Tropical architecture: is it a perspective on place or a question of performance? How can architects from nations along the equator, like Indonesia, draw on local know-how rather than imported technology?
Daliana Suryawinata and Florian Heinzelmann are directors of the boutique practice SHAU, based out of Bandung, Indonesia, with offices in Europe. They are known for small, exploratory projects such as micro-libraries and markets.
At SHAU, place-making and performance start with the climate. Sunlight, shade, wind and rain assessments guide upstream design thinking on form and envelope. These results also inform new takes on materiality, showcasing the use of local materials in ingenious ways.
| 00:07:22 | Passive design |
| 00:09:01 | “You don’t have to basically invent form, in a way… [as] expression. The expression is almost like a by-product of having this passive climatic design strategies… And that makes it very interesting. And, of course, you don’t need any energy to operate it.” |
| 00:15:07 | “Vernacular architecture as a design reference starts first with understanding the principles behind and then the application of the principles […] It doesn’t necessarily need to look Indonesian. It has to ‘perform’ Indonesian.” |
| 00:19:55 | Indonesia and the new capital city |
| 00:21:45 | “The biggest challenge [is] how to reduce operational energy. Because a growing middle class sees the air conditioning as the solution for comfort — and especially if you build in a very high dense situation with low rise where [there’s] not much airflow. This growing middle class, who wants to have […] their own landed house as an ideal, still follows this sort of American ‘dream’: house: car, veranda, porch, air conditioning.” |
| 00:29:51 | “This is the first time Indonesia wants to create a city […] And there is a presidential decree that mandates that 80% of [all] energy [must be] from renewable sources… as well as everything has to be energy-efficient, smart system, etc.” |
| 00:35:30 | “Sustainability is [the] Indonesian government’s priority no. 3. So no. 1 would be ‘quick wins’ — getting things done within the duration that is possible. No. 2 is to keep the peace — because Indonesia is a highly sensitive context of society; so policy [must not be] offensive to anyone. And then [third] comes the quality [which] sustainability is a part of…” |
| 00:38:37 | Micro-libraries |
| 00:50:30 | “Facade experimentation [in the macro-libraries] […] can be easily scaled up or our idea of the tropical screen shading […] using certain patterns […] as cultural reference[s] as well as shading element[s].” |
| 00:50:55 | Becoming SHAU |
| 00:54:16 | “Take as many opportunities as [they] come to you. Create new opportunities if you’re not given any… But still be critical and be selective about what path you’re taking, what projects you’re taking.” |
| 00:58:17 | “I think […] individuals are inherently good. I never met anyone who really wants to cause harm, right? The problem is our systems which we are operating within: somehow, sometimes, [they] prevent us [to do] good — or allow us to do bad.” |
SHAU has earned a solid reputation for their micro-libraries, a series of small buildings designed as community nodes and situated in urban settings or parks. These simple structures are a test bed for solutions tailored to their tropical settings.
One of their earliest, the Microlibrary Bima at Taman Bima in Bandung, Indonesia, is an elevated reading room, a box on stilts that delineates a community space underneath. The envelope of this box is a clever use of discarded ice cream containers, a repurposed material, lined up to let natural breezes and daylight in while keeping the rain out.
The Microlibrary Bima at Taman Bima in Bandung, Indonesia, uses discarded ice cream containers as the facade of its reading room, which is elevated on stilts to create a community space.Another well-known micro-library, the Warak Kayu in Semarang, experiments with timber to great effect. Even though it takes after a vernacular Indonesian house, it boasts an intricate construction technique that borrows from a German facade design.
The Microlibrary Warak Kayu in Semarang, Indonesia, is a contemporary timber building with a facade made of diagonal timber struts.SHAU has tackled tropical conditions in larger contexts as well. For instance, for the second phase of the Banjarejo Market in the city of Bojonegoro, they created a canopy roof out of modular umbrella-shaped structures, made up of light-directing lamellas.
The roof of the Banjarejo Market (Phase 2) in Bojonegoro, Indonesia, distributes daylight across this deep-plan building.Their most progressive project to date is Huma Betang Umai — or ‘Mother Long House’ — a vice-presidential palace in the new capital city of Nusantara, Kalimantan. Their concept outdoes the Indonesian government’s ambitions and put a modern twist on the premises’ architecture by reinterpreting the indigenous Dayak long house.
