Nine students from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (DA FTUI), designed a transitional space that functions as a temporary stop for migratory birds as well as a place for human and bird interaction. The design, which is named Platalea Passage, uses bamboo as a raw material and is a work of construction. in architectural harmony.
Platea Passage won 2nd place in the international design competition The 5th Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area-Association of Southeast Asian Nations International Colleges Design and Construction Competition 2022. This prestigious international competition was organized by the Architecture Study Program, Faculty of Engineering and Planning ( FTP) Warmadewa University and South China University of Technology in mid-2022.
The nine FTUI DA students are from the class of 2019 and consist of Annasya Koesty Fadhillah, Az Zahrawaani Al Aryan, Chairunnisa Yasmin Azzahra, Dimas Ananda Setiawan, Fifi Oktiana Suryanti, Ganishtasya Endhys Saputri, Stefanie Aylien Jonatan, Tuhfah Hanifah, and Zahra Nabillah Salahuddin Putri. The team advanced to compete under the guidance of the FTUI Architecture Department lecturer, Dr. Ferro Yudistira, S.T, M.Ars.
This international competition has the theme “Half Pavilion”. Participants were asked to create a half-pavilion design with both functional and aesthetic sections and showing an open structure, such as a building being halved. In addition to making exploratory designs, participants are also expected to make designs in the form of shapes and structures that are resistant to weather and the surrounding environment. It is hoped that from this competition creative ideas will emerge regarding the forms and philosophies used and participants will be able to experiment with creating interesting construction works according to function, structure and art that blend in architectural harmony.
The design of Platalea Passage departed from the team’s concern for environmental problems that occurred. The damage that is currently being experienced in many places in nature has disrupted the migration patterns of several bird species, including the black-faced spoon ibis. This bird species is an endangered species. They migrate throughout the year and spend 90% of their time resting and regaining their energy in various transit locations which, unfortunately, are now heavily damaged.
“One of the migration locations for several bird species is the Nansha Wetland Park, located in Guangzhou, China. Migratory birds here include the rare species of white spoonbill, black-winged long-legged snipe, and black-faced spoonbill. The team is trying to create an architectural space in Nansha Wetland Park that serves as a haven for several of these bird species and at the same time provides a learning space for humans so that in the future they can increase awareness of the existence of this endangered species. The team then tries to create a transitional space that functions well and allows interaction between humans and birds,” explained Dr. Ferro Yudistira.
On the Platalea Passage design, the team created a resting chamber for the black-faced spoon ibis near the water which made it easier to monitor prey and also created an underwater dining area. The interaction between humans and birds was created by installing lights under the bridge which has the function of luring fish to congregate in the area making it easier for birds to come and eat them. Meanwhile, bird watchers can observe the behaviour of birds at close range in the space provided. This light effect works better at night because the light under the bridge becomes brighter.
“This form of interaction was then developed by combining bird nests and human shelters, to be able to create closed nests for humans and birds to stop by. This shape is open to allow human circulation, broaden the viewpoint, and provide a view of the surroundings in all directions while maintaining easy access for birds. The lower part is made into two levels, the upper level is designed to go up and down so that humans can observe the daily habits of birds, namely flying, landing and eating,” added Annasya.
Simply put, Platalea Passage is an attempt to create designs inspired by and for nature. Not just an attempt to create an iconic or beautiful building, but positioned to be part of nature and able to support the needs of its inhabitants, especially for a rare species, the black-faced spoon ibis. Each model designed is inspired by the silhouette of a resting bird.
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU., expressed his appreciation for the achievements of DA FTUI students. “This architecture student’s design is a concrete form of FTUI students who are creative, superior and innovative through functional and aesthetic designs. Through the Platalea Passage design, it is hoped that it can create a strong relationship between humans and birds, and make visitors feel a real experience of being near these bird species. Hopefully, these designs can be utilized and useful for nature.”
The 5th Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area-Association of Southeast Asian Nations International Colleges Design and Construction Competition is a competition designed to challenge students’ skills, especially Architecture students to design and create explorative designs in the form of art pavilions in a 1:1 scale with materials mainly bamboo.
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Bureau of Public Communications
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia