~ rwien universe ~

Happy Ied Mubarak 1430H

2009-09-17T15:01:00.004+07:00

*senja diatas Bali, 17 Desember 2007

senja ramadhan berlalu,menyongsong fajar idul fitri esok hari…

setelah berjuang bersihkan diri sebulan penuh…
semoga fajar fitri melahirkan pribadi kita yang baru,
putih - suci - fitrah, rendah hati, jujur
dan setia pada nilai-nilai kehidupan

semoga diberi kesempatan menyambut ramadhan tahun depan,
dan hari esok yang lebih baik...

taqabbalallahu mina waminkum,
shiyamana wa shiyamakum

minal aidzin wal faidzin...

Selamat Idul Fitri 1 Syawal 1430H
mohon maaf atas segala salah dan khilaf

Trafacon Office Building

2009-07-03T13:46:00.006+07:00

by Lee Bee Luen

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Trafacon Office Building
Location
Jl. Durian No. 11, Jagakarsa, Jakarta, Indonesia
Status
Construction
Expected Completion
December 2009
Site Area
1,883 m2
Gross Floor Area
1,451 m2
Number of Rooms
33
Building Height
10 metres
Client/Owner
PT. Bumi Trafacon Indonesia
Architecture Firm
12akitek
Principal Architects
M. Hikmat Subarkah; Ginanjar Ramdhani
Project Architect
M. Hikmat Subarkah
Project Team
Ginanjar Ramdhani; Anggie Radik Priyanto; Irwan
Model
Anggie Radik Priyanto
Rendering
M. Hikmat Subarkah
Main Contractor
PT. Bumi Trafacon Indonesia
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
PT. Bumi Trafacon Indonesia
Civil & Structural Engineers
Mohamad Samsi; Iqbal
Images/Photos
M. Hikmat Subarkah; Adi Putra

A building should not only respond to contemporary notions of aesthetics or its functional requirements, but also to its locality such as culture, society and climate. In the context of Jakarta, where the city is prone to frequent flooding, architects need to take this problem into consideration during the design process so that there is appropriate and responsible dialogue between the structures and the environment.

The Trafacon Office Building incorporates measures to combat the complex flooding problem in Jakarta, and aims to demonstrate that contemporary architecture can still be applied without sacrificing the basic principles of tropical architecture. Situated on the city’s green area site in Jagakarsa, south of Jakarta, the building is the headquarters of Trafacon, a construction company. It houses the main office, advertising office, photography studio and supporting facilities.

The main concept is to create a seamless blend between the building and its surroundings. A paper-folding technique was used to come up with the spaces, resulting in a dynamic and unconventional form. The building surfaces are covered with green roofs. Apart from the host of advantages that green roofs offer, it is also a strategy to replace the green area of the site used by the building. Basic principles of overhangs, light and airwell are adopted and
traditional sustainable features such as water-management systems as well as cross ventilation techniques are integrated into its contemporary architecture to achieve good environmental performance.

ENERGY
The same functions are grouped together to increase efficiency. Through careful zoning arrangements, human activity is minimised, thus decreasing
heat emissions. Apart from the working zone, all the other zones rely on natural ventilation. Although air-conditioners are used in the working zone, the system is designed to perform at the optimal level, thus avoiding any unnecessary energy wastage. The large glass wall also helps to reduce the need for artificial lighting.

WATER
Conventional and high-tech methods are used to harvest water. A large green roof is used for collecting and filtering rainwater, which is then channelled into a ground tank for toilet flushing and plant-watering purposes. The filtration system is modified from the ones used by traditional Indonesian houses. Apart from a filtering chamber containing small and big aggregates and coconut fibre, existing soil and grass are used as additional filter layers. Coupled with the use of local water equipment technology, which eliminates contamination by iron, manganese, organic, and ammonium compounds, undissolved compounds, turbidity and odour, the collected rainwater can also be turned into potable water.

MATERIALS
Low-energy materials such as concrete, glass and anodised aluminum frames are used; materials with chemicals such as paint emulsion are avoided, minimising negative impact to the environment.

HUMAN HEALTH AND COMFORT
The transparent glass wall is oriented along the north-south axis to avoid direct sunlight. This minimises solar radiation and heat gain, lowering the temperature in the rooms. A large roof cantilever is erected for shading purposes, and the multi-level green roofs serve as cooling layers. The courtyard consists of a water fountain and trees which help to counter the surrounding temperature and humidity. All these factors contribute to creating a more comfortable working environment. By designing a large multi-layered landscape feature that could also be used as a social space, an alternative outdoor interaction venue is made available besides the common indoor room, pantry, etc. The green interaction space provides a calming and uplifting environment, contributing to the psychological well-being of the users which in turn could also have positive effects on their health and working performance.

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Open to Nature

2009-07-03T13:10:00.003+07:00

A development nestled in the greenery promotes living and working amidst nature.
by Lee Bee Luen

PROJECT DATA Project Name
LABO. the mori
Location
Bandung, Indonesia
Status
Construction
Expected Completion
2010
Site Area
1,070 m2
Gross Floor Area
300 m2
Number of Rooms
1 office unit, 6 apartment units, amphitheatre
Building Height
12 metres (maximum)
Client/Owner
Daniel A.M
Architecture Firm
LABO. Architecture+Design
Principal Architect
Nelly L. Daniel
Main Contractor
NA
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
NA
Civil & Structural Engineer
NA
Images/Photos
Hamal O. Pangestu

The first thing that strikes you about the building is how airy and ‘light’ it is. Transparent glass ‘walls’ offer views to the surrounding greenery from the inside. Located in northern Bandung, LABO. the mori sits on a contoured land with a 16-metre gradient which faces a forest conservation valley. With the concept of living and working amidst nature, the mixed-use facility consists of six apartment units, an office and amphitheatre. Although it is a private development, it offers semi-public spaces for clients, students, creative workers, etc.

The idea was to avoid affecting the existing shape and vegetation of the site, especially the mahogany trees which are quite rare. As such, the different sections of the building were ‘spread out’ to follow the site contour, keeping both the outline of the land and trees intact.

The structure is built along a north-south axis, letting in all the light and air, minus the glare and heat. The green walls and roof gardens are not only visually appealing, but also help to lower ambient temperatures and improve the air quality. A large green area on the ground floor helps to prevent rainwater runoff. A reservoir collects rainwater for household needs as well as for watering the plants during dry spells. Natural materials such as wood, bamboo, bricks and other stones are used together with other materials such as glass and steel.

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

The 8th Renovation & Construction Expo 2009

2009-07-03T13:00:00.003+07:00

Date March 20–22, 2009
Venue Assembly Hall, Plenary Hall and Main Lobby, Jakarta Convention Center, Indonesia
Organiser Panorama Convex Indah

For more than seven years, the Renovation & Construction Expo has successfully provided a unique opportunity for architectural, construction and interior design industry in Indonesia to display new products and technology. Now in its 8th year, the event is staged to be even bigger than before due to demands from the exhibitors and visitors to broaden the scope of the products and services showcased. As such, the Expo was held in the Plenary Hall and Main Lobby of the Jakarta Convention Center which covers over 8,000 square metres of exhibition area—a 50 percent increase from last year’s show.

The event aims to directly penetrate the market target by increasing the awareness of products and brands at the same times; to become a showcase for the largest assemblage of products, services, and expertise of local and international marketplace; as well as to allow players in the building material industry to widen their business network and explore partnership opportunities. As one of the activities held during the Expo, BCI Asia presented “Construction Outlook 2009”—a seminar which provided a forecast of the latest and future conditions of the Indonesian construction industry in light of the global economic crisis.

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

ENERGY EXPERT

2009-07-02T12:42:00.003+07:00

Jimmy Priatman
Chief Architect/Founder, PT. Archi-Metric | Indonesia

Chairman of the Center for Building Energy Study – Petra Christian University and the Principal Architect of PT. Archi-Metric, Jimmy Priatman is the energy efficiency man in Indonesia.

“Energy efficiency is an effective strategy to achieve the objectives of green design because maximising building energy performance significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions and exploitation of fossil fuel.”

Thus, he has been heavily involved in building energy efficient buildings since the 1990s. Some of his major professional projects that reflect his energy-saving concepts include the Graha Pangeran, which uses only 140kwh/m2/year, and the Grha Wonokoyo, which consumes only 88kWh/m2/year.

And Priatman’s efforts in pushing for a greener built environment have been well recognised not only in Indonesia but also across Asia.

Amongst many, he has received the Kalyanakretya Utama Award from the Indonesia President and the Minister of Research and Technology in 2002; the 2002 ASEAN Energy Award for Graha Pangeran as a tested and proven energy efficient high-rise building, as well as the 2006 ASEAN Energy Award for Grha Wonokoyo as the most energy efficient high-rise building in Indonesia and the third in ASEAN.

The fervent advocate, who is also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Architecture at Petra Christian University, does his part to increase awareness on the subject by speaking extensively on sustainable energy related topics at seminars and workshops throughout the country.

Of course, green building design is more than increasing building performance through efficient energy consumption; it requires a cohesive and integrated approach. Priatman recognises that although energy efficiency plays a major role, it cannot be the sole consideration for green architecture.

“To minimise the impact of buildings on the environment, energy efficiency must also be paired with other strategies such as water conservation, recycled or reused materials, sustainable site development, and so forth. Green design is a multifaceted challenge, with energy efficiency, in my opinion, being the largest facet.”

“Green building practice can’t be more relevant in Indonesia, where limited energy supply is a continuous problem and evident in occasional blackouts. We have to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel energy by means of energy conservation (using passive systems) and renewable energy, which are the proper solution to achieving both short-term and long-term sustainability.”

He also recognises that, to move things forward in Indonesia, the public must become more aware of the energy situation and the government must be committed to promote sustainable energy endeavours.

“The challenge in Indonesia is the lack of public awareness of this issue, as well as government subsidy for electricity, causing many to take advantage and rely upon the subsidy which in turn increases our dependency on fossil fuel even more. In addition, there is neither subsidy nor reward for implementing energy efficiency, such as installing energy efficient fixtures or on-site renewable energy. The government needs to be proactive in leading citizens towards a culture of sustainability.”

Having said that, Priatman remains positive that the future of green building in Indonesia will be “very promising” because the public is already becoming more aware of global warming and ozone depletion issues.

“Buildings contribute considerably to total energy consumption and people are starting to realise that. This is evident in the newly-formed Green Building Council of Indonesia. Green building practice in Indonesia is still in its nascent state with no other way but to grow.”

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

GREEN SPACES ACTIVIST

2009-07-02T12:27:00.005+07:00

Marco Kusumawijaya
Architect/Urbanist, Urba Corner
Chair, Jakarta Arts Council | Indonesia

An active defender of Indonesia’s urban public spaces and well-known for his cause, architect and urban planner Marco Kusumawijaya believes “in citizenship and voluntary changes”.

“Citizens’ initiatives are key to effect rooted, sustainable changes, and are the basic strength of a nation.”

Thus, it is no surprise that Kusumawijaya’s grassroots projects targeted at changing Indonesia’s built environment for the better are powered by active citizen action and public participation.

“Imagining Jakarta” is a collaborative project that this current chair of the Jakarta Arts Council has founded in 2007. It is an effort that brings together a group of artists, architects and urban planners seeking alternative presentations of the city’s public realm through the collective’s creative work—encouraging citizen action in rethinking the planning of the public domain in urban Jakarta.

Its intentions are also clearly stated on its blog site (http://imaginingjakarta.wordpress.com): “Imagining Jakarta tries to present into the public sphere personal imaginations about the collective hopes for Jakarta. Imagining Jakarta offers an alternative method to experience Jakarta; one that not only serves as a source of ideas, but also as a space for interdisciplinary dialogues, among writers, artists—graphic designers, photographer, sculptors—and architects, all of them are from the younger generation. Imagining Jakarta believes in the programmatic density (and is against the mere volumetric cramming that ignore diversity), wishes Jakarta to be a ‘city of life’ (and is against the negative power that turns her into a mere ‘city of work’), hopes for her spaces to become creative spaces, considers mobility as social, cultural, and economic rights, and aims for the environmental sustainability as a goal.”

The green map movement in Indonesia, founded by Kusumawijaya in 2001 after he published the first Jakarta Green Map, is also driven by the public, the common people. Green maps point out a community’s natural, cultural and sustainable features such as open areas and green spaces to promote sustainable living, details that are not necessarily marked out in normal maps. For instance, by identifying a previously unknown green trail, it could encourage the community to seek out alternative ways to get from point A to point B. These maps are drawn up based on what the volunteers in each community mark out. Besides publishing three more Jakarta green maps, he has also helped other cities across Indonesia to be green-mapped.

In addition to Kusumawijaya’s active involvement on the ground, his 25-year career has also seen him conducting talks and lecturing widely on the subjects of environmentalism and green building; writing books on urban issues; and participating in policy and consultancy work with governments, national and international agencies. He has also worked with the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) and Urban Poor Linkage (UPLINK) Indonesia to reconstruct villages and rebuild lives in Banda Aceh following the tsunami disaster in 2004.

His unfaltering commitment to sustainable development and urbanism in both professional and personal capacities is likely motivated by his personal mantra to “live in a better city, with everybody else”.

Kusumawijaya hopes to create “better, just and sustainable cities for everybody”, and to do that, change must begin now, and quickly.

“Climate change is present and immediate. Rapid and massive changes are urgently required, at both habitat and habitus level. These changes can only be sustainable if people understand them and take over its ownership.”

Although he foresees there is still a lot to do—and which must be done with a great sense of urgency—on the road to a greener Indonesia, Kusumawijaya remains optimistic as more people are becoming aware through greater discourse in many circles.

“I think we just need to get organised and create spaces for exchanges, build up social capital, and generate know-how among the people to increase the scale and speed of change.”

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

THE MAESTRO

2009-07-02T12:21:00.006+07:00

Ridwan Kamil
Principal Architect, PT. Urbane Indonesia | Indonesia

Like the legendary Dr Martin Luther King, Ridwan Kamil has a dream.

He dreams of making cities in Indonesia liveable and sustainable with “progressive design, green architecture, good business…and creative economy”, starting with Bandung, where his award-winning practice (Urbane) and grassroots programmes are based.

Like many green-conscious architects in Indonesia, Kamil is disappointed with the way cities in his country are built. “Most of the time cities are developed at a speed and [with an] attitude that ignore the balance with nature and insensitivity to the city’s own sociocultural value. Then I see how nature strikes back. Floods, acute traffic jams, homelessness that generates criminality, etc. Therefore sustainable development and green architecture is not an option. Designing and building our city in a sustainable and green way is a must.”

“I will not stop until this green and sustainable attitude becomes a norm in our way of designing and building our city.”

And it is this higher mission that drives him to be a green advocate, lecturer and writer.

In fact, Kamil has attained a somewhat rock star status in Indonesia. Fervent cheers and loud applause are not uncommon at his talks. He has become quite a familiar face on the conference circuit across his home country and the region, speaking passionately about sustainable building design.

Perhaps his popularity is also due to the fact that he genuinely cares for his community and wants to make a real difference to the people. Kamil started a grassroots organisation called Bandung Creative City Forum (BCCF) in 2008. BCCF aims to transform Bandung into a more liveable, sustainable and competitive city in Asia within the next five years by bringing together creative communities (it has 30 now) to nurture innovative entrepreneurship so as to boost the economy, and also to actively turn the city’s neglected urban spaces into usable and sustainable public spaces.

Considering the myriad issues and urban problems that “the government cannot handle”, such a grand scheme is no easy feat. However, Kamil remains undaunted and hopeful. “Forty percent of our programmes has been achieved without any support from the government; the rest of the programmes are in the negotiation stage with the city and provincial governments.”

“If we succeed, then the Bandung model can be a good example to other cities in Indonesia. It is an example that the civil society movement can really transform the city into a liveable and sustainable future.”

“I believe creativity can help me to be an agent of change.”

And changing cities is not the only thing this 2006 International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year (British Council) wants to do—Kamil wants to transform the way the man on the street, rich or poor, thinks about architecture and design.

He sees two problems with the current status quo—on the one hand, there is the poor who lacks access to good design and resources, while on the other hand, the “newly rich society” with the resources “often dictates architects badly in the design process and business”.

“Therefore, the most difficult thing for me is educating my clients. It needs extra effort and energy.”

In tackling the problem of the poor, Kamil has set up a new arm in his firm called “Urbane Community” to assist poor urban groups help themselves upgrade their neighbourhood into a more liveable one. His practice is currently doing a project called “one village, one playground” in Bandung.

At the other end, in handling “difficult clients” who are wealthy, Kamil has ingeniously created a new way of “in design process called ‘visioning service’”. This service basically comprises a series of three to four meetings with the goal of “upgrading the client’s design taste” and influencing them with research and discussing examples of “best practices on green architecture”.

“All this is done before we start drawing a single line.” And with this ‘visioning service’, Kamil says that 80 percent of his clients have become more open to new ideas and excited about experimental design approaches as well as respectful of green concepts.

Besides enlightening his clients about sustainable and tasteful designs, this busy individual, who is also serving on the boards of several NGOs, is the mastermind designer behind numerous projects—from one of the most high-profile and biggest ones like the Rasuna Epicentrum in Jakarta to more intimate ones such as his own “Bottle House” in Bandung, which he often uses to showcase his green ideas.

Looking ahead, Kamil is confident that the future of green building in Indonesia will flourish.

“We are now at the stage of observing and digesting the issue. I believe in the next five years this will be booming, thanks to the establishment of the Green Building Council of Indonesia that will act as an entity to certify green buildings.”

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

People-driven Reconstruction of Lives

2009-07-02T11:28:00.008+07:00

by Uplink Banda Aceh and Gabriela Sauter

When disasters strike, leaving homes and lives wiped out, the physical reconstruction of buildings and houses is not the only means to help survivors rebuild their lives. In a way, during post disaster times, architectural end results are no longer the sole concern; it is bringing back the community economy, culture and spirit, driven by the affected people themselves, that becomes equally, if not more, important. After the 2004 tsunami, Uplink Banda Aceh, an NGO, beyond providing emergency relief, intensively promoted and supported community organisations’ “reconstruction of life”—aside from just the physical reconstruction of houses but also livelihood development, arts and culture, health and village redevelopment—for a network of 23 villages.

On December 26, 2004, a tsunami the height of a palm tree struck the city district of Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra (situated on the western tip of Indonesia in the Indian Ocean; the city nearest to the earthquake’s epicentre), leaving a survival rate of as low as 10 percent in some of its kampungs (traditional villages). Uplink Banda Aceh (UBA) was established shortly after the tsunami to provide post-disaster emergency relief, and later encourage and support people-driven “reconstruction of life”.

The disaster altered, and for the most part destroyed, the physical dimensions of Banda Aceh (and its neighbouring villages)—from houses, landscape and infrastructure to hospitals, schools and mosques. However, “Banda Aceh is a story of two tsunamis”, says Wardah Hafidz, director of the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC). The second ‘tsunami’ refers to the destruction of social structures that entailed from the surge of unplanned, unregulated and uncoordinated international aid that came pouring into the city shortly after the first tsunami struck.

Pressures on international donors to spend money, with the belief that using contractors was the most effective way to construct housing, and an over-concentration on physical reconstruction meant that donor/aid organisations reconstructed villages according to their agendas, resulting in a fundamental change in the social attitudes and structures of the surviving communities. In addition to these challenges, communities had to face a government trying to enforce a 2-kilometre no-build zone between the coast and what would be the settlements. It was this factor that gave Uplink a basis for its work, since its local chapters have never been involved in construction processes; it provides an entry point for the organisation to facilitate the rebuilding of communities.

UBA began by ensuring people’s basic needs were being met, then collected data regarding the survivors and organised people so they could start making their own decisions, planning their own communities, and reconstructing their lives according to their needs and priorities. This “reconstruction of life” approach means UBA does not take the physical aspects of development as the end, but as a means; housing and infrastructure are seen as entry points for the building of people’s capacity; for their participation; for trauma-healing; and for their self-determination and independence.

UBA is an attempt to develop a people-driven post-disaster reconstruction model. It seeks to demonstrate that the priority must not be how to spend the money as quickly as possible, or be solely about physical reconstruction, but that the interests of the people and their welfare should be the primary concern. Reconstruction is about lives, not just houses, and it can be taken as an opportunity—and particularly so in a case where international funding was significant—to deal with underlying/previous poverty and environmental problems and to improve the lives of low income communities, without creating a dependency on external organisations.

For this reason, the purpose of UBA is not to establish itself as a permanent entity in Banda Aceh but to help develop communities’ ability to rebuild their own communities physically, socially and politically, so that they have the capacity and strength to determine their future and to advocate/negotiate on their own behalf.

UBA is part of a 14-city network or coalition of Indonesian NGOs and community-based organisations that focus their initiatives and concerns on urban poor issues. UBA’s funding is generally provided through the national Uplink secretariat in Jakarta. The mission of Uplink is grassroots empowerment through advocacy, organising and networking. The backbone of the coalition is the grassroots groups, and the NGOs are the facilitators.

Main activities
UBA’s main activities can be understood in three phases: emergency response, integrated reconstruction and community development. Although followed through in sequence, they are often overlapping, especially with reconstruction and community development.

Phase 1: Emergency response
The emergency response phase lasted three months, from January to March 2005. Much of the emergency response effort in Banda Aceh was relatively well coordinated between organisations, but this was not the case for the reconstruction phase.

Phase 2: Reconstruction
At this point, UBA proposed NGOs active in the area to coordinate their efforts. This proved unsuccessful as the various NGOs, donors, aid agencies came in with their own visions for reconstruction, often resulting in two similar programmes by different organisations in the same village (with up to 10 NGOs working in one village simultaneously), or families acquiring two houses from different organisations, while others are left without anything. International organisations working on disaster response were under pressure from their head offices or from those who funded them to spend money, and given the fact that people needed immediate and significant help, they began their work as quickly as possible.

