Pavilion 95

The Other side of Berlin

2009-05-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

Berlin merupakan kota yang cantik. Di lihat dari mana saja, Berlin tetap sebuah kota yang penuh daya tarik dan pesona. Memang tidak salah jika Berlin termasuk dalam jajaran kota yang wajib dikunjungi jika kita berada di Eropa. Berlin juga termasuk ke dalam tiga kota yang paling diminati untuk berlibur dan berwisata.
Hari ini merupakan hari yang cerah di pertengahan musim semi, musim yang tidak mudah ditebak dengan pasti cuaca yang akan datang. Patut disyukuri bahwa kali ini cuaca mendukung untuk jalan-jalan. Matahari bersinar tanpa terhalang awan meskipun angin cukup kencang.

Berlin merupakan kota yang dilalui oleh sungai Spree. Sungai merupakan salah satu jalur transportasi yang efektif untuk menghubungkan Berlin dengan kota lain. Sebagian kota besar di Jerman terletak pada jalur aliran sungai. Begitu penting peran sungai dalam menghidupi sebuah kota, maka pemerintah selalu memperhatikan kondisi sungai yang ada. Sungai yang melintas memang tidak bening, tetapi dapat memberikan kesan bahwa aliran sungai sangat terawat tanpa ada limbah sampah di atasnya.

Perjalanan dimulai dari dermaga Märkisches Ufer pada jam 11. Kapal yang ditumpangi memang dirancang untuk menampung hingga 150 orang yang duduk di dek atas dengan kursi plastik berwarna biru. Di dek bawah, terdapat restauran tertutup kaca berkapasitas 100 orang. Jika di atas dek merasa kedinginan, menikmati perjalanan di dek bawah sekaligus mengisi perut adalah yang terbaik. Penumpang di dek atas dapat memesan makanan maupun minuman dari pelayan yang selalu hilir mudik menghampiri. Tidak perlu takut kelaparan selama berada di atas kapal selama tiga setengah jam ini.

Kapal menyusuri aliran sungai Spree ke arah timur hingga melintasi jembatan Oberbaum, jembatan legendaris yang pernah hancur akibat perang dunia. Kemudian memasuki kanal sungai menuju pusat kota Berlin. Kanal yang memiliki lebar sekitar 20 meter ini adalah anak sungai Spree yang juga menjadi sarana transportasi jaman dulu ke pusat pemukiman di Berlin. Pesiar keliling Berlin menggunakan kapal ini bertajuk Brückenfahrt alias jalan-jalan di kolong jembatan. Sekitar 65 jembatan dilalui sepanjang perjalanan berjarak hampir 25km ini.

Pemandangan wajah Berlin yang berbeda ditampilkan dari atas kapal. Suasana tenang dan teduh terlihat pada kiri dan kanan kanal. Taman bermain dan arena jogging tersebar di daerah pinggir kanal. Sebuah pemandangan yang jauh dari kesan ibukota yang ramai. Aliran sungai yang tenang dan dinaungi pohon-pohon rindang di sepanjang sisir kanal memberikan pemandangan yang nyaman di salah satu sisi Berlin. Informasi mengenai sejarah daerah dan bangunan yang dilalui, disertai iringan kicauan burung menambah pengetahuan tentang jati diri kota Berlin yang sudah berdiri sejak abad 12.

Daerah pemukiman yang dilalui oleh kanal selalu menjadikan kanal sebagai ‘foreground’ bangunan sehingga tampak jelas fasade bangunan di sepanjang kanal. Sangat berbeda sekali jika dibandingkan dengan suasana di negara berkembang yang menjadikan kanal, sungai atau aliran air lainnya sebagai ‘background’ alias ruang belakang yang pada kenyataannya sebagai tempat pembuangan. Lalu lalang kapal di atas kanal menambah hidup ruang kota yang ada. Berlari-lari sore atau sekedar duduk santai menikmati kicauan burung dapat dilakukan di sepanjang sisir kanal yang sudah ditata dengan baik.

Berbagai bentuk jembatan meramaikan arsitektur di atas air. Semua jembatan yang dilalui merupakan jembatan dengan konstruksi beton maupun baja. Jembatan yang tertua yang dilewati berumur hampir seratus tahun. Beberapa jembatan merupakan hasil rekonstruksi jembatan asli yang rusak atau hancur akibat perang dunia. Tidak semua jembatan yang dilalui dalam perjalanan ini merupakan jembatan untuk kendaraan bermotor, jembatan khusus pejalan kaki dan sepeda pun ada. Terkadang dari atas jembatan terlihat beberapa orang yang sengaja berdiam diri menunggu kapal lewat.

Jembatan yang ada memiliki berbagai macam ketinggian. Di beberapa jembatan, penumpang kapal dapat menyentuh kolong jembatan bahkan ada yang diharuskan untuk duduk saat melewati jembatan. Sebuah jembatan di daerah Neukolln tergolong rendah untuk kapal sehingga memiliki pintu air yang dapat membuat permukaan air menjadi lebih turun saat kapal melintas di bawahnya. Sebuah perjalanan yang menarik ditinjau dari segala teknologi yang dipergunakan dalam memperlakukan aliran air.

Pada ujung timur rute yang ditempuh, anak sungai kembali bertemu dengan Induk sungai Spree yang rata-rata memiliki lebar 70 meter. Di daerah ini terdapat beberapa kapal yang dijadikan sebagai rumah apung pribadi atau rumah makan. Besar-kecilnya kapal tergantung kebutuhan sang pemakai. Beberapa solarsel tampak jelas terlihat untuk memenuhi kebutuhan listrik di rumah apung tersebut.

Satu setengah jam terakhir perjalanan ini adalah menyusuri sungai Spree yang melintas tepat di tengah kota. Pusat kota Berlin merupakan tujuan wisata bagi turis domestik maupun mancanegara. Di sana terdapat gedung parlemen Reichstag, tempat tinggal Presiden Jerman Schloss Belevue, tempat kerja Karselir, Berliner Dom, Nikolai viertel, dan berbagai arsitektur kota lainnya. Banyaknya kapal yang lalu-lalang di sungai Spree membuat sungai ini lebih hidup. Sebagian besar adalah kapal turis yang sedang menikmati keindahan pusat kota Berlin dari permukaan air.

--
Agust Danang Ismoyo
Lighting Designer

Earth Architecture

2009-02-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

In his book “Earth Architecture: From Ancient to Modern,” William Morgan (2008) talks about architecture buildings and landscapes shaped by earth as the primary material. As a result of his extensive research on architecture and environmental adaptation, Morgan believes that architecture should be an integral part of its surrounding. Understanding earth architecture in practice can establish a sustainable relationship between communities and their environments. Without using many technical terms, this compilation of more than fifty examples with nearly two hundred images volume is an interesting book of architecture. The cases discussed can guide architects and other professionals in the field to create designs as a holistic part of the environment.

Morgan broke down his book into nine chapters, each containing five to six helpful examples. He organized the books’ chapters based on his classification of how the shape of the earth architecture system was created. The examples ranged from the simple earthwork with basic functions like defense, ceremony and memorial to more complex architecture which includes relatively dense population, urban planning, and some significant institutional structures. Although there are some similar characteristics among two or more structure systems, the author classified the shape systems as Mounds, Shaped Hills, Earth Retained, Terraces, Platforms, Excavations, Modified Earth, Water Retained, and The Cities. Each chapter starts with a short introduction followed by the case studies that pertain to topics covered. The numerous examples Morgan gave range from a 4200 BC settlement in Negev to a contemporary arts pavilion in California and from simple artificial hillto large scale engineering projects. From these examples we can understand what technique and technologies people used at each time and how they managed human energy to build them.

Since thousand years ago humans had tried to use earth as their primary material and thought how to reshape it in to new configurations. They built the architecture or earthworks with various motivation like identify territories, defense and protection, or because of transport efficiency in the making of the projects. In the further use, they found out that earth material can be utilized to get its potential effects such as insulation and thermal mass to respond to severe weather. Humans started to develop it and explore its possibility to use in dwellings. In such system like Excavation structure where removal material from the earth is needed, the underground settlers can have protection from the heat of the day, the chill at night, and even from the harsh of desert storm.

From the chapter of Modified Earth, we know how people in Djenne, Mali built their Great Mosque using mud-brick as its primary material or the successful story of sod block for early settlement in Great Plains of North America and the Altiplano of South America where they used this material in daily life. This material is well known for its benefit to provide heat during the winter and coolness in the summer, well protected against storm, relatively fireproof, resistant to insect, and very economical to build. I am very interested in conducting further research on Modified Earth sections, particularly in understanding and making comparisons amongst any modification of earth as material that the author has mentioned in his books. I feel this Modified Earth section is very important for us as architects to learn because it provides ideas in creating and transforming more new environmental friendly material. I believe that every project has its own problem but at the same time have the local creative solutions to answer that challenges. By using local materials that are easy to build and maintain, it will need less special skills for construction and in the long run it will reduce the projects’ budget significantly.

