Top 5 UI Resouce Center

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)

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Studentpolis: UI's new Resource Center

"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?

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Got delayed in the station?

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.

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forestation: h3llo university

"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.

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Plaza Quantum Elektro

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.

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Taman Borobudur

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.

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JDC's new Lux: Urban Scarcity

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.

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