Although UBA was unable to get the needed coordination with these other organisations, it facilitated the establishment of Jaringan Udeep Beusaree (JUB)—The Village Solidarity Network. It also began collecting information, with the help of JUB members in different villages, on, for instance, the villages’ demographics, former land plots and sources of employment. With this information, it was able to organise the communities in their reconstruction process and determine the eligibility of each family, according to their previous houses and land plots. By May 2005, the network had expanded to 23 villages, and delegates from each village discussed housing types and how to build. The construction teams from each village were responsible for coordinating between UBA and the communities. Distribution of materials was done through a card system, where each family was given a card stating the type and quantity of materials needed, which they would take to the supplier to collect.

In the first phase of construction, only one house per village was constructed. Although this may have been perceived by international funders as an unnecessary delay in construction, it meant communities were able to see their future houses, and make changes to the design. The rest of the houses were also built in phases, depending on the community’s coordination and abilities in construction. The entire reconstruction process in Banda Aceh was completed (for the most part) by February 2007, with over 3,300 houses having been constructed by the community members.

Given its strong network and spirit of collaboration, JUB and UBA were able to coordinate with other organisations, including Greenpeace for solar energy cells (for streetlights); a local sanitation NGO for sanitation infrastructure expertise; Bumoe Leuser, another local NGO, for documentation and helping to develop the community database; and the International Labour Organisation in basic construction training for residents. UBA then updated the housing database and added data from other NGOs to determine how many houses have actually been constructed in all 23 villages, including those by the BRR (the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority established by the government for Aceh and Nias) and various international NGOs/donors.

Reconstruction, however, was not only about the reconstruction of houses, but integrated reconstruction, dealing with every aspect of villagers’ lives. UBA and JUB made plans to develop their communities as ecovillages, known as Gampoeng Loen Sayang.

They defined an ecovillage as urban or rural communities of people, who strive to integrate a supportive social environment with a low impact way of life. To achieve this, UBA and JUB integrated various aspects of ecological design, permaculture, ecological building, green production, alternative energy, community building practices and much more. Gampoeng Loen Sayang are now being created intentionally, so that people can once more live in communities that are connected to the Earth in a way that ensures long-term sustainability, i.e., the well-being of all life forms into the indefinite future.

The people-driven reconstruction ecovillage design was accepted by the authorities as the plans for a 2-kilometre construction-free zone were dropped. Unfortunately, this design was not made mandatory by the government, and was thus not implemented by communities outside the JUB, nor realised to its full extent in all JUB villages.

Phase 3: Community development
The third, final ongoing phase of UBA’s work in Banda Aceh is community development. This overlaps significantly with the reconstruction phase, as it is about integrated reconstruction—from the physical, environmental and social to the economic and political. The purpose of this final phase is to ensure the autonomy of the JUB network so that it can operate independently and self-sufficiently when UBA shifts its focus elsewhere. The UBA aims to achieve this through the development and strengthening of JUB by facilitating meetings and supporting its various initiatives.

Many other NGOs came, built houses and infrastructure, provided cash grants for income generation activities, sometimes provided training in handicrafts, and then left. This form of aid breeds dependency, and its short-term nature means communities are left with little more than a handful of material possessions without sufficient capacity to develop further, both in terms of construction and social development.

Communities were affected in all aspects of their lives both from the destruction caused by the tsunami and then by the social, economic and environmental implications of the extensive and unregulated surge of international money. Prior to the tsunami, most of the villagers were involved in fishing, farming, trading and processing coffee. Since the tsunami, many are now afraid to go out to sea to fish, and significant amounts of their land are still damaged by the saltwater. Many are still working in the construction industry, rebuilding houses, streets, drainage, etc., particularly since many NGOs are still in the process of constructing houses.

Most of UBA and JUB programmes have been ongoing since the construction phase, and they still carry on till today despite the completion of housing, so as to ensure that communities remain strong and continue to work together. Such activities include arpillera (Chilean quilt work); alternative health; mushroom cultivation; composting and active micro-organism liquid fertiliser production; advocacy training; and livelihood programmes.

By treating affected persons as victims, rather than survivors, external organisations generate dependency and the way they operate means local communities also begin seeing themselves as ‘recipients’ and helpless sufferers. The presence of organisations willing to flood local communities with cash in Aceh over three years created a form of powerlessness in many communities in determining their outcomes and developing their communities independently. This sense of powerlessness also contributed to communities taking all that they could and seeing external funding/aid as their right.

Some NGOs give out cash to villagers to do work such as street cleaning, preparing houses after construction and attend community meetings. UBA’s approach is rather different, as it believes cleaning one’s house is an ordinary, daily activity that should not be paid for. Cash-for-work programmes have fundamentally altered people’s community values and have indirectly (and inadvertently) promoted self-interest and segregation, making it more difficult for organisations like UBA who are trying to promote teamwork and community development.

UBA and JUB’s intention to create ecovillages has been inhibited by many of the policies of international donors, for example, the large sports utility vehicles used by the donors, the growing use of motorcycles funded by donors’ cash grant programmes, and the large NGO offices with air-conditioning and new computers. Not only have UBA’s attempts to reconstruct the communities in a manner that is environmentally friendly been offset by the practices of these external organisations, they have been strongly influenced by the growing trend of motorcycle ownership.

Many international donors thought that hiring professional contractors was the most efficient way to get things done quickly. They saw more participatory forms of reconstruction as slow, ineffective and of low quality. But by February 2007, UBA/JUB communities have constructed over 3,300 houses (including infrastructure), while others have built much less with more budget.

Although Banda Aceh became an aid destination for over 500 international organisations with funding amounting to billions of dollars, those who benefited most from this inflow of cash were not the tsunami survivors but contractors, architects and engineers (from outside Aceh) who were commissioned to work by these international agencies. Many contractors took the money and left without actually doing the work for which they had been contracted. And then there were contractors who had subcontractors who, in turn, had subcontractors—so it was very difficult to track how funding was used. With each subcontract, the quality of the housing would be reduced to generate more profits.

Construction difficulties
UBA also experienced some technical difficulties in facilitating the rebuilding of houses and communities. Some of these issues are illustrated below.

1. Ineffective coordination from the authorities created problems when it comes to prices of materials, environment-related issues and corruption. The agency-in-charge failed to set and control standard prices for building materials that resulted in prices of cement, wood, steel and others skyrocketing, and are even subjected to speculations. The logging ban for Aceh, an important and correct policy for the environment, has led to very rampant illegal logging in the area due to unchecked corruption practices. The overemphasis on building construction has triggered environmental destruction such as stone mining of hills and mountains. UBA tried to prevent it from escalating in the UBA and JUB hill areas but with little success due to a lack of strict government regulation.

2. There has been a growing trend towards concrete houses in Aceh, in part because of their ‘modern’ image and their perceived strength, and in part due to the external influence (from other NGOs). Most villagers have chosen to build concrete houses with a ground floor. UBA found a struggle between providing what the villagers wanted (at least initially), and that which is more environmentally-friendly and traditional to the area’s culture, i.e., stilt houses. Despite the many benefits from stilt houses, UBA had trouble convincing people of their advantages. For example, if fishermen were to choose stilt houses, they can use the space available underneath to store their tools, nets, fish, etc.

A personal story
Ridwan Husen first came to know of UBA through one of its COs in February 2005. Uplink held a meeting in Lam Rukam village with its survivors, who, at that time, were staying in the refugee camp further inland, to discuss the village’s future plans. Given the 2-kilometre no build zone policy plan, NGOs were very hesitant to reconstruct villages in situ in cases where they were near the coast. Uplink, however, advocated on the coastal communities’ behalf, organised villages to come together to protest against this regulation, and provided them with temporary shelter and food/cooking supplies to help them to start rebuilding their communities. In Lam Rukam, as in other UBA villages, the community formed various teams (e.g., logistics, construction), consisting mostly of men, while the women and children remained in refugee camps, and once JUB was formed, these united to work together. “By working together in the construction process, we feel we were building better bonds between villages. To coordinate with other NGOs and to strengthen this bond, we decided to formalise the network,” explains Husen. “I feel now we are more solid as a community and with other villages and have less friction than we used to because of JUB and UBA. Other NGOs give a lot of cash grants that cause clashes among villages, where some get the grants and others don’t. After most of these NGOs left, communities’ values were changed, and whenever a new programme starts with a new NGO, the first question is always: will we get paid? UBA avoided this because it just makes us more dependent. Instead it helped us with training and linking with other villages through JUB. Now we have new knowledge from Uplink and we can be more independent. So if we need fertiliser, we can make it instead of buying it. If we want to expand our houses, we can do it ourselves, and if we want to make sure it’s safe, we know how.”

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

“Come-in”

2009-01-18T19:01:00.004+07:00

Date October 28–November 30, 2008
Venue Indonesian National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
Organiser Goethe-Institut Jakarta

Where does design end and where does art begin? What connects the two? Where are they mutually exclusive? The border between art and design, as unclear as it is fascinating, is explored by 29 young German artists whose work is shown in “Come-in”.

On display were a variety of objects, installations, videos and photographs occupying over 800 square metres. In conjunction, a seminar on the theme “Interior Design as a Challenge for Contemporary Art” was held on 28 October which featured Dr Renate Goldmann, curator from Germany; Claus Föttinger, artist from Germany; Enin Supriyanto, curator from Indonesia; FX Harsono, artist from Indonesia, and Nirwan Arsuka as moderator.

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Pod meeting

2009-01-14T15:21:00.005+07:00

A constellation of small ‘pods’ redefines the concept of the traditional business and leisure hub.
by Lee Bee Luen

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
FPod
Location
Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, Pintu Satu Senayan,Jakarta, Indonesia
Expected Completion
November 2008
Client/Owner
Plaza Lifestyle Prima (subsidiary of Plaza Indonesia Realty)
Architecture/Interior Firm
DCM – PT Duta Cermat Mandiri
Principal Designers
Budiman Hendropurnomo; Dicky Hendrasto
Interior designers (Pods)
Pod 1 by Zenin Adrian
Pod 2 by Indah Fajarto
Pod 3 by Krish Suharnoko
Pod 4 by Ridwan Kamil
Pods 5 and 6 by Yori Antar
Pod 7 by Willis Kusuma
Pod 8 by Avianti Armand
Pod 9 by Dicky Hendrasto
Pod 10 by Leonard Theosabrata
Pod 11 by Alvin Tjirtowirjo
Contractor
PT Harjaguna
Capacity
11 pods with 3 sizes:
Small (12.6 m2) capacity of 6–8 people
Medium (18.9 m2) capacity of 10–14 people
Big (31.4 m2) capacity of 20–24 people

Unlike the regular mall or entertainment centre, the new fX Lifestyle X’nter was conceived to combine both business and leisure. This trendy mall, strategically located at the heart of the CBD in Jakarta, seeks to appeal to young working professionals aged 25 to 45. To cater to meetings, the owner’s initial brief was simply to design a food court that comprises some private rooms equipped with projectors and Internet connection. However, the designers came up with the idea of having multifunctional private spaces to suit the lifestyle needs of young urban executives. They termed this unique concept of an edgy meeting hub the fPod.

The fPod features 11 meeting rooms or ‘pods’, of which Pods 5 and 6 are conjoined. Aside from being a novel concept, another special thing about these pods is that each one is designed by a well-known local interior designer. The freedom to design the pods resulted in dynamic and creative spaces, which married aesthetics and function. As Ridwan Kamil, principal of Urbane Indonesia points out, the fPod was “transformed into an art and design gallery which people can use functionally. The coordination between the main architect and 10 designers has created a small forum within this project.”

The meeting hub is located at the centre of the second floor or F2 level. Resembling cocoons, the structure of the pods is composed of steel frames and clear glass cladding. The cocoon-like structure and colourful graphic stickers create some privacy for its users, but the glass walls also allow a degree of transparency which panders to the ‘wanting to be seen’ exhibitionist tendency of the young. The pods come in round, oval or ‘kite’ shapes, and sport three different sizes—small, medium and large—with different capacities. Services and facilities include Internet access, fax and printing machines, projectors and other multimedia tools. Apart from business meetings, the pods can also be used to host leisure activities such as games or karaoke sessions, movie screenings, exhibitions, private gatherings or parties.

NO TWO PODS ARE THE SAME
The style of each pod could not be more different. Pod 11 by Alvin Tjirtowirjo—one of the young and upcoming local designers—sports a futuristic and avant garde look. With the aim of making the round-shaped pod as attractive and distinctive as possible, the designer with a fetish for organic shapes designed the furniture in fluid white lines. The shell of the furniture was created using solid surface and fiberglass. For the upholstery, synthetic leather was used due to its durability and ease of maintenance.

Pods 5 and 6 by Yori Antar of PT Han Awal & Partners Architect evoke a feeling of being in a spaceship with its ‘fluid’ interior and sleek design. Solid surface was used to achieve a clean, glossy look and the bright red colour of the table accents the space. Envisioned as a flexible space to accommodate various activities, a modular table was used. “The design has to be adaptive with the function,” Antar emphasises. “Instead of creating a ‘fixed’ space, we decided to create a modular table that can be arranged into many formations. The table
module can be placed in various ways, generating an extensive range of spatial, seating and orientation options,” he explains. The table also solves the problem of space unity created by the narrow section where the two oval-shaped pods join.

Another pod that is hard to miss is Pod 4 with its unusual beehive-like skin. Designed by Ridwan Kamil, the hexagonal patterns form a white skin which defines the space for the interiors. The sophisticated design aims to respond to the hip and vibrant surroundings at fX, and the additional layer also aids in filtering views from and into the interiors. The furniture inside accommodates the same layout and theme, with the chairs and tables designed in hexagonal-like shapes; functional hexagon modules are also used as a rounded wall shelf for the users of
the pod. The main material used was plywood because of its flexibility to be carved asymmetrically with the help of computer navigation and manual carving on site. White glossy paint was used as a final finish, to add a touch of class.

The design of the pods also influences the functionality of the spaces. For example, for more formal meetings, Pod 2 would be a suitable choice since it follows a more traditional layout. Designed by Indah Fajarto of Angnga Studio, the pod consists of an oval-shaped table with surrounding armchairs, akin to a boardroom. The furniture has been ergonomically designed to ensure the comfort of users in long meetings. In addition, an extra layer of skin made of artificial rattan covers the lower half of the pod, which not only makes it more aesthetically appealing from the inside and out, but also increases the privacy of the users inside. Another unique element in the pod is the stylish multilayered ceiling which helps to improve the acoustics in the room.

On the other hand, Pod 7 was designed to be a space for hosting more informal activities such as social gatherings. “In this pod, we explore the lesehan concept as a traditional meeting space and redefine its idea in the current context,” explains principal designer Willis Kusuma. Lesehan is a Javanese term which means sitting on the floor a la Japanese style. With such a concept in mind, it is unsurprising that the pod does not have proper chairs and, instead, only has a wide cushioned space with a table in the centre, allowing plenty of room for the users to roam freely. The materials used are mainly wood with paint finishing and a combination of solid surface with artificial leather.

© Copyright 2009 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

architecture@09 Book Launching

2008-12-09T16:07:00.004+07:00

Inside the architecture@09, detailed coverage is given to future landmark buildings in Middle East, Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Each article includes a description of the building, site plans, floor plans, elevations, renderings and summary information. The projects, selected each year from more than 100,000 future projects reported by BCI Asia and BCI Australia researchers, help define the changing face of architecture.

Design process presentation by :
Andra Matin
Aboday
Pandega Desain Weharima
Yu Sing

Friday, 12 December 2008
14.00 - done
f5, lifestyle X’nter
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Pintu Satu Senayan
Jakarta

Free Of Charge & Limited Seat Get free FuturArc Magazine, For 50 first registrant

for registration and confirmation contact :
Ziza +62 856 9159 5804 / +62 21 5790 2930, or email at: ziza@bciasia.co.id

Supported by : Australindo Graha Nusa
Organized by : BCI Asia And FuturArc

"Get special discount 'architecture@09' on site! 25% Off"

UI Station 1 and UI Station 2

2008-12-09T15:50:00.004+07:00

Universitas Indonesia
Depok
Indonesia

Clients/Owners
Universitas Indonesia (UI); Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI); PT. Kereta Api Indonesia (PT.KAI)
Architecture Firm
PT. Arkonin
Principal Architect
H. A. Noerzaman
Other Architects/Designers Architects
Ir. R. Taufick Hardi; Indriati.ST; Amelia Mursalim.ST
3D Artists
Andri Iskandar.ST; Marcus Claymant; Mahulete.ST
Interior
Yolanda Fitria Septiani .ST
Structure
Ir. Adrian Tendean
Mechanical
Ir. Heru Budi Santoso
Electrical
Ir. Agus Setiyono
Consulting Engineers
PT. Arkonin
Site Area
70,400 square metres
Gross Floor Area
3,250 square metres (UI Station 1)
3,250 square metres (UI Station 2)
Building Height (metres)
14
Building Height (storeys)
2
Construction Start Date
2009
Scheduled Completion Date
2010

The University of Indonesia or Universitas Indonesia (UI) maintains 100 hectares of forest within its 309-hectare site area. With six lakes scattered over the campus area, it offers a harmonious jungle environment for the school. The UI Station 1 and Station 2 are an external and internal means of transportation to and from the campus.

The stations are designed to blend and connect with its surroundings, linking to pedestrian and bicycle tracks to provide easy access. Where necessary, new walkways and cycling tracks will be built to further improve accessibility. The bridge connecting the UI campus to Station 2 will become a new main gate for visitors.

The design of the new stations is inspired by the concept of movement; the building masses were made ‘fluid’, to represent the dynamics of the train movement.

Reforestation has also been carried out along the sides of the train track, so that the trees will work as a barrier or divider between UI and Margonda area.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

The Concord

2008-12-09T15:21:00.005+07:00

Tanjung Duren
West Jakarta
Indonesia

Clients/Owners
PT. Cowell Development Tbk; PT. Sandi Mitra Selaras
Architecture Firm
Pandega Design Weharima PT.
Principal Architect
M. Archica Danisworo
Other Architects/Designers
Ari Rendra Poernomo, Elly Susilowati NF, Enriko Maradona, Libradi DP, Rahman F.
Consulting Engineers
MEP
PT. Sigmatech Tata Karsa
Structure
PT. Gerald Dean Mandiri
Landscape Architect
PT. PDW
Site Area
4,455 square metres
Gross Floor Area
29,200 square metres
Building Height (metres)
120
Building Height (storeys)
26–36 (plus two basements)
Construction Start Date
January 2009
Scheduled Completion Date
January 2010

Located in Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta across Mall Taman Anggrek (one of the largest shopping centres in Jakarta), the site sits on an open green area.

The brief is to develop a high-end residential development with a unique form, surrounded by greenery. The designers conceptualised the building to have a slender form—the tower is divided into two wings, each with a different height. They also took the surrounding greenery into the project—between the two towers, there are open spaces to allow for sky gardens and landscaping.

The corridors use natural ventilation to reduce the use of air-conditioning. Green terraces are incorporated at every six levels. The majority of the openings of the façade faces north and south to reduce heat gain.

Although the project is conveniently located close to a large shopping mall, the rest of the area is still undeveloped. Bounded by a toll road and a river, part of the challenge is to monitor the neighbouring environment and ensure that the residents’ quality of living would not be compromised.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Taman Ismail Marzuki

2008-12-09T14:54:00.005+07:00

Cikini
Central Jakarta
Indonesia

Client/Owner
Government of DKI Jakarta
Principal Architect
Andra Matin
Other Architects/Designers
Avianti Armand; Gatot Rooseno Aji; Angie Miranti; Lina Madiyana; Faizal Syamsalam; Titis Nurabadi; Yogi Ferdinand; Ellyana; Rio Yandri
Site Area
7.2 hectares
Gross Floor Area
18,720 square metres
Building Height (meters)
27
Building Height (storeys)
5
Construction Start Date
March 2009
Scheduled Completion Date
March 2010

The existing Taman Ismail Marzuki is an old place dedicated to the arts. The government and the Indonesian Architecture Institute of DKI Jakarta called for a design competition to revitalise and transform it into a vibrant public space and green reservoir for the city. Andra Matin’s team came up with the award-winning design.

Thematic park
“Ismail Marzuki” is the name of a famous native musician, and it has been attached to this development for a long time. In commemoration of his place in the Indonesian music scene, the designers borrowed notes from a well known song he created and used it as a ‘tool’ to define the park’s landscape and architecture. Superimposed on the site, the notes become the placement spots for new trees, sky lights and furniture, while the grid lines mark the access into the site. Used also on the building, the composition creates dynamic façades, consisting of different intensities of lines, dots, layers and depth.

Bridge
The bridge is designed as a packed container to reduce building coverage area; it is used to accommodate as many function as it can, not only from the previous existing building, but also new programmes related to the arts and other supporting facilities like F&B outlets. At the same time, it symbolically connects the old and new functions, and the public and private areas of the whole park. The container itself is five storeys high, but it is elevated 12 metres above the ground to allow for the continuity of space.

Preservation
To preserve the memory and the soul of the place, and to minimise waste, the designers decided to preserve the old Jakarta Art Institute campus at the back end of the site. Only the ground floor parts of the campus buildings will be renovated—the walls will be demolished, leaving only the structures to lend a sense of connection. All the ground floor functions will then be relocated either to the first floor or to the bridge. The result is a continuous open space on the entire ground floor, dedicated to the mingling of public and private activities.

Multifunctional park
Not only as lungs for the city, this is also a meeting place. The narrow opening is designed to allow a more streamlined entry. Afterwards, the movement of the space is fluid. The surface is designed as a continuous plane, allowing all places to be easily accessible. Even though there are defined spaces, the whole composition of the elements in the park suggests a venue for more informal functions.

