Menara Jamsostek to design new parking lot following fatal accident

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The company that manages the Menara Jamsostek building, PT Sangu, is planning to redesign the building's parking area after a fatal accident Tuesday.

Sangu finance director Jefry Haryadi said Friday construction consultants appointed by the company were working on a new design for the 11-year-old parking building.

"The team is drawing up a new design for the building and is calculating which design is the most economical and can be immediately implemented," he told The Jakarta Post.

"The team is also taking into account construction standards according to current regulations," he said.

Jefry said the team was working with the city property management and control agency on its design to prevent a "possible correction or rejection".

The team's final design will be submitted to an independent panel authorized to determine the feasibility the project during a hearing next Wednesday, Jefry said.

Previously, agency head Hari Sasongko said the building's management team was required to submit a new design for the parking lot that complied with its 2007 decree on buildings and structures.

Hari said the decree stipulated that walls in parking buildings must be resistant to collisions.

He said the agency had ordered the building's management team to temporarily close the parking area until renovations were completed to make it safer following Tuesday's accident, which claimed the life of a 42-year-old man.

The victim of Tuesday's crash was identified as Heryawan, a resident of Pesanggrahan in South Jakarta, who had worked as a driver for an insurance agency for 15 years.

He backed his vehicle through a barrier in the parking building and plunged to his death.

The incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. after Heryawan drove his employer to a meeting in the building on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta.

The car hit a passing vehicle before coming to rest upside down on the ground.

Two people inside the car that was hit sustained minor injuries.

According to Jamsostek's operations and services director Ahmad Ansyori, the company offered Heryawan's family Rp 99 million (US$10,550) on Friday, including Rp 200,000 every month for the next 24 months.

"We will also give Heryawan's eldest child, who is still at university, a Rp 150,000 scholarship every month," Ahmad told the Post.

Two car park accidents occurred last year at the Permata Hijau International Trade Center in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.

A family of three was killed when their vehicle fell from the sixth floor of center's parking building earlier in the year.

The second accident, which resulted in no injuries, occurred when a driver lost control of his vehicle and rolled backwards, smashing through a meter-high wall in the parking building.

Minimizing the mosque

Zenin Adrian, The Jakarta Post

A couple of years ago, I attended a seminar on Islamic architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The seminar discussed specifically the development of mosque architecture in different regions and how it had adapted to local context.

The discussions were circled around how Western African mosque design influenced design throughout the world. With its dome and minaret (tower/lighthouse) configuration, it was decorated to fit in with the local traditional architecture style. Towards the end of the seminar, there was a critical discourse to rethink the use of dome and minaret elements and their relevance in practical modern mosque architecture.

Traditionally, domical form has been used in many religious buildings other than mosques because of its geometrical characteristic. A dome has centralized geometry and provides an edgeless ceiling. These embedded characteristics enhance our sense of upward direction, which is why the ceiling of a dome is usually perceived as a representation of the sky or, most of the time, heaven.

On the other hand, the use of the minaret is believed to have traces of the ancient concept of male (tower) and female (dome) symbols. In most cases, especially in modern times, the minaret is perceived as a symbol of establishment rather than religious value.

This application of symbolic forms was the core of the discussion that the modern mosque architecture should move away from symbols and extravagant decoration and focus on creating a more meaningful prayer space.

Some contemporary architects in Indonesia have been struggling to propose modern ideas in mosque design, and most of them have to be confronted with the rooted perception and strong preference for the dome and minaret configuration typical of mosques in the Middle East.

However, some struggles come with victories. The Ar-Royan mosque in Galaxy Bumi Permai, Surabaya, was designed to accommodate the need to have a meaningful praying space. Designed by Jakarta-based architect Ahmad Djuhara, the mosque does not apply the traditional dome.

As opposed to the dome ceiling, which enhances the mosque's verticality, Djuhara designed a compressing curve ceiling which increase the feeling of horizontality.

The curved ceiling accommodates the two stories of prayer space where the upper floor is reserved for females. Although the mosque is square in plan -- 15 by 15 meters -- the ceiling gives a strong directionality towards the Qibla wall.

The prayer space is minimally decorated with inscriptions of the 99 names of Allah on the Qibla wall. Small openings at the bottom of the wall provide a glimpse of the fish pond behind the Qibla wall which inherits a poetic meaning within the sound of the flowing water from the pond.

I perceive these design gestures as an effort to emphasize the quality of self-revelation and social interactions. The embedded values seemed to contrast with traditional mosque design where distractive symbolic representation and unnecessary decorations dominate the prayer space. Djuhara's minimalistic and functional approach shows us that religious space can be built upon modernity and still maintain our religious practice and commitment.

