Breeding ResiliencE 2nd Edition
Architectural Design Journal Submitted to the Department of Architecture in partial fulfillment of the degree Masters of Architecture at the National University of Singapore May 2020 by Viany Sutisna A0144790B under the supervision of Tsuto Sakamoto
Breeding (v) : 1
2
cause an organism to produce offspring, especially in a controlled and organized way rear and train (someone) to behave in a particular way
Resilience (n) : 1
the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness
Acknowledgements I would like to extend my gratitude to the following people who have helped me in the process of this thesis-prep. The project would not be what is today so far, if not for the support from many. To my family, especially Mum, for being my strongest support system and being there during both the highs and the lows. To my studiomates, Bona, Nijel, Hogen. Thank you for this journey. To friend and role model, David, for always being available when in need for a second opinion and for your valuable feedback. To friends who have kept me sane, Deb, Gerald, Faith, Ben, Pan, Janine, Abraham, Mo. Last but certainly not the least, to my supervisor, Tsuto, thank you for your patience and generosity with your time and your endless insightful comments.
Contents 6
Abstract Overview Chapter 01 Introduction 1.1 1.2 1.3
Breathing as Survival Site Context Haze as Hyperobject: the urban dweller vs the villager
Chapter 02 Design Premises 2.1 2.2 2.3
A premise for human and non - human relationships Primitive Ingenuity Architectural Issue & Objectives
Chapter 03 Design Proposal 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
The Oxygen Shrine The Watchtower Overall Masterplan: rituals as survival An Emergent Aesthetics of Resiliency
Chapter 04 Research & References 4.1 4.2 4.2
4.3 4.4 4.5
Algae Production Systems Indigenous Folk Art: Tree of Life, Watersnake, & Hornbill Tiwah: the death ritual 4.2.1 Ceremony 4.2.2 Bukung: the masked spirits at Tiwah Fishing contraptions of Java & Kalimantan Theo Jansenn’s Strandbeests Olafur Eliasson’s Weather Project
Appendix Bibliography 7
Abstract 2
The thesis begins with the phenomena of the Southeast Asian haze that blankets Singapore and Malaysia with thick smog, as seen from satellite images, an annual phenomenon that persists despite the efforts of numerous parties to limit its occurrence. Specifically, the context of interest is a complex ecosystem of the peatlands in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, where raging fires occur and pungent haze persist. The design exploration firstly delves into the mechanism of oxygen production through a symbiotic human – non-human relationship between humans and chlorella vulgaris, a species of algae used in long haul space explorations where astronauts must be self-sustainable. This mechanical and technical knowledge is then adapted to the local technologies and materials available on the site, to ensure maximum effect despite its limitations. This knowledge is then translated into the kind of forms and structures aligned to the cultural and human context of the indigenous peoples of Kalimantan, through a rigorous study of primitive materials and village engineering structures, as well as folk art and symbolism in the indigenous Kaharingan religion. The thesis becomes an orchestration of the arising mechanical and aesthetic opportunities of the site conditions, using village engineering and adhocism as a construction logic while maximising the silhouette effects of the haze as an emerging aesthetic of resilience and adaptation.
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01 INTRODUCTION 4
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Let’s play a game. Which one is which? (Image sources: refer to pg 16) 6
1.1 Breathing as Survival Air is the life-giving element on which we depend. The air only comes into consciousness when we realise the air we breathe has gone bad. The PSI levels during the 2015 haze reached a value of PSI 29001, causing more than 140,000 cases of respiratory illness and an estimated 100,000 deaths. The haze makes the invisible air unavoidably tangible. The sky that was once a turquoise blue turns into a dusty orange, indicating the presence of particles that result in the scattering of light in the atmosphere, warning us of the quality of the air we inhale into our lungs. The similarity between Olafur Eliasson’s project2 and the 2015 haze is striking. The dazzling orange atmosphere and the foggy appearance both veil the dark silhouettes of people in a variety of forms. Though both possess visual resemblances of the other, conditions are starkly different. The museum offers safety and the privilege to explore these artificial environments at will. Visitors are subjected to the aesthetic features of the orange mist while distanced away from pollution and harmful substances. In contrast, the haze dominates and restricts bodies at its own autonomy and self-rule, choking lungs and obstructing breathing. While both environments subject humans to similar atmospheres, one provides you with choice, the other does not. In this new air, our breath can no longer be effortless, and mere survival requires innovation and labour.
Viral: Stunning, Heartbreaking Photo of Man Going Fishing in Toxic Yellow 2,900 PSI Haze in Central Kalimantan | Coconuts Jakarta,” accessed November 10, 2019, https://coconuts.co/jakarta/lifestyle/viral-stunning-heartbreaking-photoman-going-fishing-toxic-yellow-2900-psi-haze-central/. 2 “Olafur Eliasson the Weather Project: About the Installation | Tate,” accessed November 11, 2019, https://www.tate.org. uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/unilever-series/unilever-series-olafur-eliasson-weather-project-0. 1
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Image 1.0 Aerial drone footage. Mega Rice Project Canal of 20 m width, located behind Desa Gohong.