Waterfront
The river, which used to be the public ‘waste bin’, is revitalised to become a waterfront promenade, which could be periodically transformed into a theatre on the river. This strategy is applied to create a rich spatial experience, and at the same time increase people’s awareness of the value of the river—not only as a way to prevent floods, but also as a prominent means in the old days for many activities, including the arts. The “Artificial River” is created along the northwest side of the site to help collect rainwater for recycling and replace the fence as a friendlier boundary between this park and its surroundings.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Setiabudi Residence

2008-12-05T11:21:00.003+07:00

Bandung
West Java
Indonesia

Client/Owner
Private
Architecture Firm
Samuel A. Budiono And Associates
Principal Architect
Samuel A. Budiono
Other Architect
Yatty L. Budiono
Site Area
5,500 square metres
Gross Floor Area
1,800 square metres
Building Height (meters)
10
Building Height (storeys)
2
Construction Start Date
January 2009
Scheduled Completion Date
June 2010

Setiabudi Residence is a project that was conceived to be experienced from the interior, without enclosures, where its boundaries become entwined with the surrounding garden.

The site is located on the top of a hill overlooking the city of Bandung. The microclimate is much cooler and the view quite spectacular especially the city view at night. A street with heavy traffic poses a challenge for the architect in fulfilling the client’s wish for having a quiet dwelling. As a result, a long, thick slate wall shields the house from external noise. A green house with glass enclosures facing the inner courtyard contrasts with the solid wall. Other features that help to create a quieter atmosphere for the house are the massive service area along the street that helps blocks the noise, and the existing avocado trees maintained along the wall that act as a green barrier.

The house is sited on the highest part of the lot with a marked gradient. The journey thus begins with entering a curved driveway from the lowest part, meandering up to where the house is. A motor court with an existing old banyan tree leads to a covered walkway through a series of courtyards to the main house. One enters the foyer with views of water and verdant green. Reflecting pools surrounding the building give a tranquil feeling and the impression of a ‘floating’ house. Common areas open out to the garden, which has been conceived as a natural extension of the interior space.

The organisation of the spaces offers a visual and spatial openness that emphasises the link between house and landscape. Light floods the building not only through façades but it also filters in through the inner courtyard. Folding and sliding glass doors give a sense of having no boundaries to nature, and also helps maximise ventilation. This house only depends on natural ventilation rather than air-conditioning. Reflecting pools, roof garden and large protruding eaves of the roof all help to bring the temperature down. With less than 20 percent of building coverage, the rest of this 5,500-square metre land is covered with rich tropical greenery.

Covered balconies allow for space to enjoy natural breeze. A marble chequered screen casts delicate shadows on the room below while filtering out indirect sunlight. The combination of wood, marble, limestone and other earthy coloured materials reflects calmness, while visually integrating the house with its immediate surroundings.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Sentra Niaga Tangerang

2008-12-05T11:12:00.002+07:00

Jl. Sudirman
Tangerang
Banten
Indonesia

Client/Owner
PT. Paramita Makmur Bersama
Architect Firm
PT. Airmas Asri
Principal Architect
Jusuf Setiadi
Other Architects/Designers
Gaza Wirasugena; Aris Prasetyo
MEP Engineer
PT. Meltech Consultindo Nusa
Structural Engineer
PT. Decimal Engineering Consultant
Consulting Engineer
PT. Airmas Asri
Site Area
97,178 square metres
Gross Floor Area
40,145 square metres (phase one)
Building Height (metres)
14; 38
Building Height (storeys)
4–10
Construction Start Date
February 2009
Scheduled Completion Datejavascript:void(0)
December 2009

The building complex is located in the fast-developing city of Tangerang. The project combines the commercial function in the mall and the hotel with a recreational utility in the form of a plant and flower kiosk and open landscape. Visually, the plant and flower market and landscape have been designed to become the focus of the complex. The crops kiosk has been arranged in geometric patterns, resembling the gardens found in Europe.

Taking into account its surrounding environment, which has yet been developed, the project is implementing a drainage system that could also be used for the area around it. Located so close to nature, almost all the lighting and ventilation systems have been designed to blend in with the open plant and flower kiosk to save energy; the hotel lobby has been integrated with the landscape; and the commercial mall has an open parking system.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Peti Tenget Villas

2008-12-05T10:57:00.003+07:00

Seminyak
Bali
Indonesia

Client/Owner
PT. Dwimatra
Principal Architect
Andra Matin
Other Architects/Designers
Patisandhika; Ady Putra
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
PT. Eltameko Karya Mandiri
Structural Consultant
Ketira Engineering Consultants
Construction Management
PT. Korra Antarbuana
Site Area
7,145 square metres
Gross Floor Area
11,551 square metres
Building Height (meters)
15
Building Height (storeys)
5
Construction Start Date
January 2009
Scheduled Completion Date
December 2009

The site for this villa is located in Petitenget, about 300 metres from the sea and surrounded by rice fields. Relatively flat, it is easily accessible via the village road. The design inspiration for the development came from the mass composition in traditional Balinese house. In its representation, unlike other existing villas in Bali, the architect duplicates the units horizontally and vertically in different solid void compositions to create unpredictable spaces and experiences.

The basic geometric shape of each unit is a simple box. These boxes are individually arranged in a playful manner, by putting one unit on top of the other, attaching them on one side or detaching them completely; hovering one unit in a restless position, while the other resides safely on top of a two-storey single column.

Five to eight units make up a compound, and they are bound by one inner court. This inner court becomes the main orientation of the units surrounding it. The form and shape of each inner court are different, due to the different unit compositions and skyline. The arrangement of the unit types also varies vertically and horizontally to achieve a more variable mix of residents and richer spatial experience. Because the units will be sold in strata title, it is possible for some to have roof gardens.

The major finishing material for this villa is paras silekarang, a natural stone found locally, which will be applied in different ways to define the solidity and porous quality of the walls. The front part of the site will only be used for parking lots and reception area, due to the city’s masterplan to build a highway in the area.

Each unit is designed to be able to operate well without the help of electrical devices. The openings and the porous walls allow good cross circulation of fresh air, while shadings and sunscreens control the intensity of light penetration into the interior. Besides air-conditioning, each unit is also equipped with ceiling fans, allowing the residents to have a choice to use either.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Penabur International School

2008-12-04T13:12:00.003+07:00

Bandung
Indonesia

Client
BPK Penabur Foundation
Principal Architect
Yu Sing
Other Architects/Designers
Oky Kusprianto; Benyamin Narkan; Iwan Gunawan
Site Area
Approx 7,777 square metres
Gross Floor Area
Approx 19,500 square metres
Building Height (metres)
23.5
Building Height (storeys)
4
Construction Start Date
June 2009 (phase two)
Scheduled Completion Date
May 2012

The client’s mission is to provide an international school that allows for quality, creative learning within a safe, Christian environment—to help students achieve their highest potential and develop strong values and beliefs.

Elements of the school logo (a cross and books) have been incorporated into the design of the building. The cross is shown on the façade of the cylindrical tower. The books are reflected by the ‘super books cabinet’ on the southeast façade. The concept of crafting a student’s mind, heart and spirit is encapsulated in the form of three elliptical towers. The super tree metaphor used on the southwest façade shows environmental awareness and also symbolises the growth of the school.

Roof gardens and canopied courtyards provide socialising and learning spaces. Green areas on the ground floor also act as a good sound barrier. Solar panels provide at least 30 percent of the building’s electricity consumption. Grey water is recycled and rainwater is harvested for reuse.

Local, affordable and easy-to-maintain materials like bamboo, natural stone and wood will be used. Selffinanced by the group’s owner, the school is likely to generate employment for the community and attract tenants to operate the various amenities such as the canteen, bank, book store and so on.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Gramedia Expo Medan

2008-12-04T11:46:00.003+07:00

Medan
North Sumatra
Indonesia

Client
PT. Kompas Gramedia
Architect Firm
PT. Urbane Indonesia
Principal Architect
M. Ridwan Kamil
Project Architect
Irvan. P Darwis
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
PT. Metakom Pranata
Structural Consultant
PT. HRT
Site Area
9,247 square metres
Gross Floor Area
47,547 square metres
Building Height (metres)
48
Building Height (storeys)
12
Construction Start Date
January 2009
Scheduled Completion Date
December 2009

The 47,000-square metre Gramedia Expo Medan, consisting of a hotel, bookstore and exhibition hall, is located at the downtown area of Medan, the capital of West Sumatra province. Strategically sited at the intersection of Maulana Lubis Street, this mixed use project enjoys the advantage of having good exposure to two bordering streets.

The client is known for its core business in publishing and newspaper, therefore the idea of folding or folded paper becomes a source of design inspiration. This concept is applied on the hotel façade and the canopy design along the exhibition hall.

In order to minimise energy use, the air-conditioning for the building uses a unit-type system that can be controlled within each hotel room. The hotel’s single-loaded corridors allow for natural light, minimising the need for artificial lighting.

At the corner, the bookstore lounge on the second floor is designed as a double-height transparent space that opens up to the views of the city. At the ground floor, the corner area is dedicated to retail and urban space, inviting people to use it for business or social activities.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

GMS Manado

2008-12-04T11:24:00.003+07:00

Manado
Indonesia

Client
GMS Surabaya
Architect Firm
Samuel A. Budiono And Associates
Principal Architect
Samuel A. Budiono
Other Architect
Yatty L. Budiono
Site Area
3,000 square metres
Gross Floor Area
3,000 square metres
Building Height (meters)
15
Building Height (storeys)
2
Construction Start Date
January 2009
Scheduled Completion Date
August 2010

The client wanted a place to unite the ‘lost’ young generation in the city of Manado. Thus, the building needs to resonate with this purpose and enclose a sense of physical and spiritual retreat from the urban fray.

The site is located on the beach front overlooking the ocean, with a mountain view on the opposite side. The need to accommodate a large congregation on a limited budget means a simple form is more appropriate, thus, a box-shaped building. However, far from just a plain block, the architect incorporated symbolic elements into the design, reflecting an unconventional and contemporary way of worship.

The solid box is ‘broken’ by cracks and holes, symbolising the need for healing and restoration of the imperfect man. A cross-shaped base is reflected in the fellowship courtyard, marking it as the foundation of the church. The cross is deliberately tilted at an angle so that it points to both the ocean and the mountain, acting as the main axis that directs the orientation of the building’s opening. The main axis also serves as the main pathway, separating public functions from semi-public ones such as offices and service areas. The building has a grid of 12 pillars, alluding to the 12 apostles in the Christian faith. The supporting columns on the ground level are hidden by a coloured transparent glass, thus making the ground floor appear transparent, opening up to both sides of the streets. This ‘openness’ not only allows the exterior landscape to be ‘drawn in’ to the internal courtyard, it also conveys a welcoming gesture to the congregation. A real sense of procession is created with a long ramp that begins at the courtyard leading up to the main lobby overlooking the mountain view. Scriptures inscribed on the ramp wall gives greater meaning to the ‘journey’.

On the upper floor, the main hall is enveloped by a passage/backstage/lobby, serving as a noise shield in order to meet acoustic requirements. Circular seating creates an intimate and informal approach while the curved wall breaks the interior box form. The tilted cross is also reflected through the projecting glass as a stage backdrop, framing the ocean view. On the other side it is reflected by a projecting balcony as an extension of lobby providing a view of the mountain. In contrast to the exterior ‘cracked’ box, the interior of this 1,500-seat church is finished in natural wood, creating a warm ambience, alluding to the warmth of the church’s ‘heart’.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

DMHQ Building

2008-12-04T10:57:00.003+07:00

Jakarta
Indonesia

Client
PT. Dwamitra
Architect Firm
Aboday Studio
Principal Architects
Ary Indra; Rafael David; Johansen Yap
Architect In Charge
Ary Indra
Other Architects/Designers
Rafael David; Johansen Yap; Armeyn Ilyas; Wahid Annasir
Mechanical & Electrical Consultant
Team Deni_N21
Structure Engineer
In house PT. Dwamitra
Lighting Consultant
PT. Litac
Contractor
PT. Batu Kali
Site Area
542 square metres
Building Coverage
275 square metres
Built Up Area
566 square metres
Building Height (storeys)
2
Construction Start Date
January 2009
Scheduled Completion Date
December 2009
Artist Impression
Vertex CG

DMHQ Building is located in the southern part of Jakarta, in an area where large residential houses are mixed with small office activities. Set to accommodate a medium-sized family business with 15 staff, the project appears as five individual small buildings, surrounded by greenery. Land limitation means that rooms have to be squeezed to fill the maximum allowable building coverage. Punctuated by enclosed garden and water body, the working areas are arranged to provide the staff with free space, which could be used for work or leisure.

The grass staircase, cut beneath two elevated cubes, connects people to the lobby area from the parking spaces. The 2.5-metre incision between the main building and carpark level provides open ventilation for the room at semi basement level. The green wall, which acts as a divider, with trees peeking out above it, gives the building a sense of relationship to its lush surroundings. The relatively small lobby opens visually towards its environment. At the end of this rectangular space there is a set of staircase as a means of vertical connection. The upper floor contains spacious meeting rooms and separate rooms for the director and senior staff. Perpendicular to the reception counter is a naturally ventilated bridge marking the transition from public space to more private areas of working rooms located at the back.

There is an abundance of fluid spaces that can be utilised to maximise interaction among staff—plenty of sitting area, corridor space, and other nooks and crannies to enable staff to interact, connect and exchange ideas.

The use of mainly textured painted walls and low iron glass on the exterior reflects a gesture of minimum intervention towards nature, while some surfaces punctured with glass-reinforced concrete veil creates an element of excitement for this predominantly white building.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Caringin Family ‘Village’ Improvement

2008-12-03T15:47:00.005+07:00

Bandung
Indonesia

Client/Owner
Caringin family
Principal Architect
Yu Sing
Other Architect/Designer
Benyamin Narkan; Iwan Gunawan
Site Area
Approx 1,212 square metres
Gross Floor Area
Approx 1,152 square metre
Building Height (metres)
9 (including roof)
Building Height (storeys)
2
Construction Start Date
January 2009 (phase 3–4)
Scheduled Completion Date
2014

The existing houses are made up of single-storey buildings that are over 30 years old. They had been developed spontaneously, resulting in poorly ventilated, crowded spaces filled with dark interiors. Due to the high density, the area around the houses gets heavily flooded when it pours. Owned by four related families, the area will be divided among five families in the future. Thus, a step-by-step improvement to the area has been initiated according to each family’s financial ability.

The design of this residential complex was initially adapted from the Sundanese village housing, where there is no fence or boundary between the different houses. They will be renovated into two-storey houses to create wider green open spaces. Ninety percent of the materials from the old houses will be reused, except for part of the foundation and decayed wooden roof frames. Concrete will be used for the structure so that the houses will be able to endure earthquakes, along with cement fibre roofs. The roofs are also used to store rainwater, which will be filtered and used for household needs. Plywood floors made with reused floor tile finishing will be much lighter and cheaper than concrete floors. Houses are designed as a cluster and each house can contain two separate mass. Porous materials are used for pedestrian walkways between the houses, so that rainwater can be absorbed into the ground to prevent flooding. These houses are set to occupy 50 percent of the area; a two-storey accommodation building will take up the area at the back, near the factory complex, to be rented out to the factory’s employees. Lodgings and small stalls in front of the house can become a source of additional or main income for the big Caringin family.

The usage of existing materials and cheaper local materials for this project as well as the participation of various parties in the building process could become a model for communities to improve densely populated residential areas in other Indonesian cities.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@09 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Area 24

2008-12-03T15:25:00.007+07:00

Pancoran
Jakarta
Indonesia

Client/Owner
Bintang Rajawali Perkasa
Architect Firm
PT. Urbane Indonesia
Principal Architect
M. Ridwan Kamil
Project Architect
Rizal Muslimin
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
PT. Metakom Pranata
Structural Consultant
PT. Davysukamta
Site Area
24,770 square metres
Gross Floor Area
140,000 square metres
Building Height (metres)
130
Building Height (storeys)
30 (office); 28 (apartment)
Construction Start Date
1Q 2009
Scheduled Completion Date
2011

Area 24 mixed-use complex is located adjacent to the intersection of business and commercial activity, along the peripheral line of central Jakarta (Pancoran district) and the commercial-residential district in south Jakarta (Kalibata district).

The complex consists of 558 residential units, 49,396-square metre of office space and 7,316-square metre of commercial activity on the ground level. Following the need to clearly define private and public domains, the two apartments buildings were shifted to the back, while the office tower acts as an outstanding landmark in front.

The office tower is composed of ellipse-shaped floor plates to maximise the surrounding view and a white archway frame to symbolise the gate between the two districts. In magnifying this symbol, instead of having a solid crown, a hole is created at the peak of the tower to amplify the visual impact of the gate in connecting the two districts. Other smaller Morse-code-like holes help ‘break’ the solid surface of the white arch frame.

At the entrance area on the ground floor, a welcoming gesture of linear and undulating strip was seamlessly blended into the surrounding urban milieu. In contrast to the plain white colour and glass surface of the tower, this strip façade has a more festive texture and colour to reflect the vibrant commercial-recreational activity on the inside. Visitors are led through a circular retail promenade as transition between the vehicle area and pedestrian zone before arriving at the main garden. The central open area connecting the two apartment and office towers is a green oasis filled with foliage for residents, office workers and visitors to interact and mingle. The other garden next to the eastern apartment has a modern lagoon that also doubles up as a water catchment area besides being a recreational facility. The lagoon is surrounded by several pilotis to enhance permeability and visual access. Other green spaces such as sky lounges and roof garden were also incorporated in the apartment buildings.

© Copyright 2008 Architecture@08 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Arte-Polis 2 – “Creative Communities and the Making of Place: Sharing Creative Experiences”

2008-10-27T13:44:00.007+07:00

Date August 8 – 10, 2008
Venue Institute of Technology Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
Organiser School of Architecture, Planning and Policy Development, Institute of Technology Bandung

The two-day conference was attended by approximately 250 participants with more than 80 paper presentations from 16 countries. The aim of Arte-Polis 2 was to bring together different professionals and leaders from various regions to share international experiences and knowledge regarding current issues, best practices and policy implications on the relationship between creative communities and place-making. A one-day design charrette on 10 August offered participants the opportunity to collaborate and engage in an action-oriented place-making session to propose strategies for community development of a creative cluster in Bandung.

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

FuturArc is looking to profile 30 such individuals in its 2Q 2009 PEOPLE edition

2008-10-27T00:31:00.001+07:00

Do you know someone or a group of people who has made a difference to be built environment in a socially driven way? S/he could be an architect, designer, engineer, policymaker, developer or academic. FuturArc is looking to profile 30 such individuals in its 2Q 2009 PEOPLE edition (to be distributed in March 2009)-we need your help to identify here... click here: http://www.futurarc.com/index.cfm# to nominate.

Thanks

PVC Pipe Shadow Play

2008-10-17T10:25:00.004+07:00

PROJECT DATA Project Name
Modern Java House
Location
Jl. Mawar No. 35 Cipete Selatan, Jakarta, Indonesia
Completion
23 June 2008
Site Area
324 m²
Gross Floor Area
364 m²
Number of Rooms
5
Building Height
12 metres
Client/Owner
Ir. Donny Dwinanto
Architecture Firm
Hand Architect Associates (Pinot Architecture)
Principal Architect
Ir. Nehemia Budi Setyawan
Main Contractor
Yudi Hermawan
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
Yudi Hermawan
Civil & Structural Engineer
Yudi Hermawan
Images/Photos
Hand Architect Associates (Pinot Architecture)

PVC pipes are used to mimic the traditional Indonesian batik motif in a modern Java house.

The house at number 35 Cipete Selatan, Jakarta, has a fascinating façade made up of cut PVC pipes of various diameters. This is the architect’s emblematic interpretation of the batik motif (the design achieved by the traditional Indonesian method of tie-dyeing); a representation of the modern Java house as requested by the owner.

The owner had wanted a modern dwelling that marries the ethnic primbon (Javanese astrology) and feng shui (the Chinese art of placing objects) practices, and the result is a home planned with consideration to the orientation and natural conditioning of the interior spaces. Punctuated throughout the living areas are ponds and a water pool in the centre of this abode.

Responding to the humid tropical climate, the architect employed mostly passive strategies of cooling, integrating water bodies and a double-volume open courtyard to encourage natural ventilation. This openness connects the family room and dining room. Inward looking, it offers a private sanctuary to the owner and his family. The PVC pipes that mimic the batik motifs act as a sustainable and affordable screen from the glaring afternoon sun at the entrance, creating shadow-patterns on the interior spaces. Local materials like stone, ceramic tiles and wood are extensively used on both interiors and exteriors.

This 364-square metre, five-room home gives priority to the common spaces like the central courtyard where the family meets to relax and rejuvenate. It even has a small pavilion-like structure at the courtyard. This feature has a characteristic Javanese tile roof with decorative upsweeping ridge ends. Four timber platforms seem to float over a large pond, crossing one another in the centre and connecting the four sides of the courtyard, linking the living areas of the lofty home. – Shahidah Bte Shahjihan/Candice Lim/Erwin Maulana

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Residing Under The Reigning Roof

2008-10-17T09:23:00.008+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Rumah Bangka No. 3
Location
Jl. Bangka Raya IX Kemang, Jakarta, Indonesia
Completion
August 2008
Site Area
250 m2
Gross Floor Area
250 m2
Number of Rooms
6
Building Height
2 storeys (1 mezzanine)
Client/Owner
Tantowi and Dewi Yahya
Architecture Firm
Desainrenanda
Principal Architect
Raul Renanda
Main Contractor
Basic structure by developers;
upgrading façade by Ismail;
interior by Nugroho Sani
Images/Photos
Raul Renanda

The architect draws inspiration from the roofs of vernacular Indonesian architecture for this townhouse development.

Rumah Bangka No. 3 is a townhouse in a housing development in Jakarta, and like many mass housing projects in the city, it was completed quickly within a tight timeline and a tighter budget. However, this particular house received a little more attention from the architect than the rest, thus making it just that bit more special.

This is because the owners of house No. 3 gave him the opportunity to further develop the design intent he originally had for the townhouses. Unlike the other houses in the scheme, which appear more plain due to cost constraint, house No. 3 has timber details added to the vertical fins, accompanied by an oddly angled aluminium sunscreen. These added features are intended to accentuate the dynamism of the design.

