. They become a disease when swollen or inflamed; the unqualified term ''he ...
, is usually located near the home or on the edge of the village.Laos
Library of Congress. Retrieved 8 February 2007.


Thailand

Thailand is a nation whose culture is very much intertwined with rice. Rice barns dot the landscape and the trend of barn conversion has spread to that nation as well.Bugalows For Rent
Doi Farang Bungalow, Thailand. Retrieved 8 February 2007.
Other structures mimic the traditional rice barn through their architecture.
Four Seasons Resort, Thailand. Retrieved 8 February 2007.


Rice barns in North America


United States

Rice barns in the United States were most common in the state of South Carolina. Their design reflected their specialized use in rice cultivation.Auer, Michael J
The Preservation of Historic Barns
, Preservation Briefs, National Park Service, first published October 1989. Retrieved 8 February 2007.


Design

In South Carolina rice barns were typically rectangular in shape and of frame construction. The exterior walls were commonly covered with cypress shingles.
Brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
pier foundations support the structures, which usually climbed two stories high;
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aest ...
roofs topped most of them off. The second floor could be accessed via an interior stairwell. Window and door placement would vary. Entrance doors, however, were often found at the end of one of the barn's long side walls and into the hay
loft A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to larg ...
on the second floor.Georgetown County Rice Culture c. 1750 - c. 1910
National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form, South Carolina Department of Archives and Histor

Retrieved 8 February 2007.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rice Barn Barns Barn, Rice Rice production