An ecological palace in Nusantara, a new city in Kalimantan, Indonesia, the Huma Betang Umai is an arrangement of cascading blocks around a central longhouse.The main building will generate all energy and water needed by the palace. It will also intensify greenery within the boundaries and enhance the wider area’s ecosystems.
The Huma Betang Umai in Nusantara (Kalimantan, Indonesia) has onsite greenery that augments the wider ecosystems in the area.The work of SHAU is noteworthy because it bridges soft and hard precepts about performance in the Indonesian context, principles which could just as easily be applied to other parts of the tropical belt. This is of significance to architecture at large, the conversation on sustainability, and design thinking within the developing world.
This episode is brought to you by:
| The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction The Holcim Foundation helps drive systemic change towards a more sustainable built environment. It was founded in 2003 to define and promote the key principles of sustainability for the construction sector and is committed to accelerating the sector’s transformation so that people and the planet can thrive. The Foundation has investigated various aspects of sustainable construction via a series of roundtables and conferences with international experts. It has also recognised excellent contributions to this field with the Holcim Awards which are considered the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design. Committed to a holistic approach that recognises the equal importance and interdependence of four key goals, the Foundation combines the collective knowledge, ideas, and solutions of our global community of experts with our recognised platform of international competitions to democratise thought leadership for the entire sector. Today, the Holcim Foundation is proud to accompany Ecogradia’s new podcast and its host, Nirmal Kishnani, with whom we share a common goal: contribute to a just, equitable, and sustainable future via sustainable construction and design. |  |
This episode is brought to you by:
The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction
The Holcim Foundation helps drive systemic change towards a more sustainable built environment. It was founded in 2003 to define and promote the key principles of sustainability for the construction sector and is committed to accelerating the sector’s transformation so that people and the planet can thrive.
The Foundation has investigated various aspects of sustainable construction via a series of roundtables and conferences with international experts. It has also recognised excellent contributions to this field with the Holcim Awards which are considered the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design.
Committed to a holistic approach that recognises the equal importance and interdependence of four key goals, the Foundation combines the collective knowledge, ideas, and solutions of our global community of experts with our recognised platform of international competitions to democratise thought leadership for the entire sector.
Today, the Holcim Foundation is proud to accompany Ecogradia’s new podcast and its host, Nirmal Kishnani, with whom we share a common goal: contribute to a just, equitable, and sustainable future via sustainable construction and design.
SHAU is an award-winning architectural and urban design practice founded by architect couple Daliana Suryawinata and Florian Heinzelmann in the Netherlands and Indonesia, together with Tobias Hofmann operating in Germany.
Prior to establishing SHAU, Daliana and Florian studied at the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam and worked at UNStudio, OMA, MVRDV, West8, and TU Delft. They went on to teach and research at TU Delft and TU Eindhoven, where Florian obtained his PhD.
SHAU is known for its performance-driven environmental and societal design agenda. Their work earned them many accolades, among which: an ArchDaily Building of the Year 2021 Award in the Public & Landscape category, three Architizer A+ Awards in 2017 and 2020, an INDE Award 2018 in the Influencer category, a LafargeHolcim Silver Award for Asia-Pacific in 2017, a World Architecture Festival X Award in 2017. They were also shortlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2019 and named Small Firm of the Year in Sustainable Architecture by American Architecture Prize in 2017.
SHAU’s projects merge tropical architecture, community interests, passive climatic design strategies, and material experimentation into novel multi-programmatic typologies. So far, they have realised key public projects in Indonesia: a 9,300 m2 AMN Student Housing in Surabaya which was inaugurated by President Joko Widodo in 2022, public space projects in West Java from Taman Film (Film Park) under a flyover in Bandung, to Alun-alun Cicendo in Bandung, and Alun-alun Kejaksan in Cirebon. They are currently working on Jakarta’s new Performing Arts Center, amongst other projects for private and public clients.
SHAU is the initiator behind the Microlibraries, a series of strategic developments for contextually-designed, low-cost, and environmentally friendly reading facilities under 250 m2. Six micro-libraries have been realised; new ones are in the making.
Florian is an Associate Professor in Practice at the National University of Singapore, Department of Architecture. Daliana is an urban design coordinator at Future Cities Lab until May 2023 and a jury member for the 2023 Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction.
