These three architecture undergraduates of class 2017 represented ITB and defeated other well-known universities to achieve the champion title.

The Archiray VII Contest itself is organized by the Architecture Student Association from the Faculty of Engineering in Hasanuddin University on 25 April – 25 June 2021. Titled “Creative Hub Design Contest”, the competition was held to emphasize the contribution of local creative industries to Indonesia’s economy. Thus, creative spaces and hubs are expected to serve as the center of talents and skills from creative communities and embody the strength or identity of a region.

This national contest provided freedom to its participants in choosing their location. ITB’s architecture team ended up selecting the Cikapundung district. Bandung City, which is home to 45 creative communities and was once crowned as the City of Design by UNESCO in 2015, boosts the preferred site's potential of transformation into a venue of development for the creative economy.

The fact that the chosen small, abandoned spot is sandwiched between the photography and product design community gives an advantage to the team's task. They succeeded in maximizing its potential to accommodate a coworking space that bridges collaboration between nearby communities or residents. Their production is titled “Simpul Space: Reconnecting the Dots”.

“We want to raise the site's image to make it look good. Because of this, its exterior is redecorated to be eccentric- those kinds where its colorful features pop out when viewed from afar. There is also a part of it that faces towards the Cikapundung River. This is done to make the site's land boundary act as a soft barrier because Braga is located just right across the river. Hence, we want to welcome both sides of the location,” Barkah, one of the team members, illustrated their work.

Besides designing the building, Barkah, Nadhira, and Prayoga also planned several scenarios inside it based on time. They have prepared these to show that the building can perform many functionalities.

They hoped that their design can benefit the communities, existing markets, and the public. For instance, higher prospects of collaboration are available for these communities. The building will grant greater exposure and sales for nearby UMKM while opening up more public opportunities to get to know and join the communities.

Before the Archiray VII contest, the team had won the Naung Contest 2021 arranged by the Architecture Student Association of Parahyangan Catholic University. They constructed a 50m² modular-designed house in town regions dubbed “GuyuBraga”. Their victory proves that the team does not only shine during the pandemic.

Reporter: Ristania Putri Wahyudi (Matematika, 2019)
Translator: Ruth Nathania (Teknik Lingkungan, 2019)