25 | May | 2011 | Learning Architecture

Eco Centric logic for Environmental issues in Bandar Kemayoran

May 25, 2011 architectureintlprogram 2 comments

Mariyam Yasmin

1006717640

There are six competing logics of sustainable architecture; Eco-technic logic, Eco-centric logic, Eco-aesthetic logic, Eco-cultural logic, Eco-medical logic, and Eco-social logic. Each logic has its own main focus on the sustainable architecture issue and each has its own method. For eco-technic logic, science and technology can solve environmental issues through rational analysis and management of the environment. Eco-centric logic, a natural approach, is about building and the place of nature. Eco-aesthetic logic is about the importance of aesthetic of a building that is at the same time sustainable, so it focuses on a beautiful, creative and “green” architecture. Eco-cultural logic emphasizes sustainable architecture as a preservation of culture. Eco-medical logic uses a medical rhetoric to focus attention on the adverse impacts of the built environment and the causes of stress that engender health problems, both physical and psychological. Eco-social logic extends the social agenda of sustainability beyond a concern for the individual to encompass a political discourse that suggests that the main cause of the ecological crisis stems from wider social factors. It addresses the democracy as the key to an ecological society.

There is another idea about sustainable architecture called Eco-effectiveness. Eco-effectiveness is how to use a waste to become something that is useful, so it will not left only as a waste. There are five steps to eco-effectiveness: to get “free of” known culprits, to follow informed personal preferences, to create a “passive positive” list, to activate the positive list, and to reinvent. Both eco-logic and eco-effectiveness are supporting each other.

Bandar Kemayoran, the former international airport in Jakarta is actually a sustainable area with its big green area and forest. The only issue that this area has is there are still many slum housing areas spread all over the subdistrict. But since they moved all flight activities to Soekarno-Hatta Airport, the government decided to develop this subdistrict and planned to make it become the center of all business and government activities. The master future plan has already been made, and is planned to be realized in 2030. The future plan is actually good, but the bad thing about this future plan is that it will decrease the green area. The future plan will replace the green area with new high-rise buildings. From the six competing logics of sustainable architecture and eco-effectiveness, the eco-centric logic becomes the concept that is really fit to solve Bandar Kemayoran`s issue. The future plan should be made with natural approach. They should consider the need of green area in the city/district/subdistrict, because it will improve the place and the living, generally. Furthermore, in order to develop a new city with new buildings, choosing good and natural materials should also be considered. So, a new sustainable city could be built with green area and sustainable buildings.

Slums Area in Bandar Kemayoran.

Master Plan of Bandar Kemayoran.

Guy, Simon and Graham Farmer. “Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture:The Place of Technology”.p. 140-147. 2001
McDonough, William and Michael Braungart. “Cradle to Cradle”.p. 180-186.
Wikipedia, “Kemayoran,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemayoran

Categories: Uncategorized

Sustainable Architecture in Vrindavan and Jakarta

May 25, 2011 architectureintlprogram 1 comment

Mariyam Yasmin

1006717640

We hear the word “sustainability” almost every day. What does it mean exactly? “Sustainability is far from a singe coherent ideology.”But there is a clear and general explanation of “Sustainability” that usually being used to explain what is it about: it is about taking what we need to live now, without jeopardizing the potential for people in the future to meet their needs. So, how do we live sustainably? Living sustainably is about living within the means of our natural systems (environment) and ensuring that our lifestyle doesn’t harm other people (society and culture).Sustainable living can be done in every sector in human life. Architecture is one of the crucial sectors of all. Architecture is not just about buildings and places to live, it also affects one`s way of living. Some methods of a sustainable architecture are: Green Building and Eco City.

An example of an Eco City plan project.

An example of a Green Building project.

“Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle.” A sustainable city or eco-city is a city designed with consideration of environmental impact, inhabited by people dedicated to minimization of required inputs of energy, water and food, and waste output of heat, air pollution – CO₂, methane, and water pollution.

