Architect and professional practitioner Ir. Adi Utomo Hatmoko, M.Arch., who also serves as a lecturer at the Architecture and Planning Department, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has once again achieved national recognition. His design for the Bali International Hospital received the highest recognition for architectural masterpieces in the Hospital and Healthcare category from IndoBuildTech on July 4, 2025. This award highlights the excellence of the design concept, the precision in planning, and the contribution of architecture to sustainability and quality of life.
Pushing the boundaries of classroom learning and cross-disciplinary collaboration, a revolutionary course is redefining how students engage with real-world construction challenges. The Undergraduate Architecture Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable architectural education through the launch of a special course titled Sustainable Materials and Construction. Delivered in the even semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, the 3-credit course was developed in collaboration with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Integrated Engineering) at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Malaysia, and officially commenced at the end of May 2025. Far beyond blueprints and design theory, this course offers a holistic view of the construction industry—integrating architecture, civil engineering, and environmentally conscious technology.
Efforts to find sustainable solutions in architecture are no longer limited to land-based development, but now also extend to coastal and marine environments. In response to this growing challenge, the Undergraduate Architecture Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has partnered with the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) to offer a collaborative elective course titled Floating Architecture. The course was held during the even semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, and was designed to broaden students’ perspectives on the potential for human life at sea, and how architecture can contribute sustainable solutions in this context.
A Master’s student in Architecture from the 2022 cohort, under the Building Technology Research Group (KBK Teknologi), Department of Architecture and Planning, Universitas Gadjah Mada, has completed his final thesis defense in June 2025. The student, Ade Nurma Prasetyo, presented his thesis titled: “Performance Analysis of Balconies as Shading Devices on Cooling Energy and Visual Comfort in Vertical Residential Buildings in Jakarta.”
This research addresses an issue relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9): Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. The findings indicate that balconies located on the exterior of vertical residential units—characterized by their Horizontal Shadow Angle (HSA)—can perform effectively in reducing cooling energy consumption by up to 22%, without requiring changes to the building’s shape or what is referred to in the study as the shape factor.
Students of PPAr UGM had finished submitting their design proposals for C40: Reinventing Cities Competition. Accordingly, the students had also completed their journey in participating the Professional Studio II course as they now wait for announcements from the competition. To end the course, on its final exam as well as its final display, the students presented their designs to their supervisors and two guest architects: Ar. Syaref Pramono,S.T. IAI., AA and Ar. Aditya Noor Hadhy Utama, S.T., M.Ars., IAI.
Weaving is one of the most common architectural elements that has been used for centuries in Indonesia. Typically made from bamboo and known as gedhek in Javanese, weaving has traditionally served as walls or partitions in vernacular houses. Today, weaving is no longer limited to traditional homes—it can also be applied in various building typologies such as cafes, hotels, airports, and more. With innovations in materials, weaving can now be adapted to suit specific aesthetics or functions desired in architectural design. BYO Living, a renowned weaving studio from Indonesia, shared their insights on weaving in the MateREALity class (Materiality in Architecture), joined by two practitioners: David Hutama (Nenun Ruang) and Rony Gunawan Sunaryo (rgA studio), on Friday, May 16, 2025, at Room K1, Department of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada. The discussion was led by Mutiara Angel Simanjuntak, an undergraduate student of the Architecture Program, class of 2023, who served as the moderator.
On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, six students from the Master’s Program in Architecture at Universitas Gadjah Mada took part in a field study at Omah UGM, Kotagede. This activity was part of the elective course Resilience in Architecture, and was supervised by two lecturers: Ardhya Nareswari, S.T., M.T., Ph.D. (course instructor) and Ir. Ikaputra, M.Eng., Ph.D.
At Omah UGM, Kotagede, students had the opportunity to explore the application of earthquake resilience concepts in residential areas. The visit allowed them to gain deeper insight into disaster mitigation strategies, building adaptation, and the preservation of historic neighborhoods within the context of seismic risk. Through direct observation and field-based learning, students are expected to expand their knowledge and skills that support the development of disaster-resilient built environments. The implementation of this activity is in line with the achievement of SDG 4, SDG 9, and SDG 11.
In several parts of the world, the month of May is a time to organize and participate in Jane’s Walk—a global event that celebrates the legacy and ideas of Jane Jacobs, a renowned urban activist whose 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities challenged the myopic views of modernist urban planning. Jacobs was widely influential in reshaping how we think about cities and livable neighborhoods. One of the central ideas in her work is the importance of walking—not just as a mode of movement, but as a way to experience and understand urban spaces.
Yogyakarta, April 25, 2025 — Archilecture, a recurring guest lecture series held by the Undergraduate Architecture Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada, made its return in collaboration with the MateREALity (Architectural Materiality) class. This edition of Archilecture focused on a special theme that explored one of the essential elements in architecture—the window—featuring presentations from two practitioners: Motomichi Kunugiza (Program Officer at the Window Research Institute, Japan) and Andhang Trihamdani (R&D General Manager at YKK AP R&D Center, Indonesia).
Yogyakarta, May 24, 2025 — The Master Program in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), welcomed a delegation from the China Center for Urban Development (CCUD) to explore potential collaboration in the field of smart and sustainable city development.
The delegation, led by Mr. Liu Qiang, Deputy Director General of CCUD, and Ms. Zhao Fanfan, Director of the Digital Economy Office within the Smart and Low-Carbon Development Division, was received by Dr. Eng. Muhammad Sani Roychansyah, S.T., M.Eng., and Dr. Ir. Tri Mulyani Sunarharum, S.T., Head and Secretary of the MURP Program. The meeting served as a platform to exchange insights and identify opportunities for future cooperation in areas of urban innovation, planning, and policy.
