Led by Holcim Foundation Next Generation Ambassadors Andi Subagio and Namjoo Kim with Stefan Novakovic, the ongoing Clinic of Care: Indonesia project is sensitively reinventing an abandoned Javanese house as a cultural hub. In Java’s Yogyakarta region, a traditional Joglo house (a prominent regional building type characterized by its complex angular roof) will be relocated and reconstructed to preserve cultural heritage and serve as a performance venue and rehearsal space for a traditional dance collective, Padepokan Sekar Djagad.

Initiated by a newly established Holcim Foundation grant program for emerging practitioners, the project recently achieved a pair of major milestones: a three-day architectural heritage workshop was held to help guide the design and reconstruction process; and the Joglo structure was carefully analyzed, dismantled and cataloged — a process captured in a striking time lapse video.

Seeking adaptive reuse strategies that are culturally and architecturally appropriate

In late August, an international workshop and symposium brought together diverse architectural and academic experts and a wide range of local stakeholders to study culturally and architecturally appropriate adaptive reuse strategies. Led by Subagio and Kim in collaboration with the architectural faculty at Universitas Pelita Harapan, the three-day workshop combined a series of site visits and community consultations with a full-day roundtable symposium.

The workshop kicked off with trips to restored Joglo structures, offering vital reference points for the project. These case studies informed a detailed site visit to the Clinic of Care Joglo, located in Gunungkidul, a village southeast of the city of Yogyakarta. In addition to an examination of the building’s architectural character, an assessment of the Joglo’s structural integrity was undertaken with the guidance of building expert Pak Suprih and skilled local carpenters. A day later, the group traveled to Mutihan in the Yogyakarta district where the Joglo will be moved and reconstructed. There, the group explored the relocation site and met with local stakeholders, including the Sekar Jerad Foundation; the dance collective that will be the building’s primary user.

Hybrid workshop attracts global audience of over 200 

The three-day event culminated in the Ad Rem: Adaptation in Architecture symposium. Hosted in Jakarta, the hybrid event attracted over 200 attendees from around the world, combining three keynote talks with a dynamic roundtable discussion. Online participants joined the workshop from 28 countries including Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, Italy, India, Mexico, Switzerland, and Vietnam. 

Professor Totok Rusmanto discussed the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of Joglo design, while architect Adi Purnomo provided an in-depth case study of a successful heritage restoration project. Finally, Mohamad Cahyo Novianto presented a study of the material and structural characteristics that define the typology which exclusively uses wood joinery in lieu of glue and metal. 

Sekar Jegad leader Hajar Wisnu Satoto also addressed the audience, drawing out the connections between traditional Javanese dance and the spiritual nature of Joglo buildings. “Through artistic performances, we created ritualistic dance pieces to honor the Earth and revive its spirit, offering prayers and gratitude to the creator,” said Wisnu Satoto.

Meticulous digital documentation of the deconstruction process

For Subagio and Kim, the workshop and symposium offered crucial context to guide the project’s next steps. In September, the Gunungkidul Joglo was carefully dismantled. Documented in a video, the process combined cultural reverence for the Joglo form with meticulous digital documentation, paving the way for a relocation, reconstruction and renovation that respects architectural and cultural heritage while breathing new life into the typology by facilitating dynamic new uses. Following the deconstruction process, the Joglo components have been individually cataloged and moved into storage, awaiting the project’s next steps.

The Clinic of Care: Indonesia project has four objectives: 

• to make an impact in the field of architecture by restoring abandoned cultural heritage buildings
• to provide a learning platform on sustainable design for the next generation of practitioners
• to support a thriving community and a place for culture
• to engage with Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) to develop construction methods for cultural heritage buildings using digital technology

An international open call for students to participate in the reconstruction and design process will be issued in December 2023 via the Holcim Foundation website. Participants will be selected in January of 2024.