Despite of all the potential benefit that we can get from the earth as building material, this book also criticize examples of construction that which is not environmental friendly and destroying ecological stability. In Earth Retained chapter, Morgan criticizes the Expressway Project, one of major roadway constructions in United States that usually disregard the needs of communities and their surroundings. In this case, he suggests the authorities to give more consideration to alternate light rail or waterway system for mass transportation which he believes would give less negative impacts to environment.

According to Morgan, Earth Architecture is more relevant for recent situation when sustainability design and environmental friendly awareness become huge consideration principles regarding global warming phenomena as a major threat for the future of our planet. He mentions two examples in his last chapter where those principles are applied in urban level. Urban Nucleus project in California and Dam Town Proposal for Kentucky are two stories how architects in collaboration with urban planners propose a holistic approach to establish communities that rely on sustainable balance between human beings and their environment by creating a compact residential compounds complete with public services and facilities that are in walking distance for the residents. This simple idea is very effective to minimize roads and utilities, control air pollution, and conserve energy while still preserving the sites’ natural beauty as well.

I believe that Sustainability Design is our future. Conservation of natural resources, renewable energy alternatives, passive solar potential, or any related topics that similar to those will be a mandatory requirement in architecture. The answer for those situations may lay in our past local wisdom, technologies, and culture of Earth Architecture. By reading this book, our perspective on architecture and its relation to environment surrounding should gradually change from detachable piece of architecture to more blended creations to their surroundings. I would recommend this inspiring book to anyone interested in architecture and ecology and I also suggest this sustainable design principles should become the starting point for architect, planners, or other designers before they put their ideas on the paper.

Cahyo Wilis Candrawan
Reviewer

Top 5 UI Resouce Center

2009-01-27T23:37:00.000-08:00

1st Prize Winner : 02- Crystal of Knowledge (DCM)
Runner Up : 30- Temple of Knowledge (Yori Antar)
3rd Prize Winner : 18 - Green Carpet Interconnection (Deyna Irvan)
4th Place : 25- The Trace of Knowledge (Aboday)
5th Place : 31- Solid Void (Yose Ferdian)

Studentpolis: UI's new Resource Center

2009-01-21T01:07:00.000-08:00

"New libraries don't reinvent or even modernize the traditional institution, they merely package it in a new way..." (OMA, Rem Koolhaas)

The package may refer to the method of retrieving information that evolves along with the technology. The old concept of library has turned into a resource center where many new possible ways of retrieving/ gathering information occur, not just from conventional book readings but collective and interactive discussion as well.

The fact that whole library can be stored in a single microchip or a handheld device has put our new conception of a resource center, a new way of interpreting flexibility and expandability despite the need of real books. Thus, these collections may be contained in a more effective ways, while the need of public activity center is accommodated. This is in fact what the site needs, to become new lively student center that provides many possibilities of receiving information.

University of Indonesia (UI) as part of the academic and scientific community is moving towards World class University. It integrates its faculties into 3 major science namely Medical Science, Social and Humanity Science, and Engineering Science. It aims at academic excellence as an improvement of academic quality, research, and entrepreneurship as its vessel towards good management and university independent income as well.

Like a country, the University of Indonesia contains many islands, cities, and regions. They are represented by the faculties, councils, labs, student center, and their beautiful natural resources that offer conserved green area, lakes and valleys. As a developing City or Polis (as in ancient Greek terminology), UI central area has included several important facilities such as Administration Center (PAU), Research and Social Commitment Directorate (DRPM), Student Service Center (PPM), Multi Function Room (Balairung) and Information and Communication Technology Center (ICT). Yet a lively city would need its complete social experience, as Polis would need its assembly area or market (also known as Agora) where everyone meets and socialize. Such Polis stands on the live and pulsing network; a network of commercial lines, city government, religion, as well as academic network and natural resources.

Therefore, the need for social activity space in the campus, both academic (formal) and non-academic (informal) activities are considered essential. A Polis would depend on its stake holders along with their activities, and a Polis would depend on its Community and Society to live. The new central library as part of the this Student Polis would then functions as assembly area, where the interaction between multiple networks happen, as a place that holds both academic activity and social expression of its users. In order to do so, the central library is placed on the horizontal intersections between many possible courses of activities in the UI central, not vertically as it tends to have lesser chance of interacting. The linear pattern of the Polis will create nodes for people to meet, gather, and socialize, as information would spread easily on such events. Thus, the new assembly point becomes the Resource Center, where meeting, discussion, or simply having fun become the new way of retrieving information, despite the need of actual books that we still provide in a contained area.

One of the main issue regarding the location was how to promote the site into a destination point, where it has been a more passive or 'backstage' area from student activity. This is where we planned to put the axis together, from each activity point from each faculty and student center, thus creating net paths in which people may pass and meet along the way. The axis emerge not as its metaphorical simbolism, but rather function as actual paths and therefore, nodes.

The formal expression of mass placements, ring roads, and axis are combined with the dynamic expression of student activity, under one giant canopy that represents its tropical forest context. The green campus UI needs to contribute more to the global environmental issues, as the new resource center emerges with green design that put larger consideration to natural light and ventilation, the energy consumption, and choosing sustainable materials. The eco-friendly design issue is not a new concept to offer, but rather be an everyday simple action of respecting mother nature.

The designed siteplan is placed on almost similar level to the ground surface, as to provide more open plazas and possible events to occur. These large plazas are sheltered by one giant canopy, yet still maintain their large openings to allow natural sunlight and cross ventilation. Although look big, the enclosed structure actually only occupies merely 3500 m2 (resource center) and 1000 m2 (for each lecture hall and student business activity center), or less than 20% of total ground area. This enclosed structure only covers books collection and special function rooms, while other communal or public functions are planned to occur in the surrounding plaza or terraces.
The water catchment systems will be performed by direct vertical drainage from open/green roof via pipe steel structures downward to the absorption tank and water reservoir. The reservoir may provide local use, such as daily irrigation or plant/grass maintenance; while the absorption tank helps keeping the site to hold its water catchment capacity to a more effective way.

Part of the building facing north west with openings are designed to have louvers on the facades, and additional lines of trees to provide more shadow and shelter during the brightest daylight. Most of the building structures are located beneath a green span surface that helps shelter and filter the needed natural light inside.

The structure materials mainly use steel pipes and concrete to achieve tight construction schedule. The existing Fasilkom building (planned for future ICT) will only be refurbished on its facades, as to create more solid look as one of the tallest building inside the main ring of the StudentPolis. As for the landscape, where big old trees are kept existed on its original locations, while the smaller and newer plants are to be adjusted according to the landscape design (grid and random type of plant groups).

Eventhough we only got into the top 10 Finalist, we felt confident to the statement of resource center we had offered, since none of the top 5 have done so. The new resource center should integrate its collections to the use of technology (ICT) to promote friendlier interface to public/student, thus the new building architecture would prioritize on how the public should interact, meet, and socialize. Creating a resource center is not merely building an iconic structure or new look, but rather offering new ways of people interact and 'learn'. Imagine how would your 'new library' would be if we still perceive its functions as what Singaporeans does a decade earlier?

Season's greetings

2008-12-24T00:31:00.000-08:00

Biomimicry

2008-12-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

We must draw our standards from the natural world. We must honor with the humility of the wise the bounds of that natural world and the mystery which lies beyond them, admitting that there is something in the order of being which evidently exceeds all our competence.
--Vaclav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic--

Janine Benyus, the author of Biomimicry Innovation Inspired by Nature, introduced a new term that will change our perspective in how to see the nature. Biomimicry Revolution, a term what Ms. Benyus called, establish a new approach not on what we can extract from nature, but emphasize more on what we can learn from her.

Biomimicry takes its name from the greek words ‘bios’, meaning life and ‘mimesis’, meaning to imitate. So Biomimicry is all actions to learn and imitate nature’s designs to solve all challenges in human life. The genius solutions that we’ve been seeking are widespread in this planet, not only in indigenous people who live far away in remote area but also in the species that have lived on Earth far longer than us. They could teach us how to fly, circumnavigate the globe, live in the depth of the ocean and atop of the highest peaks, craft miracle materials, light up the night, catching the sun’s energy, and build a self-reflective brain. In short, living things have done everything we want to do and also can teach us how to survive on this planet without destroying its’ future. As a champion of Biomimicry, Janine Benyus become one of the most important voices in a new wave of designers and engineers inspired by nature (http://www.biomimicry.net/).

Biomimicry allows innovators and problem solvers of all kinds to create more intelligent and sustainable design through the emulation of nature. Designers and architects are poised to benefit greatly from the integration of biomimicry in their design process.

In architecture field, we could find many answers for our designs from nature. When we take a look seriously into nature and observe it very well, we’ll realize that all our inventions have already appeared in a more elegant form and at a lot less cost to the planet. We’ll found struts and beams construction are already featured in lily pads and bamboo stems. Our central heating and air conditioning are inspired by the termite tower’s steady at 86 degree F.
Arup Architecture firm designed an office complex named Eastgate Centre project in Harare, Zimbabwe imitating the structure of a termite mound. The main reason why they choose this model is because of their ability to self-cool. When most of the energy used in building is for heating and cooling, finding sustainable ways to regulate temperature is important. This particular building was able to minimize its heating and cooling energy by 90% when compared to building of its size.

