Shared space & small master plan
Tata Kampung Tirtonirmolo
This project stopped at concept stage. The documents were handed to the residents’ group in October 2024 and have not entered the construction phase.
The site and the problem
A dense kampung of 0.6 hectares with 84 households. The main lane is 1.8 metres wide, the branch lanes 1.2 metres, and there is no decent gathering space other than the lanes themselves.
Every rainy season, three points flood because the drains are blocked and lack sufficient fall. On a 1.8-metre lane, two motorcycles cannot pass each other and a stretcher cannot be carried out in an emergency.
The residents had previously been offered a design for a two-storey multipurpose hall on one site. We proposed the opposite.
Massing study
Three alternatives were tested against a single measure: how many households fall within 90 metres of a node.
Alternative A— Ditolak
Rejected. One large hall at the centre of the area puts only 31 of the 84 households within reach.
Alternative B— Terpilih
Selected. Four small nodes put all 84 households within less than 90 metres.
Alternative C— Ditolak
Rejected. Two medium nodes reach 62 households, and both would require demolishing a house.
Design decisions
01
Four small nodes rather than one large building
One large hall only serves the residents who live close to it. Four points of 60 to 100 m², each less than 90 metres from every house, will be used far more often.
02
Lane widening done selectively, only at passing points
Widening every lane means demolishing houses. What is proposed is seven points widened to 2.6 metres — enough for two motorcycles to pass and for a stretcher to be carried out in an emergency.
03
Drains left open and shallow rather than capped in concrete
Capped drains in a dense kampung always end up blocked because nobody can clean them. An open drain with a grille the residents can lift themselves is more realistic to maintain.
04
Every node designed to be built in phases
Paving first, roof next, walls last. The design has to keep working even if it stops at phase one, because kampung funding genuinely arrives in pieces.
Working drawings
Plans, sections, and details from the working drawing set for this project. Annotations inside the drawings stay in Indonesian: the people reading them are on site.
Regulatory compliance
| Parameter | Provision | Used |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning | dense residential | compliant |
| KDB (area coverage) | max 70% | 68% at present |
| Lane width | min 2.5 m for emergency access | 1.8 m; 2.6 m proposed at 7 points |
| Drain setback | 1 m | retained in the proposal |
| Permit | not yet submitted | awaiting funding |
The provisions applied to this site in this year. Provisions differ between areas and can change. The abbreviations are the Indonesian regulatory terms and are kept as they are.
Existing condition
Credits
- Client
- A residents’ group together with the sub-district facilitator
- Structural engineer
- Independent practice, Yogyakarta
- Students on placement
- Two architecture students, named on the sheets they drew
Have a plot with a similar problem? Send us a brief.
Send us the location, the plot area, and the rooms you need. We reply within two working days with an initial assessment — including if we think another practice would serve your project better.
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