1.2 Site Context Central Kalimantan is the site in which matters of haze are at hand. In 1995, the Mega Rice Project was initiated by former President Suharto* to convert one million hectares of peatland swamp forest, seen as unproductive lands, into paddy fields in the name of food self-sufficiency for the nation and his own political reputation. Plots were allocated as incentive for people to move from crowded areas such as Java to fringe areas such as Kalimantan as part of a larger transmigration scheme. Large canals which reached up to 20 - 30 m wide in some areas were cut into peat domes**, draining away the water contained inside them. An assessment carried out a year after the project had started revealed that only a quarter of the land was suitable for the Javanese dry rice method of farming as peat soil was acidic. The project was eventually abandoned3. The legacy of its failure remains commemorated every year with most fire hotspots occurring on these degraded peatlands. Continuous drainage of peatlands resulted in the exposure of dry organic matter, in other words, fuel. Peat in losing its water retention capacity becomes hydrophobic and extremely susceptible to fire. Underground fires remain active, eating away at the peat for months unless flooded with water. At the onset of the El Nino effect, rainfall becomes sparse and droughts become even more extreme. Palm oil and logging companies continue their businessas-usual models.
President Suharto was the second president of Indonesia who served for 31 years, and observed as a dictator. ** Peat domes are formed when peat accummulates dead organic matter and retains water. Once the peat dome is disturbed, water will continuously drain out of the no longer closed ecosystem. *
Alue Dohong, “Hydrology Restoration of Ex Mega Rice Project Central Kalimantan Through Canal Blocking Techniques: Lessons Learned and Steps Forward,” 2005.
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Detected fires by month January
March
February
April
June
May
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
Statistics 2019
By Land Use 15% pulpwood 11% palm oil 5% logging
On Peatland
On Primary Forest
33% peatland
Hotspot mapping of the fires in Kalimantan, showing the worst fires occur in the months of July-October, located in Central Kalimantan. 12
33% primary
On Moratorium Areas 28% moratorium
On RSPO
On PO Concessions 0% RSPO
Detected fires by month July
August
September
October
November
On Primary Forest
On Moratorium Areas
On RSPO
December
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
Statistics 2019
By Land Use 15% pulpwood 11% palm oil 5% logging
On Peatland 33% peatland
33% primary
28% moratorium
On PO Concessions 0% RSPO
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1.2 Haze as hyperobject: the urban dweller vs the villager The haze as a hyperobject is overwhelming. It is unquantifiable, uncapturable and seemingly infinite, as a substance that resembles a size much smaller than dust, but is “massively distributed in time and space relative to humans.”4 In response to the haze, humans have opted to rationalise and respond to the hyperobject haze, through constructs of science, economics and politics which have resulted in an increasingly distanced and anthropocentrically-scaled perspective of how the haze should be solved manifest in the human realm in the form of denial and blame of neighbours, and an invisible arena of international politics. The anxiety of securing long term sustainability also seems to have driven the creation of institutions to regulate the collective gas emissions of countries, introducing market mechanisms to control the composition of the air. Everyone is on a frantic mission to suppress emissions and madly searching for ways to pay for the carbon crimes we have committed. The air is no longer an innocent element but an active medium involved in the economics and politics of human survival. And yet, despite all these interventions, the haze remains unsolvable. Inspired by the writing of Timothy Morton on Ecology without Nature, the thesis speculates outcomes possible outcomes of the “gap” between these systems and a true understanding of ecology itself5.
Timothy Morton, Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World, Posthumanities 27 (Minneapolis London: University of Minnesota Press, 2013). 5 Timothy Morton, Ecology without Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics, 1. Harvard Univ. Press paperback ed (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press, 2009). 4
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Oxygen Houses
(Image Sources: refer to pg 15)
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Oxygen Mobiles
(Image Sources: refer to pg15 )
The urban people in Palangka Raya City have access to Oxygen Houses and Mobile Oxygen services to combat the haze. There are six Oxygen Houses in the city of Palangka Raya, situated in clinics, hospitals and unused rooms in institutional buildings such as army function halls. Oxygen Houses offer free 15-minute oxygen treatments using oxygen tanks attached to a gas mask, for which patients lie down and breathe. Often, Oxygen Houses are crowded with long queues. Oxygen vans are made available in the city at the dial of the Oxygen Mobile hotline, offering housebound people small doses of fresh air to reduce the effects of the haze. *
All information collected through local interviews, site visit, and personal communication.
Image Sources: Dok Biro Komunikasi dan Pelayanan Masyarakat Kementerian Kesehatan RI. Retrieved from https:// www.gatra.com/detail/news/445790/kesehatan/kabut-asap-dinas-kesehatan-kalteng-sediakan-rumahoksigen Dok Humas PKS Kalteng. Retrieved from http://pks.id/content/butuh-udara-bersih-warga-ramaidatangi-mobil-oksigen-pks Dok Biro Komunikasi dan Pelayanan Masyarakat Kementerian Kesehatan RI. Retrieved from https:// today.line.me/id/pc/article/Mobil+Oksigen+udara+bersih+bagi+warga+yang+terkena+kabut+as ap-3R992Z Toto Sutiyoso. Retrieved from https://pasangmata.detik.com/contribution/170541 Yesi. Retrieved from http://www.ulasancantik.com/aksi-peduli-dari-rumah-zakat-untuk-bencanakarhutla/ Jeri Ripaldon. Retrieved from http://www.muhammadiyah.or.id/id/news-17542-detailmuhammadiyah-kalteng-dirikan-rumah-oksigen.html Muhammad Hamim. Retrieved from https://www.borneonews.co.id/berita/137806-pemkabkotawaringin-timur-siapkan-rumah-oksigen
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In the villages, located 4-5 km away from the city, villagers have persisted living along the riverbank, despite the volatile conditions, finding patches where the land is less acidic and where there is sufficient irrigation for their crops along the riverbank. Villagers make a living out of small businesses, such as making rattan crafts or bee farming, and rely on small-scale plantations such as rubber, Sengon wood, and fisheries dependent on the changing water tables during tidal inundation. Villagers who do not make enough stable income are forced to work at palm oil plantations and live in their worker barracks. During dry season, villagers work in the field during the day, and put out fires during the night*. Pak Andri : If you know a few months back, during the fires earlier this year, we would work on our fields during the day, and work to put out fires during the night. See, we still have our equipment and pumps there. (Pak Andri points to two sets of hoses and water pumps on the porch.) Pak Andri : (Pause.) Yes, we do get tired, working all day and all night. But if there is a fire behind our village, what are we to do? Bigger fires will affect us more. We hope there will be no fire, no disaster like that in our village. Villages consist of mainly indigenous groups who have resided on their ancestral lands, amongst a multitude of trans migrants from Bali and Java who were historically part of Suharto’s transmigration program6. Interviews reveal villagers will continue working in their fields despite the haze to earn income to be used for a day-to-day basis. Their dependence on nature as their free supermarket has also prevented them from moving up social classes.