On the other hand, a scientist named Wilhelm Barthlott was doing a biology research when he became interested in Lotus. He found out this certain leaf species has ability to remain free of contaminants without using detergent. In his further research, he discovered these leaves possess a field of small bumps and waxy crystals which force water to ball up. These bumps will raise up dirt molecules so the water drop could picked them up easily. Along with his colleagues, Wilhelm Barthlott began developing this to products such as exterior paint. They called this effect as The Lotus effect and could be applied in new materials such as textiles, wood, and glass.

The Biomimicry Revolution will be an answer for the recent and future condition when human have reached the limits of nature’s tolerance. We are hungry for seeking new solutions about how to live sanely and sustainably on this planet. But the most important is, after we learn and found out what nature already knows, try to be a part of, not apart from, the local wisdom that live surround us.

I quote these principles which Janine Benyus resonates in her book that divine a canon of nature’s laws:

Nature runs on sunlight.
Nature uses only the energy it needs.
Nature fits form to function.
Nature recycles anything.
Nature rewards cooperation.
Nature banks on diversity.
Nature demands local expertise.
Nature curbs excesses from within.
Nature taps the power of limits.

After I finished reading Ms. Benyus’ book, there’s a strange feeling inside that suddenly remind me on many Rabindranath Tagore’s beautiful aphorisms which articulate how living things around us are very meaningful and could teach about life wisely. For further information on how nature can inspired designers to solve human problems, click this link http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/biomimicry.html

Let the living lesson begin.

--Cahyo Candrawan--

Got delayed in the station?

2008-11-28T03:43:00.000-08:00

This is what we had in mind after finishing a long discussion and arguments on creating the most effective circulation and functions for an interchange station. At that time we thought that station is a very 'functional' facility, thus every chance to design it would need greater consideration to the public use or flows. Thus again, this wasn't just an image competition that pleases jury's and public's eyes, hence professional certification is needed for each entrant. After the discussion settled, we needed a striking punchline or statement that may put our design to the new level of understanding, how an interchange should be and look like on its urban context.

Why would be delayed become somehow entertaining experience?
Have you ever been delayed by someone or from some scheduled task in Indonesia? Most probably you have, and some would think that the term 'jam karet' is still relevant. This might be unpleasant condition to have, if we constantly put ourselves as the object of delay. On the contrary when one choose to delay him/herself from a scheduled task because the situation 'lures' him/her to do so.

First, the site is quite specific where roads and railways are cross-overlayed upon each other, with an additional of water element in Ciliwung river. This has in fact devide the site into 4 different area, each with its own development plans; Dukuh atas on northeast is known for its density of market, small residences, and night clubs; Talang Betutu on northwest with its skyscrapers future development; and south sides with its developed business district and hotels. Although separated by the site, we did not see how the interchange stations (between commuter, airport link, and MRT) should also be as well, as the TOR would suggest. An interchange station should represent speed, accesibility, and comfort. And we cannot suggest comfortable and effective 'speed' of interchanging in a separated stations concept.

While the station itself represents speed, other public (commercial and communal) facility in the station offers comfort that is related to a slower pace concept, thus 'delaying the speed' for a more public refreshment facility is the issue that we proposed for Dukuh Atas interchange station. Delaying also means providing more green open space that surrounding area lacks of, so that it sustain its presence on the ground and upper level as people meeting point, or simply a place to have your lunch during the busiest day in Jakarta.

Lighting Design

2008-11-27T05:10:00.000-08:00

In Indonesia, “Lighting Design” has been commonly considered as another profession related to electrical (M/E) engineering, and sadly, some do not understand why would such profession even exist? Once, we were working on the design team for a big hospital project when the principal said,” leave the lightings to the M/E engineers, they should know what to do”. At that time we thought, perhaps lighting have nothing to do with architecture.

Almost 80% of the information received by human brain is captured through the eyes as human sight sense. Thus, the basic concept of such profession may said to be “the most beautiful things cannot be seen without light.” This profession has been developing as the electronic starts to fulfill human needs for technology, from a simple light bulb to the discovery that turn human from daylight into 24-hour creature.

What does a lighting designer (LD) do?

Lighting designer is an engineer whose expertise lay on the art and technique of manipulating lighting. They are not merely an electrical engineer, but they may also an architect or designer graduates, with a taste of art that sometimes could not be understood by on-site technical applicator.

For instance, for a meeting room, LD would calculate the amount and power of illumination needed for meeting activity according to the standards, through a complex calculation and regular research for human eye. One may have various scenarios for meeting, such as discussion, writing, and presentation that need different lighting treatment. A simple miscalculation of illumination may result in weary eyes, exhaustion, and even nausea.

As for public facility such as sport fields and public roads and pedestrians, LD also put a thorough consideration on how to choose or create lighting fixtures, as they might also affect human safety issues. In a 4 season country like Germany, winter may also cause different way of designing lights since the sun only shines for less than 10 hours a day.

A contrary to a meeting room and standard public facility, entertainment/leisure facilities’ LD such as cafes, night clubs, or building facades, does not focus on fulfilling technical standards. A sense of art may dominate the way LD propose their designs, how they manipulate shadows and lights, the dark or lighter side of the room with a touch of colors to create interesting ambiance.

Lighting design technology has been improving rapidly during high-tech era, where the use of energy-saver illumination and lighting controller to manage multiple scenarios for a room, have reached a higher level and varieties. We may even turn the lights on/off from mobile phones. The challenge now for LD is to create, choose, and determine the right lighting or luminaries from variety brands of fixtures, with millions of shape of armatures in the world, to be set accordingly to human needs. Thus for LD, to know the minimum/maximum standards for a room may not be sufficient without the experience of selecting and combining those armatures with aesthetic consideration in real projects.

In collaboration with artists, an LD can develop their sense of art through installation. The art of space installation is also an interesting challenge, since lighting may assist the expression method or media for the artist. An installation object may emerge differently at night by the use of artificial lightings, and so does the well lit city during the night.

Initially, the LD profession was held under an illumination technique organization named CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) in Europe and IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) in US, and they were dominated by electrical engineers. As the time went by, such LD organizations form a more specialized association, namely IALD and PLDA. Today, IALD and PLDA has been collaborating well so that its LD member would not necessarily register to both organization to have its acknowledgement. PLDA in Europe has developed more in world wide than IALD in US, as it has expanded to Asia.

As in Indonesia, such LD organization has founded in early 90’s by the name of Himpunan Ahli Teknik Iluminasi Indonesia (HTII). With its headquarter is in JDC (Jakarta Design Center), HTII has stood proudly side by side with other designer associations in Jakarta, which mark the next phase of lighting design world.

Pavilion 95, as one of the few consultant specializes in LD, has been putting an effort to register its experts to the standards of HTII and even ELDA (European Lighting Designer Association), to raise its competence in the lighting business. Thus, we feel obliged to remind the importance of having a well designed and calculated lighting for your room or facility, especially when lighting affects not merely aesthetic sense but also health and safety for human activity.

Agust Danang Ismoyo, ST.,MALD.

Maya Lin, an architect and sculptor

2008-11-10T23:01:00.000-08:00

Maya Lin was known for the first time from her earthwork design on Vietnam Memorial War, a competition which catapulted her to fame when she beat other 1400 contestants including many professional architects, when she was a 21-year-old senior at Yale. For those who love to watch Hollywood movies with Vietnam war setting must recognize this landscape memorial. Through her design, Lin proposed a memorial with book life form splitting the landscape and submerged into the earth, cutting aggressively into the Washington Mall. It is outspoken and angry in the way like a visual scar on American landscape, symbolizes bitterness and grief over Vietnam war.
In her new earthwork project at the Storm King Art Center,New York, Lin creates seven rows of undulating hills cradled in a gently sloping valley and she names it as “Wave Field”. This is a project that proposes an ocean waves expansion that have been frozen in place when you look from a distance. Yet as soon as you walk into the piece whose earthern swells range in height from 12 to 18 feet, your experience of it changes remarkably. At first, standing at the bottom of a slope, it may look craggy and insurmountable. But in scaling it — which turns out to be relatively easy because of the rough surface — you become keenly aware of the earth itself, currently a patchy mix of topsoil, short grass, clover, white daisies and yellow-flowered partridge pea, which attracts swarms of monarch butterflies.
Back to eight years ago when she was invited to make an earth project on this area, Maya Lin found herself attracted to an area known around the art center as the gravel pit. Located on the property’s southwestern edge, about 100 feet beyond Andy Goldsworthy’s “Storm King Wall” (1997-98), the pit was a reminder of what Storm King looked like in 1960, the year it opened. In the year of 1950s much of Storm King’s landscape consisted of acres of gravel that had been mined from the surrounding fields in connection with the construction of the New York State Thruway. Over the years the art center used this rocky material to shape its grounds, creating the seemingly natural hills and valleys that now are dotted with sculptures and site-specific works by artists like David Smith, Isamu Noguchi and Mr. Goldsworthy.

