TRANSPARENCY, SIMPLICITY AND DIGNITY OF BASIC GEOMETRICAL SHAPES, Concept for and Executive Office Floor of a Petroleum Company.

This is capturing an Executive Office Floor of Oil Company that cover approximate 700 sqm of tenancy spaces in an Office Building. The spaces are simply defined based on the need of individual executive office spaces and its supporting facilities.

Enclosed offices are placed along building perimeter wall which are consisting of 1 office suite for President Commissioner, 1 office suite for Chief Executive Officer and 4 office suites for Commissioners. Rest of spaces are fulfilled for amenities and supporting facilities, such as reception, lounge, bar and gallery. Boardroom is placed adjacent to perimeter wall with direct accessibility from President Commissioner Office Suite and bar-lounge area at the center of executive floor area.

The offices suites are generated based on simply basic rectangular shapes that is combined with bar counter in cylindrical shape and also curved feature walls to corridor. These composition of basic geometrical shapes is creating and elaborating a quality of spatial dignity to whole of the area.

Despite the Executive Office is generated from many of individual enclosed office suites, overall space appearance look transparent because the using of many of full-height glass walls. Glass materials and anegree wood veneer are 2 only dominant interior materials are use everywhere in this area. Carpet is appear in more simple plain creamy color but rich in texture details. This carpet selection concept is just to elaborate the rich natural character of anegree wood and unify the each transparent office suites.

The Bianco Statuario Marble is dominant material that used in reception area. It is used for long reception counter surfacing and adjacent hard flooring. This grainy white marble is combined with natural rich character of anegree wood veneer, transparent character of glass wall and visual richness of Persian Rug that placed to define lounge area.

Lighting design is also become important element to create particular space ambiences. All lighting fixtures are control with digital dimmer devices. In the Boardoom, lighting is integrated with high-end digital audio-visual system, including a rear projection system. While in President Commissioner Suite, lighting system is also integrated with the using of electronically switchable glass panels that could be digitally frosted by the using remote control device from working desk.

MEMORIES OF LAKE COMO, a proposed atrium scenery concept for a boutique mall.

The mall building is part of mix-used building. The building itself is one of first emerging high-rise property developments in Jakarta during 2004 after Indonesia was suffering in 1998’s monetary crisis. The name of building is the name of a place near Lake Como at Italy.

The interior design proposal was elaborating visual detail aspects that related with Lake Como, very far away from Jakarta, based on the name of the building. The elaborate giant Doric Columns are become dominant visual element in the atrium space. Rest of the other details of window awning, street wrought iron lantern and other details might be inspired from Bob Pejman’s paintings such as “Bellagio Memories”, “Lake Como Villa”, “Bellagio Memories” and “Bellagio Village”.

A water feature is proposed in the center of atrium area and many of tall palm trees are proposed to be placed in remaining perimeter area to capture the vertical scale of atrium spaces. There is fixed bench in every palm tree that allowing somebody to sit and having atrium viewing.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING REFURBISHMENT for International Port and Container Terminal

This was refurbishment project for an Administration Building of Container Terminal which is situated strategically in the industrial heartland of West Java at Jakarta Indonesia. The port is Indonesia’s national hub with annual throughput of 1.5 million TEU (Twenty foot Equivalent Units). The Administration Building is consisting of 7 storey office floors which are situated in an area that covers a total 100 hectares and is the largest container terminal in Indonesia.

The office renovation program is related with company privatization on 1999 when foreign private port investor from Hongkong became share holder majority. This group of investor world’s leading port investor, developer and operator with interests in a total 292 berths in 47 ports, spanning 24 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Australia.

In lined with the existence of new major share holder, the company was having intention to bring new culture into the office environment. The old corporate culture – which was strongly influenced with typical government owned company – need to be significantly changed and improved.

Originally, the office scenery was dominated with cellular individual office. When new management is established, new open office concept need to be implemented to bring the new corporate value. New office scenery provides enclosed private office just for Director. Rest of the managers, supervisors and staff are work in open office enclosure. Also included in refurbishment program was the up-grading of Data Center Room which is controlling the whole related operations of the port and container yard.

Refurbishment works were executed in step by step basis per floor areas. There were changes of design objective when management trying to establishing what function that fit for the penthouse level. Before finally decided as Control Room Facilities that control the whole operations of port and container yard there were also design and planning exercises to study the placement of dedicated executive offices which are placed in the penthouse level.

WEEKEND TOURS WITH CLIFFORD PEARSON, Visiting Places and Capturing Cultural Souls for a Book about Indonesia.

The event is begun in 1997 when a friend contacted me and mentioned that somebody from U.S. needs a visit list for several places in Indonesia. She also mentioned that this person is an Author and have intention to write a book about Indonesia.

Spontaneously, I proposed list of places might be suitable for the purpose, mostly in Java. For West Java, I proposed Bandung local artist houses such as Sunaryo (Sculptor), Srihadi (Painter) and A.D. Pirous (Calligraphic Painter). For Central Java, I proposed Arief Budiman house and Kali Code Compound beside well-known ancient temples such as Borobudur and Prambanan and also Sultan Palaces in Jogjakarta and Surakarta. I was immediately contacted my good friend of mind, Ndaru (Hendro Prabowo) at Jogjakarta and asked another additional list of places could be added into visiting list. Ndaru, as I remember added Jogja local artist houses such as Amri Yahya, Andrianto, local bird market and Sendang Sono, the awesome built-environment designed by the Architect Romo Mangun Wijaya.

