Indonesian architecture firm RAD+ar (Research Artistic Design + architecture) has redesigned old vernacular building with tropical architecture to configure its main office in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Named Micro Tropicality, RAD+ar HQ, the 450-square-metre office includes plenty of plants and trees and sets its own micro climate throughout the building to bring the nature in.

The design is conceived as an exploration canvas of how the architects can adapt the spirit of vernacular spaces of tropical architecture while experimenting with its own Micro climate / Micro Tropicality.

"For Generation, living in the tropics is never simply about avoiding the rain and the sun," said RAD+ar.

"The history of “tropical architecture” can be traced back as early as the beginning of indigenous tropical vernacular society that being adapted into different cultures while maintaining the norms."

"Oftentimes, it got its stereotype of pitched roof and overhangs that being celebrated in many tourist area, but ironically being left out in the path of tropical architecture searching and development in this globalization era."

"In the days of environmental and energy crisis like today, the climatic design has to make a triumphal comeback with more adjustment for the latest experimentation and research of contemporary architectural expression, which relates the buildings to their surroundings and location in order to achieve harmony between architecture and tropical nature, so it could be adapted and modified for future architect to come, in order to ensure what is best for greater good," the office added.

"Micro Tropicality" is to design the building responding to the demands of the climate and the human experiences," according to the architects. 

"It is much more than just to add an eave to cover a door or a window of rain and sun, design an umbrella roof but at the same time to ventilate and illuminate, to make the landscape dense in foliage in order to ventilate and refresh the environment." 

The architects wanted to design a "multilayer facade" to reduce radiation, to direct the breeze inside, to shade the windows, to cool the walls and to direct the views. 

"In the end, the sum of necessary elements gives a free expressiveness to this tropical architecture, which is congruent with the dimly lit space, which is a condition for well-being," they added. 

Design is to demonstrate a dialogue between architecture and tropical environments that may breaks some basic code of Tropical Architecture approach, which can be found below, with their descriptions. 

Retaining water while channeling it vs directly channeling / avoiding rainwater

Dramatic angle of pitch roof in tropics were influenced by its historical approach of channeling water to the ground with great efficiency so the building might endure heavy rain and extreme season. 

However, as structural innovation has been adapted into daily planning, most building still adopted this approach without an adequate manner of retaining the water. 

Design is to set an example of how one can still distribute water load while trying to absorb as much water as possible and release it slowly for later usage. 100% Rain water absorbed from all the site later to be used for total irrigation.

Functional façade / no façade vs cultural allusion

As tropical norm has been integrated for hundreds of years, most tropical building has unwritten guideline / manners of how one should integrate façade approach with its roof. Design is to set an example of how functionality can be integrated with aesthetical approach.

Deep plan building with maximum illumination strategy vs narrow plans 

In order to minimize the usage of artificial lighting during productive daytime, most tropical code are recommending 12m of maximum plan’s width that leads to limitation of massing configuration. 

Design is to experiment with puncturing gradual vertical opening within 18m deep plan in order to maximize natural lighting during daytime without compromising form and space.

Manipulating internal temperature thru East West vs North South Orientation

Due to extreme heat emitted, most tropical buildings tend to use north south orientation to maximize illumination while minimize heat transmitted to the building. 

Design is to experiment with Façade surface on the east and west of the building and use that opportunity to create a greater temperature difference that control its own microclimate.

An architecture that recognizes the specificities of tropical latitudes and demonstrates its expressive design guidelines will reinforce the local culture and will, in a better way, host people's experiences, adapt to the spatiality of the place and will recognize the socioeconomic and human conditions; a set of attributes that will facilitate their appropriation and recognition.

First floor plan - perspective

Second floor plan - perspective

Mezzanine floor plan

Section-1

Section-2

Project facts

Project name: Micro Tropicality, RAD+ar HQ

Architects: RAD+ar (Research Artistic Design + architecture)

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia 

Size: 450m2 

Date: 2020 

All images © William Sutanto

All drawings © RAD+ar

> via RAD+ar