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RUANG
KOMUNITAS VOL. 1
AKSI
1
9
edisi #9: Komunitas
2
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
RUANG #9: KOMUNITAS
vol. 1: Aksi
tidak akan terwujud tanpa kontribusi dari:
#DONOTSETTLE
Rian Afriadi
Alex Lee
Maria Dewi
Putu Ayu Amita Sari
Muh. Darman
Roianisa Nurdin
3
Yusni Aziz
RUANG
PEMBUKA
Setiap individu terlahir dalam sebuah kehidupan kolektif yang dikenal dengan nama “komunitas.” Secara
eksplisit maupun implisit; ilmu, budaya, dan cara hidup sebuah komunitas akan tercetak dalam diri individu.
Dalam upaya para kontributor menjawab call-for-paper Ruang edisi 9 bertema “komunitas,” kami
mendapat sebuah gambaran pemaknaan saat ini tentang istilah tersebut; yang kerap disandang,
disematkan, bahkan barangkali diklaim oleh mereka yang punya misi meredeinisi kungkungan
perencanaan dan otoritas formal dengan berupaya melakukan segala sesuatu dari lingkaran terkecil di
sekitar mereka. Serangkaian gerilya. Sebagian dari mereka memaknai komunitas sebagai potensi; objek.
Bagi yang lain, komunitas adalah jiwa; penggerak subjek.
Kontributor untuk Ruang edisi 9 ini datang dari beragam konteks. Hal ini diharapkan akan memperluas
pemahaman terhadap “komunitas” dari ranah arsitektur yang berusaha tidak terbatas pada satu ruang
berpikir dan profesi tertentu. Penggunaan bahasa Inggris dalam beberapa artikel dari kontributor
asing pun juga bagian dari membuka diri terhadap kemungkinan-kemungkinan yang lebih luas. Semoga
diversitas bahasa dalam satu wadah ini tidak membuat kami kehilangan konsistensi tema dalam
kandungan informasi yang kami sampaikan.
Kami berhasil mengumpulkan 17 artikel yang terbagi ke dalam dua volume berdasarkan kategori:
“Aksi” dan “Releksi.” Kategori “Aksi” diperuntukkan bagi artikel yang membuka pencarian, aktualisasi,
dan implementasi yang mengamini nilai-nilai yang diimani. Kemudian, artikel-artikel dalam kategori
“Releksi” hadir sebagai sekumpulan konsepsi yang mengevaluasi hal-hal yang telah terjadi.
Tujuh pemasukan dalam kategori “Aksi” datang dari para pelaku komunitas di berbagai konteks
ruang dan pemahaman. #donotsettle membuka rangkaian wacana dengan pengalaman mereka
mengokupasi ruang publik di ketinggian garis langit kota Shanghai dalam artikel “Architects Don’t
Sit, Architects Walk.” Kemudian Rian Afriadi menawarkan perspektifnya terhadap komunitas
pecinta Jepang dari balik lensa kameranya dalam esai foto bertajuk “Ruang untuk Menjadi
Orang Lain.” Sementara Alex Lee, seorang pegerilya urban yang berasal dari Perak, Malaysia,
bercerita tentang gerakannya mengintervensi sistem bus di Ipoh yang berjudul “Ipoh Bus Project:
Placemaking Through the Transit Community as A Grassroot Effort.” Selanjutnya, sebuah
wawancara dengan Jorge Anzorena oleh Maria Dewi akan memaparkan tentang seluk-beluk
organisasi Slum Dweller International. Sementara Putu Ayu Amita Sari membagi pengalamannya
di LSM Habitat for Humanity Indonesia cabang Batam dalam artikel “Membangun Bersama
Masyarakat: Sebuah Cerita dari Kaum Pinggiran.” Muh. Darman dari Ruang17 kemudian
bercerita tentang Spedagi dan kisah di baliknya yang berjudul “Village is A Future Community:
Sebuah Catatan Berdasarkan Presentasi Singgih S Kartono.” Hingga akhirnya, “Bincang
Siang Bersama Marco Kusumawijaya: Komunitas sebagai Alternatif Masa Depan”
oleh Roianisa Nurdin dan M. Yusni Aziz menutup rangkaian wacana volume “Aksi” yang dapat
memberi gambaran untuk volume selanjutnya, yaitu “Releksi.”
Dalam euforia memaknai kebebasan bicara dan berwacana secara lantang di ruang publik, fenomena di
atas sedikit banyak memberi andil dalam melahirkan beragam subkultur yang memperkaya kehidupan
di ruang kota. Meski pada akhirnya, bagaimana kita memaknai kehadiran mereka, akan kembali lagi
kepada keberpihakan kita kepada nilai-nilai yang mereka bawa.
Selamat memilih sudut pandang, selamat menikmati Ruang!
ISI
vol.1: Aksi
12
Architects Don’t Sit,
14
Ruang untuk Menjadi Orang Lain
20
Ipoh Bus Project: Placemaking
Through the Transit Community as
A Grassroot Effort
25
A Talk with Jorge Anzorena:
On Letters for the Community
Architects
34
Membangun Bersama Masyarakat:
Sebuah Cerita dari Kaum Pinggiran
40
Village is A Future Community:
Sebuah Catatan Berdasarkan
Presentasi Singgih S Kartono
55
Bincang Siang Bersama Marco
Kusumawijaya: Komunitas sebagai
Alternatif Masa Depan
esai Architects Walk
#donotsettle
esai foto Rian Afriadi
esai Alex Lee
wawancara Maria Dewi
esai Putu Ayu Amita Sari
esai Muh. Darman
wawancara Roianisa Nurdin dan Yusni Aziz
K O N T R I B U T O R
1. #DONOTSETTLE
2. RIAN AFRIADI
The
Duo-notsettle: Wahyu
Pratomo was born in Indonesia
(July 1989). He moved and
practiced architecture in Shanghai
and moved to the Netherlands to
complete his master in Urbanism.
His interest to walk and stroll
around the city brought him to
#donotsettle together with his
partner. Graphic design, video
and music have a big affect on
his creativity. Working with a
grand scheme to create big ideas
is always tantalizing for him. He
believes that being expectation
less and blind is the best way
to make friends. To achieve that,
with his fun and upbeat nature,
he takes risks by always trying
something new and exciting. For
him, life is either a great journey
or nothing at all. Kris Provoost is
a Belgian architect/designer (July
1987) who has been working in
China for the past 4 years. After
graduation he relocated to Beijing
to work for world- renowned
architecture ofices on projects
spread around Asia. He eventually
relocated to Shanghai and started
#donotsettle. He is a vivid fan of
traveling around the globe with
main focus on Asia. He grew up
in a small village before moving to
a 20 million city and not leaving
ever since. He likes the bustling
nature of megacities and feels
immediately right at home. Takes
everything that comes his way
with open arms, because it’s not
about the destination, it’s about
the journey.
@afriadirian . Mencintai perpajakan
dan street photography. Dalam
waktu dekat akan menerbitkan
photobook pertamanya, “A New
Sun In The Sky”.
1
3. MARIA BERNADET
KARINA DEWI
A graduate student at Urban
Engineering Department, the
University of Tokyo. Her ield of
research is in disaster recovery. She
has deep interest in community
participation and been involved in
several activities in the countries
she has been living in.
2
4. ALEX LEE
3
Alex Lee is an urban explorer, DIY
dude & greenie. He is constantly
exploring, observing and apply
interventions to cities to create
conversations. Pint-sized but feisty,
Alex believes the city is a living
thing.
5. AMITA SARI
4
5
Setelah lulus dari Universitas
Udayana, Bali tahun 2012,
sempat bekerja di Kementerian
Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif
selama 1,5 tahun. Ketertarikan
pada arsitektur-komunitas dimulai
saat mengikuti program Jakarta
Vertical Kampung oleh SHAU dan
Erasmus Huis. Dari situlah mulai
mengikuti panggilan hati untuk
bekerja bersama masyarakat
akhirnya memilih untuk bekerja
di NGO Habitat for Humanity
Indonesia-Cabang
Batam.
Menyukai dinamika arsitekturkomunitas, bagaimana merancang
dan membangun bersama-sama
dengan masyarakat.
6. MUH. DARMAN
Seorang
blogger,
beberapa
liputannya tentang arsitektur
dipublikasikan
melalui
blog
ruang17 - (www.ruang17.com)
sebuah blog arsitektur yang
dibuatnya sejak tahun 2010. Tak
hanya mengisi dengan liputannya
sendiri, blog ruang17 juga
menerima kontributor dari rekanrekan yang membagikan informasi
secara gratis untuk peningkatan
mutu bacaan dan informasi
arsitektur di Indonesia.
6
7. ROFIANISA NURDIN
Menjadi sarjana Arsitektur ITB
pada tahun 2012. Menggemari
literasi dan arsitektur, dan diamdiam berkhayal ingin mengambil
kuliah ilologi. Salah satu penggagas
Vidour pada tahun 2011 dan saat
ini bekerja sebagai architectural
designer di RAW Architecture
Pte. Ltd., Jakarta. Tulisan-tulisan
lainnya seputar arsitektur kota
bisa ditemukan di jongarsitek.com,
rujak.org, juga betterciti.es.
7
10. MARCO
KUSUMAWIJAYA
8
8. YUSNI AZIZ
Alumnus dari double-degree
bachelor program kerjasama
antara ITS dan Saxion Hogeschool
of Applied Sciences. Kemudian
menyelesaikan riset di Berlage
Institute pada tahun 2013. Saat
ini menjadi pengajar di UPH, dan
melakukan riset pribadi.
9
NARASUMBER
9. JORGE ANZORENA
Father Jorge Anzorena is an
Argentinian Jesuit (Society of
Jesus) priest, based in Japan. He
travels to several countries every
year to observe the progress of
community participation activity
for low-income housing. It is
mainly done in Asia, and also some
other parts of the world. For
many years, he has been sharing
his experiences through his
newsletter, SELAVIP. He is one of
the important igures in the early
times of ACHR (Asian Coalition
of Housing Rights), together with
Johan Silas from Indonesia. During
1990s, ACHR was focusing on
housing rights and problems of
eviction in Asian cities. He has
also been involved in the Slum
Dwellers International. I always
wanted to visit him to discuss
about community participation.
To have this opportunity is a very
valuable experience.
10
He is the founder and director of
RUJAK Center of Urban Studies.
Marco likes everything about city.
He is an urbanist. He is trained
as an architect (Parahyangan
University’s
Architecture
Department Bandung, Indonesia;
and Post Graduate Ventre Human
Settlements, Catholic University
of Leuven, Belgium). He likes
to write his own pre-mortem
obituary, as much as to walk and
count his breath, and his blessings,
at the same time. He is based in
the subjecut of his curiosity, the
metropolis Jakarta.
RUANG
Editorial Board :
Ivan Kurniawan Nasution
Mochammad Yusni Aziz
Roianisa Nurdin
web : www.membacaruang.com
facebook : /ruangarsitektur
twitter : @ruangarsitektur
tumblr : ruangarsitektur.tumblr.com
email : akudanruang@yahoo.com
segala isi materi di dalam majalah elektronik ini adalah hak cipta dan tanggung jawab
masing-masing penulis. penggunaan gambar
untuk keperluan tertentu harus atas izin penulis.