This man-made landscape, bringing gravel in and reshaping it and that’s what attracted the architect-landscape artist for the first time. As usual, Maya Lin tried to make her piece become less of a centerpiece. She prefers to create works on the edges and boundaries of places so they would begin to own the environment. The piece at Storm King’s board is Maya Lin third pieces with similar shape as her two previous projects at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and at the courtyard of the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. federal courthouse in Miami. Both of these previous projects are smaller than the piece at Storm King. Lin believed that she had to culminate the series with a field that literally giving the most extreme space experience within these hills, so when she found a perfect location she decided to make the waves much larger than human body and create the piece as a concluding part of her two previous earthwork series

Since the site was officially a mine, the Art center’s board had to secure permission from the state Environmental Conservation Department to reclaim it as an artwork. The department has strongly supported the project. Because Ms. Lin is also well known “a committed environmentalist,” as she put it, she was intent on using minimal intervention to turn it into an artwork and making the most of what was already there.

In a collaboration with other local landscapers, Maya Lin and teams sculpting the landscape with a bulldozer and create the waves and the bowl-like valley in which they rest were largely built from the gravel and earth in the pit itself as well as a berm that had shielded the site from view. By the time the piece opens to the public next spring, it will be shielded from the Thruway by about 270 young trees — a mix of maple, oak, sycamore and other local natives. That’s how many trees Ms. Lin’s studio staff has calculated it will take to offset the fuel and energy consumed in making the piece, including the artist’s own frequent car trips from New York. This trees idea derives from Maya Lin’s firm believe on global warming. And she still looking for more trees that can take hotter weather and become more dominant on the piece. She also believe when the spring come, tall plants like deertongue and Canada bluegrass around the piece will have taken over from the ground cover that now holds the topsoil in place. Eventhough she doesn’t want to recreate water, Lin hopes that the grass will flow in the wind and feel more like its own formal play.

As an Architecture graduate Maya Lin’s entire career has been interplay and swing among what she regards as three separate strands: she is an architect and an artist, and she also designs memorials (a criteria that she likes to call them as anti-monuments) that fall somewhere between the two. She has been pursuing all three directions since she finished the Vietnam memorial in 1982.

During her time in Yale graduate school of architecture, Maya Lin found herself spending more and more time in the sculpture studios and start working with her hands. Soon after completing her master degree, she designed her second monument, the Civil Rights Memorial at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, which was dedicated in 1989. By 1993 she had completed her first major building, for the Museum of African Art in SoHo, which is now defunct.

Since then she has worked consistently in all three areas, often developing ideas for one sort of project while working on another. In 1993 she created her first site-specific sculpture for the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio. Called “Groundswell,” the piece consisted of 40 tons of broken tempered glass poured into snowdriftlike piles around the museum’s exterior walls. From this came the idea for her first earthwork, “Wave Field,” in Michigan, which she completed in 1995.
In the past Maya Lin has always conceived of her different career strands as separate. She always think that this might be the only way to keep herself balanced. Yet recently she has been coming around to the idea and realize that the strands may be intertwined. Now she can conclude that her design whether it’s art, architecture, or memorials will intrinsically tied to the natural landscape around us.

-- New York Times and other references related--

This is one of those stories that made you perceive architecture as a frame of mind, thus allowing you to create, work and even succeed in whatever field you are in. So, if you're an architect then there's no boundaries for you to create your own space, even if it is made from lawn, furniture, light, sound, or whatever you can imagine it to be.

Gehen wir nach Berlin 1

2008-10-30T02:46:00.000-07:00

August may be the perfect month to enjoy Berlin, considering this year to be the worst weather to have in Berlin. You can easily count your fingers how many times sun shines through the whole day. What a strange summer.

As Germany’s capitol, Berlin is strategically located in the mid Europe, which has an important role in the history of Europe and even the world. Its central location, supported by good transportation lines that connect every corner of the country, has become potential political power across Europe. The combinations of bus lanes, upper ground train (S-Bahn), and underground train (U-Bahn) have proven to be the main artery that holds the life of Berlin for 24 hours. These transportation infrastructures were designed to accommodate up to 10 million citizens, such an ideal scheme for a big city to have, unlike Jakarta that still prefers 4-wheelers roads.

Along with those infrastructures, Berlin is also known for its architectural history and development. Though it may not be too big or as dense as Jakarta, It seems like it is one of the best city reference for every urban planner and architect to visit.

Our journey begins early morning through bus route 100 that accommodates tourist and backpackers to have a glimpse of Berlin’s architectural review on a friendliest budgetJ. It started from the historical Church of Kaiser Wilhelm II that was bombed in WW2. This landmark was planned not to be renovated as remembrance of the horrific WW2 aftermath, thus it was named as Gedächtnis Kirche or the Church of Remembrance. As for the church’s daily activity, a modern octagonal facility was built surround it, that was designed by Egon Eiermann in 1959-1963.

Our journey started toward west along the Kufürstendamm road, one of the city’s artery towards downtown. Kufürstendamm is the ‘central park’ for Berlin that functions as city lungs. This main boulevard is sheltered with big trees on the median, with wide pedestrian walk where cafes extend their domains. Not far from there, we found this modern look office building with sharp glass-panel corner proudly emerges from old and classical style surroundings. It is the Neues Kanzler Eck’s office building that was designed by German-American architect, Helmut Jahnn, and was built in 2002. Along with the pedestrian, this building also provides public venues on its ground level, with cafes and shopping arcades that offers many souvenirs for tourists.

Across the road, we found this cylinder structure that turned out to be a five star resident named Swissotel. This contemporary monolith 5-storey building stands on the intersection of one of the busiest junction in Berlin, where many people walk across the pedestrian to shopping malls and arcades. The curvy facades was covered with exposed vertical aluminum mullions create a unique visual experience, as a contrary to the Eck’s sharp edged building.

The journey continued towards the other way to Zoologischegarten. Similar to the other side, this part of the road also offers many luxurious shopping arcades, executive resident and hotels. One of the interesting building we found was a clothing store Peek&Clopenberg, with simple grid facades yet it was covered with 18 different modules of curving glass panel. This building was designed by local architect, Gottfried Böhm in 1995.

After few more blocks, we continued the tour by bus to another interesting place, Reichstag, one of the famous landmarks in the ‘bear city’, Berlin along with the Brandenburgertor. On our way there, we came across another modern sharp-edged transparent office building, that turned out to be the headquarter of CDU, the current Germany’s Counselor’s (Angela Merkell) party. The transparent atrium with glass-panel facades was set to the outer perimeter as to cover the 7-storey main building. The original concept was a representation of a yellowish ship that sails through the ocean. This fascinating building was designed by Petzinka, Pink & partners and was completed after 2 years of construction in 2000.

Another interesting buildings in the neighborhood are the Embassies, starting from Luxemburg, Malta and Qatar, where they were located in the building compound designed by mid-east architect, Orezi Sayed Mohammed.
Next to them we saw the Malaysia and Mexico Embassies. The Mexican’s was designed with series of concrete columns and copper door entrance as its accent, which has reflected mid-American tropical building character.
Next we have these Scandinavian Embassies, from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. These Embassies were located in a building complex that was masterplanned by Berger+Parkkinen, the Danish architects. The variety of architects involved in the projects has shown a great relationship between Germany and its neighboring countries, especially in architectural context. The complex was related by the presence of water element, as it also reflects their geographical relations to the north sea.

After passing the Embassies, we came at this giant pole structure that lies in the central of urban park, Tiergarten, where our journey with bus route 100 was ended. One of the main attractions in the area is the famous German parliament building, Reichstag. The 19th century Wilhelminian building had been burnt down by Hitler during the WW2, and had been reconstructed with a modern giant glass dome, designed by Sir Norman Foster in 1999. This glass dome has some sort of giant reflectors that maintain constant sunlight through the building, to achieve optimum natural lighting during the day. The dome is actually open to public, where people may see the parliament’s meetings below as well as interesting views outside. An interesting tip for tourist to go inside the Reichstag: please bring along your babies and their strollers, as they will let you in first without long queuing J.
On the northwest of Reichstag we saw the Bundeskanzleramt, the Germany’s white house, where the German Counselor does her duties. The building is actually 4 times bigger than the Whitehouse, and was designed by Axel Schultes.

On the north side we saw another modern structure that is separated by Spree river, which was functioned as the border between former Eastern and Western Germany. Now, the building unifies both sides of the government as well as other states in Germany. This large yet light building with slim columns and lighter wall facades was designed by Stefan Braunsels in 2003.

