The students, Pleun de Vries, Niels Baars, and Thomas Riewert Wierenga, all third-year students of the Water Management and Spatial Development program, initiated sustainable projects in Kelurahan Sumber (Urban Village), Kampung Kota Eks HP0001 Mojo, and Mojogedang District.

Pleun de Vries focused her research on organic rice farming and water contamination in Mojogedang, Karanganyar Regency. In her article, “Challenges in Organic Rice Cultivation as Cultural Landscape in Mojogedang, Karanganyar,” she highlighted pesticide usage by upstream farmers as a major obstacle for downstream organic farmers.

“The pesticide use by upstream farmers contaminates irrigation water, which hampers organic farming downstream and prevents certification. I collaborated with Mr. Mazlan, a Ph.D. candidate from the Chemistry Department, and Mr. Ari, a lecturer from the Faculty of Agriculture, to develop a water filtration system. We are also working with local governments to create policies regulating pesticide use,” Pleun explained on Tuesday (17/12/2024).

Niels Baars explored the interaction between humans and nature along the Kali Pepe River in Kampung Sumber. His article, “Re-naturalization of River Bank Settlement of Kali Pepe River Surakarta,” combined theoretical and practical analyses to propose sustainable urban riverbank designs. Niels emphasized the importance of post-implementation maintenance to ensure the long-term success of the project.

“Collaborating with the project team from the Department of Architecture, I contributed to developing a master plan to redesign the riverbanks. By incorporating vegetation, this design aims to improve water quality, reduce flood risks, prevent waste disposal, and create spaces that encourage interaction between the community and nature. Collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Sumber River Care Community (KPS Sumber), local residents, and Arifa Ummiyati, Head of Sumber Subdistrict, Banjarsari District, Surakarta City, as well as the Bengawan Solo River Basin Authority (BBWS Solo), was crucial in the development of this project,” Niels explained.

In Kampung Kota Eks HP0001 Mojo, Thomas Riewert Wierenga focused on improving livability through participatory and sustainable design strategies. Together with UNS students, he developed a “Green Map” to engage local communities in climate-positive actions.

“We proposed solutions such as multifunctional green spaces, waste management initiatives, and safe play areas for children. We also collaborated with the community to create public art installations to raise environmental awareness,” Thomas shared.

Over four months, the Dutch students and URDC FT UNS worked together to address environmental and community challenges in Surakarta. They emphasized the importance of stakeholder support to ensure project sustainability.

“My internship at the URDC Laboratory and UNS has been an unforgettable journey. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work closely with farmers and local communities. The event in Mojogedang, particularly the discussions with farmers, provided invaluable insights for my research. I also gained new skills, such as writing review articles and integrating modern solutions with traditional practices. I hope the projects we initiated can be implemented, the farmers educated, and the government pays greater attention to these efforts,” Pleun said.

Thomas also shared that his internship experience with URDC UNS taught him how collaboration across different groups can lead to innovative and long-term impactful solutions. He noted that the culture of Surakarta and the resilience of its communities have inspired him to continue creating innovative solutions that prioritize people and the environment. He expressed his hope that the government would give more attention to the sustainability of community livelihoods, particularly in Kampung Kota.

Neils expressed his deep gratitude to Dr. Eng. Kusumaningdyah Nurul Handayani, S.T., M.T., for her guidance and support during his internship at URDC FT UNS. “Working with communities and stakeholders, as well as writing articles, has been an invaluable experience. This journey has truly been a life-changing opportunity for me. I hope this program will strengthen the harmony between the environment and society. I look forward to the chance to return to Indonesia in the future,” he said.

The collaboration between URDC and the three Dutch students aims to mitigate climate change’s impacts, enhance resilience to climate-related challenges and disasters, and promote the sustainable protection, restoration, and management of terrestrial ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, and soil. This initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 13, “Climate Action,” and Goal 15, “Life on Land.”

HUMAS UNS

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“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

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To the uns.ac.id team, the team explained that Bale Bambung is a community hall design with organic architecture forms that imitate nature. Uniquely, Bale Bambung uses bamboo as its main building material. The shape is also inspired by bamboo shoots. This design is highly related to the location chosen by the team, namely Ngadiprono Hamlet, Kedu District, Temanggung Regency. As for now, the location was chosen only for competition purposes.

The locality of Dusun Ngadiprono with abundant bamboo resources makes it a special attraction. Additionally, there is a ‘Papringan (t/n: a word to describe a thick bamboo bush)’ Market that has become the center of economic activities, with handicrafts, food, and agricultural products as its main commodities. Unfortunately, the pandemic has forced Papringan Market to close for a long time and hampered the local community economic cycle. Therefore, this community hall design bears a philosophical meaning that signifies the beginning of new changes for the better condition of Dusun Ngadiprono during the pandemic.

“That’s why we try to design a community hall that can support the Papringan Market. Hence, after the transition period from the pandemic condition, Papringan Market can recover quickly. It can grow even better than before,” said Mazza, Thursday (12/23/2021).

The designed building has several functions. Residents can use it for communal meetings and children’s play areas. The community hall can also be used as a gathering place for crafts creation. Showing the traditional craft creation process is considered a special attraction for tourists. Moreover, Bale Bambung also supports art preservation. When Papringan Market opens, artistic activities such as dance and music performances can be held at Bale Bambung.

Sustainable architecture on Bale Bambung is chosen considering three points, namely, environmental, economic, and socio-cultural. On the environmental stand-point, the construction of Bale Bambung optimizes the use of bamboo resources taken from the Ngadiprono Hamlet. The construction of Bale Bambung will be carried out in collaboration with the residents. With their skills in processing bamboo, residents are given the opportunity to develop their skills through this community hall construction. Additionally, the community hall maintenance process will encourage residents to pass their skills to the next generation. This objective becomes the socio-cultural point to be achieved. Furthermore, the establishment of Bale Bambung also has economic purposes, to serve as a tourist attraction that also supports the existence of Papringan Market.

Their achievements are even more special. The UNS Student Team successfully won as the first winner in their first architectural competition. This achievement certainly makes them happy and proud. Special thanks are also addressed to Dr. Yosafat Winarto, ST, MT, as the team supervisor during the competition.

“Besides not expecting it, I’m also happy. To make our parents proud,” said Izza Dennas. Humas UNS

Reporter: Rangga Pangestu Adji
Editor: Dwi Hastuti

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