Foto: Roianisa Nurdin
Desain: Yusni Aziz
ARCHITECTS DON’T SIT,
ARCHITECTS WALK
by #donotsettle
©#donotsettle
ESSAY
ENGLISH
#donotsettle, Place-making,
Shanghai, Urban Intervention
#donotsettle is 2 architects/designers/urban enthusiasts that are attempting to change the way we
see the city. Both originating from a totally different
background (Indonesia and Belgium), their unique
multicultural ensemble results in an original fresh
set of eyes in which the city and its architecture
are seen.
edisi #9: Komunitas
©#donotsettle
Be Yourself
Be where you want to be and move. Do not sit still. Allow yourself to be yourself.
And this is exactly what we did, by building an international community on the
side. Architects are usually glued to their desk endlessly revising ofice layouts or
quickly sketching something for the long ignored backside MEP enclosure. We
can simply not accept this. This project is our aim to redeine “being architects.”
8
#donotsettle is about creating a group of urban explorers. With the rising
globalization and urbanization, we use social media to build a framework for likeminded people to share their explorations. #donotsettle creates a platform where
exploring, motivation, and adventure are keywords.
We are creating a new vision. Out with the old, say hi to the new architect. This is
a new ambition to recreate something by observing, failing and standing up. Over
and over again, because we do not settle.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
©#donotsettle
Multicultural Ensemble
#donotsettle is Wahyu and Kris: two Shanghai-based architects who are attempting
to change the way we see the city. We are both originating from a totally different
background (Indonesian and Belgian), growing up in countries on opposite sides
of our globe. This unique and previously unseen multicultural ensemble results in
an original fresh set of eyes in which the city and its architecture are seen. This
created an opportunity to learn from each other and think differently. We each
brought different inluences to the table and envisioned a project that has no
limitations or boundaries.
9
A new ambition calls for a new name. Brainstorming about a term that is stronger
than architects or urbanists, we started calling ourselves “urban enthusiasts.” The
city is our playground. We observe, recognize and perceive the city through our
eyes.
With an educational and professional background in architecture, we bring our
knowledge to the table and correlate between theory and the built environment.
We discuss between our global community and ourselves about the changes
happening and predict the future.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Explore More
What started as an escape plan from our architectural design work grew into
an opportunity to change the way we see the city. We go exploring because we
are eager to witness the transformation of the city. Beyond “feeling” the ground
we have a big interest in top-view supervision. Everybody wants to get surprised
or amazed by new or old things. We are letting the amazement overtake us
when we see new discoveries in architecture or urbanism. We are exploring from
new angles and go up, way up. Cities are experienced visually and everything is
different from up there: speed, sound, scale, form, and feel. Rooftops have long
been inaccessible and neglected, usually only used as a place to store mechanical
equipment, however these platform open up a new opportunity to study the
rapid change happening in this world’s inancial hub. Our observations show the
rich history of Shanghai’s urbanism and reveal the unfair ight currently happening
where Shanghai’s heritage is losing against the overpowering pressure of the shiny
skyscrapers.
Diverse layers of Shanghai seen from rooftops..
©#donotsettle
10
Rooftops are a representation of an unseen platform and they are not the subject.
We show the people, with our photographic research, that the city is bigger than
they think. The result is a gallery of photos showing the endlessness of a city like
Shanghai, which is the world’s most populous city. Being on top of a skyscraper
leaves you with a double feeling. At irst you feel small, and keep growing smaller
the more you look, because the city is a huge mechanism where you are just
a character in an extremely oversized puppet show. However, secondly, you
feel yourself grow bigger because you feel the extremities and can capture the
environment completely instead of limiting to a certain view. You are able to
relate yourself and put things in proportion. We are living in a world that is too
big to grasp. However, when you go higher you are starting to handle this.
Step by step. We go higher, we go wider and we go bigger every day.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
Break Your Limitations
We both don’t have a background in photography. We are designers. With this
background we go out and bring some simple tools along on our explorations.
No expensive set-ups, no professional cameras are needed to capture what
we see. All of our photos were taken with the latest iPhone and some cheap
pocket cameras. For us it is not about how you take the photo, it is about why
you take this particular photo. To create some variations, we always bring pen,
paper, small tripod/monopod and sunglasses. What can be seen as a limitation
(no photography background or expensive setup), turned into an opportunity to
think differently and try harder. When a limitation comes our way we brainstorm
to ind a way through. When you get pushed against a wall, break the wall.
One thing we haven’t broken yet is door or lock. We intend to keep it this way.
Who Seeks Shall Find
The research is a combination of individual interests and common objectives
about the city. We learn about urbanism by discovering and growing a sense
of knowledge about the environment, informality, infrastructure, alienation,
demolition, wilderness, architectural form, (resi)-density, and familiarity amongst
other. We call our explorations “spontaneous observations.” By walking 15
kilometers on average for every day of exploring, we reached 22 rooftops and
snapped 2500 pictures of Shanghai. These photos are arranged in sets revolving
around different topics. Is it possible to make non- architects excited about our
built environment? By sharing our explorations on Instagram and other social
media, we aim to share excitement. Social media gives us the lexibility to get
recognized by people from around the world.
When we are ready to end the day, we go explore some more. It is non-stop.
11
edisi #9: Komunitas
Exponential
Our battleield is Shanghai. As the largest city and the
inancial heart of China, there is plenty to explore. With
nearly 25 million people living in the city, there is no slowing
down in sight yet. With a huge crowd of individuals and a
huge surface of high-rise buildings, this is the perfect context
to be. Shanghai is Asia’s urbanism at its maximum. Being
rambunctious and energetic, change is seen every single
minute of every day. With a vibrant fusion of old and new,
the city is a more than welcome backdrop in every photo.
We learn about city restoration and foresight reaction at the
same time.
Today we live in the age of icons. Every city around the
world is creating their iconic view. It is their mark on the
map, their marketing material to be sent in postcard form
to loved ones on opposite corners of the world. Our urban
explorations put these familiar views in a new limelight. This
is the start of a new platform, full of energy that can be
applied to every city in the world because cities are there to
be seen and observed 24 hours a day.
Community
12
In the beginning, we were captivated to capture the unforeseen
of urban spaces with our architectural interpretation. Once
we started sharing our work, we were embraced with
motivation from other people who started seeing the city
from a new point of view. There is a certain warming feeling
when somebody who you had no connection with before,
walked up to you and said: “You gave me inspiration to take
my camera out again.”
Cities are changing and grow larger than they ever were
before.This requires a new ambition to redeine urbanism, as
we know it. Cities which developed for this generation need
more different meanings and ideas. A global community gives
us a platform to initiate discussion panel that can result in a
better understanding of our cities and why things happen
the way they happen.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
We learned things that we could not imagined before. We
started as simple photos grew in an opportunity to tell a
story of our experiences living in this mega-city; but even
so, it is becoming a way to motivate ourselves and our
community to keep going. Don’t look back, just keep walking.
Accept every challenge with open arms.
Visual Archive
Cities don’t stand still, they change overnight at high speed.
The past months we have consolidated our explorations
in a book format. This is our visual archive of how the city
was at the moment, because we are not capable to hold
the change. Instead we embrace the change and try to
understand the facts.
Combining 99 of our best photographs with our
observations in architecture, this book is our representation
of unsettledness, a new action concept in the city. Divided
into four chapters: Identiication, Recognition,
Transformation, and Perception; we talk about
architecture, urbanism, and the mind. This is how we feel
living in world’s most populated city in the world.
Next
We feel this is just the start. By using photography, video, text
and other forms of media we are building a network of urban
explorers who share the same ambition. That is where we
need you. Give us a look on Instagram account @donotsettle,
post your explorations with hashtag #donotsettle, or write
us an email to say hi to info@donotsettle.co. More of our tag
explorations can be seen on: www.donotsettle.co.
*
Wahyu and Kris
©#donotsettle
13
Ruang Untuk
Menjadi Orang Lain
by Rian Afriadi
ESAI FOTO
INDONESIA
Cosplay, Komunitas, Jakarta
Tidak seperti komunitas lain yang dapat berkumpul
dan mengekspresikan keinginan mereka kapan saja,
komunitas Cosplay membutuhkan ruang dan waktu
khusus untuk bertransformasi menjadi karakter
impian mereka.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Tidak seperti penggemar karaoke yang bisa menyanyi kapan pun
ia bisa, tidak mungkin bagi penggemar cosplay untuk berkostum
Sailormoon sembari membeli sikat gigi di toko kelontong di
mulut gang atau saat memperpanjang SIM di kepolisian.
Hebohnya kostum anime tidak akan membuat orang
mengernyitkan dahi jika ada dua puluh lima orang lainnya yang
berkostum anime. Kumpulan orang ini membutuhkan suatu
event khusus di tempat khusus untuk mengekspresikan diri.
Jakarta, sebagai kota yang dikenal tidak banyak memiliki ruang
publik dan tidak terlalu ramah bagi kebebasan berekspresi,
ternyata cukup memiliki ruang bagi komunitas cosplay. Dalam
setahun, cukup banyak event yang bisa mewadahi para cosplayer
untuk datang, saling memamerkan kostum, berbicara tentang
anime, berbicara tentang artis Jepang favorit, dan yang paling
penting : menjadi orang lain, menjadi tokoh yang kita idolakan,
walau itu hanya untuk beberapa jam saja.
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ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
17
edisi #9: Komunitas
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ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
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“Dalam setahun,
cukup banyak event
yang bisa mewadahi
para cosplayer
untuk datang... dan
yang paling penting:
menjadi orang lain...
walau itu hanya untuk
beberapa jam saja.”
Rian Afriadi
IPOH BUS PROJECT:
Placemaking Through the Transit
Community as A Grassroots Effort
by Alex Lee
Ipoh Bus Project Logo
©Alex Lee
ESSAY
ENGLISH
Place-making, Ipoh, Bus System, Community Movement
Ipoh Bus Project is a movement about buses, the
bus system and the possibilities of
placemaking through the bus system and its community.
edisi #9: Komunitas
22
The project started out as a personal
initiative in my own neighbourhood
where a bus stop stood unmaintained
for 20 over years. Growing old with
mold, rust and neglect, a group of family
and friends from the neighbourhood
bought a can of cheery yellow enamel
paint and painted it. No permission
sought. We felt it was the right thing
to do. We only polled enough money
for one can of paint and comically had
to paint scallops that resembled clouds
because we ran out of paint. We gave
the bus stop a name, the name the
locals call the stop, and painted a bus
on both sides for legibility and semiotic
issues.
Coming to see the bus stop looking
different than the day before, people
talked, few if any knew who did it.
Many were happy, some saw it as an
act of deiance against the languid
maintenance of the city council. Few
months after, all bus stops on the
street were renovated and renewed.
We achieved what we set out to
change, with only a can of paint and
some brushes.
From here we knew that Ipoh needs
us and we needed to do more for
Ipoh. Since we started out on buses,
we continued on buses.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
Ipoh
As with many small cities, Ipoh is an
ordinary city with an easy attitude
which has seen better days in the
past and is now overshadowed by
larger cities in its close region. Pitted
between the economic and cultural
powerhouses of Kuala Lumpur and
Penang, Ipoh has a language and lavour
but sees itself in a dilemma as it seeks
to compete head-on with the larger
cities in the region. An underdog city,
bleeding demographically through the
imbalanced migration of young minds
to larger cities.
The project itself is set in the temporal
and transitional space of the city. The
space and time that exists on the bus
between two points in a city. This is
where possibilities abound and lives
cross; the links and the nodes in a living
bus system.