*
Information collected through local interviews during site visit.
Badan Restorasi Gambut, “Profil Desa Peduli Gambut Desa Gohong” (Badan Restorasi Gambut, 2018), https://brg.go.id/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Fix-Gohong-kahayan-Hilir-pulang-pisau.pdf.
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“In all honesty, we cannot really afford to think about the haze. What is important is that we work; haze does not become an issue. If we do not work during the haze, how will we earn money to eat for the day? Whether we like it or not, haze or no haze, we will continue working. We cannot fight nature.”
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Village Livelihood 21
DIY Breathing Apparatus
(Image Source: Personal Communitcation with Tika from JPIC Kalimantan)
Wet Cloth filter in bottle
(Image Source: and screenshot from Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x1pCMPwLCg&t=361s)
Anti-haze Classrooms (Image Source: Personal Communitcation with Tika from JPIC Kalimantan)
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Though it is undeniable that villagers face hardship with their current environmental conditions, a certain resilience has emerged from their constant exposure. Their resiliency is attributed to their short-term, day-to-day mentality and their surrendering attitude to natural systems, that has prevented them from falling into the trap of rationalising their condition through human-centric constructs such as politics or economics. The immediacy and lack of choice of their condition strips them away of the distancing screen22 in which city dwellers, politicians, scientists possess when disputing transboundary air quality and emissions. In maintaining a minimal “gap”23 between them and nature, resiliency in coping with nature itself is bred amongst the villagers. Instead of fighting the haze, the air is kept close at hand as a personal and intimate affair, reflected through the innovation and invention of breathing aids, air filters and air purifiers, that help adapt themselves to the unforgiving and omnipresent haze. The nature of these innovations are not offensive but adaptive, bringing them towards a closer understanding of nature itself.
*
All information collected through local interviews, site visit, and personal communication.
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Algae as Oxygen Producer These photos were taken after a month of growth when oxygen production was at its maximum. 24
2.1 A Premise for Human - Nonhuman Relationships Microalgae is a single cell organism capable of more efficiently producing oxygen in comparison to other plants. A young tree on average is able to absorb 2.5 tones of CO2/acre/annum7 while micro-algae that is farmed in a bio-reactor with optimal conditions can absorb up to 2.7 tons/CO2/acre/day8. According to this study, the rate of oxygen production is potentially 400x times as effective as trees9, which is possible due to microalgae’s space efficiency, its sheer quantity of cells and short life cycle or fast growth. Given microalgae’s properties, it is not surprising that the first attempt to integrate microalgae-based Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS), which is the ability to sustain humans in space without the earth’s resources was in the 1960s10. NASA has then since attempted to fully sustain astronauts in space with the help of microalgae as a source of oxygen, carbon absorption and dietary requirement. With this premise, an Algae Breathing Aid in the form of a backpack was designed to carry bottles of algae bioreactors which are meant to improve their existing local invention of the breathing aid against the haze which only utilizes water as an air filter. As algae can thrive with minimal requirements, only requiring the nutrients in the water medium, carbon dioxide and sunlight, it seemed logical to combine the two mechanisms together to enhance the oxygen production and air purification function. Locals can carry the backpack as they work on a day to day basis in the village and in the fields. As further development, a larger scale unit of the algae breathing aid was also designed using every day materials to allow for larger volumes of algae to be bred and more oxygen to be produced.
“Trees Improve Our Air Quality.” http://urbanforestrynetwork.org/benefits/air%20quality.htm (May 2, 2020). “CO2 Capture for Industries by Algae | IntechOpen.” https://www.intechopen.com/books/algae/co-sub-2-subcapture-for-industries-by-algae (May 2, 2020). 9 “Algae-Based Bioreactor: It Loves Swallowing CO2.” Algae-Based Bioreactor: It Loves Swallowing CO2 | WhatsOrb. https://www.whatsorb.com/climate/algae-based-bioreactor-swallows-co2-faster-than-trees-how (May 2, 2020). 10 Yang, Limin et al. 2019. “Microalgae Biotechnology as an Attempt for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems: Problems and Prospects.” Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology 94(10): 3039–48. 7 8
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Algae Breathing Aid 50cm x 30xm 7.0 kg Materials needed: Breathing mask x1 Pipes 1.5L Plastic Bottles x4 Aquarium pump x2 Airstone x1 Batteries x1 Large plastic drum x1 26
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Large Scale Algae Breathing Unit 150cm x 50xm 12.0 kg Materials needed: Breathing mask x1 PVC Pipes / Hose Large Gallon Plastic Bottles Aquarium pumps Electrical Generator Water pump Faucet
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Large Scale Algae Breathing Unit 150cm x 50xm, 12.0 kg 30
2.2 Primitive ingenuity While these primitive inventions may often be looked down upon, doubted, and perhaps laughed at, the thesis views these inventions as a form of primitive ingenuity, a kind of technology, a logic, and more importantly, a design strategy worth studying, to be respected and utilised to its maximum potential. It is an opportunity for lowtech solutions and innovations that could be applied to the most vulnerable and underprivileged of communities, instead of catering for only the privileged urban dweller. The unique quality of these inventions cannot be denied for its inherent humanness and perhaps hopefulness, despite its clear limitations. One also cannot deny the unexpected joy and surprise of witnessing these seemingly doubtful contraptions function. When that happens, it no longer becomes a laughing matter. The architectural thesis is in pursuit of a kind of rationality that is different from scientific, economic, political rationality but one of its own. The thesis also feeds upon the hopeful nature of these inventions, in creating an architecture made up of primitive items, that functions better than it should and of allowing a vulnerable people to become more resilient than they should. By giving form to these primitive materials, these everyday items are elevated into necessary, formal and infrastructural supports for the village community on which they rely for survival. It is to be an architecture that is looked down upon but exceeds expectations - an architecture that does more with less.
