Utilitarian design has been captured in many locations in Surabaya by ARA Studio which has consistently incorporated the ethos in its architecture. The bureau, founded by Hermawan Dasmanto, Goya Tamara Kolondam and Erel Hadimuljono, also dedicates time to the community. Here they talk to Indonesia Design about their focus on design.
Photo by ARA Studio doc.
How did ARA Studio come about?
ARA was developed as an after-hours project for Hermawan and Goya in 2009. Goya was still working for a consultant bureau in Jakarta. Hermawan was involved in several projects with the Rurale and de Maya architectural communities.
We realised that a freelance architecture bureau would not go over well in the business. We took a leave of absence for about a year before several serendipitous things happened that led us to the decision to make ARA a full-fledged architectural bureau–this time, as our main jobs. We had three staff members, with Erel joining our team. You can also say that was the year that the new face of ARA Studio was established.
Why do projects by ARA tend toward simplicity?
An aesthetic that can last for a long time is usually one that comes out of honesty, not of something that is considered a mere gimmick. We see simplicity not as something tacky or cheap. For us, simplicity means honesty in each piece of architecture.
What’s the importance of the many public-space projects ARA has taken on?
For us, architecture can be considered successful if the success can relate to many people. After all, architecture is a job for the public.
Tell us more about your design process.
We have several styles of finishing a project, considering that there are three principals at ARA, each with their own interests and approach. Each principal has a smaller team, but all of these will be brought together for a forum that we dub the FND, or Friday Night Discussion, where everyone has the freedom to say their piece. About the design process, there is no particular standard. We have the habit of starting a project by establishing an issue, collecting data, analysing, conducting research and exploration. Not to be left out is documenting and filing, so that a project can become data for other projects in the future. Above all, we still aim to present the best result for each design process.
Which project has been most challenging?
We could say that the Kudos project has been the most challenging. From the start, we had challenged the client and contractor experiments with shapes, budget and materials. After undergoing a lengthy process and experiencing a lot of failures, we felt that we learned a lot from this project. We didn’t feel particularly successful, but the end result turned out to have a business value. This is one of our projects that we feel proud of because its consistency of concept has been maintained to this day.
We are thankful of the various opportunities that we have had–ones that weren’t given to other architects. These opportunities are our chance to keep on processing, not only producing. We always see the process as the most important thing to produce a good product.
Any urban planning or architectural challenges facing Surabaya that you’d like to tackle?
We have several times been involved in some research and data collection regarding Surabaya. The most glaring condition is the people of Surabaya’s lack of sense of belonging to their own city. A lot of people seem to have given up on the present condition of Surabaya, which has led to a low number of innovative breakthroughs in the city. This is not good. The development of a city should be the responsibility of its citizens without exception.