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Architects: ID-EA
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Fernando Gomulya
Text description provided by the architects. The UBM Housing project is Universitas Bunda Mulia’s response to Jakarta’s world’s worst traffic problem as one of the megacities with population over 10 million and the growing number of out-of-town students enrolling into the university each year. Located within a five-minute walk from campus, the eleven storey 17,600 square meter student housing facility includes on-site mini market, multipurpose rooms, student lounge, cafeteria, laundry, ATM and parking garage below the inner courtyard.
The project approaches the challenge of urban density and housing cost problems by developing a vibrant urban center in a livable high-density environment while encouraging community spirit by providing interaction spaces and visual connections without sacrificing privacy. The design addresses concerns of shared space and social needs in a contemporary society and simultaneously responds to issues of shared living and individuality by offering a multiplicity of indoor/outdoor spaces specific to the tropical context.
Naturally lit units are placed on the perimeter of the site as a thin mass wrapping an open inner space that uses a simple design strategy to create a center courtyard with attractive functional as well as aesthetic qualities.Units are connected with open-air double-loaded corridors with openings towards south corners for elevator lobbies, north corners for kitchens and more openings towards the courtyard for shared spaces to allow for cross ventilation and daylight to penetrate into the corridors which also help to break down the long corridor walking experience. Tall and narrow windows spanning from floor to ceiling were chosen to emit light as high up as possible, while still allowing for reflections on the floors for the units.
A modular façade system together with prefabricated concrete elements allows for an affordable and rational construction. It also visually allows for a system to project the university’s branding identity. Colorful stripes camouflage the facades’ massive volume along the inner courtyard. By distributing the vertical stripe of color accents, the volume appears varied, yet part of a whole. Architectural projections on the façade also give a depth and lightness while allowing the necessary sun and rain protection. The projections along inner courtyard’s façade were rotated to act as privacy screen for the units.