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2.3 Architectural Issue & Objectives At its core, this thesis looks at the issue of breathing and the very tangible effects of climate change on villager livelihood. Large heroic concepts proposed in politics, economics and science to solve the haze become irrelevant and distant, as compared to the pursuit of a different kind of rationality embedded inherently in local culture, beliefs, knowledge and skills. For the sake of survival of a primitive community traversing the Anthropocene age, modern forms of knowledge must be re-adapted, re-applied and re-engineered. Ultimately, the thesis is in search of a rationality that juggles the advanced expectations of survival in an increasingly critical age, with the limitations present in the village context. It is proposed that survival and sustainability in this age is about coexistence, adaptation and tolerance, and thus, at the end of it all, this thesis searches for ways and opportunities in which it is possible to thrive within the hazy environment, despite the odds. These new peoples, with their coping mechanisms, survival practices and adaptations are to be called the neo-indigenous*.
Neo-indigenous is used to describe the new ethos of living, coping mechanisms and culture that arises as a response to the irreversible climate conditions and to the mixing between indigenous practices and Western ideas of sustainability, as an attempt to possess resilience.
*
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03 DESIGN 34
3.0 Design Proposal Programmatically, the project has manifested the existence of two creatures, one that addresses the lack of oxygen in the haze-ridden air, and another that rewets peatlands in prevention of fire, which from here on will referred to as Oxygen Shrine and Watchtower respectively. These infrastructures are to be utilized during the annual seasons of fire and haze, in accompaniment with existing firefighting infrastructures such as the deep well network, and manual firefighting methods using regular hose and water. These creatures are akin to infrastructure that arises out of the need to survive and are architectural manifestations of human crisis and necessity. The environmental conditions of the hazy air are not seen as a problem but embraced fully as a wholly emergent aesthetic and maximised in the design consideration. Instead of being completely enveloped and diminished by the haze, these structures thrive gloriously in the haze, like an animal in its natural habitat.
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3.1 The Oxygen Shrine The Oxygen Shrine is a creature born out of neccessity due to the lack of breatheable air during the worsening haze in Kalimantan. The creature lies quietly on the riverside during the non-haze period allowing for events and regular village activities to take place. During the haze period, however, its demure figure slowly begins to transform into angry and animalistic silhouettes, as a result of the aggregation of the mechanical structures required to produce oxygen, the orange haze conditions, and through ritual practice. Its form echoes indigenous motifs and beliefs, of the union between watersnake and hornbill (refer to Ch 4.0) reflected in its elevation, and the Tree of Life (Ch. 4.0) reflected in its plan. The Oxygen Shrine is both a place of ritual and refuge for spiritual and physical survival.
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Pitched Pitched
7.1m 38.7 deg
Capacity = 375x4 = 1500 bottles 2.13 bottles/m2
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Tiered Tiered
7.4m 30 deg
u = 500 v = 500 Capacity = 1656 bottles 4 bottles/m2
30 degrees 30 Degrees
5.1m 30 deg
u = 500 v = 500 Capacity = 1440 bottles 3.98 bottles/m2
Original Original
8m
42.138 deg
u = 580 v = 500 Capacity = 1512 bottles 3.57 bottles/m2
6060degrees Degrees
15.3m
60 deg
u = 660 v = 500 Capacity = 1872 bottles 2.98 bottles/m2
70 70 degrees Degrees
24.3m
70 deg
u = 695 v = 500 Capacity = 2664 bottles 2.9 bottles/m2
Study of roof pitches Ensuring algae growth is maximised through surface area exposed and maximum spans of material considered 41
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Oxygen Production Capacity The total required length and height of the shrines was determined through calculation of the oxygen production capacity as well as limitations in material availability and dimension. The efficiency oxygen production as a result of the interaction between the algae bottles and roof pitch was considered to maximise the surface area exposed to sunlight. The less volume spread over more surface area would be the ideal condition, but because the container itself is restricted to the plastic bottle, which is a material that is readily available in the village and is a standard unit that can be repeated for this algae system, the efficiency of oxygen production is at 60% of that of NASA11 in their design for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS). (Refer to calculation in the Appendix.) Despite so, this efficiency is maximised according to the limitations of the village engineering, and still provides adequate oxygen treatment to all in the village, in comparison to those in the city where crowds of people herd to hospitals and oxygen houses for a mere 15 minutes of fresh oxygen. Thus, surprisingly the village has become more resilient than the urban dweller. The two shrines was decided based on the catchment area of 500 m, so that it would be accessible to everyone in the village within 5 minutes of walking12. Each shrine is divided into parts and the height is adjusted accordingly to the maximum length of its material which is bamboo at a maximum of about 30 meters13.