While modern vernacular was the reigning theme in the housing development, Raul Renanda acknowledges the passive strategies that vernacular Indonesian architecture provides, particularly the architecture of the roof. As seen in most Malay Archipelago countries, traditional houses and other buildings are dwarfed by their overwhelming roofs, whether they are the large boat-shaped roofs of the Toba Batak people or the tongkonan houses of the Torajans with their massively exaggerated pitched saddle roofs. The steep tile roofs of the townhouses, a generalised borrowing from the vernacular architecture, are a dependable solution, if not an immediate one, in the tropical climate. The open plan of the interiors allows for natural ventilation and, coupled with the high pitched roof, responds to the heat. The steep slopes deal with rain runoff during wet days, channelling the downpour to the sides of the homes, cooling the interiors with condensation. The glare of the morning sun is minimised with a large vertical fin that runs down the middle of the front façade. According to the architect, the main bedroom faces the morning sun and this feature allows the owners to view the open sky “without worrying about the heat from the afternoon sun”. – Shahidah Bte Shahjihan/Candice Lim/Erwin Maulana

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

2008-10-16T11:28:00.007+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Niloufar
Location
Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia
Completion
31 July 2007
Site Area
5,170 m2
Gross Floor Area
833 m2
Number of Rooms
5
Building Height
Maximum 6.5 metres; overall 11.5 metres
Client/Owner
Christian Savet
Architecture Firm
GFAB
Principal Architect
Gary Fell
Project Team
Hetta Thynne; Tessaldi Ilmi; Zakky Khalid
Main Contractor
Yobel Construction & Building Supplies
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
Hardian Solusi Engineering
Civil & Structural Engineer
Catur Mitra Utama
Images/Photos
GFAB

The architects designed this villa to blend in seamlessly with its surroundings, like a hidden gem amidst nature’s beauty.

The site is set in rice padi fields on the edge of a ravine banking down to a river. The client requested for a five-bedroom villa, with entertainment spaces and staff areas. The architects wanted the villa to be nestled into the landscape, like a hidden gem amidst the beautiful surrounds. Hence, the challenge was to enable the villa to blend in with its environment.

As the land was sloping above a river, the architects set the villa into the terrain as if emerging from the sloping land. The roofs are at the road and entrance level, and the building slowly unfolds from the entrance. There are water features throughout: roof ponds, reflecting ponds, cascades and a pool, echoing the river below. Because the site is located next to a ‘holy tree’, there was a great deal of negotiation, and allowances were made for Hindu processions to pass, and for the building to have minimal impact on the site. Major temples are located adjacent to the property and the villa is sited so that all these features form part of its aspect. Due to its ‘semi-buried’ nature, the house presents minimum impact to the surrounding landscape, appearing more like a traditional small temple or bale bengong (small shelter in the fields) than a large luxury villa.

All of the materials used were sourced from the villa’s direct environment—the walls were clad in stones from the river bed; the roofs are largely water roofs or planted roofs looking like an extension to the surrounding rice fields; other roofs were constructed from terracotta tiles made locally using deep red soil found in the area. Where possible, there are planted elements instead of walls. From the road access to the villa, the house could hardly be seen, maintaining the architects’ vision and enhancing the owner’s privacy. Instead, one would only see the unglazed terracotta rooftops, which are of the same colour as the soil floating amongst water roofs and planting above the padi fields.

All the private rooms in the villa such as the bedrooms and snug spaces are dug into the slope with the river stone walls retaining the earth roofs or water roofs above, making them almost cave-like, and naturally very cool in temperature. The public spaces are exposed to the elements, surrounded by landscape and water cascades.

The pitched roofs feature a double membrane to assist in cooling: the primary membrane is a steel sheet roof over where the secondary terracotta tile ‘rain screen’ or secondary membrane is laid. The terracotta absorbs the heat of the sun whilst throwing the zinc roof into deep shade—between them a small gap allows the breeze to exhaust any built-up heat. Elsewhere, the standard repertoire of pools and planters ensures the building is kept cool with limited demand on mechanical ventilation. – Candice Lim/Erwin Maulana

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Urban Oasis

2008-10-16T10:57:00.007+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Aqua
Location
Seminyak, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
Completion
31 May 2007
Site Area
850 m2
Gross Floor Area
764 m2
Number of Rooms
4
Building Height
6 metres
Client/Owner
Andrew Britton
Architecture Firm
GFAB
Principal Architect
Gary Fell
Project Team
Hetta Thynne; Victor Fernandes; Zakky Khalid
Main Contractor
Yobel Construction & Building Supplies
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
JdeR Building Service Consultant
Civil & Structural Engineer
Catur Mitra Utama
Images/Photos
GFAB

Water was used extensively to encourage air circulation throughout the villa.

This villa—meant to be like an oasis in the city—was designed as an urban rental property specifically tailored to the Bali party market. The site is located in a densely built-up area with direct neighbours all around, so sound insulation and privacy are very important. The façade is unprepossessing yet upon entering, the villa unfolds with a 25-metre swimming pool, roof terraces and gardens, spaces for groups and privacy for individuals. All the accommodation has been allocated along the perimeter walls to create a feeling of spaciousness.

As the name suggests, water was used extensively to encourage air circulation throughout the villa. The architects drew from local vernacular notions on ways to deal with weather extremes: deep roof overhangs to provide shade and rain protection; swimming pools, roof ponds and lily ponds to encourage air flow to aid in cooling the property naturally. A Ficus tree was also planted so that it would eventually shade the bedroom roofs completely. Nature is used to mask, camouflage and cool the building, giving this urban villa a sense of tranquillity. The scale of the street was taken into account when the architects determined the scale of the building, and they also treated the façade with planted areas, timber and local stones. The villa is largely open—the living and dining areas have no walls and most of the spaces are external. Rather than dense walls, planting and trellising have been incorporated to allow air flow yet also prevent prying eyes from outside.

In line with the architects’ philosophy of utilising local materials, they used sala gadang, a flint-like stone cut in a square format for wall cladding. On the external façade, paras bukit from the south of Bali was crushed and used as land fill. They are also used for sound and thermal insulation. – Candice Lim/Erwin Maulana

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Happy Ied Mubarak 1429H

2008-09-25T12:44:00.006+07:00

*matahari pada satu sore di Pakijangan, Brebes

senja ramadhan berlalu,
menyongsong fajar idul fitri esok hari…

setelah berjuang memurnikan diri sebulan penuh…
semoga fajar fitri melahirkan pribadi kita yang suci,
rendah hati, jujur dan setia pada nilai-nilai kehidupan.

semoga diberi kesempatan menyambut ramadhan tahun depan…
dan hari esok yang lebih baik...

Selamat Idul Fitri 1 Syawal 1429H
Mohon maaf atas segala salah dan khilaf
minal aidzin wal faidzin...

FuturArc Prize for green building design

2008-07-29T15:14:00.011+07:00

International Design Competition for Green Architecture

Architectural professionals and students are invited to enter the FuturArc Prize 2009 international design competition for green buildings. The competition, organized by FuturArc journal, is sponsored by Autodesk and supported by the World Green Building Council, UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative as well as architectural and green-building institutions in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

This year's competition offers entrants a choice of two project briefs. The first is contributed by an Indonesia developer seeking for an Office Building + Urban Park, on an actual site in West Jakarta. The second is a Community Hub, one that is imagined for a Greener future, for which entrants must select a site from in the city/region they reside. The design submissions must address form, space and activity in a manner innovative and appropriate for the brief, site and climate. The Jury will be looking at how green strategies, systems and technologies are integrated in an imaginative manner, resulting in a user-centric architecture that is functional and in sync with social and cultural demands of their context.

Entries can be submitted online at www.futurarc.com/prize by 31 December 2008. Winners will be notified on 31 March 2009, then receive their awards as well as total cash prizes of SGD33.000 in subsequent prize-giving ceremonies. Entry in the competition is free.

Winning entries will be determined by an international jury of green building experts. The jury consists of Dr Nirmal Kishnani of the National University Singapore, Dr Ray Cole of the University of Columbia, Kevin Hydes of the World Green Building Council, Professor Kazuo Iwamura of the Musahi Institute of Technology, Dr Stephen Siu Yu Lau of the University of Hong Kong and Dr Deo Prasad of the University of New South Wales.

Dr Kishnani, the jury’s chair, said, “The FuturArc Prize has quickly become the preeminent platform for Green aspirations in the region. Last year, the numbers were strong; the submissions innovative and varied. This year, in the second year of the competition, we hope for more than a bigger turnout; we are on the look out for ideas that inspire and clarify what it means to be a Green in this part of the world.”

Design innovation software leader Autodesk is supporting this event in an important way by providing complimentary copies of its Revit Architecture software for Building Information Modeling (BIM) to registered entrants for use in the competition.

“Green design is an increasingly crucial reality for practitioners in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry,” explained Emmanuel Samuel, Autodesk’s Director for Sales Development for Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) in the Asia Pacific “Autodesk firmly believes that ‘green design’, or global sustainability challenges, can be addressed through better design. To this end, the company is focused on making sure its design products enable sustainable design more readily, powerfully and accurately, and while actively partnering with industry leaders and educators such as FuturArc to promote awareness and adoption of sustainable design practices.”

About the jury

Nirmal Kishnani, PhD, is the Chief Editor of the FuturArc Journal. He is both an educator and practitioner in the area of Green buildings, presently teaching at the Department of Architecture of the National University of Singapore. He has lectured and written widely on the subject of Greening in Asia and has been a consultant to projects across the region, most recently as head of a sustainability unit operating from Singapore. Dr. Kishnani is Jury Chair of FuturArc Prize 2009.

Ray Cole, PhD, is the Director of the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia and Academic Director of the School's Design Center for Sustainability. Dr Cole was selected as a North American Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor for "sustained commitment to building environmental research and teaching" in 2001. In 2003 he received the Architectural Institute of British Columbia Barbara Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service and the US Green Building Council's Green Public Service Leadership Award.

Kevin Hydes, is the Chair of the World Green Building Council and Vice President of Stantec Consulting Engineers. He served as Chair of the USGBC for 2005-2006, and is a founder and director of CanadaGBC. Hailing from Leeds in the UK, Kevin has focused on green design for the past 15 years. His vision led to the first LEED Gold Certified project in Canada, the first LEED-EB Gold Certified project in North America, and the successful completion of 20 LEED Certified projects with more than 30 registered projects awaiting certification. He is an Honorary Member of the Royal Institute of Canada and the Architectural of BC, and an adjunct professor at McGill University School of Architecture.

Kazuo Iwamura, M.E. is a Professor in the Faculty of Environment and Information studies at the Musashi Institute of Technology in Yokohama Japan and CEO of IWAMURA Atelier Co., Ltd. He is also Chair of ARCASIA's Committee for Green & Sustainable Architecture, UIA Councillor of Region IV (Asia + Oceania), Director of the UIA Work Programme Architecture for a Sustainable Future and a member of the board of the World Green Building Council.

Stephen Siu Yu Lau, PhD, is a Professor of the School of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. He served as Chairman of the Faculty Board of Architecture in 2006, and is the Associate Dean from 1998–2006. Graduated from the Barlett School of Architecture in London, Stephen focuses on building science and sustainable environment. He is currently a member of the International Initiative of Building Environment iiSBE based in Ottawa, Canada, and has published more than 30 academic journal papers and several books.

Deo Prasad, PhD, is the Director of the Sustainable Development Program at the University of New South Wales. He has worked on milestone projects including Australia's first solar village, scientific validation of computer simulation tools for energy performance prediction of buildings and related green building assessment tools, advanced performance simulation of buildings using complex modelling software and the Green Olympics projects. He has won an Australian National Innovation Award and the NSW Government 2004 Green Globe Award.

About the prize

The FuturArc Prize has been established by the BCI Group of Companies through its FuturArc journal to inspire architects and other building professionals to draft innovative designs for Green buildings on sites in Asia-Pacific. The Competition format encourages participants to work as integrated teams in producing holistic Green building solutions. Publicity surrounding the Competition is intended to promote competency in Green building design as well as the importance of Green buildings for the environment.

About the promoter

FuturArc Journal is the Competition Organizer whose intent is to promote green building in Southeast Asia, Australia and China. Published by the BCI Group, FuturArc is a quarterly journal recognising the significant impact of the buildings on society and the environment. FuturArc advocates architecture that demonstrates creativity, social responsibility and sustainability. For more information, visit www.futurarc.com.

“4D” Architecture Exhibition: Under Construction

2008-06-23T13:45:00.003+07:00

Date March 19–29, 2008
Venue Indonesian National Gallery, Jakarta
Organiser ILUNI (Ikatan Alumni Universitas Indonesia) Architecture, Universitas Indonesia

Held by the architecture department of Universitas Indonesia (UI), the “4D” architecture exhibition showcased four decades of work by the UI alumni. The event was officially opened by the Vice President of Indonesia, Mr. Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, on 19 March. With the theme “Under Construction”, the exhibition aimed to reflect the evolving process of architecture. Featuring works from more than 67 architects as well as architectural sculptures, there was also a one-day seminar organised in conjunction with the exhibition that gathered leaders of architecture from UI. The entire works of the exhibition was compiled into a book titled Arsitektur 4D and launched on 29 March by the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Mr. Fauzi Bowo.

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Bottle House

2008-06-16T13:43:00.010+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Bottle House
Location
Bandung, Indonesia
Completion
September 2007
Site Area
373 m2
Gross Floor Area
320 m2
Number of Rooms
5 rooms
Building Height
10 metres
Client/Owner
Ridwan Kamil
Architecture Firm
Urbane Indonesia
Principal Architect
Ridwan Kamil
Main Contractor
Azkar
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
Dany Setiawan
Civil & Structural Engineer
Dany Setiawan
Images/Photos
Urbane Indonesia, Yosi Wyoso, Sjahrial Iqbal

It is obvious at first glance why the residence of Ridwan Kamil—the principal of architecture firm Urbane Indonesia—is called the ‘Bottle House’. Sixty percent of the total surface area is covered by recycled bottles.

Located in northern Bandung, Indonesia, the split-level courtyard house occupies a site area of 373 square metres. The residence is divided into three zones: Zone 1 features the guest pavilion; Zone 2 comprises the living and the children’s bedrooms; and Zone 3 includes the garage, kitchen, dining room and library area. With a gross floor area of 320 square metres, the house has an open layout with minimal wall partitions to promote spatial flow in the interior. The aim of the entire design was to reprise a resort atmosphere, which was achieved by recreating a tropical landscape and utilising the building setback for a water feature and swimming pool.

RECYCLED BOTTLES
Collected from a six-month period from the dumping ground, 30,000 recycled bottles were used innovatively in different parts of the house. They were used to form part of the exterior skin of the perimeter wall surrounding the house. Inside the residence, the guest pavilion wall is also made entirely of recycled bottles. The ‘bottle wall’ enables natural breeze to penetrate, allowing fresh air to circulate in the living room.

Every private area such as the bedrooms gets full daylighting because of the full glass exposure. However, this also means getting ‘bad sun’ in terms of heat gain from the west. To reduce the impact, the bottles were also used to form the exterior skin for the walls of the children’s bedrooms, dining room and library area, which was done by alternating panels of bottles and glass in a chessboard pattern with a 60-centimetre gap in between. The glass panels can be pushed open to allow for ventilation.

Not only do the recycled bottles function as passive green elements, they also serve aesthetic purposes. The ‘bottle walls’ create an eye-catching façade, and in the interior, they also become pieces of artwork. The early morning and evening rays that filter in through the bottles also create interesting patterns and shades in the interior spaces, creating a special ambience. The warm colour of the recycled bottles also matches the timber flooring, further enhancing the ‘resort’ feel.

GREEN SPACES
Green spaces have been specifically allocated in the residence. Ridwan’s home is peppered with at least five small areas that are dedicated to growing plants and flowers. Part of the 13-metre long perimeter wall bordering the swimming pool is made up of stacks of gardening pots containing flowers and vegetation. The bale—a rectangular-shaped small pavilion by the swimming pool—has a green roof. There are also plans to turn the flat concrete roof above the guest area into a green roof.

ENERGY & LIGHTING
No air-conditioning is used in the house as natural ventilation concepts have been applied throughout the house. Sliding and folding doors as well as windows are designed to be fully opened when needed, and, together with the presence of three courtyards (a main courtyard and two small courtyards), fresh air is allowed to circulate, ensuring well-ventilated spaces. The water feature and the swimming pool situated at the periphery of the house also provide relief to the courtyard area, bringing cool air into the interior space. The courtyards also allow ample natural lighting into the house, minimising the need for artificial lighting during the day. – Erwin Maulana/Lee Bee Luen

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Rasuna Epicentrum

2008-04-09T11:27:00.009+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Rasuna Epicentrum
Location
Rasuna Said, Kuningan,Jakarta
Status
Construction
Expected Completion
2010
Site Area
53 hectares
Client/Owner
Bakrie Swasakti Utama
Architecture Firm
Urbane Indonesia
Principal Architect
M. Ridwan Kamil
HOK Hong Kong (Bakrie Tower)
Main Contractor
Hutama Karya
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
Elmes Epsilon
Civil & Structural Engineer
Wiratman & Associates PT.
Masterplan
Urbane Indonesia
Landscape
EDAW; Urbane Indonesia
Environmental Graphic Design
Urbane Indonesia
Traffic Management
Pamintori Cipta
Environmental Impact Assessment
Tumpal PT.
Infrastructure
Wiratman & Associates PT.
River Development
Gapura Nirwana
Images/Photos
Antonius Rudy; HOK; Urbane

The client has high hopes for Rasuna Epicentrum. Its urban concept and architecture have been designed with other world-renowned lifestyle developments in mind, such as Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills and Berlin’s Postdamer Platz. Indeed, Rasuna Epicentrum is already a landmark development—it is the first in Jakarta to introduce the “live, work and play” concept within a single project, integrating high-quality urban amenities with progressive architecture. Covering a site area of 53 hectares, it is the largest superblock in Indonesia, comprising office and residential buildings as well as a lifestyle and entertainment centre. Each building has been designed to showcase contemporary architecture, among which the egg-shaped Financial Tower and the 48-storey ‘twisted’ Bakrie Tower stand out as signature structures, redefining the cityscape.

At the heart of the Epicentrum is the Epicentrum Walk (E-walk), a semi-outdoor, partially airconditioned retail corridor, featuring cafés, restaurants and entertainment bars, complete with a water fountain, tropical trees and artistic street furniture for the public. Even the art gallery building has a creative secondary skin made out of neon lights and recycled glass bottles to jazz up the walk. The concept of civic space plays a big part in this development; all ground level areas of the buildings must be made available for public use. A riverfront promenade, set to become a centre for urban activity, has also been designed with generous civic space. Taking into account the tropical climate, the E-walk has a north-south orientation to reduce solar gain from the east-west side, and which also cools the place as it allows for natural cross-ventilation. The strategic placement of trees for shading and the water fountain help to reduce the ambient temperature.

To enhance interconnectivity among the different buildings, sheltered bridges and a skywalk enable pedestrians to proceed to the second level of the superblock, direct from Kasablanka Street. The carpark at basement level three links all the buildings together, enabling motorists to take a different route should there be heavy traffic at a particular exit, hence easing congestion. Trams circulating within the Epicentrum also help improve internal accessibility. Commuters can look forward to even greater convenience when the tram system is linked to the monorail at Rasuna Said Street in the near future.

Rasuna Epicentrum aims to set an example of how a modern region in Indonesia should be designed and organised—where people live, work, create and play all in one place—and in the long run, bring Jakarta closer towards becoming a global city. – Erwin Maulana/Lee Bee Luen

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

“Tension-Span” Architecture Exhibition: The Tension and Debate on the History of Indonesia’s Modern Architecture

2008-03-25T19:19:00.005+07:00

Date November 28, 2007–January 11, 2008
Venue Jakarta, Indonesia
Organisers Erasmus Huis and Centre of Architecture Documentation IAI Jakarta

The exhibition featured Indonesian architecture done in the period of 1910–2000, which was generally marked by disagreement among architects. Thus, it is this ‘tension’ in architecture that the exhibition aimed to capture. Exploring architecture in Indonesia through the influence of euro-centrism, modernism and regionalism, the exhibition also showcased how the younger generation of architects have been coming up with environmentally conscious designs.

© Copyright 2008 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

FuturArc Forum 2008 opens in Jakarta (Post Event News)

2008-03-25T11:47:00.007+07:00

600 participants came together in Jakarta at FuturArc Forum to work towards a more sustainable built environment.

FuturArc Forum 2008 opened Tuesday, 19 February in Jakarta with experts on green building from around the world calling for action on sustainability. The forum is being held by FuturArc journal's publisher, BCI Asia, in eight cities across Asia Pacific with expected participation by 4,000 architects, engineers and property developers as well as students of these professions.

After hearing from representatives of the Indonesian Environment Ministry and the Jakarta Governor, Professor Ray Cole of Canada's University of British Columbia demanded that Indonesia take action on global warming by designing green buildings. Poul Kristensen of IEN Consultants then described the road to zero energy buildings in Malaysia and why it was so much better and cheaper to reduce energy demand in buildings rather than build new power stations. Ridwan Kamil of the Bandung Institute of Technology and Jimmy Priatman to Petra Christian University described some of the key issues in greening Indonesia's built environment and showed that sustainable architecture was appropriate for Indonesia. Lee Kut Cheung of RSP Architects described several Green Mark accredited buildings in Singapore and confirmed that a green building cost only 2% or 3% more than a standard building.

Six hundred participants turn up at the forum

FuturArc's Chief Editor Dr Nirmal Kishnani described the difficult challenge of designing green buildings as posed by three development sites in the inaugural FuturArc Prize design competition. From a field of strong entries from across the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia's Willy Rahadian Pranata won the Master Award in the Professional Category for his design of D'Rimbunan at Leisure Farm Resort Residences in Johore, Malaysia. The awards were presented to them at the forum by representatives of Autodesk, the design software provider, and BCI Asia, the construction information provider.