--August Danang's Log on Berlin trip--

2008-09-25T02:50:00.000-07:00

Singapore 2: The Mosque and the Church

2008-07-31T03:36:00.000-07:00

The second day in Singapore, we should start with the farthest trip to the northern part, where we continued our journey towards the southern part of MRT railways. The day started from Sembawang MRT, where the award winning Forum's Asy-Syafaah Mosque (a.k.a Malay mosque, since the locals had a hardtime of recognizing this place we were asking:) is located. The night earlier, a friend of us suggested to have approx.400m walk to the mosque from the MRT station, but in fact it felt like we walked 2km across public housings and open meadow in one hot sunny day!

At 10 am, we finally reached the mosque which was easy to find from the housing complex 400m away, since it is located on an open field (not yet to be developed to housing?). Over sweat and heavy breathing, we were surprised by the look of the mosque that was so complex and detailed, as if it was eager to speak out or state something so definitely on such calm and vast open area. Is it the heat, or are we just having difficulty on comprehend such humble facility that suddenly shout their mind?

Our schedule that day was to visit some award winning buildings in Singapore, including the Asy-Syafaah mosque earlier in the morning. After detouring to Republic Polytechnic for about 3 hours, we continued our visit to the church St.Mary of the Angels designed by WOHA, where we found a very interesting sense of space, particularly for a religious building.

Arriving on a bus shelter next to the church that we almost missed, we realized that this side entrance through the slope hill was somehow blocking the presence of the church from the streets, thus made it enclosed to the possibly heavy traffic or crowd from the streets. It was early afternoon when the sunlight passed through the trees and exposing the dimension of the textured walls, as well as creating enough shadow from the canopy where we entered. Unlike the mosque, silence and 'peace' suddenly grasped us, made us quiet (for some time at least) while enjoying its architecture. It has a courtyard with circular reflecting pond that actually reflected the sunlight onto the large overhang above, creating a dynamic circular watery shadow as the only moving object around this silent space.

After taking some pictures and experiencing the corridors, the naturally golden lit room, the main hall, the garden etc., we finally checked the main entrance of the building, which was actually across the side entrance we came from. It was also elevated from the main road, and one of the most intersting part here was the placements of the mass and details that created cross-shaped composition for every visitor to notice. This church is definitely well detailed, but somehow it maintained its unique presence enclosed yet humble to its surrounding, thus made it more interesting for people to communicate to the Almighty, as well as to others.

Singapore 1: National Library

2008-07-31T02:54:00.000-07:00

Arriving on sunny wednesday afternoon, we enjoyed a nice quick trip straight to the hotel, which happens to be in the downtown near City Hall. After a small chat with the taxi driver, we found out that the hotel is a walking distant to one of the most discussed architectural object in Singapore, the National Library. So it wasn't long for us to put our bags and quickly grab the camera and hit the road, again:).
We walked through several blocks, passed some sheltered pedestrians, and even a sex shop, before reached the entrance of this library where we came into an open space under a big white building, just like when we crossed under Foster's Hongkong Bank. This giant structure emerges from quite dense surroundings that we almost forgot to notice its whole shape from the pedestrian. We couldn't help but to go right through this open terrace with such comfortable airflows and lively ambiance with people chatted and sat around the cafe below. Maybe that comforting feeling should be experienced for every public-interfaced buildings in Jakarta.

Hongkong 4: Chek Lap Kok

2008-07-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

One of the Hongkong's architecture attraction is located at the country's gateway, the Chek Lap Kok international airport, which was built away from downtown to the west part of Lantau island. The world's best airport in 2007 was designed by british architect, Sir Norman Foster, to hold larger capacity with faster and much better services as the old airport in Kaitak.

The airport uses the current preferred pattern where the departure halls located on the upper levels while the arrival halls below. These patterns allow the ongoing visitors to have the last grand farewell, as they are welcomed by the large curving halls with stick-like supporting collumns, an all-white ambiance with the easiest access both for visitors from cars or buses, and trains. Though the departure and arrival halls are separated in levels, this airport still provides air-bridges accross the voids to connect these storeys, that resembles contemporary concept of air travelling with many possible transits.

After entering the glass doors, the visitors head for 10 check-in rows, with 20 check-in gates each. These rows end at single immigration entry, separated by large glass panels, and guided by many informative signages and directories that Jakarta commonly lacks off.

Hongkong 3: The streets within

2008-07-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

To experience Hongkong means getting acquainted with the structures, both the buildings, and the space (streets and gangs) between them. Hongkong has one of the crowded yet comfortable pedestrians in the world, just like Singapore, whereas their width equals the streets. With such proportions, we wonder how the traffic would go without any significant jams where we can easily find here in Jakarta. Though the pedestrian was quite pleasing, Hongkong still shares the untouched urban structures above the pedestrian levels, where we constantly had to cover our heads from the dripping window air conditioners.

When we arrived at the plaza in front of HB, we noticed that similar urban crowd we have in Singapore or even in SCBD Kuningan has come to the surface, except with different settings or backgrounds. But after a short Tram ride, when we stepped our feet on North Hollywood Road in Hongkong along the way to the southern part (SOHO), we were amazed by how they managed to have both traditional yet modern society living on such tight and multi layered space (or perhaps storeys).

To get to the southern part (which is on a higher grounds), we must take like hundreds of climbing steps, where these stalls, kiosks, and even cafe are located on each side. Fortunately, we came to a connecting mid level elevators where we can reach the highest part of the town, near the Peak Tram. This mid level elevator has the width of the streets below, except it's intended only for people, thus many advertising boards/boxes were placed at the same level as the elevator as building facades. Considering the miles and terrain we have encountered that day, we decided to take a raincheck for the Peak:). Instead we walked downhill, across another kiosks and grilled-pork canteen again, towards the IFC Mall near the harbour.

Once, we saw this signage that says "open public park ahead" that we easily refered to our common parks in Jakarta, instead there were only smaller gardens with ramps and stairs downward, where we finally realized that the park was actually placed in levels below us with some stairs and a glass-paneled lift to access.

Hongkong 2: Foster's and the rest

2008-07-02T03:43:00.000-07:00

First thing that came into our minds about Hongkong to visit were Norman Foster's Hongkong Bank and IM Pei's Bank of China. And the simple way to access Hongkong island where they located from our hotel in Kowloon was via MTR subway. The station, as well as the train cabin was designed to be simple, clean, and very functional, as people tends to go very fast and in a large numbers to the business district. With hidden indirect lightings reflected from the curved metal ceiling, the station was lit sufficiently along with many other advertising neon-boxes that ends at medium speed escalator to the surface.

As we came out from Central station, whereas those two icons are closely located, we've been struck by how those highrise buildings arises from the crowded streets and multi level contours. The shocking feeling was slightly reduced by the open plaza in front of the giant structures of Foster's Hongkong Bank (HB). But the urge for getting to the office in time would lead people to cross the streets, stay at the bus/tram stops, and even run to the nearest escalators or building entrances. Unless we pause, sit and look up, we wouldn't be able to sense the height and the whole structure of all the surrounding highrises....luckily we were tourists.

The HB's ground level is slightly sloped and open for public access, where they can easily cross the other streets through the building to another staircases and buildings. This open area is guarded by the 2 lions at the entrance, accented by the presence of 2 escalators toward the office above with real security guards. We really enjoyed the airflow there, before we continue to the other side of the street where the highrise shades most of these areas. After some shots, we finally realize how photogenic this HB was, as we didn't need to take difficult angles to get a perfect shot of this building.

Hongkong 1: The Arrival

2008-07-02T02:56:00.000-07:00

After an early morning hustle, and having a quick transit at Changi, with a sip of Gordon Ramsay's lunch set at SQ, we finally arrived at Chek Lap Kok international Airport in Hongkong at 2pm. Surprisingly, we travelled together with our fellow engineers and officers from FTUI, departed for Changi where we splitted to each other destination. Again, surprisingly, another fellow UI architect and talented actor, Nicholas Saputra, joined the gang to depart for Hongkong.

It was a lucky coinsident for us, since he is a regular traveller to Hongkong for a VH1 conference, thus helped us through initial encounter with local transportation:). It was a 'heaven and earth' comparison for people (well, at least for us) to travel from Cengkareng to Chek Lap Kok, where simplicity, accessibility, and tourist comfort are the priority as well as the ambiance for the modern airport....we can easily access Hongkong downtown along with our belongings through an airport express train. This fast, clean, and comforting train goes straight to 3 checkpoints, where then people may checking in/out from/to the airport easily....this has been proven to actually help us at our last day in Hongkong when the Feng Shen storm strikes!

forestation: h3llo university

2008-04-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

"Afforestation is process of establishing a forest on land that is not a forest, or has not been a forest for a long time, by planting trees or their seeds."
A railway station is a very functional facility that needs almost similar regulations and codes, especially for a transit station in suburban Jakarta, such as Depok. The competition focused on the design of 2 related stations as entry gates to the university (UI), one functions as transit only (UI one) and the other functions both as transit station as well as train depo for yellow line (UI two). Therefore, this time we proposed a rather evoking experience of how people travels to,across,from,and passes by the university in such way that they could grasp this campus identity or character, during few minutes of traveling. UI is known for its forest as green campus, and that's the way it should stick on one's mind when they arrive at the campus by cars, trains, or bikes.