“The 5-Minute Walk.” 2018. MORPHOCODE. https://morphocode.com/the-5-minute-walk/ (May 2, 2020). Jones, Harry. “Design Rules for Life Support Systems.” 33rd International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES) ICES40, Advanced Life Support and Systems Analysis. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20040012725. pdf (May 2, 2020). 13 “Bamboo - Wikipedia.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo (May 2, 2020). 11 12
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The Belly of the Beast becomes a space for ritual and refuge, for prayer and breathing - spiritual and physical survival.
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Non - haze
Haze
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Primitive materials and systems aggregate together to form a complex structure that functions mechanically for a specific purpose, likened to Theo Jansenn’s Strandbeests (Ch. 4.0).
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Adjusting to the seasonal high tides and low tides of the river The Oxygen Shrine adapts and behaves differently during the non - haze and haze period as reflected in its elevation. As the water level drops, the different parts of the structure separate into different levels. While the structures fully on land, transitional and hanging over the water remain in place, the floating parts of the Oxygen Shrine follow the level of the water. 51
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Attachment of additional oxygen - producing facilities The Oxygen Shrine adapts and behaves differently during the non - haze and haze period as reflected in its elevation. During the non - haze period, it is demure and peaceful as a place of meditation, rest, prayer, and weekly religious services. During the haze, it turns madly green as it begins to breed algae and produce oxygen, with additional oxygen-producing facilities, which can be attached to the main shrine. 53
Image Source: Schärer, Hans. 1963. Ngaju Religion: The Conception of God among a South Borneo People. http://public. ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3105370 (May 1, 2020).
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Union of Watersnake & Hornbill The watersnake and hornbill are symbols which pervade indigenous folk art, religious artefacts, and everyday items such as clothing, rugs, and other household items. In the Story of Creation, the watersnake is a symbol of the underworld while the hornbill is of the upperworld. The two opposing forces are believed to have created mankind through the creation of the “Tree of Life”. (Refer to Ch. 4.0) Similarly, our breath is renewed after recieving fresh oxygen. 55
Image Source: Schärer, Hans. 1963. Ngaju Religion: The Conception of God among a South Borneo People. http://public. ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3105370 (May 1, 2020).
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Reenactment of “Batang Garing” aka “Tree of Life” Smaller additional shrines can be attached to the main shrine during the worst haze periods in order to increase oxygen production. The attachment of these smaller shrines are a reenactment of the “Tree of Life” (Refer to Ch. 4.0) which is a core principle in the indigenous Kaharingan religion that speaks of the Story of Creation and renewal of life, that pervades their whole existence. 57
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Type I
Type II
Type III
Types of Ritual Spaces Indonesia only recognises 6 main religions, and Kaharingan is not one of them as it is considered to fall under folk-religion and integrated in Hinduism in the 1980s14. Although many indigenous have converted or claim to be under Islam or Christianity to prevent discrimination, some have kept their rituals intact and continue to practice them as part of their culture. 14
“Agama Kaharingan: ‘Dirangkul’ Pemerintah, Belum Siap Diterima Masyarakat.” 2020. Ekspresionline.com. https://ekspresionline.com/2020/04/12/agama-kaharingan-dirangkul-pemerintah-belum-siap-diterimamasyarakat/ (May 2, 2020).
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The attachment of these smaller shrines and the overall aggregation of mechanical structures in the haze begin to form animalistic silhouettes. People are also deformed with masks and breathing gear to become unrecognisable creatures that roam the village going about doing their regular activities. Under the haze, there is no distinction between human, animal and infrastructure. 61
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The Oxygen Shrine takes a whole village to construct and maintain, breeding a sense of together-ness amongst the villagers, as a neccessary task to ensure each other’s survival. The term for working together to achieve a common goal amongst villagers is called “gotong-royong” in Indonesia, evident in the construction and maintenance of the fishing contraptions in Ch. 4.0. 63
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Bird Nest Farm Bird nest farms are a common part of the landscape, and is a form of income that requires minimal capital at the beginning. The bird nest farm will finance the Oxygen Shrine’s material and maintenance costs. In the non haze period, it draws income for the villagers in preparation for the costs during the haze period. Following the nesting cycles of the swallows, the bird nest farm can also be converted into an emergency oxygen - producing facility during the haze period once the bird nests are harvested.
Image sources: https://www.borneonews.co.id/berita/61442-sarang-walet-di-lamandu-segera-ditertibkan
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Locals are highly trained to the activities on site, which include harvesting bird nest precariously without protective gear. Their skills are highly advanced than the urban dweller - agile, acrobatic and almost theatrical.
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Double skin structure The double skin structure consisting of bamboo outer skin and wooden frame structure allow for humans to share the same space as swallows according to the cyclical nature of the seasons. The void in the centre behaves as an air shaft for wind to flow through as well as a circulation space when harvesting birds nest, while fins allow for flexible configuration during the non-haze and haze season. 69
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Windcatchers and ponds Windcatchers ensure higher windspeeds to evaporate water from water bodies or ponds below to ensure the humidity inside the bird nest farm to allow swallows to produce saliva and make their nests within the structure. 71
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Diagonal Circulation, Inner Bamboo Screens, Hammocks Circulation is through a diagonal member that is akin to diagonal structural member. The flexible bamboo screen allows for changes in function, while the hammocks support this switch during the non haze period when it converts into an oxygen producing facility. 75
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Additional oxygen - producing facilities The Bird Nest Farm adapts and behaves differently during the non - haze and haze period. During the non - haze period, it operates as a bird nest farm drawing finance for the Oxygen Shrine’s activities. During the haze period, it can be converted into an oxygen - producing facility meant for the human rest. 77
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3.2 The Watchtower The Watchtower is a creature born out of the neccessity to prevent the drying of peatlands that cause worsened haze in Kalimantan. During the non-haze period, it lies in the distance, as an innocent look out tower. Its quantity and regular interval may be disturbing to outsiders as it is in excess. During the haze period, its mechanical wings open up like the wings of the Great Argus Pheasant, creating silhouettes in the haze conditions that reflect a hidden animality. Drawing water from the existing deep well network, it sprays water from its wing-like limbs to rewet peatlands prone to fire.