23
With bus users made up of
schoolchildren to senior citizens; the
car-less working class to the migrant
workers; the project is a focused
search towards placemaking from the
grassroots that balances but does not
seek to antagonise the car-oriented
society. The city belongs not to one
group but to everybody.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Narrative Building
“A story is not something of this world.
A real story requires a kind of magical
baptism to link the world on this side of
the world on the other side.”
- Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart.
As with most community efforts, the
irst step is narrative building. By making
good use of the wide community base
and tapping into existing intangible
memories, the bus project links
nostalgia of the old bus system with
the present needs of commute. The
paper buses and pin badges are meant
to be a tangible key that unlocks
memories and conversations of bus
experiences. Similar to what a souvenir
does when it becomes a centrepiece
of a conversation.
Ipoh Bus souvenirs.
©Alex Lee
24
At the Art Market.
©Alex Lee
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
New and experienced users using
the bus system will be able to use
the bus guides that will feature bus
routes, and other important content
complementing the system map. It is
this information that makes the Ipoh
Bus Project guide different. It features
content on localised neighbourhood
attractions, cottage industries, and food
stalls. Promoting local and everything
on the scale of the neighbourhood.
The Ipoh Bus Project guide is a map
that guides people to a journey of
discovery, telling enough and keeping
some hidden lest the joy of discovery
is lost.
Bus Guide
A step ahead of narrative building is
the functional purpose of the project.
Some undoubtedly wish to hold on to
the nostalgia of the air-ventilated buses,
rickety ride and colourful decals but
the bus system is functional and must
place present commuting needs ahead.
With little information on bus routes
and system in Ipoh, it only makes sense
to create a comprehensive bus guide.
This in return will widen the commuter
base and ridership. A win-win situation
for bus companies, the city streets and
the project.
Being part of a city, content is
important. The Ipoh Bus Project opens
a door to the city’s rich existing and
fresh content. The project possibilities
are limitless and it’s goals are long
term. We are on a journey with the
city on the bus. The experience of
the journey is an act of self-discovery
for Ipoh through the eyes and ears
of it’s citizens and is more important
than the destination. There is a word
in Spanish, ‘vacilando’. It means one is
going somewhere, but does not greatly
care whether or not he gets there,
although he has direction.
Come visit Ipoh someday, let’s ride the
bus together.
*
Facebook: ipohbusproject
Email: ipohbusproject@gmail.com
25
edisi #9: Komunitas
26
Working draft of the bus guide.
©Alex Lee
A TALK WITH
JORGE ANZORENA:
ON LETTERS FOR THE
COMMUNITY ARCHITECTS
by Maria Dewi
Fr. Jorge Anzorena ©Maria Dewi
INTERVIEW
ENGLISH
Community Development,
Jorge Anzorena, International Organization, SELAVIP
Through his newsletter, SELAVIP, Jorge Anzorena
become one of the inluential igures for community development movement around the world.
Maria Dewi got the opportunity to dig deeper on
his view on architect’s position, Indonesia’s community movement, and many more.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Along the way to his house, the morning-glory lowers started to bloom. They
cheered me up after getting lost on the way to ind his residence. He welcomed
me with a warm and sincere smile, and invited me to enter his work-space. It
was a humble pavilion facing the yard with shady trees and comfortable sunshine.
Father Jorge Anzorena is an Argentinian Jesuit (Society of Jesus) priest, based
in Japan. He travels to several countries every year to observe the progress of
community participation activity for low-income housing. It is mainly done in Asia,
and also some other parts of the world. For many years, he has been sharing his
experiences through his newsletter, SELAVIP.
He is one of the important igures in the early times of ACHR (Asian Coalition of
Housing Rights), together with Johan Silas from Indonesia. During 1990s, ACHR
was focusing on housing rights and problems of eviction in Asian cities. He has
also been involved in the Slum Dwellers International. I always wanted to visit
him to discuss about community participation. To have this opportunity is a very
valuable experience.
M: How did your involvement with community development start in
the very beginning?
A: First I need to tell you about my educational background. At irst, I studied civil
engineering in Argentina. Afterwards I joined the Jesuits. Then I taught for two
years in France before I came to Japan. In Japan, I started to learn the language
for two years, and inished my master doctorate in architecture for two years. I
also studied theology for four years and at the same time also joining the Hongo
Tokyo University.
After inishing my master doctorate, I began to teach at Sophia University at
human and architecture program. During my master study, I did a research on
how the change of behaviour in universities could change the physical aspects or
the other way around. The basic idea is that the universities should be the place
for development of yourself, not only to prepare your job for the society.
28
One thesis that I put in my book is the Tamariya, a place you could stay. People
would feel at home; you are not running all the time.Then, you have the attachment
to the university. When you are in a big university like Meiji, you inished class and
you are out in the streets, it’s nothing. I tried to ind out where people would
relax inside.
Because when students are passive, they don’t grow. They need to ind what they
want to do in the universities, in life. It was a very interesting moment because
they start to think about the future, began to see the meaning of their life. They
just need to ind something, which make them, as young people, become more
active.
After ten years inishing the program, I went to Germany. It was a time for
relections. I wanted to see for one side what are the things that motivate young
people to be more active and also about poverty.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
It was in 1973-1974 that I eventually heard about Mother Teresa, even though
she was not yet very well known. Someone said there was an interesting work
in Calcutta when I was in Tokyo University. I tried, and I went over there for one
month with her.
M: So you have worked with Mother Teresa?
A: Yes, I stayed with them. We were at the Kaligati Temple in which they collected
dying people in the streets and tried to have a kind of decent last moments for
them.
And then I said to myself “if you have a doctorate in architecture for instance
and you see people dying in the streets, is not very useful for them to be with
a doctor in architecture for their life”. Sometimes I asked, “In Japan, what could
I do?”. I saw that tremendous need for help. They’re very poor. There was no
architect, not much interest.
Afterwards, I went back to teach and tried to ind a chance to make contact. Finally,
there was one group of Jesuit, which has an ofice called Human Development.
This Human Development ofice is related with the growing poverty in Asia.They
are a group of bishops – Catholics and Protestants – who want to help people
who are evicted. For eviction were very radical in Asia.
They ask for the disciples of Saul Alinsky to come and help organizing it.
Afterwards, they also went to Phillipines. It was a big problem during Marcos’s
dictatorship. He wanted to move 300.000 people to make some beautiful things.
M: So what kind of project you had in your beginning years of
community development?
A: Well, this organization was able to make 100.000 families to remain in their
place. There was also Dennis Murphy, other Jesuit at the time. He had some
experiences in Latin America. He was invited there and saw that for organizing
the people’s housing you need to put a lot of energy. He didn’t know what
happens in Asia and he wanted to do some research about what the poor doing
to improve themselves. That was the irst project. I read that and I wrote to him
if I could help something from Japan. That was 1976.
Then I started to work for him and he said, “Please come to Asia, to Philippines.
During the vacation of the university”. Afterwards, during the Jesuits meeting, they
also said, “Why don’t you take care of this project?”. I said, “I was just teaching in a
university and it is not that easy”. The bishops wrote to the University of Sophia,
asking if they could lend me for two years for this. The university said OK, and I
went over there.
29
edisi #9: Komunitas
M: So did you execute you irst project inside or outside Japan?
A: The irst is not really a project but trying to see what happens, to record what
happens in different countries. On what activities the people are doing in different
countries. Not the problems but what is happening in Asia.
I made several contacts with some independent or government-related groups.
After these contacts, I began to make small notes, a kind of rudimentary newsletter
that says what I see, what things happen, etc. I began to send it to the people I
met. Because I learned from them and I said, “This is what I learned from you and
other people.” Basically it was trying to record what’s happening. Practically at the
time, I was continuously moving to most of the cities for two years.
M: What keeps you doing it until now?
A: Because it was very interesting: people you see, the activities, and so on.
Afterwards, I went back to the university. They gave me other two years of
working. But you know, if you are a full time teacher you need to really teach. So
I tried to ind a way to work on this during my vacation.
M: During your journey from that time until right now, did you see
some ideal situation between the government and the community?
A: I feel it doesn’t exist much but it happens. Practically in the beginning, most of
the groups were independent from the government. Even in the 80’s some groups
were saying that the government is not doing nothing, so just do something by
yourself. In Pakistan, they even began to build sewer systems by themselves. The
Orangi Pilot project. It was very dificult because that was a sewer system.
M: Do you have some role in connecting all of the practitioners of
community development between countries?
30
A: Well, because I am the only one who was moving around from the beginning.
When ACHR (Asian Coalition for Housing Rights) was formed, it was my network.
In the newsletter, you have the address, you can just go there, you don’t need to
go through me. We began to have a kind of connections and they decide to be
together.
M: Do you have some role in connecting all of the practitioners of
community development between countries?
A: Well, because I am the only one who was moving around from the beginning.
When ACHR (Asian Coalition for Housing Rights) was formed, it was my network.
In the newsletter, you have the address, you can just go there, you don’t need to
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi, Pakistan. Volunteers were constructing sanitation facilities.
Source: www.diplomatonline.com
go through me. We began to have a kind of connections and they decide to be
together.
M: Which countries that are you focusing in?
A: Asia. What happens in Asia. From the very beginning the scope was Asia. But
then after 24 years, they asked me to go to the southern part of Africa. What I
experienced is the groups of Asia were helping them. Now my movements are
mostly in Asia, and one month in Africa.
M: So as you were seeing the situation of many countries’ community
development, how did you see the local aspects in it?
A: Different people are working for different things. Usually when I go to one
place, I try to meet the people, to understand and write about them, and see
what they are doing. For that, usually I stay one month. When they are doing
something interesting, I go the next year. Some groups I go every year. Usually I
try to learn from them more than to say. If they ask me, there are groups that
31
edisi #9: Komunitas
do similar things, then I talk. Usually I learn. More or less I began to understand
what they tried to do and I see the relations that they have with the people. I
record it, so later I could give some advices. There are people who will oppose
the government, or there are who will cooperate or accepted. Hasan Purbo
and Mangunwijaya were accepted by everybody. Robi Sularto was a very good
architect, who lived in Bali. Even though afterwards he fought the government.
M: And then, I read in one of your paper that you mention the
importance of self-help attitude from the community in the approach
of building local housing. So what makes it more successful than the
ones executed in top-down action?
A: Well depends. Sometimes, from bottom up is good but it’s very slow. For
instance in Brazil, they call the Mutirao self-help project, very good and very
cheap, but it goes slowly. If you have the money, sometimes it’s much faster if you
go from the top. It’s not the best way but it’s the most effective way.
We could have a lot of money, but if we have a very well structured government,
it could go faster. It is related to millions of people. We need them involved to
give land or permission. Self-help attitude would takes a lot of time, its best to go
opposite when its related to improvement of millions.
M: Do you have some working experience in Indonesia?
A: Robi Sularto was doing something about earthquake in Bali. He was working
through the carpenters, not through the companies. Mangunwijaya was very quiet
and became good friends with the people in the neighborhood. He began to do
this very quietly and he did a good job with the poor houses. The government
wanted to destroy it but Aga Khan gave their awards to him. I was learning
tremendously with him.
32
Johan Silas thought that the government was very autocratic at that time.
Surabaya didn’t have any technical support. He thought that the support from
the government is necessary for the community development. I saw that he was
trying to prove that it’s possible. He did something to the loors. And will try to
defend even everything, even the wrong things he will try to defend. That is his
way, his approach. But afterwards he is recognized for the good things he has
done.