After the first round, we made it to the big 3 finalist, which we proposed almost different approach than the other two that offers big coccoon-like structures. We tend to propose the spatial experience of moving towards/inside/outside the campus which will occur only in few minutes of traveling. ForestationOne, emerge as one simple linear tree-like structures that opens many view to the forest accross, and provides meeting mall on the underground level that leads people to reach a forest access point. ForestationTwo that has larger area offers many access points towards one large open courtyard on upper level that opens views to the campus' greenery, as it will become the future meeting points between campus, apartements,shopping mall, and public amenities.

Plaza Quantum Elektro

2008-04-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the movement of electrons in atom (as in quantum mechanics) and its relation as part of a single entity, this Electrical Department's Quantum Plaza in Engineering Faculty should reflect the dynamic movement inside,toward,and through the new building and plaza which is located between two similar buildings of Electrical and Mechanical Department. The new additional building should also stands as a compliment, not monument, to the adjacent vernacular buildings that would not obstruct the original concept of Kampong settlement in the faculty, yet maintains its contemporary looks. This building was designed in accordance to the LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) codes that would state its presence as one of the environmentally oriented campus.

Though we got into a shortlisted finalists, we feel sorry that Jury has finally picked contestants that may obstruct the original design guidelines of a 'unity in diversity' looks with its monumentally reason for such additional facility.

Arsitektur UI 4D

2008-03-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

Architecture department of University of Indonesia is currently holding an exhibition in tribute to its fourth decade of journey in academic and professional practices, which was officially opened by vice-president of Indonesia, Yusuf Kalla in 19th March 2008 with many local media coverage on the ceremony. This event will be held until 29 March 2008, that consist of the exhibition of the works from 4 generations of UI alumni, the seminar, and a book launch titled Arsitektur 4D.

The whole event flows under one concept of Under Construction, that reflects a never ending process of architecture that continually evolve as human mind does. The exhibition as well, is a process that started with some projects exhibition and the making of several installation art that will finished by the end of this event on March 29th.

As part of UI alumni association, Pavilion was cordially invited to submit its works throughout its years of practice. This time we present 3 projects for the exhibition, namely: The Miriam Budiardjo Resource Center at FISIP UI, the FIB Library at FIB UI, and Rumah Irman at Cilandak. We also submit 2 other projects for the book coverage, such as Musholla Al-Izzah at FKG UI and Student Canteen at FISIP UI. Both, the exhibition and the book, represent our scope of work that specializes in academic facility, and also residential.

The event was opened with Mr.JK's speech as well as a challenge for fellow architects to design cheaper dwellings for urban Indonesians with a sense of locality attached. The ceremony then proceeded with 'construction music' arrangement from a well known music arranger, Erwin Gutawa who also graduated from UI. Surprisingly, the music was played with many different tools we usually find in construction work by a group of architecture students. The exhibition also presents the work of Jay Subiyakto in art and cinematography, and Oesrifoel Oesman in his search for ancient trace of Trowulan dwellings in East Java. Since the opening and closing ceremony was/will be held at night, we also provide the exhibition outdoor lighting design and construction in collaboration with Phillips.

New atmosphere means more visitors

2008-02-20T23:00:00.001-08:00

In 2005, we took several library renovation projects in our hands, mostly with similar aims of creating new atmosphere and adding newer facility inside the library that might help increase the visitor to the library. At that time, people would still look for another place to read and study rather than in a library, especially a campus library.

Our first library project was the Miriam Budiardjo Resource Center (MBRC) at FISIP UI, Depok. It's located on the 2 out of 3 storeys building, where the resources were kept as hardcopies, books and literatures. We created new layouts and vertical circulation inside the library, with an integrated concept of 'inside a womb'. The ambiance was set to be warm and condusive for people to get their information from the library. After the renovation, MBRC was visited almost four times the visitors before the renovation. As the students increase rapidly, now the MBRC would need more space upto four times the original area, and this has become our next project of extending the MBRC. Even when the resources have become more virtual, the need of new atmosphere is still adequate.
Our second project was the renovation of 4 split levels FIB Library, the library with the most complete and variative collections in UI Depok. It has manuscripts, microfilms, ancient books, and collections from many culture accross Indonesia and even the world. We created new circulation, both for the visitors and the administrators/librarians, where they can reach each continuous floor more easily than they previously have. A concept of 'hypertext' was proposed in order to help them adjust with new layouts and circulations, especially the self-service exchanging of 'texts or resources'. Again, the new atmosphere for a library managed to increase the number of visitors, as well as the interest for browsing further.
The next project was the renovation of 4 storeys FKM Library. In this project, we are faced with multiple storey large area with limited collections of books, and not so many furnitures. The key was to create more open circulation, focusing on the entrance (service counter and catalogues) and the comfortable reading and browsing areas. A touch of purple (represent the faculty identity) and soft pastel furnitures, have made this spacious library to have a sense of warmth and calm, especially in some reading spots where people can also enjoy the scenic view of PAUI building.

Recently, we have the opportunity to design the interior renovation of Sespim POLRI's Library in Lembang. Although quite sceptical at first, the project was then become more realistic over a very short period of time, and thus became interesting. Again, the goals are similar, and our method was unnecessarily new. The room is large in volume (high ceiling, wide range), the collections were plenty yet unvariative, and they need more convinient space to read. The formal and standard guidelines were then replaced by fresh and colorful look of furnitures and partitions, and lucky for us...they agreed. The new library for the high-ranked officers should reflect also their dynamic personality as well as the spirit of go international. Fresh colors walls and partitions, with a contrast from warm wood finished furnishing, have made this library the new icon for the spirit of reformation in POLRI.

Urban House in Cipete, Jakarta

2008-02-12T19:06:00.002-08:00

This design is a respond to the problem of housing typology that can put up the needs of homeowners properly and to provide qualities of a healthy house within the constrains of very limited space and funding. The house is located on Jalan Abdul Majid, Cipete,Jakarta, a rather dense residential area where houses were usually built by developers in various sizes with minimum site width of 6 meters. More often the houses’ backyard would eventually be built as an extension of the houses and resulting in dwellings with poor natural ventilation and lighting.

This 6x22 meters existing site have to left 60 m2 open space at it’s front in regard to residences policy for the future main road development around Cipete. The main concept offered is how to increase the density of a house on a small site, and to enhance the quality of habitual spaces, as well to maintain good environmental quality in natural ventilation and lighting.

Within a feasible area of 6x12m, the house is designed to be compact in its space program. We decide to divide the program by locating the private area, like master's and children’s bedroom on the upper level. While the semi public area containing dining room, kitchen/pantry, and family room are in the lower level. The client also requested for an extra bedroom for their visiting parents in the lower level, which might occupy most of the area. Thus, by using movable divider hidden inside the cabinet, we manage the existing family room to become an enclosed space when it is needed. We also manipulate the dining area by designing a folded table in wall that separate kitchen with the family room. The maid's room and service area are located in front of the house to let the maid give a constant look out of the house.

An attic storage located beneath the roof, while an open green terrace is provided above the children’s bedroom to accommodate inhabitants’ outdoor activity and their needs of open space that was taken in the lower level.

This design tries to maximize the usage of natural lighting and cross air ventilation. Using zincalume walls as the house’ skin accentuate the sense of lightness while maintain the less maintenance cost of the building. Although located in a narrow sided site, the design provides a perfect cross ventilation with the use of a small courtyard as a “chimney” in the center of the house which allows air to flow crossing the spaces and then channeled outside without reducing the inhabitants’ needs for spaces.
Overall, this design illustrates our concern in designing simple urban houses issues. The design may not only contribute to the development of a typology for small and affordable housing, but also initiate an effort to reduce urban sprawling. Furthermore, this design could stand out as a model of an appropriate and suitable dwelling in narrow sites scattered around the urbanJakarta.

Design services

2008-02-07T22:34:00.000-08:00

During the past couple of years, we find many of our clients asking the design procedures or process that they were not aware of. It made us feel obliged to share these procedures to you, at least in the way we usually do.

Both, architecture and interior designs, should involve these steps in order to get a better outcome for you. Every design starts with conceptual sketches, ideas or drawings, that may presented up to 3 alternative designs. Thus we would need several preliminary data from you that help us to identify the context and visualize the project. As an initial idea, this step is very important for both sides, since every step ahead is taken in accordance to the agreed concept. Once agreed, we can then proceed with a contract and further design process. Therefore, this first phase may cost upto 15% of total design fees.

The second phase is preliminary design, which will be presented in simple and undetailed measured drawings, and is made in accordance to local codes or regulations. In most cases, this preliminary drawings can be used for applying building permit to the government, bank's loan, etc. Since the process is considered to be a simple applied concept on drawings, this phase may only cost 10% of the total design fees.

The third phase is design development, which may be the longest period of design that involves many discussions with detailed needs or taste. In the process, we also have to decide the engineering (structure, mechanical/electrical, and plumbing) functions to match the whole design concept. There will be many design revisions, a lot of sketches and details that need approvals from both parties, etc. The work load, including the design process and the paper works, may put this phase to cost 40% of the total design fees.