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Non - Haze
Haze
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Great Argus Pheasant 86
Headdress
Rewetting peatlands for the prevention of fire The Watchtower adapts and behaves differently during the non - haze and haze period as reflected in its elevation. During the non - haze period, it is stands quietly in the distance as a lookout tower, although visitors may find the excess and regular intervals rather disturbing. During the haze period, its wing - like limbs, inspired by the Great Argus Pheasant, one of the sacred birds of the indigenous, open up and begin madly spraying water to rewet the peatlands which are prone to fire in the dry season. 87
Drawing water from the river, an unlimited source using two pumps and channelling it outwards
Watchtowers placed along these channels to ensure steady supply of water during rewetting season
Resultant coverage area of Watchtowers and deep wells as a defence line from fire approaching from the East, while the village is in the West 88
Head to Head Coverage The water from one sprinkler goes all the way to the next sprinkler.
Sprinkler Overlap Close to 100% sprinkler overlap is important for good water application and uniformity.
Minimum 40% Overlap A minimum of 40% overlap of the sprinkler radius
Watering Distribution Differing watering distribution density varying from centre of radius.
Square System
Triangle System
Watchtower Distribution The watchtower utilises the square system with an overlap of 40% between sprinkler heads15. This was decided as the tower to balance construction costs, maximum radius coverage as well as its other function as a look out tower. A distance of 150 m between towers was decided as a suitable distance to satisfy these purposes. 15
jstryker. 2012. “Sprinkler Coverage, Nozzle Selection, & Sprinkler Spacings.” Irrigation Tutorials. https://www. irrigationtutorials.com/sprinkler-coverage-nozzle-selection-sprinkler-spacings/ (May 2, 2020).
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3.3 An Emergent Aesthetic of Resiliency The silhouette effect is a distinct aesthetic feature of the haze that blurs details and aggregates structures to become borderless black masses, with reference to the hazy site conditions of PSI 2900 and Olafur Eliasson’s Weather Project (Ch. 4.0). However, instead of being enveloped by the haze, these creatures are distinctly recognizable through their silhouettes thus akin to these creatures thriving in the haze. The silhouette effects animate the infrastructures and seemingly give it a life of its own as they morph and transform into black fills that move mechanically, foregrounded against the thick orange-gradient air. The harmless village engineering structures suddenly seem hostile and angry, and the distinction between men, animal and infrastructure is blurred as survival mechanisms kick in, in response to the fire and heat that is at hand. The collaging of urgent functionality in response to climate and indigenous culture result in an aesthetic of people who have adapted to the changing climate, and have become almost as resilient, if not more, than the urban dwellers, the neo-indigenous. A series of silhouette drawings were done to study the resultant effects of these structures under haze conditions and act as evidence of this resultant aesthetics of resiliency.
Image Source: Olafur Eliasson, Din blinde passager 2010. Photo by Anders Sune Berg
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Masks for survival and masks for ritual intermingle in the context of the village, as the hidden beast thrives behind as a faint outline in the distance. 95
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3.4 Overall Masterplan The masterplan is a physical record of the survival infrastructures in the village meant for village resilience. Initiation, construction and maintenance tasks for the Oxygen Shrine and the Watchtower are enacted as if ritual, which take place along this masterplan. The following scenes depict the ritualistic practices of the indigenous with regards to the intervention. 97
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Rituals as Survival Survival becomes akin to ritual, that is both a laborious and religious affair. This includes asking for spirits permission, procession of bottles, maintenance involving the whole village, rituals to inoculate the algae and initiate rewetting of peatlands, harvesting of algae, rest and respite in breathing, and cyclical reconstruction. 99
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There is no distinction between man, animal or infrastructure, as they adapt, coexist, and thrive in the haze.
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04 RESEARCH 102
4.0 Research and References The following chapter will discuss the case studies and visual references which have driven the thesis to the project it has become. Each reference will have a list of keywords, indicating how the case study has contributed to the design.
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4.1 Micro-algae Astronauts, bio-regenerative life support systems, space travel
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All images in this section are sourced from this book: Schärer, Hans. 1963. Ngaju Religion: The Conception of God among a South Borneo People. http:// public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=3105370 (May 1, 2020).