On Willy Rahadian's design, FuturArc Prize Juror Dr Deo Prasad of the University of New South Wales said: "This project has demonstrated a high level of expertise in green issues and ties it with a good level of analysis of the same. The designs are also very workable and livable."

A dinner was held after the forum to recognize the 10 most active architectural firms in Indonesia. The firms in the BCI Asia Top 10 2008 for Indonesia are, Airmas Asri PT, Anggara Architeam PT, Arkonin PT, Denton Corker Marrshal Jakarta - Duta Cermat Mandiri PT, Indomegah Cipta Bangun Citra PT, Megatika International PT, PTI Architects, Sekawan Design Inc Arsitek PT, Tetra Design Indonesia PT and Urbane Indonesia PT.

The Jakarta forum's Platinum sponsors was Cipta Mortar Utama PT; Gold sponsors are 3M and Pryda; and, the Top 10 awards sponsors include Autodesk, Holcim, Legrand and Philips.

FuturArc Forum will move to Singapore on Friday where World Green Building Council Chairman Kevin Hydes will take the podium along with other experts from around the world.

Presenters' Notes

Presenter	Biography	File
	Budi A. Sukada has been an active member of the National Committee of the Indonesian Architecture Institution (IAI) since 1986, and became the IAI Chairman in 2002. He is also a lecturer at the University of Indonesia and Tarumanegara University, and is currently serving as a juror in several architecture competitions.	Download File
	Professor Ray Cole, PhD is the Director of the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia and Academic Director of the School’s Design Center for Sustainability. Dr Cole was selected as a North American Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor for “sustained commitment to building environmental research and teaching” in 2001. In 2003 he received the Architectural Institute of British Columbia Barbara Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service and the US Green Building Council’s Green Public Service Leadership Award.	Available Soon
	Poul E Kristensen holds a BSc (Hons.) in Mechanical and Civil Engineering. Since graduation in 1977 he has been involved in research on energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings, with projects under the International Energy Agency, as well as under the Danish and European Energy Research Programs.	Download File
	Ir. M Ridwan Kamil, M.Arch, is Principal of Urbane Indonesia Architect. He completed his Masters degree at the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States. In 2003 Ridwan Kamil returned home from studies and employment at Edaw in San Fransisco and Hong Kong to establish his own architecture and design company, Urbane Indonesia. His award-winning enterprise now works on large-scale projects throughout the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia. Ridwan also teaches architecture and writes on Design & Redevelopment and Regional Community Planning.	Download File
	Ir. Jimmy Priatman, M.Arch is Chairman of the Center for Building Energy Study Petra Christian University and the Principal Architect of Archi-Metric, PT. He completed a Masters degree at the college of architecture of the Illinois Institute of Technology in the United States and helped design the 110th floor of the Cityfront Tower in Chicago. He promotes green building and chlorofluorocarbons. He won an award in 2002 from the ASEAN Center for Energy (ACE), for the Graha Pangeran Project, which uses only 140kwh/m2/year. He won a second award from ACE in 2006 for the Graha Wonokoyo Project, which uses only 88kWh/m2/year; well under Ace standardof 200kWh/m2/year.	Download File
	Anto P. Suparmanto has been working at PT. Cipta Mortar Utama as a manufacturer of pre-mixed mortar since 2003. Before he joined the company, he was working at PT. Procon Indah as Property Management Consultant, where he was responsible for several shopping centers in Jakarta. He graduated from the School Of Business and Management from MARA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Shah Alam, Malaysia.	Download File
	Mr Lee Kut Cheung is the Managing Director of RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (PTE) Ltd. An architect with more than 30 years experience, Mr Lee has experience in a wide variety of building projects in both the public and private sector in Singapore including the Subordinate Law Courts, Woodlands Immigration Checkpoint, Victoria Concert Hall, Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Schools and Colleges, Ministry of the Environment Building, Revenue House, the Grand Copthorne Hotel, Ardmore Park Condominium, HDB Hub, NUS Cultural Centre and ITE Regional Campus. Mr Lee graduated with a BArch degree from Hong Kong University and did his postgraduate at the AA School of Architecture in London with special interest in tropical architecture and energy efficient design. He is currently leading RSP’s effort in promoting sustainability in architectural design. He is a Board Member of the Building Construction Authority (BCA) in Singapore, the key Government body in charge of building and construction activities. BCA is actively promoting sustainability in building design and construction in Singapore.	Download File

FUTURARC FORUM 2008, Gran Melia Jakarta Indonesia, 19 February 2008

2008-01-07T20:33:00.000+07:00

Green Building
“The facts are well-known, largely undisputed, and devastating: we are systematically destroying our home, the planet we live on. Buildings are a major cause of green-house gas emissions, wastage and pollution, yet today we know that holistic sustainable design can minimize a building’s impact on the environment.”
Dr Matthias Krups, Chairman of the BCI Group, Publisher of FuturArc

FuturArc Forum 2008 will enable 4,000 architects, developers, engineers and students of these professions to learn more about green building and sustainable design first-hand from leading architects, engineers and academics. The nine conferences, each designed as an exceptional day of learning and information exchange, will be held in Jakarta, Singapore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Sydney, Hong Kong and Shanghai between February and April 2008. Besides speeches by pioneers in green building, each conference will feature a presentation of awards for the FuturArc Prize 2008 competition and the release of a nine-country survey on green building.

Featuring in Indonesia:

Welcome address:
Dr Matthias Krups, Chairman of BCI Asia
Rachmat Witoelar, Minister of Environmental, Republic of Indonesia
Fauzi Bowo, Governor of Jakarta

Keynote speech:
Budi A. Sukada, Chairman of the Indonesia Institute of Architects (IAI)

Speaker:

Ray Cole, PhD is Professor and Director of the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia and Academic Director of the School’s Design Centre for Sustainability. Dr Cole was selected as a North American Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor for “sustained commitment to building environmental research and teaching” in 2001. In 2003 he received the Architectural Institute of British Columbia Barbara Dalrymple Memorial Award for Community Service and the US Green Building Council’s Green Public Service Leadership Award.

Poul E Kristensen, Managing Director of IEN Consultants. He leads a consultancy firm that specializes in integrated sustainable building design and helps clients to meet their desired energy and environmental targets within a reasonable economic cost. Through the use of advanced digital tools, he has amassed expertise and experience in the use of solar energy, day lighting design and technologies as well as indoor climate strategies. Poul is a sought after adviser to both government and private sectors and is regularly consulted on planning and design stage projects that highlight the need for energy conservation.

Ir. Jimmy Priatman, M.Arch, is Chairman of Center for Building Energy Study Petra Christian University and the Principal Architect of Archi-Metric, PT. He completed a Masters degree at the College of Architecture of the Illinois Institute of Technology in the United States and helped design the 110th floor of the Cityfront Tower in Chicago. He promotes green building and energy-saving concepts. His design of high-rise buildings includes air-conditioning without chlorofluorocarbons.

Ir. M Ridwan Kamil, M. Arch, is Principal of Urbane Indonesia Architect. He completed a Masters degree at the University of California, Barkeley, in the United States. In 2003 Ridwan Kamil returned home from studies and employment at SOM in San Fransisco and Hong Kong to establish his own architecture and design company, Urbane Indonesia. His award-winning enterprise now works on large-scale projects throughout the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia.

Lee Kut Chueng, is Managing Director of RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd. With more than 30 years experience in a wide variety of building projects, he is currently leading RSP’s effort in promoting sustainability in architectural design. He is also a Board Member of the Building Control Authority (BCA) in Singapore – the key Government body in charge of building and construction activities. He has a special interest in tropical architecture and energy efficient design.

Event Management Contacts :
- Bobby (021) 5790 2930
- Handoko (021) 7014 7741
- Kurnia (021) 7149 9321

PT BCI Asia
Manggala Wanabakti Building, 8th Floor Wing A Suite 804-805
Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, Jakarta 10270, Indonesia
www.bciasia.com

Indonesian Institute of Architects PKB point (Nilai Kum): 6 (six) points
Get 50% discount for student, 20% for early bird registration before 15 January 2008

BCI Asia Top Ten Architects 2008

2008-01-07T19:22:00.000+07:00

Recipients of this year’s BCI Asia Top Ten Awards will enjoy an opportunity to learn more about sustainability from experts on green building at FuturArc Forum 2008, to be held in nine cities between 19 February and 11 April 2008. The BCI Asia awards are bestowed each year to the 10 most active architectural firms in China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. For Indonesia, this year’s recipients are listed on the following pages.

BCI Asia, the publisher of FuturArc, aims to improve built environments by assembling the principals of Top Ten firms with greenbuilding academics and practitioners from around the world as well as representatives of large property development companies, engineering firms and building technology providers. Besides participating in a discourse on green building, they will attend exclusive Top Ten Awards dinners during or immediately after each respective FuturArc Forum.

Several firms in this year’s Top Ten list are already developing a competency in green building such as Surbana International Consultants Pte Ltd of Singapore with its Green Mark Platinum rated Treelodge @ Punggol project as well as Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd with its design for University of Hong Kong Centennial Campus. Green building may still be in its infancy, but there has been a great leap in environmental awareness among local design professionals since early 2006 when BCI Asia Chairman Dr. Matthias Krups first called on architects to play a leadership role in designing sustainable buildings.

“The only way for Asia––and the world––to survive urban development on such a scale is to focus on sustainability,” Dr Krups said in his welcome address at the Top Ten Awards ceremonies in 2006. “Let us celebrate the remarkable accomplishments and the great responsibilities of the leading ten architectural firms.”

In collecting data on this year’s Top Ten, BCI Asia conducted about 300,000 interviews with architects, developers, engineers and contractors. Its research staff also followed tenders, visited sites and reviewed municipal records to ensure accuracy. The Top Ten winners had the highest accumulated value of active projects in their portfolios reported in BCI Asia’s e-bulletin/Leadmanager service in the year to September 2007. Active projects were either reported for the first time at design or documentation stages in the year to 30 September 2007; or updated to tender, post tender or construction stages during this annual period from design or documentation stages in the previous annual reporting period. Projects were excluded if they were abandoned or deferred.

Indonesia

AIRMAS ASRI PT.
address Jalan Cikini IV No. 6, Jakarta 10330 tel 62 21 3190 6688
recent projects Sunter Point • The Curve - Samarinda Mall • Artha Gading Office Park • MT Haryono Office • TMT Tower, Jalan TB Simatupang Jakarta
www.airmasasri.com

ARKONIN PT.
address Gedung Arkonin, Jalan Bintaro Taman Timur, Bintaro Jaya Sektor I, Jakarta 12330 tel 62 21 736 4176
recent projects Galeri Indosat Bandung • Pejatan Mall • BKPM Auditorium • Ciputra Superblock (Ciputra World) • Lintas Artha Office - Bandung • BSL (Bio Safety Level) III Laboratory - Jakarta
www.arkonin-id.com

ANGGARA ARCHITEAM PT.
address Jalan Tebet Barat IV No 6 Jakarta 12810 tel 62 21 830 3322 / 830 8356
recent projects Jakarta Excelcomindo Network Building - Bintaro • Pelita Harapan University : Blok F • Harris Hotel • Summarecon Office, Serpong, Jakarta
www.anggara.co.id

DENTON CORKER MARRSHAL JAKART A – DUTA CERMAT MANDIRI PT.
address Wijaya Puri Blok G No 30, Jalan Wijaya II, Jakarta 12160 t 62 21 721 0210
recent projects Novotel - TB Simatupang • Novotel Hotel Bandar Lampung (4 Stars) • The Kuningan Place • Nikko Bali Resort Expansion • Nu Ciwalk - Bandung
www.dentoncorkermarshall.com

INDOMEGAH CIPTA BANGUN CIPTA PT.
address Sentra Bisnis Artha Gading Blok A7 D No 20-21, Jakarta 14240 tel 62 21 453 3445
recent projects Kelapa Gading Market • Lucky Square • Makassar Town Square • Mutiara Kebayoran • The Sky Line Office Tell at Batam Center, Batam, Kepulauan Riau
www.indomegah.com

MEGATIKA INTERNATIONAL PT.
address Komplek Apartemen Permata Eksekutif Gedung Kantor Lt.3, Jalan PosPengumben, Jakarta 11550 tel 62 21 5365 1221
recent projects Grand Apartment • Kuta Apartment • Marbella Dago Pakar - Hotel • The Cosmopolis • Century Hills Hotels and Apartment • SCBD Office Park, at SCBD Lot 18, Jakarta

PTI ARCHITECTS
address Wisma Metropolitan II, 12th Floor, Jalan Jend Sudirman Kav 29. Jakarta 12920 tel 62 21 570 2702/03
recent projects The Fame • Trans Kalla - Integrated Business Complex • Sampoernia International School • Kuningan International School • Deli Grand City at Jalan Putri Hijau, Medan
www.pta.com.au

SEKAWAN DESIGNINC ARSITEK PT.
address Menara SDA Jalan Guntur No. 44, Jakarta 12980 tel 62 21 835 2235/835 1905
recent projects Bulungan Apartment • Bosowa Low rise Apartment • Mercure Pontianak Hotel • The Ambassade: Apartment and Suites at Jalan Denpasar, Kuningan, Jakarta
www.designinc.com.au

TETRA DESIGN INDONEISA PT.
address Jalan Tanah Abang IV / 1, Jakarta 10160 tel 65 21 351 8910
recent projects Trisula Office • Cyber Two • Omni Medical Center - Tangerang • Jakarta Financial Centre • The Cyber Jalan Kuningan 8, Jakarta
www.tetra.co.id

URBANE INDONESIA PT.
address Jalan Sumur Bandung 20, Bandung 40132 tel 62 22 250 0453
recent projects Tsunami Museum • Rasuna Epicentrum • Balikpapan Nirwana Hill Resort • Senayan Expo • Pancoran Office Park at Jalan Pancoran, Jakarta
www.urbane.co.id

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Primary School Building in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam

2008-01-07T19:07:00.000+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Primary School Building in NAD, Indonesia
Location
Bireun, Bener Meriah, Aceh Selatan and Aceh Singkil District, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Indonesia
Status
Construction
Expected Completion
December 2007
Site Area
Approx 1,000 – 5,000 m2 at 66 locations
Gross Floor Area
Approx 1,000 – 2,000 m2 on average per location
Number of Rooms
9 rooms per location
Building Height
1 storey
Client
UNICEF will be handing the project over to the Ministry of National Education Government of Indonesia
Architecture Firm
PT BITA ENARCON ENGINEERING, Bandung, Indonesia
Project Director
Bambang Panudju
Principal Architect
Sugeng Triyadi, Herry Mulyajaya,
Architect In-charge
Masedizal, Ariani Mutiara Wulan, Boyke M. Akbar
Plumbing & Electrical Engineer
Andrisa Pramadityani, Iyus Darusiam
Civil & Structural Engineer
Bambang Karto, Dedy Chandra
Images/Photos
Pitus Kartiman A, M. Mulya Hareza, Endang Ruchiyat.

On 26 December 2004, a major earthquake and resultant tsunami caused widespread devastation in the northern and western coastal areas of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD). The disaster left over 230,000 people dead/missing to date, and over 500,000 displaced. A subsequent earthquake on 28 March 2005 also resulted in severe devastation in the island of Nias of North Sumatra Province. According to a report by the Ministry of National Education (MONE) in April 2005, the tragedy left 40,900 children/students dead/missing, 2,500 teachers dead/missing and 2,135 destroyed/heavily damaged schools, across the board from kindergarten to university. Among those, 1,521 (71 percent) were primary schools.

Restoring the learning spaces for children in emergencies is one of UNICEF’s core commitments. With the “build back better” slogan in post-tsunami Aceh, on 2 April 2005, UNICEF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MONE to reconstruct up to 300 primary schools and rehabilitate up to 200 primary schools with a budget of US$90 million in three years. In February 2006, safety concerns led UNICEF to decide not to rehabilitate damaged schools, but reconstruct them instead.

Targeted for 66 remote locations in NAD, this post-tsunami school rebuilding project follows UNICEF’s concept of a Child-Friendly School (CFS). A CFS is sustainable and environmentally friendly; accepted by the local community in terms of cost effectiveness, flexibility and ease of maintenance; and provides students with:
• A safe and healthy natural environment that ensures accessibility for disabled children
• A good and comfortable learning environment that has sufficient natural light, sufficient air circulation and maintains a comfortable temperature relative to the environment
• Classrooms and playgrounds that can accommodate child-centered education
• A permanent construction that can withstand natural hazards and has a lifespan of over 30 years.

In terms of architectural concepts, such guidelines mean that classrooms are designed to allow sufficient natural cross ventilation and daylight; classroom arrangements are made flexible to support student-centred teaching and learning methods; school premises are able to accommodate local community activities; and a child-friendly scale is considered in the design of classrooms, corridors, toilets, washbasin and tap height and other applicable aspects. Site development and site plan optimise the use of existing contours with minimal cut and fill activities. Existing trees are also preserved whenever possible.

To build earthquake-resistant and safer schools, the architects took into account some recommended guiding principles that govern seismic resistant design and construction in structural aspects. These include building smaller rooms and shorter structures, and having small openings in the walls such as windows that are as centrally located as are functionally feasible.

To streamline design and construction, repetitive modules were developed which comprise all the needed combinations of classrooms, libraries, teachers’ rooms and toilet blocks. These cookie-cutter modules were applied at each Phase 1 site to respond to the site’s characteristics.The size, orientation and contours of each site were significant determinants in the sitting of the building modules on each site. This efficient modular system will allow subsequent phases to be prepared (and constructed) more rapidly and efficiently.

A rule of thumb for school construction is high capital investment cost and low maintenance cost. By scrupulously selecting building systems and building materials that are characterised by their durability, albeit at a slightly higher cost, the recommended structures can be expected to serve the village populations well for many years, without the need to replace finishes or repair structures in the next 25 to 30 years, although prudent maintenance is always required.

Sturdy building materials such as steel was selected for durable superstructures, robust foundations, footings and floor slabs, roof sheeting and so on. Some of the building materials such as corrugated iron sheets, ceramic tiles, concrete blocks, sand, gravel and rabble stones were locally obtained, which helps to reduce construction costs and more importantly, get the local community actively involved in the construction of the schools.

The overriding feature of the school is its practicality. The simple structure provides maximum light and ventilation (especially by the use of clerestories). The straightforward steel shed roof has a sizeable cavity that is usefully stuffed with glass wool to reduce heat gain at lowland school sites. With the school buildings’ structural systems and finishes pragmatically looked after, the design team proposed the use of bright colour palettes, which were carefully selected for their attractiveness to young children. While school committees were engaged to help choose final colours, the project architects ensured that childfriendly colour schemes were selected.–Erwin Maulana/Candice Lim

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Architects’ Act in Indonesia

2008-01-07T18:54:00.000+07:00

Budi A. Sukada has been an active member of the National Committee of the Indonesian Architecture Institution (IAI) since 1986, and became the IAI Chairman in 2002. He is also a lecturer in the University of Indonesia and the Tarumanegara University, and is currently serving as a juror in several architecture competitions

Indonesia is not a safe place to live. Earthquakes happen almost every week in some part of the archipelago along with tsunamis; volcanoes may erupt at any time, and sudden floods from overflowing rivers (or banjir bandang) happen regularly without early warning, as do local tornadoes (or puting beliung). Indonesian people in the past have recognised such disasters and responded to them wisely through building traditions that have differed from place to place. Casualties have therefore been minimal while the ability to recover and reconstruct has been very high.

The present situation is quite the opposite. Indonesians today have forgotten such wisdom and all they do when a disaster occurs is to ask the government to come to their rescue and blame government officials for their misconduct. The Indonesian government does, in fact, recognise the country’s innate geological conditions and has put many regulations in place to keep the number of casualties to a minimum. There is the Building Act (Undang-undang Bangunan Gedung), which took the government almost 30 years to launch, and the Construction Services Act (Undang-undang Jasa Konstruksi), which took several years to enact. However, these regulations have not been bound under a legal umbrella due to bureaucracy and lengthy government procedures. If a legal umbrella existed, it would be compulsory not only to abide by building and construction regulations, but by the regulations governing those who provide the necessary services, including architects.

But who are the architects? In Indonesia, anybody who has built their own building thinks they are an architect––and the majority of buildings were built by owners. The result has been devastating. Ninety percent of buildings that were heavily damaged in earthquakes and urban fires were those constructed by their owners. In one very sad example, the dome of a big mosque ripped apart twice and its minaret collapsed, yet the owners insisted on rebuilding the structure themselves because they thought they were the architects. They did not assign real architects––not even for supervision––simply because there was no law that forces them to do so.

The first Indonesian architects and many generations afterwards were actually trained as building engineers, following the Dutch tradition. They immediately became professionals after graduation and were eligible to practice. But that was the time when most work was provided by the Dutch-Indies government and, subsequently, the Indonesian government. Now it is a different situation, especially with the rise of the private sector. In the past there was plenty of work that required the contribution of Indonesian architects; now it is the Indonesian architect that needs to find work––and it is the private sectors who starts by asking: “Who are you?” as they make informative comparisons with foreign architects. The same question is asked by foreign architects when they must work with Indonesian architects, either personally or through their professional organisations, along with routine questions such as,”Are you protected by law? Do you have professional indemnity?”

Unable to answer these kinds of questions, Indonesian architects lose the opportunity to get international-scale projects and be recognised by the international community of architects. It is this situation that has allowed foreign architects more than enough opportunities to practise in Indonesia––unnoticed but legal because they can practise under their respective codes which are internationally acknowledged. On the other hand, it is also this situation which has driven the IAI to recently submit a bill for an Architects’ Act to the Parliament. The Act describes the architect, the services architects provide, their competency, rights and responsibilities; as well as their organisation and code of conduct for practices and ethics.

