Waste Not, Build With Nusantara, Kalimantan, Indonesia

Approaching The Center: Waste Not, Build With

Old vs New Waste Management System Diagram

Program Diagram | Research & Development, Manufacturing, Material Library & Public Workshop

Site Location | Surrounded by Palm Oil Field, Palm Oil Mill, and Low-income Villages

Material Experimentation | Shrimp Shells, Rosella Tea, Tobacco, Rice Husk, Palm Kernel Shells

Analysis of Indonesia’s Traditional Architecture

Re-interpretation of Indonesia’s Traditional Architecture | A means to invent Indonesia’s contemporary architecture

Process Massing Models

Approaching the Public Workshop

Material Library

Columbia GSAPP Spring 2025 | Studio Critic: David Benjamin of The Living

The Center: Waste Not, Build With addresses Indonesia's waste management challenges in low-income villages by converting local waste into building materials. Each center prototype is customized for its regional context, utilizing locally sourced waste transformed into familiar construction materials to encourage community adoption. More than just waste collection hubs, these centers redefine Indonesia’s architectural identity by integrating local material innovation with localized construction methods, exploring new possibilities in form, assembly, and the future of contemporary Indonesian architecture.

With Indonesia's capital relocating to Nusantara, Kalimantan, the first prototype of the Center is strategically placed on the outskirts of the new capital, surrounded by palm oil mills, plantations, and low-income villages. Here, it repurposes the vast amounts of Palm Kernel Shell (PKS), a byproduct of palm oil production, into [P]MU Blocks. This facility signals progress, sets a precedent for waste collection and management, and addresses population growth and shelter needs through sustainable development.

In addition to redefining Indonesia’s regional material identity, the Center aims to re-establish the country's architectural identity by analyzing and reinterpreting traditional architectural characteristics.

The success of the first prototype in Kalimantan paves the way for localized approaches to material innovation and evolving architectural identities across Indonesia. Regions like Jember could harness tobacco waste, while Bali could transform coastal agricultural byproducts into building materials. By tapping into the country’s agricultural and manufacturing strengths, transforming raw waste into functional, familiar materials, this project reimagines how architecture can be deeply rooted in local place, culture, and sustainability.

Index Blue Blood of Jamaica Bay A(ttic)tecture Waste Not, Build WithPhragmiticide Nitrogenated Marine ParkLife Within The ‘Gaps’The Refuge Permeated Melody Reverse Gentrification ResearchThe Future of ‘Primitive’ Architecture Others About Instagram ©2025 f+space

Index

Blue Blood of Jamaica Bay
A(ttic)tecture
Waste Not, Build With
Phragmiticide
Nitrogenated Marine Park
Life Within The ‘Gaps’
The Refuge
Permeated Melody
Reverse Gentrification Research
The Future of ‘Primitive’ Architecture
Others

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