SHAU
Jalan Manyar No. 7
Sadang Serang
Bandung, Jawa Barat, 40133
Indonesia
T | + 62 (0) 22 2052 4973
W | shau.nl
Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Daliana Suryawinata/Florian Heinzelmann
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| 00:03:00 | “…Then there was this 1998 crisis which hit Asia…” “Asian financial crisis” | Britannica |
| 00:16:50 | “…and has a little bit of a, maybe, a kasbah notion…” “Kasbah” | Wikipedia |
| 00:19:15 | “…material[‘s] embodied energy and material usage [are] also an important part…” “Embodied Energy” | Energy Education |
| 00:23:30 | “…derives its form thinking from vernacular Indonesian architecture: the Dayak longhouse…” “Dayak Architecture and Art: The Use of Longhouse” | Kaltimber |
| 00:25:50 | “…Is this going to be a net-zero energy building?…” “Net Zero Energy Buildings” | WBDG (Whole Building Design Guide) |
| 00:32:23 | “…Jakarta always has the problem of flooding…” “IN FOCUS: The fight against Jakarta’s devastating yearly floods” | CNA (Channel NewsAsia) |
| 00:36:16 | “…it’s called Greenship…” “How Important is Green Building Certificate in Indonesia?” | Waste4Change |
| 00:36:18 | “…and another one is an initiative of the Indonesian government…” “Indonesia: Green Building In Indonesia: Criteria, Certifications & Applicable Incentives” | Mondaq |
| 00:37:03 | “…So Greenship is a bit like Green Mark or LEED…” “Green Mark Certification Scheme” | Building and Construction Authority (BCA) |
| 00:37:03 | “…So Greenship is a bit like Green Mark or LEED…” “LEED rating system” | USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) |
| 00:03:09 | “…I studied architecture at Tarumanagara University…” UNTAR (Universitas Tarumanagara) |
| 00:03:30 | “…and then later at the Berlage in Rotterdam…” “About” | The Berlage Center for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design |
| 00:03:30 | “…The Young Indonesian Architects consisted of Andra Matin, Yori Antar and many others…” “Yori Antar Awal” | Tatler Asia/Singapore |
| 00:04:26 | “…I worked for three years for UNStudio…” “About” | UNStudio |
| 00:04:46 | “…there was the Congress of Indonesian Diaspora where we were invited…” “Open Invitation from the Indonesian Ambassador to the US: “Congress of Indonesian Diaspora” in Los Angeles, CA” | USINDO (The United States–Indonesia Society) |
| 00:04:58 | “…we were able to meet former minister Mari Pangestu…” “Mari Elka Pangestu” | World Bank |
| 00:05:07 | “…and she connected us to Joko Widodo…” “Joko Widodo” | Britannica |
| 00:06:00 | “…and Ridwan Kamil happen[ed] to be there as a mayor of Bandung…” “Ridwan Kamil” | Tatler Asia/Singapore |
| 00:17:40 | “…and one was the High Life [Textile] Factory from Félix Candela…” “Felix Candela” | Britannica |
| 00:18:00 | “…is the Pasar Johar [Johar Market] in Semarang by Thomas Karsten…” “The Life and Works of Thomas Karsten” | Archined |
| 00:24:17 | “…So together with our partners APTA and Studio Cilaki…” “About STUDIO APTA” | Bluprin |
| 00:36:11 | “…One is done privately by the Green Building Council Indonesia…” Green Building Council Indonesia (GBC Indonesia) |
| 00:02:42 | “…I’m Jakarta born and bred…” “Jakarta” (Java, Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:03:14 | “…and then later at the Berlage in Rotterdam…” “Rotterdam” (Netherlands) | Britannica |
| 00:03:44 | “…you are originally from Munich, right?…” “Munich” (Bavaria, Germany) | Britannica |
| 00:04:33 | “…But you ended up in Indonesia — in Bandung, specifically…” “Indonesia” | Britannica |
| 00:04:33 | “…But you ended up in Indonesia — in Bandung, specifically…” “Bandung” (West Java, Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:04:43 | “…In Los Angeles in 2012…” “Los Angeles” (California, United States) | Britannica |