Unlike most other countries, the Act considers it compulsory to have good knowledge and respect for local genius; an understanding of local cultures; and a principle which does not see architecture as an end to itself but rather as a vehicle towards achieving a better built environment for Indonesia. The ultimate aim is, of course, for the benefit of society at large and Indonesians in particular, to have a safe and pleasant environment to live in and a civilised and orderly building procedure. With this Act, there is a bright future for Indonesian architects, who can become regulated, protected professionals in their own country and recognised internationally as well––all in line with IAI’s motto calling all Indonesian architects to build our environment together.

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

The CAD Way

2008-01-07T18:44:00.000+07:00

In Indonesia CAD, rather than BIM, remains the main working tool of architects.

by Erwin Maulana

Computer aided drawing, or CAD, is an engineering system which has been used by the manufacturing, construction and architectural industries since the 1980s. For the architect, the CAD system has become a tool that changes the work pattern of an architect from drafting to designing, expressing ideas and presenting plans in detail.

Today the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) through vendors of the CAD system have gone a step further, applying building information modeling (BIM) as the standard for architectural working systems. As a result BIM has been adopted by architects in various countries across Asia, including China and Singapore. In Indonesia, however, CAD remains the main working tool of architects––and BIM seems a distant future.

According to Rizal Syarifuddin and Liza Wiryawan from the Indonesian Architecture Institution (IAI), although CAD has a larger range of working tool elements compared to BIM, it is far less complex, as it simply changes the pattern of the architect’s work by bringing it from the drafting table to the computer. BIM, on the other hand, is capable of changing the entire design procedure in architecture.

Syarifuddin and Wiryawan, who are both in IAI’s CAD Team, said CAD entered Indonesia at the end of 1980 when then-Minister of Research and Technology, BJ Habibie, launched a large project called the Centre for Science and Technology Research (Puspiptek). At the time, a consortium of architectural consultants was formed––consisting of the country’s ten biggest architectural consultants––and subsequently named Archi-10. They were the first to apply CAD in Indonesia, thus demonstrating that Indonesia was not slow in anticipating CAD technology. By the 1990s students and educational institutes were well versed in CAD.

Afterwards, CAD technology was naturally compulsory for those involved in the construction industry. But here problems arose: because many industry players were strapped for cash and had low levels of awareness regarding software copyright, there was widespread use of illegal CAD software. The reality was that a wide gap existed between large, technology-savvy firms in Jakarta (and most of Java) which handled large scale projects; and their smaller, ‘traditional’counterparts outside the capital, which had poor access to information and technology, struggled to make ends meet, and therefore had to resort to using illegal CAD software.

The situation prompted IAI to negotiate, around 2001 and 2002, for discounted prices from CAD vendors. From IAI’s perspective, it was important to note that its members were mostly small and medium firms that were uanble to charge much for their services and therefore lacked the means to buy legal software. Making legal software cheaper, IAI said, would eliminate the widespread use of illegal software. Vendors of CAD software, on the other hand, argued they had to pay hefty import taxes for their products which, conseqently, meant they could not cut down on prices.

During this time, IAI also conducted an authorised training centre for CAD systems. This started in 1999 but ended in 2004, when IAI was unable to pay its annual fees owing partly to the fact that IAI’s market consisted mainly of students and fresh graduates of architecture.

Meanwhile, from the end of 2005 law enforcers started clamping down on users of illegal software, including CAD systems; several architecture firms in Indonesia were affected.

Still, IAI was aware of the importance of CAD as a working tool for architects. So IAI started to investigate––through surveys and researches––more affordable alternatives. Discussions with architect associations in other countries, such as the Philippines, Singapore and China, resulted in several alternative brands that IAI urged its CAD Team to try.

Syarifuddin said the main consideration for choosing a CAD replacement software was its compatibility with, or at least its similarity to the CAD platform previously employed by the user. He said some countries had developed their own CAD software, such as Singapore, through the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA). IAI would also like to see this happen in Indonesia, he said.

Syarifuddin said that based on its surveys, IAI had chosen CAD software by IntelliCAD Technology Consortium (ITC), an organisation of software developers of IntelliCAD, a computer aided design engine.

Rizal hoped IAI could one day develop its own CAD system under an IAI CAD Centre: “We hope our CAD Centre will eventually be doing three things: firstly, trade. We will conduct the procurement and distribution of the system, to make it convenient for our members.

“Secondly, we will open a CAD training centre to provide training to architecture students, young architects, members and non-members of IAI, to allow them to know more about CAD systems and technology. We will not limit the CAD to certain vendors; we will, as much as possible, provide training for all CAD systems according to user demands.

“Thirdly, we want our own CAD system to match our needs in Indonesia as well as users’ individual needs––be they architects, community members or others in the architecture industry. We will develop plug-ins, libraries and other matters related to the CAD system.”

He said IAI is optimistic about the future of the architectural profession. Several milestones that are cause for celebration are: firstly, the implementation of the Architects’ Act in the foreseeable future (see sidebar for more information). According to current copyright regulations in Indonesia, the value of an architect’s work lies only in the draft work; in fact, the work of architects involves much more than just drafting, as it includes the creation of design ideas and concepts. The association holds high hopes for the bill on the Architects’ Act which was recently submitted to the People’s Representative Council. The Act protects the architectural profession; it protects users of architectural services; and therefore increases community appreciation for the architectural profession.

The second cause for optimism, Syarifuddin said, was the prediction by various economic observers of high growth in Indonesia’s construction industry in future years.

The two conditions above will hopefully increase the wellbeing of architects and their ability to apply trends in design and technology.

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Sahid Perdana Towers

2007-10-19T17:24:00.000+07:00

Sahid City
Jakarta
Indonesia

Client
PT. Sahid Inti Dinamika
Principal Architect
M. Ridwan Kamil
Project Architect/Designer
A.D. Tardiyana
Site Area
5,600 square metres
Gross Floor Area
152,444 square metres
Building Height (metres)
210
Building Height (storeys)
Office: 45;
Hotel: 50
Expected Construction Completion Date
Mid-2009

Contributing to Jakarta’s efforts to meet the demands for high-end office space, the Sahid Perdana Towers, located in the Sahid City Superblock in the heart of the city’s central business district, consist of two main towers: a 50-storey five-star hotel and a 45-storey office building. At ground level the twin towers flank a graceful globe-like exhibition hall and performing arts centre; the same shape is mirrored by the ‘spa in the sky’ that connects the two towers higher up.

The client sought a building that illustrated both modern design and Javanese culture, an aim the architects achieved through the towers’ shape and envelope. The Sahid Perdana Towers’ sleek elliptical shape has a distinctly modern aesthetic while also reflecting a Javanese symbol, the twin lotus. The towers are rotated in such a way to preserve views from both buildings.

The towers’ curtain wall also meets both objectives. The bottom half of the buildings—from the podium to the 30th floor—has a modern, futuristic wall made of coloured glass and aluminium cladding to express strong horizontal lines; from the 31st floor to the top of the tower, the curtain wall is made of a clear glass that is textured through an internal aluminium screen moulded into a Javanese batik pattern.

The Sahid Perdana Towers will be connected at multiple levels to the other buildings within the superblock, such as the existing Sahid Jaya Hotel, Istana Sahid Apartment, Sahid Sudirman Residence, Sahid Office Boutique and Sahid Sahirman Memorial Hospital. The project’s ground floor houses cafes, restaurants and fashion boutiques.

© Copyright 2007 Architecture@08 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

The Campuan

2007-10-19T17:19:00.000+07:00

Ubud
Bali
Indonesia

Client
PT. Campuan Bali
Architecture Firm
Edy Semara Architect International (E.S.A. International)
Principal Architect
Putu Edy Semara
Other Architects
Eri Andria; Fei Efendy
Consulting Engineer
Adi Susila
Contractor
PT. Arteka
Site Area
8,000 square metres
Gross Floor Area
2,500 square metres
Building Height (storeys)
2 (maximum)
Expected Construction Completion Date
April 2009

The Campuan, a resort villa development located in Ubud, Bali, departs from typical Balinese resort design that refers to traditional local architecture with pitched-roof buildings set up in a village-like kampong setting. The resort’s owner, instead, sought a development that adopted a new approach, both architecturally and environmentally.

The Campuan resort comprises seven three-bedroom villas, each with a private pool, laid out down a steep slope overlooking the Ayung Gorge. Aiming to respect the resort’s natural environment, the architects wanted to limit the visibility of the buildings and create a contemporary look.

As such, the villas are low-profile buildings, mindful of their surroundings. Flat, leaf-shaped roofs minimise the resort’s silhouette. Roof gardens blanket each building, giving the resort the appearance of a chain of interlocking leaves. Jack fruit and coconut trees spring up through open spaces in the roofs.

Skylights introduce natural light during the day, and illuminate the gardens at night. The buildings are constructed of raw concrete, which provides a sharp contrast to their sleek, refined interiors. The villas are laid out to flow seamlessly from one room to another.

The architects have incorporated a number of environmentally friendly building strategies into the design. A lush tropical garden utilises wastewater from the resort for irrigation. The water flows down the resort’s sloping site, filtered by vegetation, and is then recycled for toilets.

Other green strategies include using solar panels to supplement electricity; recycled ironwood from an old boat for pool decking; and solar heat to warm up the water.

In addition to the villas, the resort has reception facilities, a restaurant and bar, and a spa.

© Copyright 2007 Architecture@08 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Museum Joang 45

2007-10-19T17:13:00.000+07:00

Menteng Raya
Jakarta
Indonesia

Client
Department of Culture and Museums
Project Manager
Arry Setiastono
Architecture Firm
PT. Arkonin
Principal Architect
A. Noerzaman
Other Architects/Designers
Taufick H.; Indriati; M. Iqbal M.;Amelia M.; M. Hanif; Marcus CM
Site Area
4,754 square metres
Gross Floor Area
3,621 square metres
Building Height (metres)
13
Building Height (storeys)
3
Expected Construction Completion Date
2009

Indonesia’s Museum Joang 45, which commemorates the country’s struggle for independence, is housed in a colonial hotel that served as a boarding house and education centre for Indonesians pushing for independence during the Japanese occupation of the Second World War. Years of disorganised expansion has led to a hodgepodge of buildings that crowd the original structure without adequately serving museum’s needs.

As such, the Museum sought to expand the museum in a way that meets the needs of the facility while respecting the heritage of the site.

The new facilities dialogue with and create a backdrop for the current building, while also communicating the contemplative nature of the museum. In the space between the old and new buildings, vertical posts are lined up in arced rows, communicating motion and silence. The curves reflect an endless wave starting from the existing museum, a visualisation of continuous struggle.

Full-height vertical shades overlap along the curved façade of the new building, resembling a row of defiant youth using shields in self-defence in the spirit of independence. The use of glass reflects the function of the museum, which is also utilised as an exhibition hall.

Ramps are used throughout the new building, making it easier for visitors to move through the space. An open circulation plan gives visitors continual visual access to the plaza, enhancing the contemplative atmosphere. The exhibition area is designed with a linear flow to ensure that all exhibits are easily and conveniently viewed.

Space planning creates a sequence of experiences; and the use of lighting—both natural and artificial—helps to generate emotional reactions to the museum. The lighting effects influence the museum’s displays. For example, the front of the building, where the collections of the colonial period and the independence struggle are exhibited, is cast in shadow; however, the back of the museum, where the independence era is showcased, is brightly lit.

In August 2006 architects PT. Arkonin won a first prize from the Institute of Indonesian Architects and the local government of DKI, Jakarta for their design of the museum.

© Copyright 2007 Architecture@08 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Lembang Permata Residence

2007-10-19T17:07:00.000+07:00

Lembang
Bandung
Indonesia

Client
PT. Lembang Permata Recreation Estate
Architecture Firm
Andra Matin Architect
Principal Architect
Andra Matin
Project Architect
Faisal Syamsalam
Structural Consultant
Dani Setiawan
Site Area
1,272 square metres
Gross Floor Area
539 square metres
Building Height (metres)
7.29
Building Height (storeys)
4
Expected Construction Completion Date
January 2009

The Lembang Permata house is located in Indonesia’s Bandung region, sited on a steep slope to take advantage of the south-eastern views of the lower-lying Bandung city and its surrounding hills.

Defining the house’s footprint were some environmental concerns regarding the site. Historically, development in this area contributed to constant flooding in the lower altitudes due to surface water runoff. Part of the client’s brief was to keep the floor area ratio as low as possible to maximise rainwater absorption on site.

A flat surface was carved out of the slope to house the two-storey residence. A shaded terrace, the sitting and dining areas, the pantry and kitchen are located on the ground floor to create a continuous spatial flow. The bedrooms are located on the first floor. A decked roof garden on top of the master bedroom can be reached by a ramp that cuts through the sloped landscape behind, a design feature intended to create a meandering experience with nature. Two additional levels of service areas are separate from the main building, located near the highway for easy access.

Materials were chosen with care. The façade of the first floor utilises a clay-based material that forms a perforated screen. The façade aims to function as a secondary skin and enable some visual communication between the indoors and outside. In contrast to the open glazed ground floor, it signals the privacy of the sleeping areas. Clay is also used on the terrace flooring and on the ceilings in the sitting and dining rooms and the pantry. A perforated metal wall covered with plants marks the transition between the sitting and service areas.

© Copyright 2007 Architecture@08 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Financial Tower

2007-10-19T17:00:00.000+07:00

Rasuna Epicentrum
Jakarta
Indonesia

Client
PT. Bakrie Swasakti Utama
Architecture Firm
Urbane Indonesia
Principal Architect
M. Ridwan Kamil
Project Architect
Rizal Muslimin
Mechanical & Electrical Consultant
PT. Elmes Epsilon
Structural Consultant
PT. Arkonin
Site Area
5,600 square metres
Gross Floor Area
25,000 square metres
Building Height (metres)
87.2
Building Height (storeys)
14
Expected Construction Completion Date
June 2009

The sleek Financial Tower, shaped like an egg standing on its end, is located in Rasuna Epicentrum, a new lifestyle superblock made up of 18 different buildings, including office and residential space, in Jakarta’s Kuningan district. The Rasuna Epicentrum will be the first development in the Indonesian capital to unify the live-work-and-play concept within one large project, integrating high-quality urban amenities and progressive architecture. The Financial Tower serves as the anchor for the superblock.

The Financial Tower’s design—high-tech and aerodynamic—symbolises the optimistic vision of Indonesia’s financial industry. A series of elliptical rings of aluminium composite panels, representing a row of coins standing on their sides, create the 12-storey building’s façade. The curved façade also provides a structural advantage—the shape helps evenly distribute the wind load. Additionally, the wind is directed by a series of louvres to a wind turbine located just under the roof, providing an alternative energy source for building operations.

Elevating the building on a podium platform amplifies the building’s presence while opening up ground-level spaces for public services, such as shops, cafes, a gallery, a bank and meeting rooms.

The podium itself also integrates green concepts—landscaping covers the podium roof as it slopes upward from the ground level, balancing modern technology with environmental concerns.

State-of-the-art technology has been installed in the top floor, which is dedicated to trading services. Meanwhile the ground floor has a drop-off courtyard, connecting the tower to the adjacent vibrant city walk and waterfront promenade.

© Copyright 2007 Architecture@08 and BCI Asia. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

FuturArc green-building design competition

2007-10-19T10:23:00.000+07:00

An international competition to determine the best design of green buildings for property development sites in Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Architects and students of architecture are invited to submit entries as individuals and in multidisciplinary teams for one or more of three development sites: Bouquet Street - “City South 6” in South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Leisure Farm Resort Residences in Iskandar Development Region, Johor, Malaysia; and, Pioneer Park One Project in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, the Philippines. Cash and other prizes worth more than SGD50,000 are up for grabs. Entries will close on 15 January 2008.

An international jury of green building experts will determine the winners in professional and student categories. The jury includes Dr. Nirmal Kishnani of Singapore, Professor Kazuo Iwamura of Japan, Dr Chris Luebkeman of the United Kingdom, Dr Deo Prasad of Australia and Bill Valentine of the United States.

The competition is being organized by the FuturArc journal of progressive architecture, published by BCI Asia. Prizes are sponsored by Autodesk.

BCI Asia’s Chairman, Dr Matthias Krups, said: “The facts are well-known, largely undisputed, and devastating: we are systematically destroying our home, the planet we live on. Buildings are a major cause of green-house gas emissions, wastage and pollution, yet today we know that holistic sustainable design can minimize a building’s impact on the environment.

“The FuturArc Prize is the first architectural design competition to seek holistic Green design solutions in the Asia-Pacific region. It aims to become a catalyst for change, a showcase of ideas and solutions for sustainable design. We hope it will also become a platform for talented designers and a launch pad for architectural students who aspire to make a difference,” said Dr Krups.

Awards will be bestowed to winners at the FuturArc Forum series of conferences in Jakarta on 19 February 2008, Singapore on 22 February, Kuala Lumpur on 26 February, Manila on 29 February, Ho Chi Minh City on 14 March, Bangkok on 18 March, Sydney on 27 March, Hong Kong on 8 April and in Shanghai on 11 April.

The FuturArc Prize competition will be paperless with all entries submitted online at www.futurarc.com/prize from 15 October 2007. Jury deliberations will also be done online.

About the jury

Nirmal Kishnani, PhD, is Chief Editor of the FuturArc Journal. He is both an educator and practitioner in the area of Green buildings, presently teaching at the Department of Architecture of the National University of Singapore. He has lectured and written widely on the subject of Greening in Asia and has been a consultant to projects across the region, most recently as head of a sustainability unit operating from Singapore.

Kazuo Iwamura, M.E. is a Professor in the Faculty of Environment and Information studies at the Musashi Institute of Technology in Yokohama Japan and CEO of IWAMURA Atelier Co., Ltd. He is also Chair of ARCASIA’s Committee for Green & Sustainable Architecture, UIA Councilor of Region IV (Asia + Oceania), and Director of the UIA Work Programme Architecture for a Sustainable Future and a member of the board of the World Green Building Council.

Chris Luebkeman, PhD, is Director for Global Foresight and Innovation at the Arup engineering group (www.arup.com), where his role is to explore and synthesize trends affecting society’s development. He is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council and has taught in the departments of architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, the University of Oregon, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Deo Prasad, PhD, is Director of the Sustainable Development Program at the University of New South Wales. He has worked on milestone projects including Australia's first solar village, scientific validation of computer simulation tools for energy performance prediction of buildings and related green building assessment tools, advanced performance simulation of buildings using complex modeling software and the Green Olympics projects. He has won an Australian National Innovation Award and the NSW Government 2004 Green Globe Award.

Bill Valentine is Chairman and Design Principal of HOK (www.hok.com), a global architectural design and services firm. A 45-year veteran of HOK, Bill serves as a vocal advocate for sustainability with employees and clients, as well as leading the design of several projects each year. Within the design and construction professions, Bill actively promotes his definition of ‘good design’ as a simple idea, elegantly executed and inspiring, with social significance and in harmony with the environment. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he is a frequent speaker and author on sustainable topics.

About the prize and the promoter

The FuturArc Prize has been established by the BCI Group of Companies through its FuturArc journal to inspire architects and other building professionals to draft innovative designs for Green buildings on sites in Asia-Pacific. The Competition format encourages participants to work as integrated teams in producing holistic Green building solutions. Publicity surrounding the Competition is intended to promote competency in Green building design as well as the importance of Green buildings for the environment. Prize money and other awards are sponsored by Autodesk (www.autodesk.com).

FuturArc Journal is the Competition Organiser whose intent is to promote green building in Southeast Asia, Australia and China. Published by the BCI Group, FuturArc is a quarterly journal recognizing the significant impact of the buildings on society and the environment. FuturArc advocates architecture that demonstrates creativity, social responsibility and sustainability. For more information, visit www.futurarc.com.

Architecture@08 Launching

2007-10-18T11:50:00.000+07:00

Date : 26/10/2007
Venue : Aksara Bookstore, Kemang Raya 8B, South Jakarta
Time : 07.00 - 09.30 PM

Limited Seat, for confirmation Call Mr. Brian trough:
Phone : +6221 5790 2930
Mobile : +62856 152 0975
Email : brian.aji@bciasia.co.id

Free FuturArc Volume 6, For 50 first registrant!

Happy Ied Mubarak 1428H

2007-10-10T12:09:00.000+07:00

Selamat!

Setelah menempuh segala upaya memurnikan diri sebulan penuh
semoga terlahir kembali menjadi pribadi yang
rendah hati, jujur dan setia pada nilai-nilai kehidupan
Semoga hari esok lebih baik.

Selamat Idul Fitri 1 Syawal 1428H
Mohon maaf atas segala khilaf dan salah

Pandawa House

2007-10-04T15:27:00.000+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Pandawa House
Location
Jalan Pandawa, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
Completion
March 2007
Site Area
234 m2
Gross Floor Area
260 m2
Building Height
2 storeys; 9.3 m
Architecture Firm
GENESIS architecture+interior
Principal Architect
Yu Sing
Project Architect
Benyamin Narkan
Structure
GENESIS architecture+interior
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
GENESIS architecture+interior
Civil & Structural Engineer
BENCHMARK Engineering Consultant
Images/Photos
Yu Sing and Benyamin Narkan

Originally, the client—a couple with two young children—hired GENESIS architecture+interior to add a new bedroom in the garden area of their newly purchased house.

However, the architects convinced the client to renovate the entire twostorey structure instead, expanding the second floor to improve lighting, ventilation and ambience throughout the house. In addition, the owners could also feel that they had a new home, one that was compatible with their needs and character.

The main design concept lies in the revamping of the façade.

The new façade consists of three main boxes that dialogue with each other. The first box is the existing two-storey house; its façade is renovated using a horizontal wooden lattice screen that was previously used as the scaffolding during construction. The second box, which is finished in limestone, is situated parallel with the trapezoid-shaped site, with its slanted side in front. The third box, which is finished with black waterproofing, is stacked on the second box, then rotated three-dimensionally to connect with the first box and the second box. The massive, slanted black box appears to be hovering above the entrance, creating a dramatic statement, and the different expressions and superimposed boxes make for a palpable façade.

