Two students from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering (FT) at the University of Indonesia (UI), I Gusti Agung Sawitri Shintya Dewi and Dendang Belantara, have been crowned as the 1st place winners in the Architecture Student Contest – Saint Gobain 2024 at the national level. Presenting their energy-efficient housing concept titled “CENTERED,” the FTUI team surpassed five other finalist teams announced by Saint-Gobain Indonesia on April 29, 2024. The FTUI team will represent Indonesia in the international round to be held in Helsinki, Finland, in June. They will compete with representatives from 30 other countries for the title of global champion.
“CENTERED is a building that we designed by integrating mobility data, wind direction analysis, and sunlight exposure at the project site. By integrating the past, present, and future of development, this project has the potential to introduce communal areas that can enhance social activities while accommodating the interests of researchers, students, and their families living in the CENTERED building,” said Shintya.
Furthermore, Dendang highlighted the CENTERED building designed based on the green urban area of Helsinki, Finland. “In this competition, we sought to challenge ourselves to see new potentials that generate renewable energy from the existing context in Helsinki, by adjusting the building envelope, materials, and orientation, thus reducing the electrical energy load required by the building,” he said.
FTUI Dean, Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU., expressed his appreciation for this achievement, “The FTUI team once again advances in international competitions representing Indonesia. This success demonstrates that FTUI students are capable of making outstanding impacts globally. This achievement also reflects FTUI’s commitment to support and encourage student participation in national and international competitions as part of a holistic learning experience on campus.”
The national selection process took place from September 2023 to April 2024, with the FTUI team under the guidance of four FTUI lecturers, Dr.-Ing. Ir. Ova Candra Dewi, S.T., M.Sc., GP, IPU. and Dr. Miktha Farid Alkadri, S.Ars., M.Ars., from the Department of Architecture; as well as Dr.-Eng. Arnas, S.T., M.T., and Ardiyansyah, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D. from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
“This competition is a great opportunity for FTUI students to gain professional experience and realize the importance of sustainability in modern construction. Compared to other architectural design competitions, the specificity of this competition lies in its emphasis on Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). Students are required to include LCA analysis, thus challenging them to design projects that can improve the health and well-being of building occupants while reducing environmental impact, carbon usage, energy, and resources,” said Dr. Ova.
The Architecture Student Contest is an international competition organized by the Saint-Gobain Group, the world’s largest building materials company and one of the 100 largest industrial groups in the world. Since its first edition in 2004 by Saint-Gobain Isover in Serbia, this competition has been an international event since 2005. This year, the Architecture Student Contest is being held for the 19th time, with 1,300 students from 167 universities in 30 countries participating.
The competition consists of two stages, the National stage and the International stage. The winning teams on the National stage will compete against each other on the International stage, where participants will present their designs again and receive direct feedback from the jury, consisting of renowned architects, local partner representatives, and Saint-Gobain experts. The competition’s evaluation criteria include architectural design aspects, construction sustainability, and a focus on renovation and new construction.
The goal of this competition is to develop sustainability-based projects, both for humans and the planet. These projects must be energy-efficient, low-carbon, and provide a comfortable environment for their occupants, to create better living, working, and recreational spaces. The Architecture Student Contest 2024 awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, as well as Special Awards and Student Awards, with a total prize of €11,500.
***
Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