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4.2 Tree of Life, Hornbill & Watersnake Local symbolism, folk art, religious icons The Tree of Life depicts the Story of Creation for the indigenous Kaharingan religion. There is an upperworld and an underworld, governed by two gods that rule the two worlds, called Ranying Mahatala Langit and Jata Balawang Bulau respectively, from here on called Mahatala and Jata. The two gods are considered to be one essence as Jata is the shadow of Mahatala. The Story of Creation begins when Mahatala throws away a headband made of gold and diamonds that becomes a tree that bears fruit of gold and diamonds. Jata releases a female hornbill from a cage that eats the fruits of the tree. Mahatala throws his sword that becomes a male hornbill that eats the fruits of the tree. The two hornbills fight and cause a sacred war. The sacred war destroys the Tree of Life. The devastated pieces create two wooden arks, for male and female, the golden ark belonging to the female and the diamond ask belonging to the male. The man and woman wander in the vast ocean on the arks. After some wandering, the woman asks the man to marry her, with the condition that the man provide land and a house. Mahatala and Jata decide to join forces to help the man and the man and woman marry. From them are born the first descendants of mankind. The Story of Creation pivots itself on the ideology of life as the result of the collision of two great powers, that maintain the balance and harmony in the universe. Symbols of the upperworld: hornbill, female, sacred spear, white Symbols of the underworld: watersnake, male, sacred cloth, black, red, yellow The idea that there is unity in duality pervades the Kaharingan religion in the phrase “tambon-haruei-bungai” which means “watersnake is also hornbill” - the union of the watersnake and hornbill.
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House as Tree of Life and Primeval Mountain
Left: The Upperworld (drawing by a priest on the Kahayan River) All image sources on this page: Refer to pg 103
House as Tree of Life and Primeval Waters (watersnake) 109
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House (Upperworld)
House (Underworld)
Tree of Life depicted as umbrella Left: The Underworld (drawing by a priest on the Kahayan River) All image sources on this page: Refer to pg 103
Tree of Life depicted as sacred cloth and spear
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Front-facing and back-facing hornbill depicted on woman’s coffin Image Source: Refer to pg103
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Watersnake depicted on man’s coffin Image Source: Refer to pg103
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Hornbill - depicted as jewel boat Image Source: Refer to pg 103
Watersnake - depicted as gold boat Image Source: Refer to pg 103
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The “soul boat” - union of watersnake and hornbill
Image Source: Refer to pg 103
The two symbols of the watersnake and hornbill as represented in these images were taken as a visual premise for the kind of forms that were considered local and primitive, and would be used as criteria in evaluating the form, further explained in Ch. 3.0. Keywords: Beak of the hornbill Curved body of the watersnake Flags and festive ornaments in the creation of edges
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4.3 Tiwah: the death ritual 4.3.1 Ceremony & Activities Local culture, religion, cultural practices The majority of indigenous people living in Central Kalimantan fall under the tribe of the Ngaju Dayak, who believe in the Kaharingan religion. The Kaharingan religion believe in a secondary burial that is neccesary to send off the soul of their loved ones to “Lewu Tatau” or heaven, where there is a world of harmony and balance. This secondary burial is called Tiwah, which is a mass burial with many other deceased. Due to the high costs of this ritual which can go on for days, weeks, months and where many buffalo, pigs, and chickens need to be sacrificed as offering, the village usually seeks a partner village to help support the logistics of this event. The village will then return the favour when the partner village is holding their own Tiwah in their village. Aside from sacrifice of livestock, the welcoming of the guests from the partner village is festive and peculiar occasion with a decorated float (known as laluhan) arriving from the river as well as the presence of bukung, which are masked spirits, discussed in the next section. The deceased are placed in a temporary burial site while on earth until their souls can be sent off through Tiwah, when the bones are transferred into a bonehouse, called a sandung. The ritual is then considered complete. Keywords: Rituals Creatures
Top Left: Laluhan arriving on the river Bottom Left: Bukung dance as they arrive in boats. Image source: http://www.jokar.com.au/blog/bukung/
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All images are sourced from: http://www.jokar.com.au/blog/tag/laluhan/
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The rituals of Tiwah must be carefully followed to ensure the soul of the deceased reach the Lewu Tatau, and the wellbeing of those living here in the Middle World. These rituals include a visiting village, masked spirits, sacrifice of livestock, chanting, cremation and finally storage of the bones of the deceased in the bone house. 119
The bukung and sababuka roam the village acting as spiritual security guards, proecting the village from malevolent spirits and ensuring the Tiwah ceremony runs smoothly. Image Source: http://www.jokar.com.au/blog/bukung/
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4.3 Tiwah: the death ritual 4.3.2 Bukung: the masked spirits of Tiwah Local culture, religion, cultural practices Bukung (or sababuka) are commonly seen at Tiwah, the secondary burial rite as conducted by the indigenous people, that can run over multiple days, weeks or months. They are masked creatures that roam around the village, each one carrying a selekap (or a split piece of bamboo) in each hand to shake and make a loud rattling cackling sound. The presence of the bukung is believed to scare off any malevolent spirits that may come into the village to disrupt the Tiwah. In some villages, the identity of the bukung is kept a secret. Those who have become bukung are not allowed to return to their homes at night and must lie down somewhere in the forest to sleep for the length of the ceremony. Each bukung has a different appearance depeding on the village, but they are all treated like distinguished guests welcomed with baram rice wine into the houses of the family hosting the Tiwah ceremony. Keywords: Spirits Masked creatures Craftmanship
Left: Different appearance of bukung in different villages. Image source: http://www.jokar.com.au/blog/bukung/
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The masks are thrown into the fire and burnt with the body of the deceased after the ceremony.
The identity of the bukung is only allowed to be revealed at the end of the ceremony.