The overall layout is designed to flow with the split-level system and blend with a garden courtyard located in the middle of the house. The living room is situated at the back, facing the inner courtyard. The area above the living room is designed to be a secret garden, with greenery and a water feature, plus the added amenities of a bar and jacuzzi. The bar’s roof is finished using specially arranged split bamboos.

Although the house is located in Bandung -a tropical city with temperatures ranging between 19 and 27 degrees Celsius, high humidity and abundant sunshine- of the rooms, except for the master bedroom, have air-conditioning. Rooms that face the inner courtyard have either glass walls or doors; all the glass doors can be opened to allow fresh air and natural lighting to enter the rooms. As the residence is situated in an urban area with high mobility, the house has a high fence to ensure security.

Budget was a factor in this project. By keeping the existing structure and only altering the façade, the architects saved approximately 20 percent of total material and construction costs. To further overcome budget limitations, relatively inexpensive materials were used, without compromising the quality of the rooms or façade.

For example, for the lattice screen on the existing façade, the architects used ‘dolken’ wood that was previously used as scaffolding during construction. Bamboo, often used as an alternative material in semi-permanent houses, was employed for the canopy and in the bar area. Local ‘kihiang’ wood was chosen for the window and door frames. In fact, 80 percent of all materials were locally sourced. –Erwin Maulana/Candice Lim

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Praja House

2007-10-04T15:12:00.001+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Praja House
Location
Kebayoran Lama, Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
Status
Construction
Expected Completion Date
April 2008
Site Area
Approx 500 m2
Gross Floor Area
Approx 350 m2
Building Height
10.40 m; 2 storeys + mezzanine
Principal Architect
Aditya W Fitrianto
Main Contractor
Desmi P Syarif
Civil & Structural Engineer
Panji Puspoyono
Images
Eric Law

Although the client wanted a contemporary, clean and simple design for their house, they also wanted something that would be unusual for Jakarta. The brief to the architect included having a guestroom at the ground floor and a lap pool.

The open kitchen, living, and dining areas are arranged in a single row so that the ground level layout has a compact and continuous space, allowing a view of the pool at the back of the house. The upper floor plan is simple and reflects the mass of the house. The service area is located on the mezzanine level above the garage.

The façade is a mass block composition, a modern statement that makes the house stand out, while the use of neutral colours gives the structure a sense of consistency with the surroundings. The small angled roof at the top breaks the potentially monotonous block look, while the white façade and clear glass windows reinforce the light and sleek feel.

The large glass windows let daylight into almost all rooms. The thin mass block facilitates cross-ventilation, and the house has a well for water catchment and grey water recycling for washing cars and watering plants.

The architect persuaded the client to use simple and environmentally friendly materials such as aluminium frames and ceramic and homogeneous tiles. The house uses bricks and concrete structure for walls and floors; and steel and aluminium frames for the roof, which are easy to use and low maintenance. –Erwin Maulana/Candice Lim

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

The Tangkuban Perahu House

2007-09-24T15:02:00.000+07:00

Indonesian architect Adi Purmono’s Tangkuban Perahu house is an elegant small-scale response to broad concerns that there is an increasing shortage of green spaces in Jakarta, In line with Marco Kusumawijaya’s statement that ‘a building must be able bear their own burdens’, Purnomo designed the house to not contribute to the city’s environmental issues, an opportunity he received with a client with similar environmental concerns and a willingness to try a new experience in living.

“I had an opportunity to think, to dig up a concept that I had continually been thinking about: that each piece of land, no matter how private, is connected to urban concerns. This house is a critique, with green spaces outside, inside and on top of the building, and it is the logical consequence of our efforts to replace the green land taken away by development and stripped of its ecological features. I offer this (house) as a way of thinking,” Purnomo said to FuturArc.

“I imagine each house providing a roof for green space; each piece of land contributing rainwater storage tanks; replacing the land occupied by the house with dense green fields that produce fresh air for the house’s environment; and each neighbourhood managing its own waste,” he added.

The house, completed in 2006, is located in a cul-de-sac within Tangkuban Perahu park, one of Jakarta’s few remaining green spaces. Purnomo brought the outside greenery into the house through extensive and imaginative use of green roofs, landscaped walls and garden spaces. He also ensured the building was designed in accordance with the principles of environmentally friendly building.

With minimalist lines, the two-storey 220-square-metre house consists of simple rectangular forms. The ground floor houses the hall, car park, kitchen and services areas; the first storey accommodates three bedrooms, a family room and a terrace. The owner, an artist, occasionally shows his pieces on the ground level. Though constructed of cement and roughly hewn red brick, the star material for the house is its greenery—all rooftops are covered in greenery, one is even home to a small vegetable garden; the stairs between the first and second levels are sprouting grass; and a wall is spotted with potted plants.

The integration of the building and landscaped gardens maintains a comfortable indoor temperature, eliminating the need for air-conditioning. The grass roof, intended to act as a replacement green space for the garden on the ground floor, is present at two different levels. The highest level—on the roof of the first storey—insulates the spaces beneath it and acts as a roof terrace to enjoy the city scenery. It also is home to a small garden. Another grass roof is located on the ground storey roof, acting as a first-storey terrace.

Grass steps between ground and first levels are a continuity of the terrace’s landscape. A wall of potted plants shields the house against the dust of the city streets, creating a little cavity of peace at the ground level. It also provides a green sun-shade and maintains the stability of the concrete wall’s surface temperature. The wall is modular to facilitate maintenance and replacement of the plants.

Ground-floor spaces are open-plan and flexible, integrating the lounge room, terrace and steps with the outside garden. Open spaces and large windows and doors keep the air circulating. The floor of the house is polished cement so it is cooler on the feet and comfortable to sit on. Voids or inner courtyards in the corners of the rooms ensure a steady supply of natural light and fresh air into the building. The arrangement of furniture, chosen for its natural materials, allows the free movement of occupants and eases the maintenance and cleaning of spaces.

In addition to louvred glazing that filters the air and sunlight, the house incorporates a number of unglazed openings in the walls for natural light and ventilation. Wooden screens are used on the first storey to filter light and protect the openings. Purnomo and the client opted against door and window frames, partly to save money, but also to allow the resulting gaps to provide a ventilation opportunity.

Adi Purnomo’s inventive solutions for incorporating green building concepts, and in particular green spaces, in Jakarta’s Tangkuban Perahu House attracted attention—it won the 2006 Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI) Award for Architectural Excellence by IAI’s Jakarta chapter, For Purnomo, the greatest challenge was working out how to minimise the house’s burdens on the environment; a challenge that in his view wasn’t perfectly addressed. For example, he says the house’s water usage and waste recycling efforts are not ideal. Still, Purnomo is optimistic. “At least we all know what we are doing and we can restart the learning process together.”

(Taken From: http://www.futurarc.com/this_edition/tangkuban_perahu.cfm)
© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

The Mapmaker

2007-09-24T14:56:00.000+07:00

Interview: Marco Kusumawijaya, architect and green spaces activist

By Erwin Maulana and Christen Jamar

Marco Kusumawijaya’s name is often followed by a long list of professional identifiers—architect, chairman of the Jakarta Arts Council, urban planner and activist, to name a few. He has made a name for himself defending Indonesia’s urban public spaces through his books—Kota Rumah Kita (The City as Our Home, 2006) and Jakarta Metropolis Tunggang Langgang (The Scrambling Jakarta Metropolis, 2004) and by introducing the Green Map movement to Indonesia’s cities.

He initiated the network with a Green Map for Jakarta (Green Maps use universal icons to identify a community’s natural, cultural and sustainable resources and thereby promote sustainable living) and he has since published three Jakarta Green Maps and assisted with eight other cities’ maps.

He believes that green spaces should be shared community centres—as seen when he led residents of Jakarta’s Menteng neighbourhood against the development of Menteng Park. Menteng, a prestigious enclave in Jakarta that dates back to colonial times, was home to the Persija football stadium. The stadium site was up for reuse, and the city opted for an urban park and a three-storey parking garage. Though admittedly better than a mall, the urban park (with parking garage) was installed against the wishes of both residents and environmentalists, who wanted a large development-free green space. While expanding access to the park with the large parking garage may seem like a good idea, it fights with Jakarta’s efforts to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, critics argued.

But in addition the use of green spaces to bring communities together, they have taken on a much larger significance in Jakarta in the wake of the city’s massive floods. A lack of green spaces to absorb rain has combined with an increase of constructed space that exacerbates runoff to create a fatal set of circumstances for Jakarta’s ability to handle heavy rains. The Lenong Comedy: Green Space Satire, a book by Nirwono Joga published in 2007, states that only 9.12 percent of Jakarta’s land is dedicated to green spaces, short of the city’s target of 13.94 percent and far below the international standard of 30 percent. Marco’s role in promoting green spaces in the city has put him at the front lines of the city’s struggle between development and sustainability.

To learn more about the state of green spaces in Indonesia, FuturArc met with Marco in the Jakarta Arts Council office, located amidst the greenery of Jakarta’s cultural hub, Ismail Marzuki Park.

FuturArc: Considering Jakarta’s current flood-prone conditions, how urgent is it for us to have green spaces?

Marco: We need green space. Lately it is worrying that almost everywhere space is becoming the object of controversy; and green space is often not considered useful partly because there is a poor understanding of the value of green spaces among various people, but also because green spaces lose out to matters of economic productivity. These issues (of economic productivity) are often on the minds of our city’s decision-makers.

FuturArc: In the case of Menteng Park, you were among those who rejected its development. What was the reason for rejecting the redevelopment of Menteng Park into a new green space?

Marco: We rejected the development of Menteng Park for two basic reasons. First, Menteng Park, or Persija Stadium, is in fact a green space for the neighbourhood community. From the beginning this place was designed as a centre for the community’s environmental activities; by changing it—as is now the case—it has become an urban centre. We think this is fatal, a basic mistake that the government should not have done without consulting the local community.

Secondly, the whole of Menteng is a conservation area, so it does not make sense that we conserve all of Menteng but then gradually take away every spot of green space to expand urban centres. Environmentally it is not sustainable because if all green spaces become urban centres, people will come with their motor vehicles; this would be inconsistent with our goal of developing a city with lower levels of carbon dioxide emissions.

We agree with improving green spaces as parks, but it must be on the scale of the community neighbourhood, so it is not necessary to built car park. If is on the scale of the neighbourhood, we can expect people to come without their cars; people will walk, or at the most, use bicycles. If people still want to come (in cars), we cannot stop them, but we should not increase facilities for that. People can come in private vehicles, but we should not encourage that by providing car parks. If we encourage them with car parks, it means we are changing a policy. To me, this shows how the government lacks an understanding of policy.

FuturArc: What is your opinion regarding the rapid decline of green spaces to be used as water retention areas in Jakarta?

Marco: Simply put, what we are discussing is not the amount of green space; what is more important is the capability of the entire city of Jakarta to overcome surface water run-off. I have the following theory; there are three ways: first, reduce run-off by damming up the water upstream and not increasing (built) land coverage; second, channel existing run-off as quickly as possible; and third, allow run-off to be absorbed into the ground.

The amount of green space must be calculated based on this perspective. How much water will be dammed up? How much will be channelled, and how much will be absorbed. It must be a holistic solution. From there, we can design the size of green spaces needed. …

FuturArc: What contribution can architects make to the solution of this problem?

Marco: On architectural matters, we speak about the architect’s responsibility, that the right thing to do is for each land (issue) to be dealt with case by case. So, for example, if this land previously absorbed water and a building built above it decreases the amount of water absorbed by the ground, then the capacity of surrounding open spaces must be increased so what has been covered by the building can be replaced by other green spaces. Buildings must be able to bear their own burdens—they must be responsible for their own water and waste, by using absorption wells or by using resources efficiently, so drainage systems need not be improved.

On the other hand, certainly not all cases can be solved by isolating (blocks of) land. The poor person’s house cannot be addressed in that way; the well-off, with their generous amounts of land, must carry the burden. Only buildings that cannot carry their own burden should be helped. This awareness is still lacking: the bigger the land size, the bigger the building on top of it and the more waste water it pours into the public drainage.

FuturArc: Jakarta, on the city scale, plans to construct a tunnel that will function as a giant underground water reservoir. What do you think of that?

Marco: To be honest I do not have the calculations on the percentage (of water) that will be channelled, how much the tunnel will absorb, how much would flow through and why it needs to be channelled and what would happen if the flow increased. In principle I do not agree with the solution that plans simply to channel and store.

I see it from a sustainable development perspective; sustainable development must be able to change humankind and the different sources of humankind’s problems. If you only build a channel, it is like saying: ‘no matter how much water you throw away, we will distribute it’. This (solution) will not change the (use) patterns…. Sustainable development must be able to change patterns of consumption and production; this to me is what city residents and the government are unaware of.

The issue of green open spaces is perhaps one of the smaller problems; the big problem is how to change the pattern of consumption and production. (To implement) a pattern of consumption that produces as little waste as possible, as well as a pattern of production that produces as little waste as possible, or the reusing of waste as much as possible—that’s the essence of sustainable development. So in this case, with regards to floods then, yes, we must absorb the water and bear the burden in our own land instead of channelling the water through.

FuturArc: So sustainable development is not only about physical matters?

Marco: Exactly; sustainable development is not only about physical development, it is also about social and economic issues. Green open spaces fulfil the role of social-cultural space. So from that perspective we can analyse, for example, Menteng Park: the neighbourhood park that has been made into an urban park does not foster social and cultural communication because people who come to this park are from all over the city, they are strangers to one another. It’s different if people came from the surrounding neighbourhood. They would know each other, so they would develop a real social capital base because they are directly linked to the place; the base of social capital is space.

The point is sustainable development implies changes in consumption and production patterns as well as in behaviour.

(Taken From: http://www.futurarc.com/this_edition/the_mapmaker.cfm)
© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

FuturArc on Green Architecture @SHIBEX 2007

2007-09-07T12:23:00.000+07:00

Kemarin, 6 September 2007, saya menjadi salah seorang pembicara dalam sebuah seminar arsitektur yang membahas tentang arsitektur hijau.

Merespon pemanasan global, seminar banyak berbicara mengenai bagaimana sebenarnya profesi arsitektur dalam fungsinya sebagai perencana, melakukan kontribusi untuk memperlambat proses pemanasan global.

Seminar berjalan lancar, perdebatan dan diskusi juga sangat menarik, apalagi pembicara yang lain juga merupakan orang yang mempunyai kompetensi dibidangnya.

Tema seminar dan pembicara sebagai berikut:

'Green Architecture and Design Implementing'
1. Nirwono Joga, Komedi Lenong 'Satire Ruang Terbuka Hijau'
2. Erwin Maulana, 'FuturArc on Green Architecture'
3. Adi Purnomo, 'Green Architecture'
4. Zenin Adrian, 'Technology on Green Architecture'

Materi presentasi saya, dapat diunduh melalui tautan dibawah ini: FuturArc_Presentation_English_By_Erwin_Maulana.pdf
dan foto-foto seminar juga dapat diakses melalui akun flickr saya.

Seminar tersebut merupakan bagian dari kegiatan pameran dan seminar yang diselenggarakan oleh ATN Dinamika dengan tajuk 'Smart Home and Intelligent Building Expo' (SHIBEX) 2007, diselenggarakan di Hotel Sahid Jakarta, 6 - 7 September 2007.

Sentosa Private Villas and Spa

2007-07-17T09:17:00.000+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Sentosa Private Villas and Spa
Location
Peti Tenget, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
Expected Completion
September 2007
Site Area
13,000 m2
Gross Floor Area
10,500 m2
Number of Rooms
114
Storeys
One floor (villas), two floors (central facilities building)
Client/Owner
PT. Carlton Crest Bali
Architecture Firm
E.S.A International
Principal Architect
Putu Edy Semara B.Arch & Martin H.G.
Interior design
Stuart Membrey, Rob Sample
Main Contractor
PT. Tunas Jaya Sanur
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
PT. Tunas Jaya Sanur
Civil & Structural Engineer
PT. Adi Design
Images/Photos
Eugene Tan

Respect nature and the local culture—this was the guideline the architects followed when they worked on the Sentosa Private Villas and Spa in Bali.

The client’s brief was to design a resort with over 30 villa units and full central facilities—such as reception, gym, spa, restaurant, pool and bar—that exudes the charm of “Balinese living” in the tropics. The development was also to take into account Bali’s dry, humid climate and reflect the area’s rich culture as well as the simple, straightforward design of its indigenous dwellings.

Following that, the architects created a master plan inspired by a traditional Balinese village—villas built with natural local materials and intimately arranged with narrow alleys. Each villa unit is designed to be a self-contained oasis, with a typical Balinese compound that contains several pavilions serving different functions, a large swimming pool as well as a pool deck. Such an arrangement allows natural air and light to flow through the courtyard area; large sliding doors of the rooms that open up to the common space also enable the interior to enjoy better ventilation and daylight. The architects also ensured that the plan maximises the use of the land’s contour so as to minimise the need for landfill and disruption to the local topography. The main colour palette of the architecture follows the dominating colour tones of the natural elements in Bali: shades of grey, pale white and dark brown.

In line with maintaining an environmentally friendly approach, the architects created an energy-saving feature for the central facilities building: a massive ‘breeze block’ measuring 6 metres tall and 100 metres long. This special cladding allows natural light and ventilation into the building, thereby reducing energy costs.

Another objective that the client wanted to achieve for the resort was to turn the central facilities centre into a key destination that would attract other visitors from the fast-developing Peti Tenget region. However, one of the challenges the architects faced was the lack of natural beauty at the resort’s site compared to the rest of its neighbours nearer the coast; with little ‘given’ beauty, architects had to rely on man-made beauty to transform the resort into a tropical haven that would help draw in the crowd.

Through the use of organic materials, thatched roofs, intimate spatial design that imitates a traditional Balinese village, open compounds with plenty of space to allow free flow of air and light, landscaping and a natural colour scheme, the Sentosa Private Villas and Spa will become a sanctuary that reflects the look and feel of authentic Balinese dwellings. –Erwin Maulana/Candice Lim

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Grand Kemang Hotel

2007-07-17T08:56:00.000+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Grand Kemang Hotel
Location
Kemang Raya 2A, Jakarta, Indonesia
Status
70 per cent of total area completed
Expected Completion
End of 2007
Site Area
12,820 m2
Gross Floor Area
30,384 m2
Number of Rooms
200
Storeys
5
Client/Owner
PT. Kemang Jaya Raya
Architecture Firm
Joseph Hengky Associates in collaboration with PT. Pasifik Design Strategy
Principal Architect
Joseph Hengky
Main Contractor
PT. Cakrawala
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
PT. Jaya Teknik
Civil & Structural Engineer
PT. Cakrawala
Images/Photos
Joseph Hengky

When the time came for the five-storey Grand Kemang Hotel to undergo a revamp, the directive for the architectural team from Joseph Hengky Associates and PT. Pasifik Design Strategy was to give the building a clear and distinctive overhaul, not just a superficial makeover.

Following that, the architects came up with innovative design elements that not only added a new dimension to the hotel’s façade but also enhanced its current functions and increased the interaction between the building and the people. Additionally, the transformation also gave the hotel a more modern appearance, more in keeping with the urban district of Kemang.

One of the added features is a new terrace attached to the side of the hotel, which creates additional space for greater air flow around the structure, more greenery and al fresco seating for patrons of the new café. The green terrace was also an attempt to help reduce the overall building temperature. The architects had wanted to create more green areas around the hotel to combat the effect of heat on the structure but whatever available space was already utilised for parking.

Relocated to the right-hand side of the building and marked by a bold and black façade, the main entrance and lobby for regular hotel guests now occupy a more prominent position, which allows for greater accessibility and interactivity. A separate side entrance, tucked away from the main lobby,was designed to allow service apartment guests a more direct access to their apartments. Besides convenience, this new feature also allows hotel staff to give longer staying guests more personalised services.

Other design elements that helped make the Grand Kemang Hotel stand out include the huge curve that appears from the top of the side wing (used to hide the function rooms) and the illuminated glass box sticking out at the centre of the building (which is actually the end of the guest room corridor).

The architects had a tight budget, which was a major constraint that affected their original installation plan and choice of materials. So the alternative solution was to use more affordable materials to renovate major parts of the building and the pricier ones to add accents to certain areas. The use of materials was also affected by the age of the structure; most parts of the existing hotel were built over 30 years ago. Thus, more attention was given to the load capacity of the building, which resulted in the use of a combination of dry wall system (gypsum board with hollow metal frame) for installing internal parts and lightweight concrete blocks for external parts. –Erwin Maulana/Candice Lim

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Restoring Java’s Big City

2007-07-16T16:33:00.000+07:00

Local residents of a town in Java are at risk of losing their heritage, but the real challenge is in making them aware of the value of their loss

by Erwin Maulana and Prapti Widinugraheni

Regret and sorrow were etched on the face of Debashish Nayak, an urban heritage conservation advisor at the Ahmedabad Municipal Council in India, when he saw a joglo—a traditional Javanese house—being taken apart in Kampung Karang Duren village one day last February. He was concerned this would change Kotagede and he knew that if such practices continued, the people of Kotagede would soon lose a valuable piece of their heritage.

Similar emotions were felt by Prof. Dr. Ismail bin Omar from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Both were in Kotagede—a town literally meaning ‘big city’—as speakers at the 3rd International Symposium on Asian Heritage Post Disaster Mitigation and the 4th International Field School for Asian Heritage (IFSAH) on February 17-25, 2007.

Amongst the many World Heritage sites and cultural properties in and around Yogyakarta, Kotagede has been one of the most neglected and difficult to manage। This was a concern to members of the Centre for Heritage Conservation at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the Jogja Heritage Society, who then decided to provide the IFSAH secretariat with information in the hope the IFSAH program could be structured around the theme of finding solutions to the complex issues pertaining Kotagede’s heritage properties and their restoration.

Coincidentally, the 4th IFSAH was preceded by the unfortunate event of the May 2006 earthquake, so the international symposium was also dedicated to discussing post-disaster mitigation of heritage entities. Apart from learning from the experiences of other countries and discussing urban planning/design strategies on this issue, the symposium sought strategies to formulate a post-earthquake master conservation plan for Kotagede Heritage District.

