A team of students from the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI), known as “Archine,” won the prestigious 1st place award in the Setty Family Foundation Net Zero Energy Design category at the ASHRAE Design Competition 2024. The award was presented during the ASHRAE Winter Conference 2025, held from February 8–12, 2025, in Orlando, Florida, United States.
The Archine team consists of six students from the 2020 batch of the Department of Architecture and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at FTUI: Muflikh Kas Yudamaulana (Department of Architecture), Miguel Bintang Samuel Silitonga (Department of Mechanical Engineering), Alfian Febrianto (Department of Mechanical Engineering), Alya Widha Aurellia (Department of Architecture), Bimantyo Ganggas Fadhil Ihsani (Department of Mechanical Engineering), and Risma Fitriyanti (Department of Architecture).
Under the guidance of Dr. Miktha Farid Alkadri, Dr.-Ing. Ir. Ova Candra Dewi, GP, IPU., Ardiyansyah, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., and Dr. Eng. Arnas Lubis, they triumphed over 163 teams from around the world with their green building design named “Bromeliad Library.” This design emphasizes the concept of a building that reduces CO₂ emissions and meets net-zero emissions standards.
“Bromeliad Library combines passive and active strategies in its design. The passive strategies include optimizing natural light, reducing solar heat gain, and utilizing an innovative clay facade to control humidity. Meanwhile, the active strategies focus on air quality, efficient water management, and energy-saving lighting,” explained Dr.-Ing. Ova Candra Dewi.
The ASHRAE Winter Conference is held annually and serves as a platform for professionals, academics, and students from various countries to share the latest innovations in sustainable building design. In addition to receiving the award, the FTUI team also participated in mentoring sessions, student programs, free seminars, networking, and visited the AHR EXPO, one of the largest building technology exhibitions in the world. This experience enriched their knowledge and opened up opportunities for international collaboration in the field of sustainable energy.
The Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., expressed his appreciation for this achievement. “The success of the FTUI student team in this international competition reflects their commitment and dedication to developing innovative solutions for global energy challenges. We are proud of this accomplishment and hope to continue supporting our students in contributing to a more sustainable future,” he said.
The ASHRAE Setty Family Foundation Net Zero Energy Design Competition 2024 spanned several months, with multiple stages of rigorous selection. The winners were announced on August 1, 2024, and the competition officially concluded in May 2024 after the final judging phase determined the winners across various categories.
This victory marks the third achievement for FTUI students in the ASHRAE competition, following a 1st place win in 2022 and a 3rd place in 2023. The team hopes that the innovations they developed can be implemented in Indonesia to accelerate sustainable development. In addition to bringing home the championship title, the team’s participation in this international event strengthens Indonesia’s position in the global arena concerning environmentally friendly building design innovations. The team hopes their innovations can be realized in Indonesia to further the pace of sustainable development.
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) is an international organization focused on the development of heating, ventilation, cooling, and sustainable building technologies. Through research, training, and international competitions such as the Net Zero Energy Design competition, ASHRAE is committed to creating innovative solutions that support a more efficient and environmentally-friendly energy future.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia
