REINVENTING THE BASICS

Gaining a reputation for dreaming up some of the most innovative eco design solutions around, zeninadriandesignlab in contributing to the evolution of Indonesian architecture by taking things one sustainable step at a time.

Founded on the premise of devising a more ecological way of approaching architectural design, zeninadriandesignlab (ZADL) is a young, thriving Jakarta-based firm which is bent on transforming the conventions of traditional Indonesian architecture.

Having recently been offered the opportunity to participate in the Ordos 100 Villas Project in Mongolia instigated by Herzog and de Meuron and Chinese architect/artist Ai Wei Wei wherein 100 world-class firms from all over the globe were invited to contribute their respective visions to the building of one-of-a-kind, high-end residences within the site, ZADL is currently awaiting the scheduled construction of perhaps one of their most conceptually intriguing projects to date: a 1200 square meter villa whose design excitingly incorporates a reinterpretation of conventional Chinese courtyard typology, manipulating one's general perception of how a house ought to come across. The firm's unorthodox way of conceiving of design additionally finds its way into ZADL's office culture where virtually every aspect of what constitutes a typical practice - including drawing production, office structure and management - has been overturned and reformed, resulting in work that comes across as bold in their plied-down simplicity and thoughtful in a quietly practical sense.
Operating with the belief that each project deserves its own set of customizable solutions, ZADL consistently churns out diverse takes on small furniture, restaurant interiors, private residences, commercial retail developments and works spaces etc.

A quick scan through the firm's repertoire discloses an overall design process apparently draws much from the existing dynamics of contemporary urban culture. One of our favorite works, Escapod, features a series of 'fPod' meeting rooms distributed throughout the floor of the fX Building, a heavily-frequented shopping centre in Jakarta. Tapping in on the public's increasing tendency of utilizing communal mall areas as an 'extended living room' for either business or leisure, ZADL developed diminutive meeting rooms where small groups are able to gather and participate in discussions while partaking in a sense of intimacy in an otherwise, very public setting. For the 2008 project, the firm purposefully formulated a special type wall skin to simultaneously accommodate acoustic performance, transparency and privacy. Arguably, a common theme that seems to remain persistent throughout much of ZADL's works unveils itself in the simple need to revisit and redefine the most fundamental aspects of architectural design. A 2005-built one bedroom house built in West Java, for instance, scrutinizes the relationship between the pitched roof and the wall, culminating in a formidable, structure that emerges as a cross between a classic, modern work and a traditional dwelling in the tropics. ZADL was recently established by Zenin Adrian and his wife, Leila Veruschka Makarim. Prior to his return to Indonesia, Adrian underwent a formal education which saw him pursuing his Master of Architecture at the University of Toronto, Canada before finally finishing his studies at the prestigious Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. An avid writer, Adrian contributes his architectural writings to publications such as the Jakarta Post and postings on his blog, www.zeninadrian.blogspot.com.

[Blueprint Asia - January 2010]