A team of alumni from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) successfully earned an Honorable Mention in the EPOCH45 International Planning Competition, a multidisciplinary competition for students and young professionals in spatial planning for Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN). The competition was organized in collaboration between Diponegoro University and MARS Architects, aiming to find innovative solutions for urban and landscape development in the next phase of IKN’s construction. The award announcement took place on March 18, 2025, at Erasmus Huis, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Jakarta.
student achievements
On March 7, 2025, the Doctoral Program of Architecture, DTAP FT UGM, held a Closed Examination for Doctoral Candidate Sri Sunarti with the dissertation titled “Owah Ora Malih, Malih Ora Owah, Malih: The Semiotic Meaning Behind Architectural Changes of the Pagelaran of the Yogyakarta Karaton in the 20th Century.”
As with previous royal palaces that have undergone changes, restorations, or renovations, the Pagelaran of the Yogyakarta Karaton also experienced significant transformations. While traditional environments of the Pagelaran are believed to remain unchanged, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana VIII made a series of changes in the 20th century that re-established noble values. Therefore, the researcher views the concept of “owah” and “malih” (both referring to change) as compelling phenomena worth studying.
On January 13, 2025, the Doctoral Program of Architecture, DTAP FT UGM, held a Closed Examination for Doctoral Candidate Luhur Sapto Pamungkas with the dissertation titled “Socio-Cultural Values in the Model of Sustainable Urban Kampung in Yogyakarta City.”
This research was conducted to explore the factors influencing sustainable urban kampung (KUB), which were identified based on sustainable development theories and empirical facts from previous studies. The aim was to examine these factors and discover a formula for KUB.
As a form of appreciation for the dedication of students in designing and documenting the design process, the Architecture Study Program held a Design Process Competition. This competition assesses every step of the design process, from problem analysis, solution strategies, to exploration of alternative designs that are presented creatively and clearly.
Congratulations to the students who have shown the best progress in this competition! Hopefully this award will be a motivation to continue producing innovative and quality design work.
The campus environment, especially in the Department of Architecture and Planning (DTAP), has many empty spaces that have the potential to be activated as functional areas. One of them is the DTAP innercourt, an open space that is often underutilized. With an innovative design approach, this area can be transformed into a place that supports discussion activities, collaboration, and informal interactions between students and lecturers.
The need for small spaces that are flexible, multifunctional, and easy to move is relevant in the campus environment. These modular spaces can be adapted to maximize the use of the innercourt and other empty areas in DTAP. In addition to enriching the quality of space in the campus environment, modular design also provides flexibility for use in other locations as needed.
At the beginning of 2023, DTAP students made another achievement through the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) Indonesia Awards. The achievement was made by Salsabila Novitasari, a 2019 Bachelor of Architecture student. Salsabila with her work entitled “Re-Stack!” has won the Gold Winner in the Architecture category. In addition to Salsabila, Yoga Adhi Susila (2018) won the Silver Winner title through his work entitled “Sacred Garden”. Setia Aji Wardana (2019) and Ardana Dayu Suryono (2019) also received Honorary Mention awards at the annual event.

