Resilient vernacularity: architectural shifts of Rantau Minangkabau traditional houses in Pauh, Padang, Indonesia

Architecture is more than protection—it is an evolving story of how people interact with their environment and maintain identity through built expression. In Minangkabau society, the longstanding custom of merantau (outmigration) has not only shaped social life but also influenced the evolution of traditional houses. In Padang's Pauh district, an unusual variety of Rumah Gadang has developed: the Rumah Gadang Kajang Padati (RGKP), demonstrating both continuity and discontinuity in vernacular architecture. This qualitative case study follows a field-observation method, in partnership with interviews with local cultural personalities and architectural documentation via measured drawings. Architectural morphology is the analytical framework within which the twelve fundamental principles of the Rumah Adat Minangkabau (RAM) from the highlands (Darek) are compared alongside twenty-one RGKP dwellings in the Rantau context. The outcome indicates that while a number of prominent elements—such as roof shape and orientation and spatial arrangement—have changed, many of the symbolic and matrilineal attributes remain ingrained. These modifications indicate resilience rather than deterioration of the culture. Ultimately, RGKP is an example of how vernacular architecture endures, adapting thoughtfully within fluctuating socio-environmental circumstances while maintaining hold on those strands of culture which define it.