Material is an essential element that cannot be separated from architectural design. To deepen their understanding of materials, undergraduate students of the Architecture Study Program, Department of Architecture and Planning (DTAP), Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada regularly attend the MateREALity or Architectural Materiality class, which features guest speakers from architectural practices and building material industries. As a continuation of this program, 30 selected students joined the MateREALity Trip to Solo and Semarang on October 17–19, 2025.
On the first day, students visited Rempah Rumah Karya (now Sekutu Rumah Karya), designed by Paulus Mintarga, a designer with a civil engineering background who focuses on reusing leftover construction materials. The building currently functions as a café and office space for Rumah Atsiri and Timtiga Arsitek, both managed by Mintarga.
The program continued with a visit to ConArch Studio, an architecture firm owned by Yuli Kristanto (Architecture UGM, class of 1996). Drawing from over two decades of experience, he emphasized the importance of material selection in achieving a specific design character while balancing other aspects such as economy, lighting, and climate.
The last destination of the day was Bahagia Glass Gallery, a showroom for glass, aluminum, and interior materials designed by Vanni Yuana. The complex consists of three interconnected building masses: the front as a marketing office and glass showroom, the middle as an adaptive reuse of a heritage building, and the rear as a showroom for aluminum and interior products. Each mass carries a distinct identity that together creates a continuous yet varied spatial experience. After the visit, the group headed to Semarang and stayed at Qub Rooms, a unique boutique hotel designed by Tamara Wibowo within a shophouse complex.
The second day began with a visit to Binus Edupark at Pearl of Java. There, students explored Binus School, designed by DCM Jakarta (represented by Kevin Oscar, Architecture UGM 2013), which draws inspiration from seashell forms as a contextual response to its coastal location. The building uses perforated brick (roster bata) façades to promote natural ventilation and daylighting. Students also learned about the spatial programming that separates different educational levels into distinct building masses. Nearby, they visited Binus University, which features a more futuristic expression with a vertical garden façade and brick elements on the ground floor, maintaining continuity with the school’s design concept.
The next visit was to Pantes Gallery in Ngaliyan, where students learned about material showroom design from Tamara Wibowo as the architect and Anthony Kristanto as the company’s CEO. Pantes offers a unique perspective by displaying fewer, curated materials to create a clearer and more immersive shopping experience. Anthony noted that presenting a single large-format material in its real application tends to attract buyers more effectively than showing multiple small samples.
Concluding the second day, the group visited Uptown Mall BSB, designed by Airmas Asri. Unlike typical malls, this project applies an environmentally friendly design approach by minimizing the use of air conditioning throughout the building.
On the final day, before returning to Yogyakarta, students explored Semarang’s Kota Lama, known as the “Little Netherland.” The area showcases preserved colonial-era buildings that have been adaptively reused as shops, maintaining their relevance and charm for contemporary visitors.
The MateREALity Trip is a regular program that supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 4 – Quality Education.
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Report by: Nisrina Amalia Paramanindya
Photos by: Fadhila Amin Zuhdi and Fadli Alim Riyantono Karninto