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Indonesia is archipelago country and plural society which consist of diverse ethnic groups. This study select Java island and Java houses as a representative housing of Indonesia. The aim of this study is to present a comprehensive overview of traditional houses of Java in Indonesia by examining pre-existing literature. First, the Java House as a microcosm of the universe that shows universal and religious aspects. Furthermore, each building contains spiritual symbolism. These ideological aspects select the location and layout of the towns, villages and buildings, which create an order to the interior space. The space structure of Java housing is characterized by strong juxtaposition between east/west, front/back, public/private, male/female, and open space/ closed space. There is also a hierarchy of space, which were applied in floor level, height of space and lightness. The structure of the roof shows the best formativeness. Depending on the shape of the roof, the function of the building is shown, and also it represents the social rank and religious respect. Joglo's unique formativeness is an icon of the Java architect.