Three students from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (DA FTUI), used an unused tunnel as an alternative for homeless housing. Their design, named “Living in Tunnel”, won Honorable Mention Winners in the international Las Vegas Affordable Housing Challenge competition held by Buildner (Bee Breeders) which was announced on February 15, 2023.
The three students of the 2019 class are Dhiya Luthfiyyah, Lulu Safitri Wijaya Jonni, and Nadia Putri Humaira. In designing the “Living in Tunnel” the students were directly guided by the FTUI DA Professor, Prof. Ir. Evawani Ellisa, M.Eng., Ph.D., Professional Architect, Baiq Lisa Wahyulina, S.T., M. Ars., IAI., and Assistant Lecturer, Aulia Urrorhmah, S.Ars.
This competition raises the issue of homelessness as one of the biggest problems in Las Vegas. Even though Las Vegas is known as the “Entertainment City”, data says that in 2022 the city has 5,645 homeless people. Beneath the glitter of the city, there is infrastructure in the form of tunnels, which were built in anticipation of a flood. In reality, floods never hit this city and left the tunnels as remaining spaces.
In these empty tunnel spaces are hidden people who live without a home, aka homeless. Using flooded tunnels as shelters, Las Vegas’ homeless seek to create their own living space. They live and survive without being supported by adequate housing facilities such as clean water, sanitation facilities, or lighting.
“After trying to understand the situation of the city of Las Vegas through a study of secondary data, we see the tunnel as an opportunity. The “Living in Tunnel” design aims to address not only the homeless crisis in Las Vegas but also address social challenges through the idea of living in a tunnel. Living in tunnels is part of the residents’ instinct to survive and has the potential to be a solution to the problem of landlessness at an affordable price,” said Prof. Evawani Ellisa.
He added, “Unused tunnels can be used as the main structure. The only thing that needs to be done is to build construction units in them so that they can meet the main requirement of this competition, which is affordable housing in Las Vegas.”
“In general, our idea to reduce development costs is to design with a modular concept in the tunnel. The modular concept and self-construction are flexible according to the needs of users or prospective occupants. We propose small modules measuring 1×1 m that candidates can arrange and construct themselves residents based on their needs and desires,” said Nadia Putri.
“Apart from being adaptive and affordable, these modules can be applied to other tunnels across Las Vegas. We propose a communal sanitation facility at the mouth of the tunnel. We position it in such a way that it is hidden from public view by the transitional space that lies between the road and the tunnel. We propose this transitional space to be used as a communal park equipped with a mural,” said Nadia.
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU., expressed his appreciation for the achievements of DA FTUI students. “The solution provided by the FTUI Architecture team in responding to the housing crisis in Las Vegas by using the modular concept in the tunnel proves that FTUI students are students who have critical and solutive thinking in responding to various phenomena that occur. Congratulations on your achievement because you have made FTUI proud and UI.”
The Las Vegas Affordable Housing Challenge is a competition that challenges entrants to submit the best design solutions to address the city’s housing crisis. They are encouraged to propose dynamic solutions to accommodate low-cost housing for different unit sizes types such as family units, single professionals and couples. In this competition, the jury looks for fresh ideas that can answer the challenge of a new typical housing design for the community. The design is also expected to prioritize practicality as well as the potential to be realized.
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Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia