Yogyakarta, June 1, 2025 — The Gadjah Mada City Festival (Festagama) returned in 2025. Festagama is an annual festival open to the public, organized by students of the Urban and Regional Planning Program, Department of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada—specifically the 2023 and 2024 cohorts. The festival serves as a space for creative exploration that connects art, the city, and the community.

The 13th edition, Festagama 13.0, carries the theme “Citra Musim Rupa Kota” (Seasons of the City’s Images). This theme invites participants to explore urban dynamics through the diversity of seasons, showcasing how a city can adapt to various seasonal changes—covering aspects of urban infrastructure, city image and experience, and the aesthetics of public spaces. read more

To celebrate the selection of candidates for the Thesis of the Year (TOY) and Student’s Design Competition (SDC) of the Architects Regional Council Asia (ARCASIA) 2025 by the Association of Architectural Higher Education in Indonesia (APTARI) and the Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI), the Undergraduate Architecture Program, Department of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada held the TOY & SDC ARCASIA Indonesia 2025 Exhibition.

This exhibition showcases 13 TOY finalists and 10 SDC finalists who were selected through a two-stage process: the regional level by APTARI and the national level by IAI. As the initiator of this exhibition, IAI appointed undergraduate architecture programs at 14 universities across Indonesia, including Universitas Gadjah Mada, as the host of the TOY and SDC ARCASIA 2025 Indonesia exhibition from July 7 to August 8, 2025. Specifically for UGM, the exhibition was extended until mid-August 2025 to welcome the new batch of architecture students. In organizing this exhibition, IAI required participating programs to present works anonymously to maintain fairness in the Asia-level judging process and to design the exhibition in a way that reflects the uniqueness of each university. read more

The Architecture Study Program held the Final Project Exhibition – Design Development Stage, July 2025 Period at the Pendopo Tedjo Suminto, Department of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada. The exhibition took place throughout July 2025, showcasing final projects of senior students in the form of models and posters. These works presented innovative architectural ideas that respond to contemporary challenges, ranging from cultural heritage preservation, community development, and sustainability issues, to the integration of technology in building design. read more

Three students of the 2024 cohort of the Master’s Program in Architecture (PMPSA), Universitas Gadjah Mada, who are participants in Studio 2 under the Housing and Settlement Architecture Research Group, successfully conducted their final studio presentation on Thursday, June 19, 2025. The students presented the results of their research, which had been carried out throughout the semester under the guidance of lecturers from the Housing and Settlement Architecture Research Group, namely Dr.Eng. Ir. Ahmad Sarwadi, M.Eng., IPM, and Ardhya Nareswari, S.T., M.T., Ph.D. The final presentation was also attended by Diananta Pramitasari, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., Head of the PMPSA Program, who provided valuable feedback on the students’ research outcomes. read more

On June 25, 2025, the Doctoral Program in Architecture, Department of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (DTAP FT UGM), held a Closed Doctoral Examination for doctoral candidate Mutiawati Mandaka with the dissertation entitled “Urban Morphology of Historic Tourism Cities: Case Study of Lasem, Central Java.”

“This research highlights the crucial role of urban morphology in supporting sustainable tourism development in small historic towns, with a focus on the town of Lasem, Central Java. As a coastal town with rich cultural heritage, Lasem demonstrates how the historical form and spatial structure of the city can shape identity, enhance tourism appeal, and influence the direction of tourism development.”
(Excerpt from the dissertation abstract by Mutiawati Mandaka, 2025, p. xx) read more

Ristya Arinta Safitri, a doctoral student of the Architecture Program, Department of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (DTAP FT UGM), has published her scholarly article entitled “Adaptability of Siheyuan (四合院) Spatial Arrangement in Chinese Houses in Kampung Ketandan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia” in the internationally reputable journal Built Heritage, indexed by Scopus. This publication is part of her dissertation research conducted under the supervision of Prof. Ir. Tarcicius Yoyok Wahyu Subroto, M.Eng., Ph.D., IPUas Promoter, and Dr. Ir. Dwita Hadi Rahmi, M.A. as Co-Promoter. read more

On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, Six Saspandi successfully defended his closed thesis examination with the thesis titled “Development of the Giri Adipura Bus Terminal Area, Wonogiri, as a Green Transit-Oriented Development (Green TOD)”, under the supervision of Dr. Dyah Titisari Widyastuti, S.T., MUDD (supervisor), Prof. Ir. Bambang Hari Wibisono, MUP, M.Sc., Ph.D. (examiner 1), and Dr. Eng. Ir. Muhammad Sani Roychansyah, S.T., M.Eng. (examiner 2).

This research explores the potential development of the Giri Adipura Terminal in Wonogiri as a Green TOD within an area of 115.19 hectares, focusing on a 400-meter core zone and an 800-meter secondary zone. Supported by a Building Coverage Ratio (BCR) of 23.16%, a density of 78 people/ha, and Green Open Space (GOS) of 23.58%, the area faces challenges such as the dominance of private vehicles and the absence of certified green buildings. Strategies include increasing spatial intensity, optimizing GOS between 20–40%, and promoting mixed-use development based on transit. Implementation is planned in stages through a micro-scale approach, public green spaces, and mixed-use functions, while adapting to local constraints such as LSD zones. Community participation and cross-sector coordination are essential, with incentives such as ticket discounts and environmentally friendly designs to support ecological and social balance. read more

On Monday, July 21, 2025, the second thesis defense in the Architectural Design Concentration was successfully completed by Anindya Dhiracitta. Citta presented her thesis titled “Adaptive Co-Housing Model Based on Participatory Design for Young Generations in Yogyakarta.”

Amid the housing affordability crisis and the growing demand for supportive social spaces, conventional housing models often fail to accommodate the lifestyles and values of today’s younger generation. Through a Means-End Chain analysis approach, this thesis explored the relationship between housing attributes, usage consequences, and personal values considered significant for the lives of young people. This process was then translated into the design of an adaptive co-housing model, developed collaboratively with prospective residents through participatory design. read more

Prienta, a Double Degree student in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MPWK) program at Universitas Gadjah Mada, was selected as one of the delegates for the Youth Townhall Road to Y20 Indonesia 2025, held on August 2, 2025, at the Jakarta Library Hall, Taman Ismail Marzuki. This event is part of the Road to Y20 Summit series, which will take place in South Africa, and serves as an important forum to gather the voices of Indonesian youth before being brought to the global stage.

The Youth Townhall was initiated by Indonesian Youth Diplomacy (IYD), a non-profit youth organization in which Prienta is actively involved. IYD is the official body tasked with selecting and facilitating Indonesian youth participation in the Y20 Summit—the official Youth Engagement Group of the G20 Leaders Summit as well as serving as the Youth Focal Point for the G20 Sherpa of the Republic of Indonesia. Prienta’s motivation to join the event stemmed from its purpose: to capture the voices of young people through focused group discussions and consultation forums, which are then summarized into a communiqué and presented at the Y20 Summit in South Africa. “It is very clear that this activity literally and directly brings grassroots youth voices to the international level,” she remarked. read more

Cynthia Permata Dewi, a doctoral student in the Architecture Doctoral Program at the Department of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has achieved remarkable success by winning 2nd place in The Netherlands – Asia Pacific Student Short-Video Competition for Climate and Sustainable Development in Cities. This annual competition is organized by the Wubbo Ockels School for Energy and Climate, University of Groningen, Netherlands. It focuses on how cities can offer local solutions in response to climate change mitigation and adaptation issues, as well as other sustainable development goals. The competition encourages undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students to transform their research into engaging short videos that can reach a wider public audience. read more