The next phase is to apply all the design development process, discussions, and revisions into construction drawings, as well as the material specifications. Once the development design and construction drawings are settled, we can estimate the project feasibility through a cost estimation plan. This phase's outcome can be used to the contractors' bidding process, and even the construction process directly. These detailed construction documents will be charged upto 30% of the total design fees.

The last phase of the design process is supervising the project construction regularly. We have a maximum of twice/month project visits that aims to assuring the construction process is matched and in accordance to the construction documents, as well as the architect's direction. However, we are not responsible for any on-site changes made by clients or contractors during the process. As our responsibility, this phase would cost 5% of the total design fees, that will be paid when the construction is completed.

A lawsuit vs design practices

2008-01-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

MIT vs Gehry & partners:
"The suit filed on October 31,2007 at Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, claims that Gehry and Skanska committed design and construction failures on the project which caused, among other things, masonry cracking, efflorescence, and poor drainage at outdoor amphitheater; efflorescence and mold growth at various locations on the brick exterior vertical elevations; persistent leaks at various locations throughout the building; and sliding ice and snow from the building.

Both, Frank Gehry and partners(architect) and Skanska (contractor), was sued by Massachussets Institue of Technology (MIT) with US$ 300 million for they failed to provide design services and drawings in accordance with the applicable standard of care. Gehry commented the issue on New York Times: "These things are complicated, and they involved a lot of people, and you never know where they went wrong. A building goes together with 7 billion pieces of connective tissue. the chances of it getting done ever without something colliding or some misstep are small. I think the issue are fairly minor." (AR, 12,2007)

Calatrava vs Bilbao:
"A civil judge in Bilbao, Spain, has ruled against Santiago Calatrava in his suit challenging Arata Isozaki's addition to his 1997 footbridge over Nervion River. The addition was built without Calatrava's knowledge and opened last February. Calatrava sued the city of Bilbao which owns the bridge, and 2 local contractors that built the addition, demanding that the extension be demolished and that he be awarded US$ 365,000 in damages, or US$ 4.3 million if it was not removed.

In his ruling, judge Edmundo recognized that Calatrava's right as author of the bridge had been infringed, but that the public utility of the addition took precedence over this private right. Even so, the judge added that he found it 'incomprehensible' the city failed to consult Calatrava. The ruling raises questions about the application of Spain's 1996 Law of Intellectual Property to works of architecture and engineering. The law establishes the rights of creators of artistic, literary, and scientific works including the protection of their physical integrity. While it specifically excludes buildings and engineering works from protection." (AR, 01,2008)

Both cases indicate how law has protected also design practices, as well as their clients, and not merely other service related businesses (though Calatrava lose his suit). This common level in the eye of Law may put each party to its stand, as professional or client with a sense of respect, responsibility and professionalism. People would start to notice that these design practices (especially architecture) are truly related to their way of life, and how does it influence their daily activities, thus giving it its greater responsibility to create 'something good' for the people. This has surely put design practices with a large amount of fees, and yet a larger amount of responsibility.

So, how about Indonesia?

digital_library@mmtftui

2008-01-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

Last week, The Engineering Faculty's Dean officially announced their new facilities at Magister Manajemen Teknologi (MMT FT) in UI Campus Salemba, which were planned to uplift the existing interior condition. They were the Digital Library and Computer Lab for MMTFTUI, located on the ground floor of this 3 storeys building.

Initially, we were asked to plan for 3-phase renovation, starting with the roof and facade treatment, followed by interior renovation, and completed by the new furnishings. The first phase has been done as planned, followed by the second phase that focused on the interior of the new large classroom on third floor. The classroom was designed and built in a very short term of less than a month with a minimum budget that a large classroom could have, while the ground floor area was left untouched for future development.

After a while, the Faculty asked us to develop the ground area that was occupied mostly by an empty (unfunctional)room, cafeteria, admin office and toilets. This large unfunctional space on ground level was not a good representative for a post graduate engineering programs, especially when it also functions as the entrance to the whole facility. We need something to uplift the interior condition as well as its atmosphere, where academical activities can be experienced dynamically. Thus a student library, computer lab and lounge were considered the most appropriate.

The Digital libary, as the main feature in the ground area, was planned as the virtual complementary database for the actual library in campus UI Depok, where students can browse many things related to their studies and academic schedules. The place also accomodates a meeting room and a reading lounge. Adjacent to the library, a computer lab for 20 persons connected by wi-fi is facilitated. Both the library and the lab were designed with a sharp shaped furnishings with dynamic lines and colors, that indicate the sense of progressivity in the world of technology and engineering.

The Atrium, located on the center of facility with large skylight, is definitely the most spacious area in MMT. It's surrounded by railing walls from upper storeys and 2 sets of concrete collumns that hold the staircases. This volume had to be reduced somehow in order to create friendlier space for people to sit in the lounge below. We decided to apply bold red color, as to emphasize the warmth ambience and reflect the MMT's passion to go beyond any limit in engineering, that often represented by royal blue. Unlike the library and lab interior, the atrium uses curving furnitures with similar red color, to create an integrated informal lounge as well as convinient place to sit, browse and updating news.

Upcoming in 2008

2008-01-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Recently, the UI's new management had asked us to contribute more to the development of campus' properties, namely the Wisma Rini in Jatinegara and Wisma PSJ in Depok. Both are in need of revitalization and new management as to optimize the UI's assets.

Wisma Rini, that was once functioned as student dorm, will be planned to have its commercial and semi-recreation functions. The project has actually proposed 3 years ago by us, and now UI decided to have another look on the plan. Located near the central business district of Jakarta and its transportation lines, with its unique 60's look and large green park on the site, it has become one of the most prospective UI's asset to develop.

Wisma PSJ, that functions as campus' 3-star guesthouse, will be designed to have fresher, modern interior looks, and equipped with internet access points. With its nicely developed green surroundings, as well as new interior, it targets the foreign students and professors, even their family to stay during their regular conferences or academic calendar in Depok.

Season's Greetings

2007-12-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

Pavilion would like to wish you all a happy holiday and

Discussing over meal

2007-12-11T00:38:00.000-08:00

Every week we have this 'un-official' meeting (mostly over meals:), just to have different atmosphere while discussing many important projects, goals, design concepts, and team. We find that, somehow, food and beverages are good 'adhesive' for good discussion. The meals may expand as team members join the meeting, and this may cause serious overnight discussion :).

Anyway, we love to discuss many design related materials, as well as how people evoked by them. There are no boundary for every member to speak out their ideas, and this has actually helped us stand 'our signature' on every design task we have, as thoroughly planned concept.

Taman Borobudur

2007-11-19T00:32:00.000-08:00

This is one of the project that allow us to deal with a 'non-structural' media. A park that is recognized not by its structure, but rather its nothingness/emptyness as to complement its surroundings. Unfortunately, we only come to the seventh place in this competition held by government's Park Authority.

History shows that initially park was meant for hunting by high class society or landlords, which was later related to one's social status. This has actually shown in Menteng, as our first garden-housing concept in Jakarta. These parks somehow always directly related to its surrounding big houses, that made them 'owned' by those houses, and not by smaller houses that may need more public open space. The question rises on Taman Borobudur; does it have the same problem or character to other parks in Menteng? What does it offer Jakarta?

As a public place, a Park should hold variety of users, from a baby children to the elderly, from businessmen to common people,etc. Leisure or fun, is what commonly drives those people to come to the park, though it may differ to one another. But we prefer to see Fun as a 'breake the rule' concept, that may occur during one's early childhood, teenage, or even adult/old period.

To have fun by 'breaking rules', first we have to break any boundary that separates the park from its users, so every structure surround the park can have the same opportunity to display its 'park-border'. Second, we provide many variety open sport facility which can be viewed from many angle and position inside the park, 'freedom to choose' is the keyword. Third, we called an 'inverted icons', that try to educate people from opposite point of view or reverse psychology. The idea was to make people do whatever they like in the park, without making them felt ruled. The fourth is to make the best of what the site already have. One of the mistake we do for the mid-low class society is creating something that is too 'luxurious' for them to use. Thus, creating 'green tower' from the existing BTS, conserving the old trees, or providing good lightings for bigger trees, may raise the sense of belonging of the park...especially when they also participate in the process.

However, any urban park in Jakarta, should also have its ecological functions, which may prevent and prepare the city from further disaster. That is why we planned to conserve the existing big/dominant trees to help the city absorb the CO2, as well as large open green field to help the city absorbs the water. These functions may have longer effect to be measured, unlike those facilities on the surface that communicate to the people everyday.

Koran Tempo on Irman's House

2007-11-19T00:02:00.000-08:00

Here's another review on Irman's House by Koran Tempo. The issue was to create an open contemporary house on a secluded site. The house actually can be reached through a 40 m entrance corridor, which creates a surprising sequence from tight entry to a spacious and sheltered reception. A series of openings after blocking walls was the concept in order to get the feeling of the 'openness'.