Zenin Adrian has a website www.zadl.net and can be reached at zenin.adrian@zadl.net

Pitt Unveils Sustainable Designs for New Orleans

By Alec Appelbaum, Architectural Records

Brad Pitt commissioned 14 busy architects to complete distinct designs in two months, told them to aim for a reusability standard so tough that only a handful of products meet it, and then demanded that all firms modify their plans however the client wants—if the client chooses their plans at all. A Hollywood brat ordering a new chateau? Not quite. This is how Pitt is helping rebuild a flood-ravaged New Orleans neighborhood with his “Make It Right” project, which last week unveiled 13 design models for replacing 150 houses in the Lower Ninth Ward destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

Pitt inaugurated Make It Right in September and foundation employees have been working with 150 deed-holders, each of whom will pick a design and order modifications in the next several months. Architects include Adjaye Associates, BNIM, Constructs, Graft, KieranTimberlake, Morphosis, MRVDV, Pugh + Scarpa, and Shigeru Ban. Five local firms—Billes Architects, Concordia, Eskew Dumez Ripple, Trahan Architects, and John Williams Architects, which serves as executive architect for the whole project—also prepared plans.

All designs emphasize open porches, solar heat and light, and water resistance, but they differ in how they stack porches, detail roofs, and establish circulation patterns. That’s part of the goal, says Pitt spokesperson Virginia Miller: “The architects got a good sense of what was important. I heard a (deed-holder) say ‘I want my bedroom away from the front, for safety,’ but so many people wanted porches.” Among the individual prototypes’ unique features, Morphosis’ house can float while Adjaye’s stacks a porch, with carved walkways, atop a ground floor.

Make It Right hopes to start construction by spring 2008 and complete all 150 houses by autumn. The average cost of residences will be $150,000 and the foundation will coordinate no-interest loans to ensure that this price tag is capped at 30 percent of a deed-holder’s income. To subsidize construction, Pitt and film producer Steve Bing have promised to match up to $10 million in donations. The pair is also seeking sponsorship of materials or houses via the Web site makeitrightnola.org.

McDonough + Partners, whose “cradle-to-cradle” affiliates seek materials that biodegrade or offer eternal reuse, will help the foundation decide which donated materials offer the most economic and sustainable value. But William McDonough emphasizes that the goal with this project is to get people into durable houses rather than deliver a flawless prototype. “We’re looking at the full range, from stick-built through structural insulated panel,” he explains. “Designs will be reviewed through a cradle-to-cradle lens, but we’re trying to be realistic and humble about what we can do.”

Since the residences must be elevated five feet from the ground, to guard against floods, McDonough sees their ability to house future generations as a key measure of their success. “Part of the evaluation is the issue of social engagement,” he says of the designs’ porches, lawns, and close spacing.

This same model could work in communities elsewhere. To that end, James Timberlake, a principal of KieranTimberlake, says that he hopes Pitt shares the flexible designs with residents throughout the devastated Gulf Coast. “Our plans, along with several others, are a framework for personalization,” he says.

An environmentally friendly past

The Jakarta Post

Oil prices have escalated dramatically in the last few months and some people harbor concerns this will lead to the next energy crisis in the very near future.

And building and construction operations account for 40 percent of energy consumption and is responsible for 33 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide.

But this sector will suffer from the impact of the crisis -- in addition to the effects the industry will see from global warming.

Architects and engineers are at the frontline of the building, construction and operation industry and are responsible for making buildings more energy efficient.

In some countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, there have been growing efforts to promote environmentally friendly building practices -- popularly known as green building.

One focus is to reduce energy loads by optimizing heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Internationally, there are growing numbers of new building designs that comply with this effort.

New fa‡ade designs are today equipped with shading devices in order to reduce interior heat from direct sunlight.

In Jakarta's past, a growing interest in design driven by efforts to minimize energy load or to reduce the need for air conditioning (AC) is evident in some buildings on the main street of Jakarta.

Cheap energy costs and our dependency on AC units have provided shortcuts to achieve interior thermal comfort.

Glass cladding technology has preceded design exploration in solar shading devices.

Images shown here include traces of past efforts made toward energy efficiency.

All of them are interesting patterns, characterized by modern tropical building facade designs.

These familiar patterns have a significant role in cooling the building's outer skin layer and contribute to lowering the energy load for air conditioning needs.

The first and second images show stainless steel patterns from the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta.

Built in the 60s, the design still looks contemporary.

Designed by the late F. Silaban, the mosque shows early efforts in contextualizing modern buildings with a tropical climate.

Silaban also was responsible for the fa‡ade design of the Bank Indonesia Building on Jl. MH Thamrin, shown here in images 3 and 4.

Both building's fa‡ades represent the movement toward environmental concern in Indonesian architecture.

Not too far from the Bank Indonesia building, lies the dusty and old United Nation Building, shown in images 5 and 6.

They comprise cellular louvers designed with a slanted profile.

These cells enclose the entire building and provide the impression of one single object.

