Growing Grassroots in Indonesia

Microlibrary network focused on accessibility

The Microlibrary in Indonesia project by SHAU that was a Global LafargeHolcim Awards 2018 finalist is part of a larger concept to construct a network of small libraries across Indonesia. Project author Daliana Suryawinata explained that eager-learning students are hindered by the lack of facilities. Libraries are not popular because they are generally located in city centers, too far away from where people live to be convenient to visit. The architects from SHAU designed a series of small library buildings that are unique and attractive: “The ‘Microlibraries’ are about fulfilling a community need in a sustainable manner while also enhancing performance through building materials selection and eco-friendly designs” explained Suryawinata.

The project was a Global Awards finalist following its selection as LafargeHolcim Awards Silver for Asia Pacific 2017. Daliana Suryawinata (pictured below, left) and Florian Heinzelmann from SHAU have already completed the “Bima Microlibrary” and “Taman Lansia Microlibrary” in Bandung, while four more libraries are under construction and a further two “Kayu Microlibrary” in Semarang and “Fibonacci Microlibrary” in Bandung are at the planning stage.

The Global LafargeHolcim Awards Finalist certificate was presented to Daliana Suryawinata by Oepoyo Prakoso, Sustainable Development Manager at Holcim Indonesia who explained how buildings have the capacity to make a major contribution to a more sustainable future. “We are very proud of what the architects from SHAU have achieved, and especially of their success in the Awards competition. Architecture has a vital role to play in attaining sustainable development in Indonesia – and through sustainable construction there are many benefits for society and the environment,” said Prakoso.

At the presentation of the certificate Gunawan Tjahjono, Professor of Architecture at the University of Indonesia, noted that “the most promising feature of the project by SHAU is the idea to empower local craftsmen, through education and vocational training programs, with a focus on sustainable construction and local materials.” Kamil Muhammad from pppooolll architecture design/research studio also attended the event. He is the main author of the Acknowledgement prize winning “Growing Grassroots in Indonesia” project that plans to transform the existing farmland on the outskirts of the Jakarta metropolitan region into a training center for young farmers interested in promoting organic agriculture, with the support of local stakeholders. 

Upgraded school building based on maintaining local values

Three young architects Andi Subagio, Danna Priyatna, and Theodorus Deotama of SASO ArchitectureStudio won a LafargeHolcim Awards Next Generation prize 2017 for their design, School Hub in Indonesia, designed for construction in the small town of Ruteng towards the western end of the island of Flores. The project provides a school for teaching and learning, and also improves the quality of life for the community by offering a hub and connection point. Construction uses lightweight concrete blocks fabricated by the community and Flores bamboo – reputed to be some of the best bamboo worldwide for construction.

Andi Subagio (pictured left) and Danna Priyatna recently attended the LafargeHolcim Awards Lab in Mexico City where some 50 Next Generation prizewinners from around the world met at the Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) to encourage progress towards sustainability in building and construction. The Lab was a platform to further develop cutting-edge projects and exchange ideas in concurrent workshops across scales from micro to macro, and included young professionals and students from 25 countries.

Andi Subagio was enthusiastic about the benefits of the Awards Lab: “We had the opportunity to network with other young professionals from around the world and share concepts for improving sustainability of the built environment. On top of that I had the chance to meet some of my idols from architecture and the learning was amplified through exchange with so many like-minded people,” said Subagio.

Indonesia has been one of the most successful countries in the LafargeHolcim Awards for Sustainable Construction with some ten winning projects over five competition cycles. The next LafargeHolcim Awards competition will open for entries in mid-2019.

The reception in Jakarta featured presentations by the prize-winning teams as well as former Awards jury member Professor of Architecture Gunawan Tjahjono from the University of Indonesia. "The LafargeHolcim Awards supports professionals and students who are focussed on building a better future," he said.

Daliana Suryawinata from SHAU, whose "microlibrary" project that creatively promotes literacy and community across Indonesia and won the LafargeHolcim Awards Silver, was proud of Indonesia's achievement in the competition. "The competition creates a special place for architecture that benefits the community," she said.

