The competition, organized by Petra Christian University, revolved around the theme "The Blooming Heaven," requiring participants to design an innovative and visually appealing educational building. This event attracted students from all over Indonesia and abroad.

The competition comprised several stages, from project submission to the final presentation, which was conducted online. One team member, Erensa, shared their journey to winning the competition.

"Before starting the design, we had to study various building precedents and theses from our seniors. We also read relevant literature and gathered in-depth information about the location we chose," said Erensa.

The international level of the competition and the substantial prize motivated Erensa and the team to participate. Additionally, they were inspired by their seniors who had previously won first place in this event.

Choosing the theme of education, Erensa and the team presented the "Agrinova" concept, which caught the judges' attention and won them the competition. Agrinova is an educational building aimed at empowering the local community in Penajam Paser Utara Regency, East Kalimantan, by enhancing skills and interest in learning to compete with newcomers.

"Our idea was based on the low level of education among the local residents in a regency in East Kalimantan, which will become part of the new capital city (IKN), making them at risk of being outcompeted by new residents," said another team member, Yuni.

"We designed a building intended to enhance the skills the indigenous population already has and to increase their interest in learning to compete with newcomers. The idea focuses on education in agriculture and fisheries, skills that need to be developed to support local food needs," Yuni continued.

This was not the first time Yuni and her team won a competition. They have gained many lessons from participating in various competitions.

"Participating in architectural design competitions offers significant lessons. Previously, we joined competitions about building technology, which were more measurable, while this competition was more challenging due to its design nature. We had to learn and explore how the judges would view our designs or works," Yuni added.

They also advised other students to manage their time wisely between academics and competitions, as participating in competitions requires serious commitment. "Find team members who are committed until the end because if someone loses motivation halfway, it will be difficult to complete the project. Prepare yourself, your time, and find like-minded friends," said another team member, Nayla.

"Hopefully, the knowledge and achievements gained from this competition will be helpful in the future, and the difficulties faced will become lessons for further development," concluded Nayla.