This was the main idea of what the ground floor should look and relate to other rooms.

Musholla Al-Izzah

2007-11-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

This was actually our last year project which made through Astro TV (Ruang Silaturrahmi) and IDEA (July 2007)publications. The project was later also nominated as IAI Jakarta's Award 2007. Hopefully we can attach the movie clip very soon.

It's a small project yet quite interesting for us, since it's located on abandoned roofdeck on top of an old building in FKG UI Salemba that might look like an alien, a parasite, or just a 'crown' for the faculty. The faculty needed an extra space for student praying room (musholla) above the dean's office, which was functioned as open storage, as well as a bridge between buildings. The problem was to create spacious room while the kiblat was heading perpendicular to circulation/entry corridor, and we had to separate the area for men and women.

As for the cover, we create a rather simple geometrical composition of circles, by using PVC and steel, to emphasize a contemporary 'arabesque' for the facade. This was also meant to protect the building to climate and yet it may still breathe through the skin, as to make a comfortable place to pray.

Fatahillah Lighting Makeover

2007-11-15T23:18:00.000-08:00

After the Jakarta's Old Town Revitalization Program was initiated on September 29,2007, the Fatahillah Museum as one of the Old Town's icon became the central of the first phase revitalization program, as well as Ceramic Museum, Central Station, Puppet Museum, Kota Intan bridge and the pedestrian areas surround them. The revitalization focuses on re-tracing the old pedestrian ways and plaza (Alun-alun), and re-creating the classic ambiance of the Old Town by assembling similar paving materials as well as the lighting poles and fixtures.

One of the important issue was to make such regulation for the lighting masterplan, since the government does not owns/functions most of the remaining buildings in the area, and there were already too many newer lighting fixtures mounted. Some of them are too modern, and some were put in the wrong spots. "It's harder to regulate private-own buildings to comply with the masterplan", as mentioned by Agust Danang Ismoyo, our lighting specialist who was working with PJU on the project. Fortunately, we don't have those issues on Fatahillah Museum, now that it has become one of the main attraction for nite tourism surround Jakarta's Old Town.

Koran Tempo on MBRC

2007-11-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

Last week, Koran Tempo covered one of our interior project in FISIP UI, Mirriam Budiardjo Resource Center (MBRC). The rocketing number of visitors was the main issue, since the renovation strategy was to create more warm and comforting ambiance for people to get information in the old FISIP's library, which was later known as a resource center. A slight change of interior atmosphere has indeed made significant impact on how people work or get their information there.

Idul Fitri 1428H

2007-10-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1428H

Minal Aidin wal Faidzin

UI's Admin Center Fresher Look

2007-09-12T01:16:00.000-07:00

During his last day of UI's Rector, Prof. dr. Usman Chatib Warsa, SpMK. officially opened the lobby of University of Indonesia Administration Center, with its new fresher look. The renovation focused on creating more lively atmosphere for existing rooms and functions, such as the information counter, cafeteria, musholla, toilets and the professor's lounge. The idea was to let more light illuminates the interior, thus reflecting the colors and materials used in the furnitures and walls. A concept of cleanliness, freshness, and modern office ambiance (dominated by glass and glossy finishing) was emphasized in this lowest floor of PAUI building which allow multiple entrances to the building.

IDEA covers Irman's House

2007-09-12T00:57:00.000-07:00

Last July, IDEA has covered Irman's House for its special edition of 20 design inspirations, that mainly discuss many simple ideas that people can apply or have on their home. This edition focuses on dining area, along with its furnitures and layouts, where Irman's offers a semi-open terrace to the garden for family meals.

JDC's new Lux: Urban Scarcity

2007-09-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

Recently, we have won the third place for designing the Jakarta Design Center (JDC) facade competition with a rather unusual concept of spatial facade.

Despite the old look of the building and surrounding's irregularity, people would still look for JDC as it has become the only high class design center in Jakarta. We can say, it has a role in the jakarta's design centers network. Thus, the new facade as representative layer is not the issue here.

We prefer to relate the high class value as luxury of which the surrounding people would experienced, socially and architecturally. A luxury that can be sensed as a scarcity in Jakarta; Luxury is clean among the slum; Luxury means distant rather than dense; Luxury means green among concrete. With the minimum budget of the project, we proposed a clean slope of active green garden that limits frontal view towards the building, as well as creates more space for people to interact to and for JDC, in order to gradually relate the people to design that close to their daily activities. A rare feeling to have during a busy day on one of the busiest junction in Jakarta.

Fit Properties on Irman's House

2007-06-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday (31/5/2007), one of the national property show from JakTV, Fit Properties, was covering one of our latest residential project located in Cilandak, Irman's House. The house was designed to look as if it has been on the site for quite a while, yet the contemporary ambiance is still felt by the owner by the use of tectonically exposed bricks and wood materials. Even so, the presence of greenery still dominates the house, which has become a luxury for those living in urban area.

Upcoming in 2007

2007-06-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

We are currently working on several projects in UI, that hopefully can create more contemporary looks and atmosphere in our green campus.

The Faculty of Dentistry Masterplan; The faculty is one of two last faculty to move in from Salemba. A new concept of compactness as well as eco-friendly design was proposed to fit in to the southern part of campus Depok, with up to 3 mid-rise educational buildings, 2 low-rise labs, student center, and an interconnected yards and corridors to link them together.

The MBRC extension Plan; An extension plan of the existing library (resource center) in FISIP UI, to be more accessible to campus members on the ground level. The plan was to be an integrated design with the central landscape, and 4 open terraces on each corner to hold many student activity related to the browsing informations. The new extension part then acts a virtual data center, complimentary to the existing on the upper floor.

2001: The story begins...

2006-04-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

After some changes in the terms of reference by the owner, a student canteen of FISIP UI had finally set to be built in October 2001. As fresh designers we weren’t easily satisfied by the quality of short-term design, thus when the project started then the development design should also continue until the time it had to be built. We realize that when a design emerges as a collaboration of spirited designer and owner, in the end the user would feel the same spirit as the creators.

The concept for the student canteen was “behind bushes”, taken from the name of the site adjacent where the old food stalls are located. A spirit of informality, dynamic movement, and restoration inside a formally campus guidelines. A new atmosphere was then emerged from FISIP's environment that enlivened its social interaction. Surprisingly for us, the project has granted us another achievement as the best campus facility in the Indonesian Architects Institue (IAI) Award in 2002.

While others were developing the design of student canteen at FISIP, one of us was handling one residential project which gave more complete experience for us in construction projects. This was actually what we have planned to have in our first 3 years of working together, each to experience a complete project in order to have sufficient skill in the field of built environment.

The project was to completely renovate the whole house by tearing down the old building and build a new one on the same site. A 3-storey house of 400 m2 owned by dr.Sugito was then designed, built, and supervised, down from the sub-structures, up to the roof and skylight. No matter how complicated the project, a design concept should be applied in terms of characterize the building, especially a residential project. In this case, the concept was an eclectic renovation that combines old furniture inside a contemporary tropical house.

2000:From Scratch...

2006-04-02T01:17:00.000-08:00

A start from scratch made us to open ourselves in a vast field of designs. Architecture, interior, graphic, comics, web, and even exhibition stand design, you name it. We even have created some pictures for greeting cards. From these we believed that eventually we could realize our own characters.

After doing some drawings for other consultants or students for their final projects, we were offered a renovation task on faculty toilets. A place that infamously attracts designer to work on, but there is where it all started for pavilion.

A thorough design and construction, down from the plumbing system, up to the floor and ceiling patterns, as much as we could do on a tight budget of campus buildings. Each of us responsible of designing up to the details of each toilet, and since there were no other projects to do then the priority obviously focused on one toilet project.

As fresh graduates, we were lucky to have almost unlimited opportunity on designing such projects, since the owner might felt there were nothing much to do in renovating an old and dirty toilets anyway. But that meant a lot for us, because it gave us chance to show something else, a different point of view, to enter a designed public toilet for campus people.

There were 3 different locations in the campus, and each consisted of 2 storeys. One of the locations was inside the dean's office of the faculty that attracts the higher faculty officers, that in time would certainly put us on another promising projects....the student cafeteria of Faculty of Social and Political Science, University of Indonesia. The story begins...

The History of Pav95

2006-03-29T02:06:00.000-08:00

It all began when there were 8 fresh graduated and 1 professional architects who wanted to express themselves using their architectural knowledge as well as their limited experience. It was September 1,2000 when they bound themselves as pavilion 95, a design studio that handles any design projects. They dreamed that in the next 5 years, they can achieve the needed skills that their seniors can have for 10 years. Thus, by that time, they all would be on the same level of skill competing in a vast field of designs.

The time rolls, the opportunities come and go, the natural selection occurs, creating a solid team of 5 members in one design consultant, dedicated themselves in the field of designs as one mutual partnership. With a sense of seeing everything for the first time, they build their preconceptions to seek new forms, interpretations, and even poetry for the common artifacts in our lives. They recognize the power of design to evoke the human spirit.

A design should be a solution, a solution with an attitude.