M: How is your opinion on Indonesian community architecture and
community development?
A: I don’t know, because there are the new groups. I don’t have much contact
with them. You have very capable people, but things in Indonesia move slowly.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
33
Kali Code ©Maria Dewi
edisi #9: Komunitas
Mutirao self-help
housing project.
Source: http://
incrementalhouse.
blogspot.com
The government is very careful in making moves. I remember Silas able to do his
thing because he was in Surabaya. It is more complicated in Jakarta. They were
very dificult to move things. But maybe now its possible after the 1998 reform.
M: How do you see the rule of architect towards the people, regarding
some architects’ individual desires in which they create iconic
buildings, or becoming famous ?
A: They need to work. You cannot work for the people. Very few which are very
competent people can do it and make a living of that. When you are young, you
can become idealistic just like you. But when you are married you start to develop
families, etc. You have to compromise.
34
I think it is very dificult for an architect to make a living and working in this.
Everybody feels much better working with the poor because they think its more
creative, etc. But how they could survive is the problem. I met many architects
who like to do that, and sometimes they would provide free services to the
people. One guy was telling me when he was making a thesis, “I cannot make a
thesis about the poor in Tokyo University, because normally the teacher will not
accept it.” But now perhaps things are changing.
But it’s evolution. For myself, not what I should become. I cannot say what Maria
should do in the future. Maria should ind out what she really wants and decides
to do from inside herself.You need to be free, free to develop yourself. When you
go inside, you will ind something that is acceptable to you. From outside it’s very
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
dificult. It sometimes works, but only very few times.
M: I am very agree with that. During your 24 years of experience,
what is your most important lesson in practicing?
A: Well you know, it’s a process to be open to the difference. For us it’s very
dificult. For example when I came to Japan, it’s a very different country. But if you
are able to open yourself a little to Japanese, you would ind out that you become
a little more understanding, more tolerant.There are things that you don’t like but
I think this is a process which exist.
It’s not something to say, “This is my way” because you are used to it. The other
people around you have other ways, and that is a friction. Sometimes you get
angry and even upset.
M: Last question. What is your hope towards the future of community
development?
A: It’s people. Hope is the people. Usually we are not completely free because we
have a lot of fears: fears of the future, fears of the people, and fears of the family.
If you are more competent and more free, do something which you are called to
do. This is extremely important. I think this is the most important thing that exist.
M: It’s the freedom of doing and thinking perhaps, and expressing
ourselves.
A:Yes. For instance you have 40 students, they’re very enthusiastic. But from them,
perhaps who will remain as community architects for longer time only 2. The
others will try to go to other university etc. It depends on themselves you know.
I think it’s the freedom of people, that more people become free. I think this is
the hope.
It’s a process, and it also needs to be done by people. Not only the architects but
also the communities. But I think the good process is when community begins to
develop people, who really begin to care for others. When the community begins
to think about the poor people in any community.
From the group of community architects itself, it depends on what ideas that tie
them together. If you establish a group, you have to keep open to everyone. Do
not becoming a dictator. When you are going around in 3 continents, you ind
things happen. Some groups of community architects develop, other groups die.
That depends very much of the core group or the core beliefs that you have. If
you are selish, this will appear sooner or later. These things are, for myself: when
you think there is something that is higher than you, and this: you are not the
center of the world but this is the center, you just participate.
35
“You are not
the center
of the world
but this is the
center, you just
participate.”
Jorge Anzorena
Membangun Bersama
Masyarakat:
Sebuah Cerita dari Kaum Pinggiran
oleh Amita Sari
ESAI
INDONESIA
Komunitas, Pengabdian
Masyarakat, Kolektivitas
Komunitas terbentuk oleh tujuan bersama untuk
menyelesaikan permasalahan-permasalahan
yang ada di masyarakat. Kultur perkotaan
dikombinasikan dengan semangat kebersamaan
warga kampung menjadi sebuah modal dalam
menghadapi permasalahan masyarakat yang
kompleks.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Seseorang akan berkata ‘A’ sementara yang lain ‘B’ untuk satu
hal yang sama. Permasalahannya bukan salah atau benar.
Namun, melihat dari berbagai sudut pandang dan pemikiran.
Itulah keunikan dinamika sebuah komunitas.
38
BATAM, dulu dan kini, entah bagaimana nanti…
Matahari seakan tidak memberi ampun pada geliat kehidupan di Kota Batam.
Teriknya terasa membakar kulit. Betapa beruntungnya menemukan sebuah laguna
penampungan air hujan di tengah-tengah kota Batam; seperti melihat sebuah
danau kecil diantara bukit-bukit gersang.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
Walau terletak di sebuah pulau kecil, banyak hal yang dapat dipelajari dari kota
ini. Sudut-sudut kotanya tidak pernah habis untuk dijelajahi. Batam, sebuah kota
administratif setingkat Kabupaten, memiliki sejarah perkembangan kehidupan kota
yang cukup menarik. Sejarah kejayaan masa lampau tidak banyak berbicara tentang
pulau ini – hanya ada sekelumit kisah kerjaan Tumasek, perebutan wilayah antara
Belanda dan Inggris, juga tempat asal tokoh nasional Laksamana Hang Nadim yang
namanya diabadikan menjadi nama Bandar Udara Internasional di Batam.
Dahulu, pulau ini hanyalah sebuah tanah kering berwarna merah tanpa tandatanda manusia mampu bertahan hidup. Namun, karena lokasinya yang strategis
(berdekatan dengan Singapura dan Malaysia), kota ini berkembang pesat menjadi
sebuah kota perdagangan. Batam diharapkan menjadi pusat perdagangan di Asia
Tenggara untuk menyaingi Singapura, karenanya kota ini memiliki perencanaan
yang matang. Pembangunan infrastruktur jalan dan jembatan, daerah pertokoan
sedikit demi sedikit mulai berkembang. Kini, Batam dibanjiri investor, perusahaan
asing serta imigran yang mencari peruntungan. Daerah yang dulunya tanpa nyawa
sekarang menjadi sebuah kota yang ramai dan sedang berkembang pesat.
Di tengah-tengah geliat ini, muncul berbagai permasalahan seperti kebutuhan
pangan yang meningkat, tuntutan ekonomi yang semakin sulit, dan kebutuhan
akan perumahan. Awalnya, pemerintah mengalami kesulitan untuk membendung
pertumbuhan rumah liar di sepanjang daerah strategis tadi. Sebagaimana
permasalahan di kota-kota lainnya, keberadaan rumah liar membuat wajah kota
tidak sedap dipandang mata. Untuk mengatasi permasalahan ini, pemerintah kota
bersama-sama dengan pihak berwajib membuat kebijakan untuk merelokasi
rumah-rumah liar tadi dengan kompensasi sebuah tanah kaveling di lahan baru.
39
Namun, penyediaan tanah kaveling siap bangun juga menimbulkan permasalahan
baru. Letaknya tidak strategis, belum tersedianya infrastruktur listrik dan air bersih,
juga mental masyarakat yang tidak taat pada aturan membuat perkembangannya
berjalan lambat. Bahkan, beberapa warga mencari keuntungan dengan menjual
lahan kaveling yang diterimanya dengan cuma-cuma dan kembali bertempat
tinggal di perumahan liar.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Andaikata penduduk tinggal di kaveling ini, mereka juga harus menghadapi
tantangan ketersediaan air bersih dan listrik. Hasilnya banyak ditemui rumahrumah dengan penataan wilayah yang tidak beraturan, akses jalan yang buruk,
dan tidak memiliki saluran irigasi. Hal ini menyerupai susunan perumahan liar yang
lahannya telah dilegalkan oleh pemerintah.
Menjadi tukang bangunan sehari
sebagai pengalaman yang tak terlupakan
Batam tidak patut ditangisi atau ditinggalkan berdiam diri untuk menghadapi segala
permasalahan yang ada. Tidak menyerah karena kondisi yang ada merupakan
suatu kunci untuk hidup lebih baik. Geliat pagi begitu terasa saat kami (para
relawan) masuk ke kaveling kumuh di daerah pinggiran kota Batam. Pemandangan
ini tidak biasa ditemui, apalagi bagi relawan asal Singapura yang turut membantu
dalam pembangunan partisipatif di lokasi tersebut. Berasal dari negara maju, tidak
membuat mereka sungkan untuk berkotor-kotor untuk memasuki kaveling yang
tidak berbentuk tadi.
40
Seorang ibu tua, terlihat menitikan air mata menyambut kehadiran kami. Suaminya
telah tiada bertahun-tahun lamanya, anak perempuannya meninggal beberapa
bulan yang lalu. Hanya tinggal dirinya dan anak laki-lakinya yang bekerja serabutan
untuk menghidupi keluarga. Sang ibu juga berusaha mencari penghidupan dengan
bekerja sebagai buruh cuci. Jangankan untuk membenahi rumahnya, untuk makan
sehari-hari pun mereka kesulitan. Pilu hati kami mendengarnya. Tanpa sungkan,
bersama dengan warga sekitar, kami membantu pembangunan rumahnya. Tak
peduli tua-muda, pria-wanita, semua terlihat senang membantu sang pemilik
rumah. Pekerjaan memotong besi, membuat adukan mortar, menggali tanah,
dan memasang batako yang biasa dilakukan oleh tukang bangunan, menjadi
pekerjaan pokok saat membantu keluarga penerima bantuan. Pekerjaan ini sangat
menyenangkan, di sela-sela menyelesaikan target pekerjaan hari itu, kadangkala
kami malah bermain-main dengan cipratan mortar. Tidak ada yang mengeluh
dalam bekerja keras, hanya ada tawa, senyum, dan canda saat bekerja. Sebuah
pengalaman yang tak terlupakan.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
41
edisi #9: Komunitas
Ini adalah proses pembentukan komunitas yang dibangun dengan landasan
kepercayaan dan pengabdian kepada masyarakat. Kultur masyarakat urban Batam
yang dikombinasikan dengan kehidupan kampung membentuk sebuah tatanan
baru. Berpikir dan bertindak sebagai masyarakat kota dengan jiwa dan semangat
kebersamaan yang terikat kuat.
Sebuah komunitas terbentuk dengan berbagai dinamika dan kompleksitas
permasalahan yang dihadapinya. Bukan sebuah komunitas hi-tech, cyber, terpelajar,
ataupun memiliki kesamaan hobi sering nongkrong di mall/cafe, kesamaan visi, atau
hal hebat yang lainnya. Meski bukan sebuah komunitas modern, mereka tetap akan
berteriak dengan lantang di ruang publik apabila ada yang tidak sesuai dengan yang
seharusnya. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang sederhana, namun berdedikasi untuk
mengorganisir dan menggerakan kegiatan pembangunan rumah. Mereka memiliki
harapan untuk membangkitkan kesadaran masyarakat untuk hidup dengan layak.
Rumah adalah tempat di mana segalanya berawal. Mulai dari tempat berlindung
hingga tempat tumbuh kembangnya anak, pengajaran pendidikan keluarga. Sebuah
kebutuhan primer untuk keluarga agar hidup layak.