Similarly, the S. Widjojo Center building on Jl. Jend. Sudirman employs deeper shading devices for the fa‡ade skin.

The envelope's design created a more distinct and unique look compared to other adjacent buildings.

The functional pattern produced an elegant image and helped save the environment.

These buildings show us past efforts made to create energy efficient building designs and they become more and more relevant with today's environment crisis and escalating energy costs.

It is time for us to rethink and to learn from the past.

Zenin Adrian can be reached at zenin.adrian@zadl.net

A revolution in architecture

Planet Prosperity Foundation

Buildings are designed with respect to the health of those who live and work there as well as the environment. Use of daylight instead of artificial light. Natural air circulation replaces airconditioning. These measurements save energy and stimulate people's health. Building materials are safe for people, animals and plants and they are reusable.

In the Cradle to Cradle concept architects create buildings that produce oxygen, sequester carbon, fix nitrogen, distill water, provide habitat for thousands of species, accrue solar energy as fuel, build soil, create microclimates, change with the seasons, and are beautiful.

Living roof

Building according to the Cradle to Cradle principle is cheaper than a traditional design. An example is the living roof on the Ford Rouge Center. At 454,000 square feet it is the largest living roof in the world and can boast of the following advantages:

• Cleaner storm water; The living roof's primary function is to collect and filter rainfall as part of a natural storm water management system. Working together, the living roof, porous pavement, underground storage basins, natural treatment wetlands and vegetated swales significantly reduce the amount of storm water flowing into the Rouge River, while also improving water quality.
  
  
• Cooler surroundings; Planted with sedum, the living roof helps reduce the urban "heat effect" created by acres of tarred and paved surfaces. It also insulates the building, reducing heating and cooling costs by up to 5 percent. The living roof also creates habitat for birds, butterflies and insects.
  
  
• Longer roof life; By protecting the under-lying roof structure from ultraviolet radiation and the thermal shock , caused by warm days and cool nights, the living roof is expected to last at least twice as long as a conventional roof. This could save millions of dollars in roof replacement costs.
  
  
• Lightweight design; Sedum on the living roof is planted in a thin, four-layer, mat-like system instead of loose soil. Even when soaked with water, this innovative vegetation blanket weighs less than 15 pounds per square foot.
  
  

Click here for more examples in architecture

The luxurious geometry of 'scrapers

Zenin Adrian, The Jakarta Post

In the last few decades, architects have been liberated from the constraints of the traditional drawing board and flat-plane geometry.

Younger generations of architects have more access to the Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs and have been using it to its full extent generating more geometrically complex design.

Currently, the global trend of skyscraper design has shifted from a straight extrusion of primitive shape to a more complex three dimensional shape. Concurrent with the advancement of CAD software, a complex building shape is more feasible to realize.

However, such vast advancement in complex building form design has to be confronted with the reality of fabrication. All curvy shapes have to be fabricated from available flat building materials in the market. In order to achieve a smooth curved surface, it has to be segmented and the covering panels have to be cut into specific sizes.

Surfaces with one-directional curving can be constructed out of the same panel size with little variations. Other types of more complex curved surfaces, such as a bi-directional curving surface, requires a higher degree of variations for the paneling sizes.

Such variations also mean more material waste and higher cost. That is why a complex building shape is usually applied on high budget construction such as art museums, galleries or privately owned office towers and considered as luxurious geometry.

Interestingly, the new building for the Directorate General of Higher Education (DIKTI), Ministry of National Education, located at Jl. Pintu Satu Senayan, Jakarta, has demonstrated that such extravagance can be applied to a government office building. Designed by Atelier 6, a Jakarta based architecture firm, the building's unique facade consists of several curving surfaces which require fine variations for the cladding panels or glasses.

In my opinion, this matter raised an important issue of justifying such luxury. I could not think any functional justifications of the curved facade other than symbolic ones.

Symbolic form in architecture design was a common practice during the New Order era, for example Keong Emas Theater at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah or the phallic tower for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism building at Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat.

On the other hand, Menara Satrio, a new office tower in Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio has applied a simple strategy in generating the effect of a curving skyscraper.

The recently completed office building, designed by Arquitectonica, a US based architecture design firm, manipulated the rectangular shape simply by chamfering each of the four corners.

The design strategy created a simpler geometry than that of the DIKTI building and minimizes the variations for the fabrication of the glass panels.

I must commend Menara Satrio for smartly and efficiently revisiting the rectangular skyscraper design. Menara Satrio has shown that luxury and elegance can be achieved with a simpler geometry -- and without breaking the bank. The extravagant geometry of symbolism-driven architecture as shown by the DIKTI building does not reflect functionality and contradicts good governance. The government should have expressed more modesty and practicality in constructing their office buildings.

Zenin Adrian can be reached at zenin.adrian@zadl.net