I was not involving in every trip, because I could only free from my office in Jakarta during weekend only. Mostly, I met with Clifford Pearson and Ndaru two times on Saturday till Sunday at Jogjakarta. In this town I was recognizing Clifford Pearson as Associate Editor of Architectural Record when he gave me his name card during dining session around Malioboro.

Fortunately, a friend who lived in Jogjakarta could arrange Saturday-Sunday Trip to Borobudur, Prambanan, Mendut, Sendang Sono Sites,'Kali Code' riverbank compound, Jogja Bird Market and Sultan Palace in Solo.

He was driving the rental car with Bon Jovi songs were playing along the way. He was also find-out a nice small motel at Prawirotaman in Jogja where we stayed during the trip.What I never forget from this trip was the event when on Sunday I called directly Romo Mangun from my hand phone and introduced Clifford Pearson for personal interview. He was very pleased and available for interview on Monday. Unfortunately, I missed this valuable event because on Sunday evening I must got the last train to Jakarta from Semarang, of course because I must get back to work. This is valuable session, because no longer from this event Romo Mangun Wijaya, who is well known as an Architect, writer, spiritual leader and cultural observer passed away.This last Trip session with Clifford Pearson, Bryan Whitney (the photographer) and my other friends was so memorable for me. I will always keep in my mind we were climbing the hill to find-out Sendang Sono site that we have never seen before or when we were having coffee time at a small coffee shop owned by Danarto nearby Pasar Klewer Solo. Also when Clifford closed his eyes and took a walks in the center of ‘Alun-alun’ Jogja, tried to find straight way in between two ancient Banyan Trees. And he made it!My friend was continuing this journey with Clifford to Sumatera. Actually, Clifford also have his own list of places should be visited including Bali and Sulawesi. Not all these visited places are recorded and published in his book.

Long time after those memorable trips, we have got the final published book from Clifford Pearson. The book title is “Indonesia Design and Culture”, 272 pages of book published by Monacelli Press on 1998. It was great found my name is mentioned among the other names by Clifford Pearson in the foreword page. Not all of visited places are published in the book. Clifford Pearson also sent to my office sheets of photographs from Manhattan-New York that capture me and my friend were sitting together on entry stair of Prambanan Temple and standing in the middle of hanging bridge of Sendang Sono.

Truly and again, this was a memorable trip for me and become one of unforgettable weekend in my life time.

Photo references:
www.pbase.com
www.trulyjogja.com
www.flickr.com
www.polytikus.com
www.amazon.com

CIBOGO SERAI HOTEL, Memoir of a Dutch Boy in Java Plantation House as Basic Concept for Hotel Interior Design.

This was my first assignment when I joined with PT. Parama Loka Consultant in 1994, a Jakarta based Architecture and Interior Design Consulting Firm. Firstly, it was difficult since there was no definitive appointment to the Interior Design Team from the “General Hotel Management (GHM)” as the Hotel Operator. GHM required the Interior Design Team to demonstrate potential ability to propose and deliver acceptable design concept as excellent as design concept have delivered by the appointed Architect Design Team.

During first two weeks, we tried to do design researches to find-out specific theme that relevant could be proposed as design concept, something that reflects local characters. We came to the first presentation day and unfortunately the concept we proposed is directly rejected by GHM. The Hotel Operator gave the team another one week to find-out again the concept that properly proposed for the hotel.

After did for another design and research efforts, finally we came into final presentation session. And, the concept was accepted this time. Basically, the design was reflecting simplicity and natural details as always shown as signature in every Serai Hotel everywhere in the world.

Actually, GHM was asking one another requirement, it was a specific theme could be incorporated into the Hotel Design Concept. To responded this, we did a one day visit to bookstores in Jakarta, and what a big lucky, finally we found a literature book that I believe will be matched and could be properly proposed for the Hotel Concept. Yes, I still remember, I have found this literature book in Kinokuniya Bookstore in Jakarta. The book is a memoir of a Dutch Boy who lived in Java Plantation House during Dutch Colonialism Era in Java Indonesia. Very unfortunately, I lost the book and could not remember what the exact title of the book.If not mistaken the book should be Ernest Hillen's "The Way of a Boy".

I only remember that when I was opening the first page, there was wording mentioned when Dutch boy waked-up in the morning he heard somebody’s foot step on wood floor. And when he opened the door in the morning he saw banana tree are found everywhere in the house courtyard. Roughly, this very suitable with hotel venue where situated in concealed tropical mountain area in West Java within tea plantation surround, about two hours from Jakarta.GHM was very pleased when we shown the bookand GHM immediately accepted that Java Plantation House will become main theme for the Hotel Design. Simply, there will be wood plank flooring and also banana tree pots are placed everywhere in the Hotel Interiors.

Of course, after this session we could enter into the design development process smoothly. It was becoming more interesting when we interfaced together with the Lighting Designer, Nathan Thompson from Australia. Many details of ideas are generated which are actually enriched the design concept.

Our latest interaction with Architect, Project Manager and Lighting designer is happened onsite that is already prepared into “cut and filled” stage. We were imagining together, where the hotel 'porte cochere', coffee lounge, bungalow and other facilities are will be situated. But, this was our latest site meeting, because the Hotel is never built and remaining as a set of idea on drawing papers.