Komunitas adalah tempat belajar
Selain pembangunan rumah, hal yang tak kalah pentingnya adalah pemberdayaan
komunitas. Bukan hanya memberikan bantuan secara cuma-cuma, tapi bagaimana
42
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
membuat kom
RUANG
KOMUNITAS VOL. 1
AKSI
1
9
edisi #9: Komunitas
2
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
RUANG #9: KOMUNITAS
vol. 1: Aksi
tidak akan terwujud tanpa kontribusi dari:
#DONOTSETTLE
Rian Afriadi
Alex Lee
Maria Dewi
Putu Ayu Amita Sari
Muh. Darman
Roianisa Nurdin
3
Yusni Aziz
RUANG
PEMBUKA
Setiap individu terlahir dalam sebuah kehidupan kolektif yang dikenal dengan nama “komunitas.” Secara
eksplisit maupun implisit; ilmu, budaya, dan cara hidup sebuah komunitas akan tercetak dalam diri individu.
Dalam upaya para kontributor menjawab call-for-paper Ruang edisi 9 bertema “komunitas,” kami
mendapat sebuah gambaran pemaknaan saat ini tentang istilah tersebut; yang kerap disandang,
disematkan, bahkan barangkali diklaim oleh mereka yang punya misi meredeinisi kungkungan
perencanaan dan otoritas formal dengan berupaya melakukan segala sesuatu dari lingkaran terkecil di
sekitar mereka. Serangkaian gerilya. Sebagian dari mereka memaknai komunitas sebagai potensi; objek.
Bagi yang lain, komunitas adalah jiwa; penggerak subjek.
Kontributor untuk Ruang edisi 9 ini datang dari beragam konteks. Hal ini diharapkan akan memperluas
pemahaman terhadap “komunitas” dari ranah arsitektur yang berusaha tidak terbatas pada satu ruang
berpikir dan profesi tertentu. Penggunaan bahasa Inggris dalam beberapa artikel dari kontributor
asing pun juga bagian dari membuka diri terhadap kemungkinan-kemungkinan yang lebih luas. Semoga
diversitas bahasa dalam satu wadah ini tidak membuat kami kehilangan konsistensi tema dalam
kandungan informasi yang kami sampaikan.
Kami berhasil mengumpulkan 17 artikel yang terbagi ke dalam dua volume berdasarkan kategori:
“Aksi” dan “Releksi.” Kategori “Aksi” diperuntukkan bagi artikel yang membuka pencarian, aktualisasi,
dan implementasi yang mengamini nilai-nilai yang diimani. Kemudian, artikel-artikel dalam kategori
“Releksi” hadir sebagai sekumpulan konsepsi yang mengevaluasi hal-hal yang telah terjadi.
Tujuh pemasukan dalam kategori “Aksi” datang dari para pelaku komunitas di berbagai konteks
ruang dan pemahaman. #donotsettle membuka rangkaian wacana dengan pengalaman mereka
mengokupasi ruang publik di ketinggian garis langit kota Shanghai dalam artikel “Architects Don’t
Sit, Architects Walk.” Kemudian Rian Afriadi menawarkan perspektifnya terhadap komunitas
pecinta Jepang dari balik lensa kameranya dalam esai foto bertajuk “Ruang untuk Menjadi
Orang Lain.” Sementara Alex Lee, seorang pegerilya urban yang berasal dari Perak, Malaysia,
bercerita tentang gerakannya mengintervensi sistem bus di Ipoh yang berjudul “Ipoh Bus Project:
Placemaking Through the Transit Community as A Grassroot Effort.” Selanjutnya, sebuah
wawancara dengan Jorge Anzorena oleh Maria Dewi akan memaparkan tentang seluk-beluk
organisasi Slum Dweller International. Sementara Putu Ayu Amita Sari membagi pengalamannya
di LSM Habitat for Humanity Indonesia cabang Batam dalam artikel “Membangun Bersama
Masyarakat: Sebuah Cerita dari Kaum Pinggiran.” Muh. Darman dari Ruang17 kemudian
bercerita tentang Spedagi dan kisah di baliknya yang berjudul “Village is A Future Community:
Sebuah Catatan Berdasarkan Presentasi Singgih S Kartono.” Hingga akhirnya, “Bincang
Siang Bersama Marco Kusumawijaya: Komunitas sebagai Alternatif Masa Depan”
oleh Roianisa Nurdin dan M. Yusni Aziz menutup rangkaian wacana volume “Aksi” yang dapat
memberi gambaran untuk volume selanjutnya, yaitu “Releksi.”
Dalam euforia memaknai kebebasan bicara dan berwacana secara lantang di ruang publik, fenomena di
atas sedikit banyak memberi andil dalam melahirkan beragam subkultur yang memperkaya kehidupan
di ruang kota. Meski pada akhirnya, bagaimana kita memaknai kehadiran mereka, akan kembali lagi
kepada keberpihakan kita kepada nilai-nilai yang mereka bawa.
Selamat memilih sudut pandang, selamat menikmati Ruang!
ISI
vol.1: Aksi
12
Architects Don’t Sit,
14
Ruang untuk Menjadi Orang Lain
20
Ipoh Bus Project: Placemaking
Through the Transit Community as
A Grassroot Effort
25
A Talk with Jorge Anzorena:
On Letters for the Community
Architects
34
Membangun Bersama Masyarakat:
Sebuah Cerita dari Kaum Pinggiran
40
Village is A Future Community:
Sebuah Catatan Berdasarkan
Presentasi Singgih S Kartono
55
Bincang Siang Bersama Marco
Kusumawijaya: Komunitas sebagai
Alternatif Masa Depan
esai Architects Walk
#donotsettle
esai foto Rian Afriadi
esai Alex Lee
wawancara Maria Dewi
esai Putu Ayu Amita Sari
esai Muh. Darman
wawancara Roianisa Nurdin dan Yusni Aziz
K O N T R I B U T O R
1. #DONOTSETTLE
2. RIAN AFRIADI
The
Duo-notsettle: Wahyu
Pratomo was born in Indonesia
(July 1989). He moved and
practiced architecture in Shanghai
and moved to the Netherlands to
complete his master in Urbanism.
His interest to walk and stroll
around the city brought him to
#donotsettle together with his
partner. Graphic design, video
and music have a big affect on
his creativity. Working with a
grand scheme to create big ideas
is always tantalizing for him. He
believes that being expectation
less and blind is the best way
to make friends. To achieve that,
with his fun and upbeat nature,
he takes risks by always trying
something new and exciting. For
him, life is either a great journey
or nothing at all. Kris Provoost is
a Belgian architect/designer (July
1987) who has been working in
China for the past 4 years. After
graduation he relocated to Beijing
to work for world- renowned
architecture ofices on projects
spread around Asia. He eventually
relocated to Shanghai and started
#donotsettle. He is a vivid fan of
traveling around the globe with
main focus on Asia. He grew up
in a small village before moving to
a 20 million city and not leaving
ever since. He likes the bustling
nature of megacities and feels
immediately right at home. Takes
everything that comes his way
with open arms, because it’s not
about the destination, it’s about
the journey.
@afriadirian . Mencintai perpajakan
dan street photography. Dalam
waktu dekat akan menerbitkan
photobook pertamanya, “A New
Sun In The Sky”.
1
3. MARIA BERNADET
KARINA DEWI
A graduate student at Urban
Engineering Department, the
University of Tokyo. Her ield of
research is in disaster recovery. She
has deep interest in community
participation and been involved in
several activities in the countries
she has been living in.
2
4. ALEX LEE
3
Alex Lee is an urban explorer, DIY
dude & greenie. He is constantly
exploring, observing and apply
interventions to cities to create
conversations. Pint-sized but feisty,
Alex believes the city is a living
thing.
5. AMITA SARI
4
5
Setelah lulus dari Universitas
Udayana, Bali tahun 2012,
sempat bekerja di Kementerian
Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif
selama 1,5 tahun. Ketertarikan
pada arsitektur-komunitas dimulai
saat mengikuti program Jakarta
Vertical Kampung oleh SHAU dan
Erasmus Huis. Dari situlah mulai
mengikuti panggilan hati untuk
bekerja bersama masyarakat
akhirnya memilih untuk bekerja
di NGO Habitat for Humanity
Indonesia-Cabang
Batam.
Menyukai dinamika arsitekturkomunitas, bagaimana merancang
dan membangun bersama-sama
dengan masyarakat.
6. MUH. DARMAN
Seorang
blogger,
beberapa
liputannya tentang arsitektur
dipublikasikan
melalui
blog
ruang17 - (www.ruang17.com)
sebuah blog arsitektur yang
dibuatnya sejak tahun 2010. Tak
hanya mengisi dengan liputannya
sendiri, blog ruang17 juga
menerima kontributor dari rekanrekan yang membagikan informasi
secara gratis untuk peningkatan
mutu bacaan dan informasi
arsitektur di Indonesia.
6
7. ROFIANISA NURDIN
Menjadi sarjana Arsitektur ITB
pada tahun 2012. Menggemari
literasi dan arsitektur, dan diamdiam berkhayal ingin mengambil
kuliah ilologi. Salah satu penggagas
Vidour pada tahun 2011 dan saat
ini bekerja sebagai architectural
designer di RAW Architecture
Pte. Ltd., Jakarta. Tulisan-tulisan
lainnya seputar arsitektur kota
bisa ditemukan di jongarsitek.com,
rujak.org, juga betterciti.es.
7
10. MARCO
KUSUMAWIJAYA
8
8. YUSNI AZIZ
Alumnus dari double-degree
bachelor program kerjasama
antara ITS dan Saxion Hogeschool
of Applied Sciences. Kemudian
menyelesaikan riset di Berlage
Institute pada tahun 2013. Saat
ini menjadi pengajar di UPH, dan
melakukan riset pribadi.
9
NARASUMBER
9. JORGE ANZORENA
Father Jorge Anzorena is an
Argentinian Jesuit (Society of
Jesus) priest, based in Japan. He
travels to several countries every
year to observe the progress of
community participation activity
for low-income housing. It is
mainly done in Asia, and also some
other parts of the world. For
many years, he has been sharing
his experiences through his
newsletter, SELAVIP. He is one of
the important igures in the early
times of ACHR (Asian Coalition
of Housing Rights), together with
Johan Silas from Indonesia. During
1990s, ACHR was focusing on
housing rights and problems of
eviction in Asian cities. He has
also been involved in the Slum
Dwellers International. I always
wanted to visit him to discuss
about community participation.
To have this opportunity is a very
valuable experience.
10
He is the founder and director of
RUJAK Center of Urban Studies.
Marco likes everything about city.
He is an urbanist. He is trained
as an architect (Parahyangan
University’s
Architecture
Department Bandung, Indonesia;
and Post Graduate Ventre Human
Settlements, Catholic University
of Leuven, Belgium). He likes
to write his own pre-mortem
obituary, as much as to walk and
count his breath, and his blessings,
at the same time. He is based in
the subjecut of his curiosity, the
metropolis Jakarta.
RUANG
Editorial Board :
Ivan Kurniawan Nasution
Mochammad Yusni Aziz
Roianisa Nurdin
web : www.membacaruang.com
facebook : /ruangarsitektur
twitter : @ruangarsitektur
tumblr : ruangarsitektur.tumblr.com
email : akudanruang@yahoo.com
segala isi materi di dalam majalah elektronik ini adalah hak cipta dan tanggung jawab
masing-masing penulis. penggunaan gambar
untuk keperluan tertentu harus atas izin penulis.