Left: Bukung at served handfuls of white rice, sirih (betel) and baram rice wine during ceremonies. Image source: http://www.jokar.com.au/ blog/bukung/
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The riverside community near Palangka Raya City consists of a residential house attached to the main road and fishing activity located nearer to the center of the river. Bird nest farms, which are the taller structures can be seen, utilizing the water body to ensure humidity for the swallows that nest inside the bird nest farm and produce saliva. Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/tch?v=uS4Vjr27rBA
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Study of Rumah Betang, a local traditional house in Central Kalimantan
Study of floating riverside structures near Palangka Raya City 128
2.4 Fishing Contraptions of Java and Borneo Primitive materials, assemblage, animality A study of local riveside floating housing typologies and fishing contraptions used by locals in Kalimantan and Java. The fishing boats discussed are usually fishing for small fish like anchovies and utilize a strong light above the water to attract fish to the center of the net, which will be lifted up after a period of time. Once the net is lifted, smaller hand nets are used to collect the caught fish. The fish is then sorted on the boat according to size and prepared for selling off to the market at dawn. Keywords: Floating foundation Structural and functional clarity Rituals Animality
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The Katek is a type of fishing boat that utilizes a lift net. The distinctive feature of the Katek is the four cranes which are used to haul up the heavy lift net, as well as keep the balance of the boat on the water. Image sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hECsJinGMF8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A6s-XLdxMs&t=1s
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Similarly, the Bagan Apung utilises a lift net. There are variations where some are mobile and some static, depending on the fish species to be caught. The distinctive feature is the bamboo A-frame that ensures the rigidity of the whole structure and a connection to the foundation. The A-frame helps in stability when floating on the water.
The structural and functional clarity in these contraptions are expressed on the elevation. The structure itself is like a collage of elements to serve a particular function - there is no excess. Simply put, plastic drums for floatation, A-frame for stability, nets for catching fish, and a small house for staying overnight. Image Source: https://news.detik.com/berita/d-3430111/menjaring-ikan-dengan-cahaya-lampu
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Image Sources: https://www.antarafoto.com/foto-cerita/v1542981635/pasang-surut-nelayan-bagan
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The fishermen on the Bagan Apung fish overnight, and their journey into the night are almost ritualistic by nature. This includes evening prayer for good catch, communal dinner, rest, maintenance of light equipment, setting up nets, separating catch, and finally selling the fresh catch off to the market by dawn. 135
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Some types of Bagan, are static and remain in their locations. The bamboo supports that pierce the ground and hold the structure in place appear like the limbs of an animal, and are likened to the work “ Strandbeests” by artist Theo Jansenn, which will be discussed in the next section. The bagan demonstrates the possibility of a contraption made up of primitive materials and parts, that express an aesthetic of raw animality and beastiality. The thesis draws from these references in search of a practical and functioning structure that possesses an aesthetic suited to the context. Image Source: https://pangandaranasyik.blogspot.com/2018/10/bagan-apungdi-lepas-pantai-pangandaran.html
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2.5 Theo Jansenn’s Strandbeests Primitive materials, assemblage, animality Strandbeests are creatures made up of primitive materials such as electrical piping, plastic bottles, tape and cable ties which are meant to roam the beach piling sand on the coastline to prevent rising sea levels in the Netherlands. His creatures are mechanically engineered to respond to the strong winds on the beach and move with a peculiar gait. The quality that emerges out of the assemblage of everyday materials is an incredibly beast-like quality.
Keywords: Mechanical movement Limbs Animality Environment
Image source:
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In his book, The Great Pretender, Theo Jansenn
Image Source: https://pangandaranasyik.blogspot.com/2018/10/bagan-apung-di-lepas-pantai-pangandaran.html
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Theo Jansenn’s Strandbeests are made up of individual components which are
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2.6 Olafur Eliasson’s Weather Project Environment, atmosphere, silhouettes Olafur Eliasson’s Weather Project utilises street - lighting and monofrequency lamps that emit light a narrow frequency, only allowing yellow and black tones to be visible and thus transforming the atmosphere into a duotone landscape. Mist and clouds pervade and dissipate through the space occassionally, creating a haze-like indoor landscape dotted with silhouettes of people. In this space, people frolick and linger, and behave peculiarly different than they would in an normal atmosphere. Keywords: Silhouette Atmosphere Behaviour
Image source: Andrew Dunkley & Marcus Leith. https://www.cerclemagazine.com/en/magazine/ articles-magazine/the-strange-journey-of-olafur-eliasson/
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People bask in the orange light and use their bodies differently in this atmosphere. Image Source: https://olafureliasson.net/archive/artwork/ WEK101003/the-weather-project
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Form is reduced to black fills foregrounded against the orange gradient air. Image Source: https://arrestedmotion.com/2019/07/ previews-olafur-eliasson-in-real-life-tate-modern-london/
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The orange air surrounds the whole atmosphere. Image Source: https://hydeparknow.uk/2019/01/12/theweather-project/
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Appendix Oxygen Requirement Calculation according to NASA standards Each person needs: 20 L of algae over 8m2 (NASA) = 2.5L/m2 (or 1.7 bottles/m2) Assuming each person requires 8m2 surface area (SA), Population of Desa Gohong = 2,157 pax SA needed = 2,157 pax x 8m2 = 17,256 m2 Volume of algae needed = 17,256 m2 x 2.5L/m2 = 43,140 L = 28,760 bottles of 1.5L algae For 60 deg prototype, (Length = 17,702 m, Bottles = 1,872) Density = 2.9 bottles/m2 = 4.5L/m2 Efficiency of NASA : Oxygen Shrine =2.5 L/m2 : 4.4 L/m2 = 3 : 5 (60% of NASA’s efficiency) Number of shrines needed = 28,760 bottles of 1.5L algae / 1,872 bottles = 15.4 shrines Total length of shrine needed = 17,702 m x (15.4/2) = 135,980.1m (1 shrine) = 67,990.1 m (2 shrines)
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Appendix
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Panels 1/2 152
Panels 2/2 153