UNS – Carole Le Du, a second-year Master’s student from the Faculty of Geography at Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris, France), has joined an inbound internship program at the Urban-Rural Design and Conservation (URDC) Research Laboratory, under the Architecture Program at the Faculty of Engineering (FT) of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta. The internship runs from April 1, 2024, to August 30, 2024. During this program, Carole focused on enhancing the environment along the banks of the Bengawan Solo River in Kampung Sewu, the Kali Pepe Hilir River, and the Gajah Putih River in Sumber Village.
“I noticed that local residents tend to underutilize the rivers because they often see them as sources of problems, such as pollution and flooding. This inspired me to explore the relationship between communities and nature and to promote naturalization by encouraging collaboration among stakeholders as a key to sustainable projects,” Carole explained to uns.ac.id on Tuesday (27/8/2024).
Carole previously shared her reasons for conducting research in Indonesia. Her multidisciplinary background allows her to approach challenges from various perspectives, which she applies through her research methodology. She spent two years studying literature (sociology and economics) and another year studying history. She then pursued a master’s degree in agronomy, focusing on environmental politics, particularly in land management and local development. Her current master’s program centers on the dynamics of developing countries, with a specialization in Southeast Asia and urban spaces. Carole’s research at URDC reflects her belief that a multidisciplinary approach is crucial in addressing today’s increasingly complex ecological crises.
“My multidisciplinary background enables me to delve deeper into the ecological challenges we face and to rethink the relationship between communities and nature. During this inbound program, I have also met students from various fields of study, such as agronomy and architecture, which has given me new perspectives,” Carole added.
Carole, along with Anindya Koeswanto, an architecture student at UNS who is part of the research team under the supervision of Dr. Eng. Kusumaningdyah N.H., presented an article as the outcome of their five-month research titled “Urban and Ecological Harmony: Re-naturalizing Surakarta’s Riverbanks Through Community-Driven Landscape Design” at the 7th Biennial International Conference on Architecture and Planning Indonesia 2024, organized by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Yogyakarta. The conference, themed “Future Living: Reimagining a Holistic Sustainable Built Environment,” was held on Thursday (29/8/2024).
The article examines the role of the River Care Community (KPS) in society and advocates for community-based landscape design to engage local residents in river revitalization projects. The article explores short-term solutions such as phytoremediation and long-term strategies for restoring Surakarta’s riverbanks through a soft space naturalization approach. The article is categorized under the conference theme “Planning and Design Strategy for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity (VUCA).”
Throughout her internship, Carole also participated in two international events. In May 2024, she joined the International Summer Camp organized by Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi Thailand (RMUTT) in Thailand. This event was part of a summer design workshop titled “Amphibious Transformation by Design (ATBD).” Carole had the opportunity to mentor architecture students from both RMUTT and UNS, guiding them through urban design solutions for landscape projects addressing urban flood challenges.
The second workshop Carole attended was the Wetskill workshop at the end of May 2024, organized by the Wetskills Foundation from the Netherlands in collaboration with UNISULA and URDC Labo. The workshop took place in Semarang and Bali, where Carole worked with various experts, including students and young engineers, to provide solutions for water footprint compensation with a case study in Semarang. They presented their findings at the World Water Forum 2024 in Bali.
In addition to these international activities, Carole also participated in various events with the URDC UNS Research Laboratory. She contributed to creating educational games for the Disaster Mitigation Project: Design Thinking in Disaster (Iza Kaeru Caravan) in Kampung Sewu, alongside UNS Architecture MBKM students. She also joined an “arkitectour” at the Rumah Atsiri Museum and took part in a cultural day in Delanggu, where she planted rice and made crafts called “Tandur”, organized by the Interior Design Program at the Faculty of Arts and Design (FSRD) UNS.
“Surakarta has truly enriched my experience. Solo may be a small city, but I have learned so much here. Solo has a variety of warm and friendly communities, as well as a good academic environment at UNS. The city feels like a second home to me. The richness of Indonesian culture is extraordinary. Although I couldn’t explore everything, it has fueled my desire to return in the future. Living in Southeast Asia has given me a new perspective on the unique blend of tradition and modernity. This journey has profoundly enriched both my personal and professional life,” Carole said.
HUMAS UNS
Reporter: Annisa Fakhira
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