An Acknowledgement prize went to Kamil Muhammad of pppooolll, for an organic farm and vocational center on the outskirts of Jakarta metropolitan region. "This prize confirms our approach in going in the right direction," he said.

Next Generation prize-winner Andi Subagio from SASO emphasised the impact of the Awards competition: "Nothing compares to the LafargeHolcim Awards in terms of exposure and publicity – especially for young professionals eager to meet with experts," he said.

The winners of the writing competition for journalists and photo-journalists were also celebrated at the event. The writing competition was conducted during the Awards entry period and announcement of results to encourage media engagement with the LafargeHolcim Awards, and through this build interest in approaches to sustainable construction across Indonesia. 

The LafargeHolcim Awards is about more than just beautiful buildings. It stands out as the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design. The criteria of the USD 2 million Awards are as challenging as the goal of sustainability itself. The competition seeks for projects at an advanced stage of design, not finished works. It acknowledges designs that go beyond current standards, showcase sustainable responses to technological, environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural issues affecting contemporary construction, and deliver truly visionary solutions to the way we build.

Defining sustainability

The first phase of the LafargeHolcim Awards competition takes place in five regions, leading to a global phase for the regional winners. The Asia Pacific competition region is particularly diverse in terms of cultures, countries, and climates. This was perfectly reflected in the more than 1,100 projects submitted. Jury member Marc Angélil, Professor of Architecture and Design at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), noted how the “target issues” for sustainable construction, set forth by the LafargeHolcim Foundation and its affiliated universities, allow diverse projects to be compared and ranked. These “target issues” define the principles of sustainability in a holistic way, independent to the type of project or its scale. Marc Angélil also noted the high quality of submissions: “Sustainability has become comprehensive, systematic and specific – you have to deliver a truly special entry to stand out!”

Gold: Home for marginalized children in India

atArchitecture from Mumbai, India, plans to replace an unacceptably deficient shelter for marginalized children in Thane, a city in western India. With a well-developed building concept and a clearly evident child-friendly design, the architects embrace both architectural and social sustainability. The center also accommodates community activities for senior citizens, for women’s development training, and a crèche. “The proposal goes beyond social sustainability to include passive building technology, innovative design measures, and a viable economic model,” praised the jury.

Silver: Microlibrary in Indonesia

The promotion and dissemination of knowledge is a recurring theme in the LafargeHolcim Awards – and is reiterated within the project by SHAU from Bandung, Indonesia. Their pavilion in a park is as minimalistic as it is well conceived – providing not only a public library, but also storage facilities, public toilets, and a prayer room. “The project is open on all sides to the park surrounding it, inviting the community to enter and explore; it constructs a territorial landmark reinforcing literacy and defining community,” said the jury.

Bronze: Floating university building in Bangladesh

WOHA from Singapore aims to introduce buildings and open space on remediated swamp land in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They designed a university building that floats on a pond – and the overall design supports the cleaning of the pond. With vertical garden facades, photovoltaic panels, and controlled ventilation, this project could become a benchmark for sustainability in the Asia Pacific region. “Sustainability is deeply integrated into the building design, from thermal zoning to significant reductions in the use of energy and water,” stated the jury.

Acknowledgement prizes: For the benefit of communities

In the regional LafargeHolcim Awards, four projects in each region receive an Acknowledgement prize. pppooolll architects from Jakarta, Indonesia, plan to promote organic agriculture in rural Java with a training center for young farmers. A team from Tsinghua University and the Beijing University of Civil Engineering & Architecture in China proposes strategies for improving a historic district in Beijing with the support of local residents. A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA, USA, has designed an earthquake-resistant multifunctional building for water storage and flexible public use in Thecho, Nepal. Furthermore, Bangkok Project Studio from Thailand suggests a community hub in Rayong, Thailand, that multiplies the opportunities for cultural and community activities in the village.

