As a learning platform for architecture students related to tectonics and building materials, the undergraduate Architecture study program in collaboration with rumahpracetak.id held a workshop related to precast concrete materials. This activity took place from February 3rd, 2025 to February 28th, 2025 at the Department of Architectural Engineering and Planning. The MateREALity Workshop was attended by 22 students with three facilitator lecturers, Wisnu Agung Hardiansyah, S.Ars., M.Arch., Nur Zahrotunnisaa Zagi, S.T., M.T., and Harry Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., along with one practitioner facilitator, Yuris Syafruddin from rumahpracetak.id.
On the first day, students were introduced to the concept of modular and prefabrication in class, followed by an introduction to rumahpracetak.id’s precast concrete modules. Students also had the opportunity to visit the production house of rumahpracetak.id in Klaten. This visit] gave students the opportunity to see the manufacture of modular concrete modules in various sizes and examples of built houses assembled with these concrete modules. It turns out that the production house of rumahpracetak.id also develops brick and frame materials that are recycled from plastic. This visitation also provided insight that is in line with the goals of SDGs 9: industry, innovation, and infrastructure and 12: Responsible consumption and production.
After being equipped with the modular fundamentals and materials to be used, the students who joined the workshop, consisted of first to fourth year students, formed groups to design micro housing using the modular concrete structures. Not only with sketches and 2D-3D modeling, but the students also designed with 1:25 scale concrete prototype modules made of acrylic to try out the combination of the five sizes of precast concrete modules produced, namely 30 x 30 cm, 30 x 60 cm, 30 x 90 cm, 30 x 120 cm, and 30 x 150 cm. This design agenda lasted for four days.
To provide experience and knowledge of building tectonics, on Saturday, February 8th, 2025, workshop participants were invited to assemble precast concrete modules together with practitioners from rumahpracetak.id starting from sloof, columns, to beams. Participants together assembled the modules according to the concrete module design in the prepared working drawings. Participants assembled enthusiastically while having light discussions with the technicians about the placement of inter-module connectors, concrete module installation and lifting techniques, and a more effective work sequence in the assembly of this precast concrete structure.
Not stopping at designing micro-house designs and installing precast concrete modules, student who participated in the workshop were also challenged to create a s designed space in the built concrete modules. The students designed a cat house where cats are one of the populations that accompany students’ daily lives on campus. The design and material planning process for the cat house in this concrete structure took about a week, from Monday, February 10th, 2025 to Saturday, February 15th, 2025. Then, the workshop activities continued until the end of February by building the cat house design with the main materials of multiplex wood and wooden battens, according to the participants’ designs.
The mateREALity Workshop Series: Modular Building Workshop activity was closed with a sharing session on Friday, February 28th, 2025 in the mateREALity class in room K1, Department of Architecture and Planning, Universitas Gadjah Mada and in font of the installation built by participants so that other students can see the installation that has been built. With this sharing session activity, it is hoped that participants can share their experiences during the workshop and motivate other students to enthusiastically join the next mateREALity workshop series activities which are increasingly innovative in introducing building materials in sustainable architecture.
Reported by Beta Nadhya Maimunah