Foto: Roianisa Nurdin
Desain: Yusni Aziz
ARCHITECTS DON’T SIT,
ARCHITECTS WALK
by #donotsettle
©#donotsettle
ESSAY
ENGLISH
#donotsettle, Place-making,
Shanghai, Urban Intervention
#donotsettle is 2 architects/designers/urban enthusiasts that are attempting to change the way we
see the city. Both originating from a totally different
background (Indonesia and Belgium), their unique
multicultural ensemble results in an original fresh
set of eyes in which the city and its architecture
are seen.
edisi #9: Komunitas
©#donotsettle
Be Yourself
Be where you want to be and move. Do not sit still. Allow yourself to be yourself.
And this is exactly what we did, by building an international community on the
side. Architects are usually glued to their desk endlessly revising ofice layouts or
quickly sketching something for the long ignored backside MEP enclosure. We
can simply not accept this. This project is our aim to redeine “being architects.”
8
#donotsettle is about creating a group of urban explorers. With the rising
globalization and urbanization, we use social media to build a framework for likeminded people to share their explorations. #donotsettle creates a platform where
exploring, motivation, and adventure are keywords.
We are creating a new vision. Out with the old, say hi to the new architect. This is
a new ambition to recreate something by observing, failing and standing up. Over
and over again, because we do not settle.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
©#donotsettle
Multicultural Ensemble
#donotsettle is Wahyu and Kris: two Shanghai-based architects who are attempting
to change the way we see the city. We are both originating from a totally different
background (Indonesian and Belgian), growing up in countries on opposite sides
of our globe. This unique and previously unseen multicultural ensemble results in
an original fresh set of eyes in which the city and its architecture are seen. This
created an opportunity to learn from each other and think differently. We each
brought different inluences to the table and envisioned a project that has no
limitations or boundaries.
9
A new ambition calls for a new name. Brainstorming about a term that is stronger
than architects or urbanists, we started calling ourselves “urban enthusiasts.” The
city is our playground. We observe, recognize and perceive the city through our
eyes.
With an educational and professional background in architecture, we bring our
knowledge to the table and correlate between theory and the built environment.
We discuss between our global community and ourselves about the changes
happening and predict the future.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Explore More
What started as an escape plan from our architectural design work grew into
an opportunity to change the way we see the city. We go exploring because we
are eager to witness the transformation of the city. Beyond “feeling” the ground
we have a big interest in top-view supervision. Everybody wants to get surprised
or amazed by new or old things. We are letting the amazement overtake us
when we see new discoveries in architecture or urbanism. We are exploring from
new angles and go up, way up. Cities are experienced visually and everything is
different from up there: speed, sound, scale, form, and feel. Rooftops have long
been inaccessible and neglected, usually only used as a place to store mechanical
equipment, however these platform open up a new opportunity to study the
rapid change happening in this world’s inancial hub. Our observations show the
rich history of Shanghai’s urbanism and reveal the unfair ight currently happening
where Shanghai’s heritage is losing against the overpowering pressure of the shiny
skyscrapers.
Diverse layers of Shanghai seen from rooftops..
©#donotsettle
10
Rooftops are a representation of an unseen platform and they are not the subject.
We show the people, with our photographic research, that the city is bigger than
they think. The result is a gallery of photos showing the endlessness of a city like
Shanghai, which is the world’s most populous city. Being on top of a skyscraper
leaves you with a double feeling. At irst you feel small, and keep growing smaller
the more you look, because the city is a huge mechanism where you are just
a character in an extremely oversized puppet show. However, secondly, you
feel yourself grow bigger because you feel the extremities and can capture the
environment completely instead of limiting to a certain view. You are able to
relate yourself and put things in proportion. We are living in a world that is too
big to grasp. However, when you go higher you are starting to handle this.
Step by step. We go higher, we go wider and we go bigger every day.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
Break Your Limitations
We both don’t have a background in photography. We are designers. With this
background we go out and bring some simple tools along on our explorations.
No expensive set-ups, no professional cameras are needed to capture what
we see. All of our photos were taken with the latest iPhone and some cheap
pocket cameras. For us it is not about how you take the photo, it is about why
you take this particular photo. To create some variations, we always bring pen,
paper, small tripod/monopod and sunglasses. What can be seen as a limitation
(no photography background or expensive setup), turned into an opportunity to
think differently and try harder. When a limitation comes our way we brainstorm
to ind a way through. When you get pushed against a wall, break the wall.
One thing we haven’t broken yet is door or lock. We intend to keep it this way.
Who Seeks Shall Find
The research is a combination of individual interests and common objectives
about the city. We learn about urbanism by discovering and growing a sense
of knowledge about the environment, informality, infrastructure, alienation,
demolition, wilderness, architectural form, (resi)-density, and familiarity amongst
other. We call our explorations “spontaneous observations.” By walking 15
kilometers on average for every day of exploring, we reached 22 rooftops and
snapped 2500 pictures of Shanghai. These photos are arranged in sets revolving
around different topics. Is it possible to make non- architects excited about our
built environment? By sharing our explorations on Instagram and other social
media, we aim to share excitement. Social media gives us the lexibility to get
recognized by people from around the world.
When we are ready to end the day, we go explore some more. It is non-stop.
11
edisi #9: Komunitas
Exponential
Our battleield is Shanghai. As the largest city and the
inancial heart of China, there is plenty to explore. With
nearly 25 million people living in the city, there is no slowing
down in sight yet. With a huge crowd of individuals and a
huge surface of high-rise buildings, this is the perfect context
to be. Shanghai is Asia’s urbanism at its maximum. Being
rambunctious and energetic, change is seen every single
minute of every day. With a vibrant fusion of old and new,
the city is a more than welcome backdrop in every photo.
We learn about city restoration and foresight reaction at the
same time.
Today we live in the age of icons. Every city around the
world is creating their iconic view. It is their mark on the
map, their marketing material to be sent in postcard form
to loved ones on opposite corners of the world. Our urban
explorations put these familiar views in a new limelight. This
is the start of a new platform, full of energy that can be
applied to every city in the world because cities are there to
be seen and observed 24 hours a day.
Community
12
In the beginning, we were captivated to capture the unforeseen
of urban spaces with our architectural interpretation. Once
we started sharing our work, we were embraced with
motivation from other people who started seeing the city
from a new point of view. There is a certain warming feeling
when somebody who you had no connection with before,
walked up to you and said: “You gave me inspiration to take
my camera out again.”
Cities are changing and grow larger than they ever were
before.This requires a new ambition to redeine urbanism, as
we know it. Cities which developed for this generation need
more different meanings and ideas. A global community gives
us a platform to initiate discussion panel that can result in a
better understanding of our cities and why things happen
the way they happen.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
We learned things that we could not imagined before. We
started as simple photos grew in an opportunity to tell a
story of our experiences living in this mega-city; but even
so, it is becoming a way to motivate ourselves and our
community to keep going. Don’t look back, just keep walking.
Accept every challenge with open arms.
Visual Archive
Cities don’t stand still, they change overnight at high speed.
The past months we have consolidated our explorations
in a book format. This is our visual archive of how the city
was at the moment, because we are not capable to hold
the change. Instead we embrace the change and try to
understand the facts.
Combining 99 of our best photographs with our
observations in architecture, this book is our representation
of unsettledness, a new action concept in the city. Divided
into four chapters: Identiication, Recognition,
Transformation, and Perception; we talk about
architecture, urbanism, and the mind. This is how we feel
living in world’s most populated city in the world.
Next
We feel this is just the start. By using photography, video, text
and other forms of media we are building a network of urban
explorers who share the same ambition. That is where we
need you. Give us a look on Instagram account @donotsettle,
post your explorations with hashtag #donotsettle, or write
us an email to say hi to info@donotsettle.co. More of our tag
explorations can be seen on: www.donotsettle.co.
*
Wahyu and Kris
©#donotsettle
13
Ruang Untuk
Menjadi Orang Lain
by Rian Afriadi
ESAI FOTO
INDONESIA
Cosplay, Komunitas, Jakarta
Tidak seperti komunitas lain yang dapat berkumpul
dan mengekspresikan keinginan mereka kapan saja,
komunitas Cosplay membutuhkan ruang dan waktu
khusus untuk bertransformasi menjadi karakter
impian mereka.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Tidak seperti penggemar karaoke yang bisa menyanyi kapan pun
ia bisa, tidak mungkin bagi penggemar cosplay untuk berkostum
Sailormoon sembari membeli sikat gigi di toko kelontong di
mulut gang atau saat memperpanjang SIM di kepolisian.
Hebohnya kostum anime tidak akan membuat orang
mengernyitkan dahi jika ada dua puluh lima orang lainnya yang
berkostum anime. Kumpulan orang ini membutuhkan suatu
event khusus di tempat khusus untuk mengekspresikan diri.
Jakarta, sebagai kota yang dikenal tidak banyak memiliki ruang
publik dan tidak terlalu ramah bagi kebebasan berekspresi,
ternyata cukup memiliki ruang bagi komunitas cosplay. Dalam
setahun, cukup banyak event yang bisa mewadahi para cosplayer
untuk datang, saling memamerkan kostum, berbicara tentang
anime, berbicara tentang artis Jepang favorit, dan yang paling
penting : menjadi orang lain, menjadi tokoh yang kita idolakan,
walau itu hanya untuk beberapa jam saja.
16
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
17
edisi #9: Komunitas
18
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
19
“Dalam setahun,
cukup banyak event
yang bisa mewadahi
para cosplayer
untuk datang... dan
yang paling penting:
menjadi orang lain...
walau itu hanya untuk
beberapa jam saja.”
Rian Afriadi
IPOH BUS PROJECT:
Placemaking Through the Transit
Community as A Grassroots Effort
by Alex Lee
Ipoh Bus Project Logo
©Alex Lee
ESSAY
ENGLISH
Place-making, Ipoh, Bus System, Community Movement
Ipoh Bus Project is a movement about buses, the
bus system and the possibilities of
placemaking through the bus system and its community.
edisi #9: Komunitas
22
The project started out as a personal
initiative in my own neighbourhood
where a bus stop stood unmaintained
for 20 over years. Growing old with
mold, rust and neglect, a group of family
and friends from the neighbourhood
bought a can of cheery yellow enamel
paint and painted it. No permission
sought. We felt it was the right thing
to do. We only polled enough money
for one can of paint and comically had
to paint scallops that resembled clouds
because we ran out of paint. We gave
the bus stop a name, the name the
locals call the stop, and painted a bus
on both sides for legibility and semiotic
issues.
Coming to see the bus stop looking
different than the day before, people
talked, few if any knew who did it.
Many were happy, some saw it as an
act of deiance against the languid
maintenance of the city council. Few
months after, all bus stops on the
street were renovated and renewed.
We achieved what we set out to
change, with only a can of paint and
some brushes.
From here we knew that Ipoh needs
us and we needed to do more for
Ipoh. Since we started out on buses,
we continued on buses.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
Ipoh
As with many small cities, Ipoh is an
ordinary city with an easy attitude
which has seen better days in the
past and is now overshadowed by
larger cities in its close region. Pitted
between the economic and cultural
powerhouses of Kuala Lumpur and
Penang, Ipoh has a language and lavour
but sees itself in a dilemma as it seeks
to compete head-on with the larger
cities in the region. An underdog city,
bleeding demographically through the
imbalanced migration of young minds
to larger cities.
The project itself is set in the temporal
and transitional space of the city. The
space and time that exists on the bus
between two points in a city. This is
where possibilities abound and lives
cross; the links and the nodes in a living
bus system.