Next Generation prizes: The future is in their hands

Four prizes were awarded in the increasingly popular Next Generation category for students and professionals up to 30 years. This category seeks visionary projects and bold ideas, and gives young professionals public exposure and a platform to gain recognition. The first of four Next Generation prizes in the region went to Mengyuan Zhu from China. She developed a model for transforming and revitalizing the village of Guming near Nanjing. The second prize went to Vedhant Maharaj from South Africa. He designed a culturally sensitive water-treatment infrastructure in Varanasi, India. Andi Subagio from Indonesia received the third prize in this category. He designed a multifunctional school in Ruteng, Indonesia. The fourth prize went to Tzu-Jung Huang from Taiwan. He studied the interrelationships between developed zones and ecological systems in Taichung City, Taiwan.

From project to reality: Community library and social recuperation

This is the fifth time the LafargeHolcim Awards competition is being conducted. Over the years, more than 200 projects have been awarded worldwide. More than half the winning projects have been built or are scheduled for completion soon. Thus, the LafargeHolcim Awards are not about “castles in the air” but about tangible measures that advance the science of construction. This aspect of tangible change is underscored by a prize that’s being awarded for the first time in 2017: the LafargeHolcim Building Better Recognition. It is awarded for a winning project from a previous competition cycle, one which has been realized and has stood the test of time as a particularly successful example of sustainable building.

In Asia Pacific, this accolade went to Robust Architecture Workshop in Colombo, Sri Lanka, represented by Milinda Pathiraja. Their design for a community library in Ambepussa, Sri Lanka, built with the support of former army personnel engaged in the nation’s civil war, shows that “turning swords into ploughshares” can be realized even today. The project received the regional LafargeHolcim Awards Bronze for Asia Pacific in 2014 and the Global LafargeHolcim Awards Silver in 2015. Today the library is a source of knowledge for veterans and the local community. The construction methods were selected specifically to help transition members of the army to civil life.

Prizes help make common sense commonplace

The magnified interest among architects, engineers, urban planners, and developers proves that sustainability has become embedded as “common sense” in the construction industry. The fifth cycle of the competition attracted more than 5,000 entries from authors in 121 countries. 3,606 entries were deemed valid, and more than half of these passed the pre-screening phase. They advanced for qualitative assessment by five independent expert juries in the competition regions Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East Africa, and Asia Pacific. The juries evaluated the projects based on the five “target issues” for sustainable construction set forth by the LafargeHolcim Foundation – principles which define sustainable construction in a holistic way. The Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners from each region will compete for the Global LafargeHolcim Awards in 2018.

Winners of the LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 Asia Pacific

LafargeHolcim Awards Gold 2017 Asia Pacific
White Rabbit: Home for marginalized children, Thane, India
On a tight urban site, this project houses orphaned children in a building with a playful and generous vertical form.
By Avneesh Tiwari and Neha Rane, atArchitecture, Mumbai, India.

LafargeHolcim Awards Silver 2017 Asia Pacific
Microlibrary: Learning center, Bandung, Indonesia
Using simple construction, this “micro” library creatively promotes literacy and community across Indonesia.
By Daliana Suryawinata and Florian Heinzelmann, SHAU, Bandung, Indonesia.

LafargeHolcim Awards Bronze 2017 Asia Pacific
Floating University: BRAC university campus, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Remediating polluted swamp land and floating a new university building upon it, this project adds both open and built space to the city.
By Mun Summ Wong, WOHA, Singapore.

LafargeHolcim Awards Acknowledgement prize 2017 Asia Pacific
Growing Grassroots: Training center for organic agriculture in Parung, West Java, Indonesia
Organic farm and vocational center on the outskirts of Jakarta metropolitan region.
By Kamil Muhammad and Brahmastyo Puji, pppooolll, Jakarta, Indonesia.