There are many countries already started the eco cities project. Each eco city has its own focus on what environment issues they are about to solve or what target they are going to achieve with the eco city project. “To this point, we have identified and critiqued singular models of sustainable architecture and begun to reconstruct an alternative theoritical framework for better understanding the plurality of sustainable architecture.” By have a good understanding of sustainable architecture, we can achieve the right target of eco city itself. These eco cities are achieved through various means, such as: different agricultural systems such as agricultural plots within the city (suburbs or centre), renewable energy sources, reduce the need for air conditioning, improved public transport to reduce car emissions, optimal building density to make public transport viable but avoid the creation of urban heat islands, solutions to decrease urban sprawl, green roofs, zero-emission transport, zero-energy building, sustainable urban drainage systems or SUDS, energy conservation systems/devices, Xeriscaping – garden and landscape design for water conservation, and key performance indicators – development and operational management tool providing guidance and M&V for city administrators.But the main purpose of all eco cities is the same, which is to reach the point where the city is prepared to have its people living sustainably. A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, inhabited by a large amount of people. By changing the city generally, into an ecological and sustainable area, imagine how big is the change we could make? Imagine how much carbon footprint we can reduce? That is why, build an eco city project is a very good step to start have the human live sustainably.

India is one of the countries that has started to develop eco cities. Government of India`s Anti-pollution ministry control has announced some eco cities projects. They are: Tirupati, Vrindavan, Kottayam, Ujjain, Puri, and Thanjavur. The government wants many of the holy cities in India to become ecological cities. One of the main projects is Vrindavan. Situated on the banks of river Yamuna,Vrindavan has been a center for spiritual learning for hundreds of years. A legend of Krishna and Vrindavan’s historic past is stamped on the thousands of temples here and has people coming from all over the world. The Eco City Project area in Vrindavan, has some main environmental issues, they are: environment quality, traffic and transportation, sewerage and drainage, and solid waste management.[11] The focus of these eco city projects is to solve those main environmental issues in the city. There are 5 main result that expected to be achieved from the eco city project in Vrindavan, they are: to improve sanitary condition, to improve traffic and transportation system, to improve religious/tourism function, to improve environmental quality, and to train manpower in Vrindavan on the issue related to urban management including waste management and waste water management.

The Eco City plan project in Vrindava.

The government and the planners has made the plan for solving each environmental issue in Vrindavan. Here are the details of the plan for Vrindavan eco city:

Improvement of Storm Water Drainage System
Establishment of Environmentally and Economically Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSMW) System
Demonstration of appropriate technologies to maximize the recycling and reuse of selected streams (wet and dry) of waste
Achieving Comprehensive Improvement
Generation of Awareness and Assuring Community Participation in MSW Management

In Jakarta, there are many green buildings or residences which aim to reach a level of sustainable living. One of it is the “Green Tranquility” Residence. Green Tranquility is a residence that provides sustainable kind of houses. It offers residential estate in a plateau with the concept of contoured terrace, scenic valley and river, green leafy environment as well as clean air and pollution free. It also has a concept of integrated green, ranging from land use that attention to water absorption, energy efficient building design, the implementation of water conservation, and a better waste management. It also provides a comfortable living for the people with high securtity system.

Green Tranquility Residence

Green Tranquility Residence is the first terrasering resort home in Jakarta. It also has a green nature development concept, which are:

Land use planning
Energy Efficiency
Water Conservation
Processing of waste and water
Green open space
Environmentally friendly policies

These eco-cities and eco-building projects are made to reach the purpose of have a sustainable living for all people. Both projects, Vrindavan Eco City in India and Green Tranquility Residence in Jakarta were made to reach that purpose. Both projects has a good way to give a sustainable life for the people, and both are doing their role as the green architecture very good by keep improving the need of green architecture or sustainable architecture by energy conservation.