Spatial adaptation of post-disaster housing: A case study of a fishermen's settlement in North Aceh, Indonesia

Kuala Cangkoi, a fishing village in North Aceh Regency, was among the areas most severely affected by the 2004 earthquake and tsunami. In the aftermath, displaced families were resettled in standardized government-aided permanent housing designed to meet international minimum standards. Yet these houses often failed to accommodate residents' social and spatial practices, prompting widespread modification. This study examines resident-led spatial transformations as adaptive strategies for livelihood recovery and household survival. Using a mixed-methods approach—including interviews with ten fishermen, observations of forty houses, and documentation of ten modified units—the research finds that standardized designs overlooked the home's dual role as both a domestic space and a site of economic survival, while neglecting the kitchen's function as a gendered social space central to women's daily and community life. Residents gradually reconfigured these structures to better align with their economic and social activities, revealing a persistent gap between standardized post-disaster housing and the lived realities of fishing communities. • ⁠ ⁠Traditional fishing settlements affected by the 2004 tsunami received standard housing assistance. • ⁠ ⁠These standard houses failed to accommodate the activities of fishermen. • ⁠ ⁠This study examines spatial transformations using including interviews, observations, and documentation. • ⁠ ⁠Adaptations were undertaken to meet the needs of fishermen and address the limitations. • ⁠ ⁠Effective post-disaster housing prioritizes responsive designs fitting the socio-economic and spatial needs.