LafargeHolcim Awards Acknowledgement prize 2017 Asia Pacific
Maximize the Minimum: Baitasi urban regeneration, Beijing, China
Regeneration of a historic neighborhood deploying minimal means for maximum effect.
By Yue Zhang, Liying Wu, Peiming Li, Cong Nie, Mengxing Cao and Yue Wang, Tsinghua University; and Shimeng Hao, Beijing University of Civil Engineering & Architecture, all in Beijing, China.

LafargeHolcim Awards Acknowledgement prize 2017 Asia Pacific
Water Collective: Multifunctional public space, Thecho, Nepal
A water-treatment and reservoir facility wrapped with social infrastructure.
By Miho Mazereeuw, David Moses, Aditya Barve, Larisa Ovalles and Hugh Magee, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Urban Risk Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA.

LafargeHolcim Awards Acknowledgement prize 2017 Asia Pacific
Catenary Arches: Ban Chang town hall, Rayong, Thailand
Surrealistic pavilion that turns a local waste product into a durable contribution to community.
By Boonserm Premthada, Bangkok Project Studio, Bangkok, Thailand.

LafargeHolcim Awards Next Generation 1st prize 2017 Asia Pacific
Low-rise, high-density: Participatory village transformation, Guming near Nanning, China
Low-rise, high-density urban transformation of a rural village.
By Mengyuan Zhu, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.

LafargeHolcim Awards Next Generation 2nd prize 2017 Asia Pacific
Sacred and profane: Water treatment infrastructure, Varanasi, India
Poetic interpretation of a water-purification facility providing public space on the banks of the Ganges River.
By Vedhant Maharaj, Rebel Base Collective, Johannesburg, South Africa.

LafargeHolcim Awards Next Generation 3rd prize 2017 Asia Pacific
School hub: Vocational training facility, Ruteng, Indonesia
A school that is more than an educational facility – a hub for multiple communal activities and vocational training on the island of Flores.
By Andi Subagio, SASO, Jakarta, Indonesia.

LafargeHolcim Awards Next Generation 4th prize 2017 Asia Pacific
Meta(bio)lism: Exploring resilient ecosystems, Taichung, Taiwan
Exploration of material stocks and flows at multiple scales as an alternative to predominant modes of city development.
By Tzu-Jung Huang, Feng Chia University, Taichung City, Taiwan.

Three aspects of the project were foregrounded during the jury deliberation process. First, the jury greatly appreciated the idea to use property – in this case, the purchase of a piece of land – as a form of counterpoise to unrestrained real estate development that most often compromises agricultural land in favor of urban growth. Second, the jury valued the initiative’s objective to promote organic agriculture, including measures to control water management on site and enhance soil fertility using sustainable methods of farming as a vehicle to encourage agriculture as a profession for young members of the community. Third, the jury valued that the above-mentioned concepts left their mark on the domain of sustainable construction, namely, the idea to use local materials, including bamboo, for the erection of new structures. All in all, the project demonstrates that sustainability can be brought to bear on a broad range of contemporary challenges, whether pertaining to agriculture, land rights, water management, community building, or construction.

Using roof to take advantage of high precipitation and budget constraints

High precipitation rate and budget constraints compel us to focus on using roof as the primary architectural move, as it intends to do the following: - Cover as large an area as possible to catch rainwater for harvest. The site is on a sloping hill, thus allowing for natural water movement from rainwater storage (at the community hall), to irrigate the farm, and to allow for cleaning and washing in the training center. - In responding to the limited budget, construction strategy of building roofs earlier is to allow for flexibility in constructing the walls and floors later. - Roof also keeps area shaded not just for people, but for animal herds.

Generating involvement with local members of villages, university and small organizations

Buildings alone will not be sufficient for the programs to work. The choice of using bamboo and starting an organic farm are ideas that were developed to allow for inclusivity and accessibility by local members of the villages, university and relevant organizations. We worked with Universitas Parahyangan in developing the prototype for the hyperboloid bamboo structure for the community hall, which will be open for use by the community. We also worked with a small farming start up, and will be together with members of the community, in developing an organic farming approach that is open to the community. That not only produces food for local consumption, but also products to be sold of which the income will be used to maintain the center.