23
With bus users made up of
schoolchildren to senior citizens; the
car-less working class to the migrant
workers; the project is a focused
search towards placemaking from the
grassroots that balances but does not
seek to antagonise the car-oriented
society. The city belongs not to one
group but to everybody.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Narrative Building
“A story is not something of this world.
A real story requires a kind of magical
baptism to link the world on this side of
the world on the other side.”
- Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart.
As with most community efforts, the
irst step is narrative building. By making
good use of the wide community base
and tapping into existing intangible
memories, the bus project links
nostalgia of the old bus system with
the present needs of commute. The
paper buses and pin badges are meant
to be a tangible key that unlocks
memories and conversations of bus
experiences. Similar to what a souvenir
does when it becomes a centrepiece
of a conversation.
Ipoh Bus souvenirs.
©Alex Lee
24
At the Art Market.
©Alex Lee
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
New and experienced users using
the bus system will be able to use
the bus guides that will feature bus
routes, and other important content
complementing the system map. It is
this information that makes the Ipoh
Bus Project guide different. It features
content on localised neighbourhood
attractions, cottage industries, and food
stalls. Promoting local and everything
on the scale of the neighbourhood.
The Ipoh Bus Project guide is a map
that guides people to a journey of
discovery, telling enough and keeping
some hidden lest the joy of discovery
is lost.
Bus Guide
A step ahead of narrative building is
the functional purpose of the project.
Some undoubtedly wish to hold on to
the nostalgia of the air-ventilated buses,
rickety ride and colourful decals but
the bus system is functional and must
place present commuting needs ahead.
With little information on bus routes
and system in Ipoh, it only makes sense
to create a comprehensive bus guide.
This in return will widen the commuter
base and ridership. A win-win situation
for bus companies, the city streets and
the project.
Being part of a city, content is
important. The Ipoh Bus Project opens
a door to the city’s rich existing and
fresh content. The project possibilities
are limitless and it’s goals are long
term. We are on a journey with the
city on the bus. The experience of
the journey is an act of self-discovery
for Ipoh through the eyes and ears
of it’s citizens and is more important
than the destination. There is a word
in Spanish, ‘vacilando’. It means one is
going somewhere, but does not greatly
care whether or not he gets there,
although he has direction.
Come visit Ipoh someday, let’s ride the
bus together.
*
Facebook: ipohbusproject
Email: ipohbusproject@gmail.com
25
edisi #9: Komunitas
26
Working draft of the bus guide.
©Alex Lee
A TALK WITH
JORGE ANZORENA:
ON LETTERS FOR THE
COMMUNITY ARCHITECTS
by Maria Dewi
Fr. Jorge Anzorena ©Maria Dewi
INTERVIEW
ENGLISH
Community Development,
Jorge Anzorena, International Organization, SELAVIP
Through his newsletter, SELAVIP, Jorge Anzorena
become one of the inluential igures for community development movement around the world.
Maria Dewi got the opportunity to dig deeper on
his view on architect’s position, Indonesia’s community movement, and many more.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Along the way to his house, the morning-glory lowers started to bloom. They
cheered me up after getting lost on the way to ind his residence. He welcomed
me with a warm and sincere smile, and invited me to enter his work-space. It
was a humble pavilion facing the yard with shady trees and comfortable sunshine.
Father Jorge Anzorena is an Argentinian Jesuit (Society of Jesus) priest, based
in Japan. He travels to several countries every year to observe the progress of
community participation activity for low-income housing. It is mainly done in Asia,
and also some other parts of the world. For many years, he has been sharing his
experiences through his newsletter, SELAVIP.
He is one of the important igures in the early times of ACHR (Asian Coalition of
Housing Rights), together with Johan Silas from Indonesia. During 1990s, ACHR
was focusing on housing rights and problems of eviction in Asian cities. He has
also been involved in the Slum Dwellers International. I always wanted to visit
him to discuss about community participation. To have this opportunity is a very
valuable experience.
M: How did your involvement with community development start in
the very beginning?
A: First I need to tell you about my educational background. At irst, I studied civil
engineering in Argentina. Afterwards I joined the Jesuits. Then I taught for two
years in France before I came to Japan. In Japan, I started to learn the language
for two years, and inished my master doctorate in architecture for two years. I
also studied theology for four years and at the same time also joining the Hongo
Tokyo University.
After inishing my master doctorate, I began to teach at Sophia University at
human and architecture program. During my master study, I did a research on
how the change of behaviour in universities could change the physical aspects or
the other way around. The basic idea is that the universities should be the place
for development of yourself, not only to prepare your job for the society.
28
One thesis that I put in my book is the Tamariya, a place you could stay. People
would feel at home; you are not running all the time.Then, you have the attachment
to the university. When you are in a big university like Meiji, you inished class and
you are out in the streets, it’s nothing. I tried to ind out where people would
relax inside.
Because when students are passive, they don’t grow. They need to ind what they
want to do in the universities, in life. It was a very interesting moment because
they start to think about the future, began to see the meaning of their life. They
just need to ind something, which make them, as young people, become more
active.
After ten years inishing the program, I went to Germany. It was a time for
relections. I wanted to see for one side what are the things that motivate young
people to be more active and also about poverty.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
It was in 1973-1974 that I eventually heard about Mother Teresa, even though
she was not yet very well known. Someone said there was an interesting work
in Calcutta when I was in Tokyo University. I tried, and I went over there for one
month with her.
M: So you have worked with Mother Teresa?
A: Yes, I stayed with them. We were at the Kaligati Temple in which they collected
dying people in the streets and tried to have a kind of decent last moments for
them.
And then I said to myself “if you have a doctorate in architecture for instance
and you see people dying in the streets, is not very useful for them to be with
a doctor in architecture for their life”. Sometimes I asked, “In Japan, what could
I do?”. I saw that tremendous need for help. They’re very poor. There was no
architect, not much interest.
Afterwards, I went back to teach and tried to ind a chance to make contact. Finally,
there was one group of Jesuit, which has an ofice called Human Development.
This Human Development ofice is related with the growing poverty in Asia.They
are a group of bishops – Catholics and Protestants – who want to help people
who are evicted. For eviction were very radical in Asia.
They ask for the disciples of Saul Alinsky to come and help organizing it.
Afterwards, they also went to Phillipines. It was a big problem during Marcos’s
dictatorship. He wanted to move 300.000 people to make some beautiful things.
M: So what kind of project you had in your beginning years of
community development?
A: Well, this organization was able to make 100.000 families to remain in their
place. There was also Dennis Murphy, other Jesuit at the time. He had some
experiences in Latin America. He was invited there and saw that for organizing
the people’s housing you need to put a lot of energy. He didn’t know what
happens in Asia and he wanted to do some research about what the poor doing
to improve themselves. That was the irst project. I read that and I wrote to him
if I could help something from Japan. That was 1976.
Then I started to work for him and he said, “Please come to Asia, to Philippines.
During the vacation of the university”. Afterwards, during the Jesuits meeting, they
also said, “Why don’t you take care of this project?”. I said, “I was just teaching in a
university and it is not that easy”. The bishops wrote to the University of Sophia,
asking if they could lend me for two years for this. The university said OK, and I
went over there.
29
edisi #9: Komunitas
M: So did you execute you irst project inside or outside Japan?
A: The irst is not really a project but trying to see what happens, to record what
happens in different countries. On what activities the people are doing in different
countries. Not the problems but what is happening in Asia.
I made several contacts with some independent or government-related groups.
After these contacts, I began to make small notes, a kind of rudimentary newsletter
that says what I see, what things happen, etc. I began to send it to the people I
met. Because I learned from them and I said, “This is what I learned from you and
other people.” Basically it was trying to record what’s happening. Practically at the
time, I was continuously moving to most of the cities for two years.
M: What keeps you doing it until now?
A: Because it was very interesting: people you see, the activities, and so on.
Afterwards, I went back to the university. They gave me other two years of
working. But you know, if you are a full time teacher you need to really teach. So
I tried to ind a way to work on this during my vacation.
M: During your journey from that time until right now, did you see
some ideal situation between the government and the community?
A: I feel it doesn’t exist much but it happens. Practically in the beginning, most of
the groups were independent from the government. Even in the 80’s some groups
were saying that the government is not doing nothing, so just do something by
yourself. In Pakistan, they even began to build sewer systems by themselves. The
Orangi Pilot project. It was very dificult because that was a sewer system.
M: Do you have some role in connecting all of the practitioners of
community development between countries?
30
A: Well, because I am the only one who was moving around from the beginning.
When ACHR (Asian Coalition for Housing Rights) was formed, it was my network.
In the newsletter, you have the address, you can just go there, you don’t need to
go through me. We began to have a kind of connections and they decide to be
together.
M: Do you have some role in connecting all of the practitioners of
community development between countries?
A: Well, because I am the only one who was moving around from the beginning.
When ACHR (Asian Coalition for Housing Rights) was formed, it was my network.
In the newsletter, you have the address, you can just go there, you don’t need to
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi, Pakistan. Volunteers were constructing sanitation facilities.
Source: www.diplomatonline.com
go through me. We began to have a kind of connections and they decide to be
together.
M: Which countries that are you focusing in?
A: Asia. What happens in Asia. From the very beginning the scope was Asia. But
then after 24 years, they asked me to go to the southern part of Africa. What I
experienced is the groups of Asia were helping them. Now my movements are
mostly in Asia, and one month in Africa.
M: So as you were seeing the situation of many countries’ community
development, how did you see the local aspects in it?
A: Different people are working for different things. Usually when I go to one
place, I try to meet the people, to understand and write about them, and see
what they are doing. For that, usually I stay one month. When they are doing
something interesting, I go the next year. Some groups I go every year. Usually I
try to learn from them more than to say. If they ask me, there are groups that
31
edisi #9: Komunitas
do similar things, then I talk. Usually I learn. More or less I began to understand
what they tried to do and I see the relations that they have with the people. I
record it, so later I could give some advices. There are people who will oppose
the government, or there are who will cooperate or accepted. Hasan Purbo
and Mangunwijaya were accepted by everybody. Robi Sularto was a very good
architect, who lived in Bali. Even though afterwards he fought the government.
M: And then, I read in one of your paper that you mention the
importance of self-help attitude from the community in the approach
of building local housing. So what makes it more successful than the
ones executed in top-down action?
A: Well depends. Sometimes, from bottom up is good but it’s very slow. For
instance in Brazil, they call the Mutirao self-help project, very good and very
cheap, but it goes slowly. If you have the money, sometimes it’s much faster if you
go from the top. It’s not the best way but it’s the most effective way.
We could have a lot of money, but if we have a very well structured government,
it could go faster. It is related to millions of people. We need them involved to
give land or permission. Self-help attitude would takes a lot of time, its best to go
opposite when its related to improvement of millions.
M: Do you have some working experience in Indonesia?
A: Robi Sularto was doing something about earthquake in Bali. He was working
through the carpenters, not through the companies. Mangunwijaya was very quiet
and became good friends with the people in the neighborhood. He began to do
this very quietly and he did a good job with the poor houses. The government
wanted to destroy it but Aga Khan gave their awards to him. I was learning
tremendously with him.
32
Johan Silas thought that the government was very autocratic at that time.
Surabaya didn’t have any technical support. He thought that the support from
the government is necessary for the community development. I saw that he was
trying to prove that it’s possible. He did something to the loors. And will try to
defend even everything, even the wrong things he will try to defend. That is his
way, his approach. But afterwards he is recognized for the good things he has
done.