| 00:08:23 | “…different diverse vernacular architecture, cross-ventilation, Rumah Panggung houses on stilts…” “Rumah Panggung (Stilt House)” | Setu Babakan |
| 00:09:21 | “…Let’s start with the AMN Student Housing in Surabaya, Indonesia…” “AMN Student Housing / SHAU Indonesia” | ArchDaily |
| 00:09:21 | “…Let’s start with the AMN Student Housing in Surabaya, Indonesia…” “Surabaya” (East Java, Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:13:27 | “…there [is] no shortage of, say, hotels in Bali, for instance…” “Bali” (Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:14:25 | “…when we talk, for instance, about the Microlibrary Warak Kayu…” “Microlibrary Warik Kayu / SHAU Indonesia” | ArchDaily |
| 00:15:39 | “…I want to reference this to one of your other projects, the Banjarejo Market…” “Banjarejo Traditional Market” | Architizer |
| 00:17:40 | “…and one was the High Life [Textile] Factory from Félix Candela in Mexico…” “Performative perforations: structural and daylighting performance assessment of Candela’s High Life Textile Factory” | ResearchGate |
| 00:17:40 | “…and one was the High Life [Textile] Factory from Félix Candela in Mexico…” “Mexico” | Britannica |
| 00:18:00 | “…is the Pasar Johar [Johar Market] in Semarang by Thomas Karsten…” “Johar Market Is Now A Bustling Economic Center, Reflecting the Glory of Semarang’s Past” | Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) |
| 00:18:00 | “…is the Pasar Johar [Johar Market] in Semarang by Thomas Karsten…” “Semarang” (Central Java, Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:21:36 | “…in developed countries like… like Singapore…” “Singapore” | Britannica |
| 00:22:46 | “…from Jakarta to a new city in Kalimantan…” “Kalimantan” (Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:22:55 | “…And the new capital is called Nusantara…” “Nusantara – New Capital City of Indonesia” | Future Southeast Asia |
| 00:23:15 | “…So it’s called Huma Betang Umai…” “Huma Betang Umai” | SHAU |
| 00:33:39 | “…And we can also learn from other capital cities like Brasília, right?…” “Brasília” (Brazil) | Britannica |
| 00:34:30 | “…the majority of people lives on Java…” “Java” (Indonesia) | Britannica |
| 00:43:45 | “…So we have in Bojonegoro, in a park, the [Microlibrary] Selasar…” “History of Bojonegoro District” | Bojonegoro Government |
| 00:43:45 | “…So we have in Bojonegoro, in a park, the [Microlibrary] Selasar…” “Microlibrary Selasar” | Microlibrary Community |
| 00:43:50 | “…we have [the Microlibrary] Taman Lansia in Bandung…” “Microlibrary – Taman Lansia” | SHAU |
| 00:43:55 | “and [Alun-]Alun Kejaksan [square] also in the park…” “Alun-alun Kejaksan Square / SHAU Indonesia” | ArchDaily |
| 00:44:11 | “…we have the [Microlibrary] Hanging Gardens…” “Microlibrary Hanging Gardens” | Microlibrary Community |
| 00:44:32 | “…Then we have the [Microlibrary] Taman Bima…” “Bima Microlibrary / SHAU Indonesia” | ArchDaily |
| 00:49:42 | “…this idea came back in our other project, DipoMuria…” “DipoMuria Commercial Center / SHAU Indonesia” | ArchDaily |
| 00:08:34 | “…you have wind catcher[s], the screens masharbiya…” “Light Matters: Mashrabiyas – Translating Tradition into Dynamic Facades” | ArchDaily |
| 00:08:41 | “…like the trombe wall, solar chimneys…” “Trombe wall” | Energy Education |
| 00:08:41 | “…like the trombe wall, solar chimneys…” “Solar chimney” | Energy Education |
| 00:14:42 | “…even though we used a Zollinger facade system as a brise soleil…” “BRISE SOLEIL/Key facts” | Maple (Maple Sunscreening) |
| 00:16:07 | “…and they hold up an umbrella with these lamellas…” “lamella roof” | Britannica |
| 00:14:42 | “…even though we used a Zollinger facade system as a brise soleil…” “Friedrich Zollinger” | Wikipedia |
Host
Nirmal Kishnani
Producer
Maxime Flores
Editorial assistant
Abhishek Srivastava
Sound technician and editor
Kelvin Brown | Phlogiston
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