Mr. Nayak said establishing an understanding within the community was important in the conservation of locallyowned heritage; this should be carried out continually. He said Kotagede’s development could be geared towards the local community for economic, social and tourism purposes. Without conservation, the face of Kotagede as an ‘old city’—the centre of the old Islamic Mataram Kingdom—would change and become like any other city.

Located 10 kilometres southeast of Yogyakarta City, within Yogyakarta province, Kotagede is home to various jewellers and is renowned for its silversmith industry. The town was once the capital of the Islamic Kingdom of Mataram, which was founded in the 16th century by Panembahan Senopati. The town embodies the older Hindu-Buddhist tradition and Islam, which arrived more recently; this can be seen from the legacy of mosques and graveyards in the town and temples in the region.

The townspeople of Kotagede are known to be hard workers. The original inhabitants of Kotagede were artists, creating woodcraft and silver and gold jewellery. Most of them came from the Hindu Kingdom of Majapahit in East Java and Bali and were commissioned by the Islamic Mataram Kingdom to fulfil its artistic needs. Kotagede’s past glory can still be witnessed today, such as in the houses belonging to the Kalang people. Woodcarvings engraved in the frameworks of buildings owned by the Kalang show touches of past luxury.

In the 1700s, the Kalang community became very rich because of their work as traders and manufacturers of silver handicrafts; the architecture of their luxury houses followed the Javanese Hindu tradition. In the following period—around the 1800s till the 1900s—Javanese joglo houses (uniquely Javanese architecture) appeared; these had Arabian ornaments and a prayer room attached. An important change happened around the 1920s to 1930s, when the Kalang community—monopolised by the Dutch colonial government—handled pawnshops and diamond and opium trade. During this period, the Kalang built luxury houses with Baroque European architecture. Examples of this can be found today in Kemasan Street.

Local houses in Kotagede are arranged in the typical village style known as the kampung alun-alun (town square village). These houses are built close together, pushing one another into the crowded streets, which then become more like paths because roofs and buildings overlap.These villages are inhabited by traditional silversmiths whose creations lend credence to Kotagede’s image as a hub for silver handicraft.

Prof. Omar from UTM saw similarities between the problems faced by Kotagede and several sites in Malaysia. Even before the earthquake there were many issues faced by joglo houses in Kotagede; these included, among others, instances whereby houses were the object of inheritance distributions; or were empty or vacated by their occupants. He said it was a shame when locals solved the problem by selling the joglo to people living outside the area because the houses end up being the ‘lost heritage’ of Kotagede.

He was also unable to see any regulations from the regional government that could help rescue Kotagede’s heritage. To make matters worse, Kotagede is geographically divided between two different regencies, so there is the possibility of differing, if not conflicting policies between the two. Mr. Omar, who is an agrarian, said he also saw that many joglo houses did not have land certificates; in fact, there were those whose data were lost and went unrecorded by the government land agency.

An alternative solution to Kotagede’s various problems has been the formation of a local body—consisting of representatives from the government, community groups, academia and other relevant parties—tasked with creating a guideline on the management of joglo houses and providing these guidelines to local owners. This gives owners an idea of the value of their heritage and assists them with maintenance.

The coordinator of the Organisation for Heritage Management in Kotagede, M. Natsier, said around 20 percent of pendapa (traditional gazebos) or joglo in Kotagede had recently been sold off by their original owners. This was because joglo or pendapa owners lacked funds to repair the residences which were seriously damaged in last year’s earthquake. Ironically, the government has not carried out the concrete steps needed to save the cultural asset—and it has been up to foreign organisations and overseas assistance to come to the rescue. Mr.Natsier said he recorded more than 20 heritage-listed joglo as having been sold by their owner to outsiders.

Mr. Natsier said the number of joglo houses in Kotagede was recorded at around 170 in 1985 and 150 in 2005. During the earthquake, 25 joglo collapsed while others were heavily damaged; these required immediate restoration so as not to allow ownership to change hands or physical locations altered. Ironically, the market price of a joglo is much lower than its historical value. “Rather than spend hundreds of millions of rupiah on restoration, owners prefer to sell a pendapa for several million rupiah,” said Mr. Natsier. Most of the time, owners sell the joglo for inheritance money.

Yukio Nishimura, a professor of urban engineering from the University of Tokyo, said the redevelopment of Kotagede should have a positive impact on the town’s local community. Planning of the region could be adapted to the requirements and needs of tourism, for example, but it should continue to firmly take into account the micro layout of the region, so changes to buildings or land functions that violate building regulations and feasibility studies do not occur.

The task is not one that can be accomplished overnight, Program Coordinator of the Jogja Heritage Society, Dr. Laretna T. Adhisakti, estimated the time needed to accomplish this feat at more than 20 years.

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Kuningan Central Station

2007-06-05T13:09:00.000+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Kuningan Central Station
Location
Jakarta, Indonesia
Status
Design Development
Expected Completion
2008 (Green Line);
2010 (Blue Line)
Gross Floor Area
2,700 m2 (includes stairs, bridge, concourse and platform)
Client/Owner
PT. Jakarta Monorail
Architecture Firm
Baskoro Tedjo in association with Hepta Design and PDW
Principal Architect
Baskoro Tedjo
Main Contractor
PT. Adhi Karya
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer
PT. Adhi Karya
Civil & Structural Engineer
PT. Adhi Karya
Images/Photos
Hepta Design

Jakarta’s two-line Monorail system is part of a multi-pronged effort to alleviate congestion in Indonesia’s capital city. The planned Monorail consists of two lines: the green line will circle the business and trading district; the blue line will cross that same area of the city. Once operational, the system is expected to carry some 120,000 passengers on a daily basis.

The design for the green line’s Kuningan Central Station is driven by two main factors: first, it will take on a significant visual role in the city’s streetscape; and secondly, as an open structure, it has to consider Jakarta’s tropical climate. As one of the larger stations in the two-line monorail system, it will also act as a prototype for other stations along the line.

The monorail at Kuningan Central Station is elevated above Rasuna Street in the business district, with the station occupying the space above a median strip separating traffic lanes. At 16 metres high and 60 metres long, the station must compete visually with the area’s large buildings. With that in mind, the designers sought to reduce the size of the building mass, making it as transparent and light as possible.

As the stations are really more shelters than enclosed buildings, the designers also wanted to make sure that the station itself, the waiting areas and the access bridges were all open and incorporated into the street to not change the character of street life.

They sought inspiration for the structure from a tree, with the design filtering out sunlight and creating shade at street level. A layered roof functions as the top of the tree, cooling down the hot air as it flows through the building. (To reduce costs, other stations will have a different roof structure.)

The station’s structure is made of light concrete and steel to occupy as little space as possible while also being earthquake proof.

Construction of the Monorail is slated to start in the first quarter of 2007. The green line is expected to be operational in 2008; the blue line in 2010. –Erwin Maulana/Christen Jamar

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Jakarta’s Transportation Future

2007-06-05T12:38:00.000+07:00

Now that the Jakarta bus rapid transit (BRT) system is deemed a success, the government looks to other transportation systems to create a comprehensive city network that takes the pressure off the city’s overloaded roadways.

Monorail
Construction on the Monorail project is to start in 2007. The system will comprise two lines, designated by colour, that aim to alleviate congestion in Jakarta’s business district. The Blue line will run for 13.5 kilometres and have 15 stations; the Green Line will circle the district for 14.3 kilometres with 16 stations.

MRT
Construction is slated to start in 2010, running along the north-south corridor of the city. The subway train will run for 19 kilometres and will have the capacity to carry 45,000 passengers per hour, each direction.

Waterways Transport
Jakarta has over 13 rivers that are wide enough to be used for waterway transport. This transport development is hoped to stimulate the city’s waterfront spaces and attract tourism, while preserving Jakarta’s rivers and canals. There are currently plans for six main waterway lanes, providing 61 kilometres of transport.

Hub Station
Dukuh Atas in South Jakarta will become the city’s main integrated transportation hub, interfacing with the LRT (the existing commuter train), MRT, Monorail, Waterways and Busway.

(Taken From: http://www.futurarc.com/this_edition/busway_moves.cfm)
© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Busway Moves

2007-06-05T12:33:00.001+07:00

Jakarta’s bus rapid transit system offers hope for the rest of the city’s gridlocked transport network

By Erwin Maulana and Christen Jamar

Getting around in Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta can take so long that web sites have sprung up giving tips on what you can do while stuck in traffic: read or learn a foreign language are among the suggestions. Still others offer advice: make sure you have plenty of water; if you are with children, take some entertainment.

With driving speeds averaging less than 15 kilometres an hour during peak times, and average commutes taking well over an hour, it is no wonder people are looking for ways to kill time.

The city suffers from problems experienced in developing urban centres not only in Asia but worldwide. As the focal point of the Indonesian economy, a combination of urban migration and growing access to cars have created a nasty snarl of traffic as Jakarta’s nearly 9 million residents try to get around the city. Bring in the out-of-town commuters, estimated to swell the city’s population on a daily basis by three million people, and you’ve got the makings of an incessant and impenetrable traffic jam.

Among the many unwelcome side effects of such an unsustainable transportation network are a depressed quality of life, lower productivity and, most importantly, unhealthy air quality.

“Jakarta’s transportation conditions today are approaching crisis level,” asserts Sutanto Soehodho, chairman of the Jakarta City Transportation Council (DTK-J), an urban transport stakeholder organisation, in an interview with FuturArc. He says that Jakarta's main form of public transportation—the city bus system—is currently utilized by only two percent of the population. That is because the buses are over-crowded and uncomfortable; the other form of public transport, a light rail, provides dismal service and an inconvenient network. As a result, most people prefer the solitude and personal space of their cars, even if it means waking up earlier

There have been regular efforts to expand the road network, but ultimately, transport experts say, energy should be directed at cutting down the number of cars. According to Sutanto, the length of the road network increases by one percent each year, while vehicle use is climbing 11 percent annually. If they continue at that rate, he says, “Jakarta will totally collapse in traffic” by 2014.

Finally, in 2004, the government released a blueprint for Jakarta transportation planning, called the Jakarta Macro Transportation Scheme (JMaTS). The plan includes efforts to limit car usage, such as increasing public parking costs, congestion pricing, and the 3-in-1 system (in high-traffic zones, each car must be transporting at least three people). It also includes some road infrastructure improvements, such as widening some roads and building flyovers and underpasses. The scheme’s major infrastructure projects include light rail transit lines (the Monorail) and a subway (MRT). The government is also looking at the city’s waterways for transport.

In the past couple years, though, the city’s public transport golden child has been the TransJakarta Busway, a dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) line operating on specific city corridors. Launched amid much criticism in 2004, the system has turned out to be an enormous success. It currently carries 100,000 passengers a day, triple the amount it was carrying when it started. Surveys have indicated that 14 percent of Busway riders used to drive; and 80 percent of people asked said they would switch to the Busway system if it was accessible.

Its popularity has led to a rapid expansion—after the first line was launched in 2004, another two started operating in 2005, and yet another four in January of this year. By 2010 the government intends to have 15 corridors in operation, covering a total length of 159 kilometres, according to the DTK-J.

The reasons for the Busway’s success are clear. First, it is an easy, and perhaps more importantly, cheap system to get up and running quickly—the construction required is limited to building shelters and physically separating the bus’s lane from the rest of vehicle traffic. The shelters are clean; the buses are comfortable and are more-fuel efficient. The system has been integrated into the light rail (LRT) coming in from the suburbs and with inter-city bus stations in Jakarta’s suburban towns. Plans are in place to integrate the system further with the monorail, subway and water-based transport systems.

Sutanto agrees the Busway is the best way of alleviating traffic quickly in Jakarta. “One bus can carry 80 people. Sixty-five cars would be needed to carry the same number of people,” he says.

The Busway, he says, is a “compromising technology,” providing a solution that provides immediate relief and gives the city time and money to develop the rail-based systems gradually. “We cannot implement expensive technology in a short time. We don’t want to implement high technology if the people cannot afford the ticket,” he says. He hopes in the future that affordable rail projects will take further pressure off the roads. In fact, he says, the planned north-south MRT subway line is actually intended to replace the Corridor 1 Busway line.

But the Busway has had some growing pains. The system includes feeder buses to give access to people who are not within range of Busway corridors. However, the feeder buses are the more expensive express buses, so while the Busway itself is cheap, getting to it can be costly. Also, there are not enough feeder buses, nor do they run promptly enough, to ensure the optimal use of the Busway system. That has led some to say expansion plans should be put on hold until the feeder systems for the current Busway corridors are optimised.

Also, according to Sutanto, there remain larger, more institutional challenges to the city’s transportation planning. First, Sutanto points out that the JMaTS is only a series of recommendations at this point. “(It) has to be government policy. We need (legislation) to ensure the sustainability of transport development.” Establishing one single independent transportation authority that brings together all the stakeholders—including police, public works, city transport authorities, consumers, and users—would make planning more efficient, he adds.

Still, the TransJakarta Busway—and the rest of the JMaTS—demonstrate initiative on the part of government and the private sector to come up with creative solutions to the city’s gridlock. The system, which followed a similar transport solution in Bogota, Colombia, has become the model of improving public transportation quickly for cities elsewhere in Indonesia and Asia. Bangkok, for one, is looking into developing a bus rapid transit system.

So even though there may be some hitches in the system, the Busway offers residents hope that in the future they may not think of the daily commute as a time to catch up on old correspondence.

(Taken From: http://www.futurarc.com/this_edition/busway_moves.cfm)
© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Sudiang Main Sports Hall, Indonesia

2007-04-19T14:15:00.000+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Sudiang Main Sports Hall
Location
Sudiang Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Status
Under construction
Site Area
22,218 m2
Gross Floor Area
8,100 m2
Building Height
31.35 m
Seating Capacity
8,000 seats
Client/Owner
Government of South Sulawesi Province
Architecture Firm
PT. Bita Enarcon Engineering
Principal Architects
Sugeng Triyadi and Torret Koesbiantoro
Main Contractor
PT. Makassar Indah
Mechanical & Electrical Engineers
Gatot Hudijanto; Risman
Civil & Structural Engineers
Cahyo Sumeru; Andreas Hasnadi
Images
Yayan Sofyan Fauzan; Pitus K. Adikusuma
Photographs
Government of South Sulawesi Province

Though foiled in their initial design concept due to the limitations of the local contractors, the architects of the Sudiang Sports Complex’s 8,000-seat main sports hall incorporated references to the Bugis culture prevalent in South Sulawesi in Indonesia.

The sport complex’s location—near the Hasanuddin International Airport—imposed some constraints on the design, limiting the building’s height and the roof material. Also, architects had to consider the impact of airplane-induced noise pollution on the venue. It was these limitations that gave the sports hall its shape—a cylindrical building with a short-angled conical roof.

A simple, circular building, the sports hall’s exterior has triangular shapes that mirror the Bugis roof and modern interpretations of the traditional building’s staircase and stilt-like supports. In order to save energy, the building does not incorporate a mechanical air-conditioning system. Instead, air will enter the building through operable windows and move through vents located above the seats. The interior will have some natural lighting, entering through windows in the side and at the top of the building.

Using a hard synthetic floor, the stadium will be used for indoor sports such as tennis, badminton, basketball and indoor football. The entire sports complex, which also includes an outdoor stadium, a velodrome, an aquatic centre and other facilities, is located on what was previously commercial agricultural land. Water drainage will be maintained through largely grass landscaping and paved pedestrian paths.

The site is in an area that is still under development and therefore will depend on existing transportation networks. However, a special monorail and bus system will be developed by 2012 to reach the Sudiang Sports Complex from South Sulawesi’s capital, Makassar. –Erwin Maulana/Christen Jamar

© Copyright 2007 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Mediterania Garden Residences, Indonesia

2007-03-22T14:12:00.000+07:00

PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Mediterania Garden Residences
Location
Slipi, Jakarta-Barat, Indonesia
Status
Completed 2005
Site Area
29,315 m2
Gross Floor Area
214,085 m2
Building Height
108 m
Storeys
32
Number of Units
2,696
Client/Owner
PT Jaya Lestari Persada, member of Agung Podomoro Group
Architecture Firm
PT Megatika International
Principal Architect
Junus Tjandra, IAI
Façade & Landscape
PT Imageqreator
Main Contractor
PT Total Bangun Persada, PT Pembangunan Perumahan JO
Mechanical & Structural Engineer
PT Meltech Consultindo Nusa
Civil & Structural Engineer
Ketira Engineering Consultants
Photographer
Ravisyah Aditya (image 1)

The Mediterania Garden Residences’ relatively simple façade with Mediterraneanstyle decorative elements and terracotta colours is an accessible architectural motif that appeals to its target audience of students and young professionals. While the project is not an icon from a design perspective, it stands out in Jakarta for its 2,600-plus apartments on 32 storeys.

Traditional development patterns in Indonesia favour low-rise, low-density living, which-given the pace of urban migration to Jakarta-has translated into sprawl and severe transportation problems. City planners and developers are now rethinking their strategy and housing is moving upward, rather than outward.

The trend towards high-rise living was given a boost in 2002 and 2004 when severe flooding made some middle-income families re-evaluate the advantages of living higher off the ground. Now, there is a
smattering of luxury high-rise developments, but the strong-growth segment of high-density living in Jakarta is targeted at the middle class. Indicative of the appeal, the Mediterania Garden Residences sold out in the first three months of 2006.

The Mediterania Garden Residences are built on a brownfield site in central Jakarta formerly occupied by slum housing. With the objective of reducing individual dependence on the automobile, the project planners took advantage of the site’s easy access to public transportation and opted not to construct a basement car-park. The Residences are located within easy reach of the traditional city bus system, the recently opened TransJakarta Busway (a dedicated-lane bus system) and the planned Monorail. The development is also minutes away from the Tomang highway junction, one of the biggest in Jakarta.

The project consists of two L-shaped towers and two T-shaped towers that are built around central gardens and a swimming pool. The architects maintained a small built footprint to increase green spaces—the buildings occupy only 20 percent of the site.

While the apartments have airconditioning to battle Jakarta’s humid heat, the architects have incorporated operable windows with coated glazing to reduce the solar heat gain. The buildings are also of different heights to aid in cross-ventilating the apartments. As the project has been built with middle-income residents in mind, the developer kept costs down by using ceramic tiles for flooring and exposed concrete for the ceiling. –Erwin Maulana/Christen Jamar

© Copyright 2006 FuturArc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Lessons Learned, Continued

2007-03-22T13:23:00.006+07:00

Interview: Munichy B. Edrees, head of Indonesian Architects Association (IAI), Yogyakarta chapter

In early August, some ten weeks after the earthquake, FuturArc met with Munichy B. Edrees head of the Yogyakarta chapter of the Indonesian Architects Association (IAI), to understand what architectural and urban planning factors are relevant as redevelopment and reconstruction efforts inch forward.

FuturArc: What factors does the IAI think are most responsible for the number of victims in the May earthquake disaster that affected Java and Yogyakarta in May? Was it because the buildings were not structurally sound and collapsed? Was it due to bad infrastructure, in that the pathways through the densely populated districts prevented rescuers getting in to help?
Munichy: In some of the collapsed houses, where there were many victims, it was because of weak building structure. When walls are made with clay bricks and badly mixed sand-cement mortar, they are not only weak but also rigid; that is, inflexible against the shift and force of an earthquake.

The impact of bad infrastructure-that the roads and streets are too narrow and the buildings too dense-also contributed to the number of victims. Many people either died or were injured when they ran to save themselves because they were hit by a fence or wall. Limited evacuation paths are also causing a delay in getting aid to the victims.

FuturArc: Taking a look at urban planning, will the post-earthquake reconstruction be different from the planning before the earthquake? What is the most important change that is needed?
Munichy: It must be different to be prepared for another earthquake. The distance between buildings and the distribution of evacuation paths will be of special consideration in order to help get help and aid to the disaster victims.

FuturArc: In terms of studies of the structure and design of buildings and building materials, are the IAI and other relevant institutions making suggestions to make buildings safer? If so, are these suggestions being considered and applied by the victims and the government when rebuilding public facilities and/or housing?
Munichy: In conjunction with the university networks, the IAI established the Jogja-Jateng Architectural Quick Response (JAR) to support housing reconstruction in cooperation with the Public Works Department. We provide designs and advice to make new buildings safer in case of another earthquake. In some places, the IAI and JAR have developed village models so that, in these villages, all the buildings are built in line with suggestions from the IAI and JAR.

It is imperative that buildings are built to meet existing building standards. That will require training so that new houses are developed and built according to the standards.

As far as building materials, even reinforced concrete materials would work, but only if made with the right formula and used correctly. Building materials need to be able to be more resistant to earthquake forces. Some examples include light steel and aluminium. Natural building materials have also become popular-bamboo is being used by some homeowners because it is cheap, easy to get, and easy to use. The kotangan system (half-brick wall/half-bamboo matting) is one of the popular choices among the victims.

FuturArc: So far what percentage of damaged buildings has been repaired?
Munichy: Up to today, less than one percent.

FuturArc: What methods are employed by the government departments and the IAI in relocating earthquake victims? How long will it take to reconstruct to a condition that is similar to the situation before the earthquake?
Munichy: When redeveloping and rebuilding housing in Yogyakarta and Central Java, several factors must be considered: resilience against future earthquakes, health, safety and ease of construction. Besides those factors, availability of resources, such as funds, construction materials, time and labour must also be considered. University studies have indicated that victims should not live in refugee shelters or tents for more than three months. We have made some temporary shelters and healthy refugee tents near the damaged houses. While the complete reconstruction process really depends on available funds, it should take more or less two years.

FuturArc: What lessons have the IAI learned from the reconstruction process to prepare for a future disaster?
Munichy: The application of building safety standards for all types of buildings-residential and other infrastructure-has been the most valuable lesson for all. Using building materials that meet safety standards will minimise building damage if hit by another disaster.