Buildings are made to support people’s need of spaces. Building has many functions such as work space, business place, education place, recreation place and many more. In developing countries, especially for small countries, building is used to maximize the use of spaces.

In Indonesia, building is regulated in the Law No. 28 of 2002 on Building (“Law of Building???). According to Law of Building, the definition of building is a physical form of construction works which integrate with the land it stands on, partly or wholly stands over and/or under ground or water, having a function as a place for people to do their activities, either for residence or place to live, religious activity, business activity, sosial activity, culture or any specific activity.

Construction of building is held with the principle of utility, safety, balance, also the harmony between building with its environment. The regulation for building is intended for:
1. Materializing a functional building and suitable with the construction building order which is harmonious and balance with its environment;
2. Materializing an orderly execution of building that ensures technical reliability in terms of safety, health, comfort, and convenience.
3. Materializing a legal certainty in the execution of bulding.

As for building function, according to Paragraph 1 of Article 5 Law of Building, building functions consist of residential function, religious, business, social and cultural, as well as special function. Paragraph 7 of Article 5 stipulated that one building can have more than one function.

Basically, Law of Building is regulating the requirements of a good and fully functional building. As for the implementing regulation of Law of Building is Government Regulation No. 36 of 2005 on Implementing Regulation of Law No. 28 of 2002 on Building (“GR No.36 of 2005???).

The purpose of GR No. 38 of 2005 is to materialize the implementation of orderly buildings, both administratively and technically, in order to materialize a building that is functional, reliable, which ensures safety, health, comfort, and ease of use, and balance and in harmony with its surroundings.

Some of the provisions in GR No. 38 of 2005 still need guidance and technical standard as the guidance to construct buildings. To do so, Minister of Public Works issued the Minister of Public Works Regulation No. 29/PRT/M/2006 on Guidance on Building’s Technical Conditions (“Minister Regulation???). This regulation includes everyone so that every party, person, legal entity and also government body, in constructing building shall fulfil the technical conditions set out in the Minister Regulation.

Retno Anggraeni