M: How is your opinion on Indonesian community architecture and
community development?
A: I don’t know, because there are the new groups. I don’t have much contact
with them. You have very capable people, but things in Indonesia move slowly.
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33
Kali Code ©Maria Dewi
edisi #9: Komunitas
Mutirao self-help
housing project.
Source: http://
incrementalhouse.
blogspot.com
The government is very careful in making moves. I remember Silas able to do his
thing because he was in Surabaya. It is more complicated in Jakarta. They were
very dificult to move things. But maybe now its possible after the 1998 reform.
M: How do you see the rule of architect towards the people, regarding
some architects’ individual desires in which they create iconic
buildings, or becoming famous ?
A: They need to work. You cannot work for the people. Very few which are very
competent people can do it and make a living of that. When you are young, you
can become idealistic just like you. But when you are married you start to develop
families, etc. You have to compromise.
34
I think it is very dificult for an architect to make a living and working in this.
Everybody feels much better working with the poor because they think its more
creative, etc. But how they could survive is the problem. I met many architects
who like to do that, and sometimes they would provide free services to the
people. One guy was telling me when he was making a thesis, “I cannot make a
thesis about the poor in Tokyo University, because normally the teacher will not
accept it.” But now perhaps things are changing.
But it’s evolution. For myself, not what I should become. I cannot say what Maria
should do in the future. Maria should ind out what she really wants and decides
to do from inside herself.You need to be free, free to develop yourself. When you
go inside, you will ind something that is acceptable to you. From outside it’s very
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
dificult. It sometimes works, but only very few times.
M: I am very agree with that. During your 24 years of experience,
what is your most important lesson in practicing?
A: Well you know, it’s a process to be open to the difference. For us it’s very
dificult. For example when I came to Japan, it’s a very different country. But if you
are able to open yourself a little to Japanese, you would ind out that you become
a little more understanding, more tolerant.There are things that you don’t like but
I think this is a process which exist.
It’s not something to say, “This is my way” because you are used to it. The other
people around you have other ways, and that is a friction. Sometimes you get
angry and even upset.
M: Last question. What is your hope towards the future of community
development?
A: It’s people. Hope is the people. Usually we are not completely free because we
have a lot of fears: fears of the future, fears of the people, and fears of the family.
If you are more competent and more free, do something which you are called to
do. This is extremely important. I think this is the most important thing that exist.
M: It’s the freedom of doing and thinking perhaps, and expressing
ourselves.
A:Yes. For instance you have 40 students, they’re very enthusiastic. But from them,
perhaps who will remain as community architects for longer time only 2. The
others will try to go to other university etc. It depends on themselves you know.
I think it’s the freedom of people, that more people become free. I think this is
the hope.
It’s a process, and it also needs to be done by people. Not only the architects but
also the communities. But I think the good process is when community begins to
develop people, who really begin to care for others. When the community begins
to think about the poor people in any community.
From the group of community architects itself, it depends on what ideas that tie
them together. If you establish a group, you have to keep open to everyone. Do
not becoming a dictator. When you are going around in 3 continents, you ind
things happen. Some groups of community architects develop, other groups die.
That depends very much of the core group or the core beliefs that you have. If
you are selish, this will appear sooner or later. These things are, for myself: when
you think there is something that is higher than you, and this: you are not the
center of the world but this is the center, you just participate.
35
“You are not
the center
of the world
but this is the
center, you just
participate.”
Jorge Anzorena
Membangun Bersama
Masyarakat:
Sebuah Cerita dari Kaum Pinggiran
oleh Amita Sari
ESAI
INDONESIA
Komunitas, Pengabdian
Masyarakat, Kolektivitas
Komunitas terbentuk oleh tujuan bersama untuk
menyelesaikan permasalahan-permasalahan
yang ada di masyarakat. Kultur perkotaan
dikombinasikan dengan semangat kebersamaan
warga kampung menjadi sebuah modal dalam
menghadapi permasalahan masyarakat yang
kompleks.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Seseorang akan berkata ‘A’ sementara yang lain ‘B’ untuk satu
hal yang sama. Permasalahannya bukan salah atau benar.
Namun, melihat dari berbagai sudut pandang dan pemikiran.
Itulah keunikan dinamika sebuah komunitas.
38
BATAM, dulu dan kini, entah bagaimana nanti…
Matahari seakan tidak memberi ampun pada geliat kehidupan di Kota Batam.
Teriknya terasa membakar kulit. Betapa beruntungnya menemukan sebuah laguna
penampungan air hujan di tengah-tengah kota Batam; seperti melihat sebuah
danau kecil diantara bukit-bukit gersang.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
Walau terletak di sebuah pulau kecil, banyak hal yang dapat dipelajari dari kota
ini. Sudut-sudut kotanya tidak pernah habis untuk dijelajahi. Batam, sebuah kota
administratif setingkat Kabupaten, memiliki sejarah perkembangan kehidupan kota
yang cukup menarik. Sejarah kejayaan masa lampau tidak banyak berbicara tentang
pulau ini – hanya ada sekelumit kisah kerjaan Tumasek, perebutan wilayah antara
Belanda dan Inggris, juga tempat asal tokoh nasional Laksamana Hang Nadim yang
namanya diabadikan menjadi nama Bandar Udara Internasional di Batam.
Dahulu, pulau ini hanyalah sebuah tanah kering berwarna merah tanpa tandatanda manusia mampu bertahan hidup. Namun, karena lokasinya yang strategis
(berdekatan dengan Singapura dan Malaysia), kota ini berkembang pesat menjadi
sebuah kota perdagangan. Batam diharapkan menjadi pusat perdagangan di Asia
Tenggara untuk menyaingi Singapura, karenanya kota ini memiliki perencanaan
yang matang. Pembangunan infrastruktur jalan dan jembatan, daerah pertokoan
sedikit demi sedikit mulai berkembang. Kini, Batam dibanjiri investor, perusahaan
asing serta imigran yang mencari peruntungan. Daerah yang dulunya tanpa nyawa
sekarang menjadi sebuah kota yang ramai dan sedang berkembang pesat.
Di tengah-tengah geliat ini, muncul berbagai permasalahan seperti kebutuhan
pangan yang meningkat, tuntutan ekonomi yang semakin sulit, dan kebutuhan
akan perumahan. Awalnya, pemerintah mengalami kesulitan untuk membendung
pertumbuhan rumah liar di sepanjang daerah strategis tadi. Sebagaimana
permasalahan di kota-kota lainnya, keberadaan rumah liar membuat wajah kota
tidak sedap dipandang mata. Untuk mengatasi permasalahan ini, pemerintah kota
bersama-sama dengan pihak berwajib membuat kebijakan untuk merelokasi
rumah-rumah liar tadi dengan kompensasi sebuah tanah kaveling di lahan baru.
39
Namun, penyediaan tanah kaveling siap bangun juga menimbulkan permasalahan
baru. Letaknya tidak strategis, belum tersedianya infrastruktur listrik dan air bersih,
juga mental masyarakat yang tidak taat pada aturan membuat perkembangannya
berjalan lambat. Bahkan, beberapa warga mencari keuntungan dengan menjual
lahan kaveling yang diterimanya dengan cuma-cuma dan kembali bertempat
tinggal di perumahan liar.
edisi #9: Komunitas
Andaikata penduduk tinggal di kaveling ini, mereka juga harus menghadapi
tantangan ketersediaan air bersih dan listrik. Hasilnya banyak ditemui rumahrumah dengan penataan wilayah yang tidak beraturan, akses jalan yang buruk,
dan tidak memiliki saluran irigasi. Hal ini menyerupai susunan perumahan liar yang
lahannya telah dilegalkan oleh pemerintah.
Menjadi tukang bangunan sehari
sebagai pengalaman yang tak terlupakan
Batam tidak patut ditangisi atau ditinggalkan berdiam diri untuk menghadapi segala
permasalahan yang ada. Tidak menyerah karena kondisi yang ada merupakan
suatu kunci untuk hidup lebih baik. Geliat pagi begitu terasa saat kami (para
relawan) masuk ke kaveling kumuh di daerah pinggiran kota Batam. Pemandangan
ini tidak biasa ditemui, apalagi bagi relawan asal Singapura yang turut membantu
dalam pembangunan partisipatif di lokasi tersebut. Berasal dari negara maju, tidak
membuat mereka sungkan untuk berkotor-kotor untuk memasuki kaveling yang
tidak berbentuk tadi.
40
Seorang ibu tua, terlihat menitikan air mata menyambut kehadiran kami. Suaminya
telah tiada bertahun-tahun lamanya, anak perempuannya meninggal beberapa
bulan yang lalu. Hanya tinggal dirinya dan anak laki-lakinya yang bekerja serabutan
untuk menghidupi keluarga. Sang ibu juga berusaha mencari penghidupan dengan
bekerja sebagai buruh cuci. Jangankan untuk membenahi rumahnya, untuk makan
sehari-hari pun mereka kesulitan. Pilu hati kami mendengarnya. Tanpa sungkan,
bersama dengan warga sekitar, kami membantu pembangunan rumahnya. Tak
peduli tua-muda, pria-wanita, semua terlihat senang membantu sang pemilik
rumah. Pekerjaan memotong besi, membuat adukan mortar, menggali tanah,
dan memasang batako yang biasa dilakukan oleh tukang bangunan, menjadi
pekerjaan pokok saat membantu keluarga penerima bantuan. Pekerjaan ini sangat
menyenangkan, di sela-sela menyelesaikan target pekerjaan hari itu, kadangkala
kami malah bermain-main dengan cipratan mortar. Tidak ada yang mengeluh
dalam bekerja keras, hanya ada tawa, senyum, dan canda saat bekerja. Sebuah
pengalaman yang tak terlupakan.
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
41
edisi #9: Komunitas
Ini adalah proses pembentukan komunitas yang dibangun dengan landasan
kepercayaan dan pengabdian kepada masyarakat. Kultur masyarakat urban Batam
yang dikombinasikan dengan kehidupan kampung membentuk sebuah tatanan
baru. Berpikir dan bertindak sebagai masyarakat kota dengan jiwa dan semangat
kebersamaan yang terikat kuat.
Sebuah komunitas terbentuk dengan berbagai dinamika dan kompleksitas
permasalahan yang dihadapinya. Bukan sebuah komunitas hi-tech, cyber, terpelajar,
ataupun memiliki kesamaan hobi sering nongkrong di mall/cafe, kesamaan visi, atau
hal hebat yang lainnya. Meski bukan sebuah komunitas modern, mereka tetap akan
berteriak dengan lantang di ruang publik apabila ada yang tidak sesuai dengan yang
seharusnya. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang sederhana, namun berdedikasi untuk
mengorganisir dan menggerakan kegiatan pembangunan rumah. Mereka memiliki
harapan untuk membangkitkan kesadaran masyarakat untuk hidup dengan layak.
Rumah adalah tempat di mana segalanya berawal. Mulai dari tempat berlindung
hingga tempat tumbuh kembangnya anak, pengajaran pendidikan keluarga. Sebuah
kebutuhan primer untuk keluarga agar hidup layak.
Komunitas adalah tempat belajar
Selain pembangunan rumah, hal yang tak kalah pentingnya adalah pemberdayaan
komunitas. Bukan hanya memberikan bantuan secara cuma-cuma, tapi bagaimana
42
ruang | kreativitas tanpa batas
membuat kom