Architects face world competition<\/p>\n
By Amir Sidharta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Following last November's APEC summit,
\nIndonesian architects will be faced with new challenges. At a
\ntime when many Indonesian firms are struggling to get
\ncommissions, the opening of the market to the international scene
\nwill bring greater competition.<\/p>\n
Indonesian architects already compete with foreign architects.
\nHaving experienced harsh recessions in their home countries,
\narchitects, particularly from the United States and Australia,
\nhave found Indonesia's building boom to be a working haven.
\nTeaming up with local architects or working under the guise of
\nlocal companies, they pose a significant challenge for Indonesian
\narchitects.<\/p>\n
A good number of Indonesian architects cannot find work even
\nduring the current boom because many projects have been won by
\nforeign firms. However, the fierce competition that Indonesian
\narchitectural design firms face cannot be seen as the fault of
\nforeign architects. Rather, it calls for self introspection.<\/p>\n
"Leading Indonesian architects lack vision," exclaimed Sonny
\nSutanto, an instructor at the School of Architecture of the
\nUniversity of Indonesia. He identified three major problems
\nleading Indonesian architects currently face.<\/p>\n
First, most Indonesian architects' designs are stagnant. Many
\nbuildings are simply not exciting, like the two high-rises at the
\nsouth end of Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta, which
\nsome architects see as clumsy phallic designs.<\/p>\n
Second, Indonesian architects have turned to building
\nproduction and place less attention on the process of design.
\nEven then, however, their production remains poor.<\/p>\n
Related to the second problem, the third and perhaps the most
\ncommon problem of Indonesian architects is poor delivery. Many
\ncontractors have complained that architects' working drawings are
\noften not complete or carelessly produced. Some have had to
\nredraw the construction details. Rather than having to deal with
\npoor working drawings produced by Indonesian architects, some
\nJapanese and Korean contractors even go so far as handling the
\nworking drawings free of charge.<\/p>\n
The situation has become even worse due to the lack of support
\nfrom the industry. As the anonymous architect points out, most
\nsuppliers in Indonesia are really mere traders and are only
\ninterested in selling their product. They could care less about
\nthe quality of the products they supply.<\/p>\n
The lack of vision on the part of the Indonesian architects
\nhas lead to poor planning, hampering appropriate action. In turn,
\nit has become the root of the problems mentioned above.<\/p>\n
Competitive services<\/p>\n
Foreign architects come up with better designs, thorough
\ndocumentation work, meticulous specifications for materials and
\ndetails, and lower fees.<\/p>\n
Many foreign firms are able to bid lower by breaking down
\ntheir work into many segments. The fees are calculated as a
\npercentage of the nominal sums of the services they provide. Each
\nsegment is attached with a diminutive fee, almost transparent to
\nthe client. In addition, foreign firms work efficiently and make
\noptimal use their precious database of past projects.<\/p>\n
However, many Indonesians accuse foreign companies of lowering
\ntheir fees just to secure work here instead of having to face
\ntougher competition and the prolonged recession in their home
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Some foreign firms also capitalize on the international image
\nIndonesians hold so dear, while they may be second rate firms in
\ntheir respective countries.<\/p>\n
"What we get is often merely second or third rate designs,"
\nSutanto added, referring to many mediocre buildings along the
\nSudirman and Thamrin corridor.<\/p>\n
According to Sutanto, even world famous architects such as I.
\nM. Pei provide design that have been seen before. It seems that
\nthe BDNI City Tower he has designed to be erected next to the
\nSahid Jaya Hotel on Jl. Sudirman will be similar to the Bank of
\nCina in Hong Kong, which he designed in the late 1980s.<\/p>\n
Seeing the phenomenon a little differently, another architect
\nwho asked not to be named, observes that foreign firms are far
\nmore efficient and superior in the management of their
\ndocumentation and database systems. Using vast building systems
\ntemplates, they are able to modify past systems into new designs
\nor even modify old designs into new ones with ease.<\/p>\n
According to him, some Indonesian developers have bought used
\ndesigns from prominent international firms and one was caught
\nusing a stolen design. A few years ago, a building on Jl. Gatot
\nSubroto was ruled as a copy of Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo's
\nfamed Knights of Columbus building in New Haven, Connecticut, and
\nits developers were fined.<\/p>\n
Packaged deal<\/p>\n
Another phenomenon is the inclusion of architects into a
\npackaged financial deal. Some financiers, especially the Japanese
\nand Koreans, will provide funds for prospective projects on the
\ncondition that the architects and contractors with which they are
\nassociated, usually originating from their respective countries,
\nare incorporated into the project. These kinds of financial
\npackages tend to further exclude Indonesian architects.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the solution rests with Indonesian architects
\nthemselves. Many large local firms, which were late in
\nanticipating competition, need to work on developing their
\nmanagement. Antar, whose firm just started to use computer aided
\ndesign (CAD), sees the answer in computerization.<\/p>\n
"Computers can help architectural designers to consider many
\naspects of design comprehensively. They can help us produce
\nmeticulous documentation and fine drawings," Antar said.<\/p>\n
He adds that while Indonesian architects can create good
\ndesigns, far too often their presentation is so poor that they
\nfail to win the confidence of their prospective clients. Using
\nCAD, architects can reduce mistakes in drawings and also enhance
\nthe presentations they prepare for their clients.<\/p>\n
While another anonymous architect appreciates the Association
\nof Indonesian Architects' code of ethics, he deems it too
\nconservative. The code is too strict and does not allow for
\nmarket competition. To avoid price wars, the code of ethics
\nspecify architectural design fees at a minimum percentage of
\ntotal construction costs. Architecture professionals are expected
\nto compete on the basis of design instead of fees. In reality,
\nclients more often than not make their decisions based on price.<\/p>\n
The architect also suggests that architects should be able to
\nlower their fees by providing less. He himself often charges his
\nclients half the amount that he should charge according to the
\nassociation's standards. The professional is able to do so
\nbecause he has a good working relationship with the contractor he
\nuses. He produces a compact set of drawings and leaves the design
\ndevelopment to the contractor. He justifies charging
\nsignificantly less by doing less work.<\/p>\n
Because architects can be held accountable for the quality of
\ntheir designs, documentation work is a crucial component of any
\nproject. The professional should provide complete documentation
\nnot only to ensure that their project is properly constructed,
\nbut also to protect them from suits if anything goes wrong. While
\nproducing less drawings may enable architects to compete, it also
\nconfirms the belief that professionalism among Indonesian
\narchitects is deteriorating.<\/p>\n
Role models<\/p>\n
The presence of foreign architects in Indonesia can also be a
\nplus. The designs of internationally acclaimed architects, such
\nas Paul Rudolph (Wisma Dharmala Sakti) and Kohn Pederson Fox
\n(Niaga Tower) on Jl. Sudirman, have placed Jakarta on the map of
\nworld architecture. Jakarta has become a new intersection of
\narchitectural trends.<\/p>\n
Many foreign architectural firms serve as excellent role
\nmodels. I. M. Pei's Pei Cobb Freed firm is one to look up to.
\nCurrently planning the Bank Danamon City on Jl. Sudirman, it is
\nplacing its footprint on the architectural scene in Indonesia.
\nWhen the Association of Indonesian Architects asked them to
\nreconsider the demolition plan of an old mosque on the site, they
\nimmediately responded that they had not been informed of the
\nsignificance of the Syarif Hidayatullah Mosque. Some people even
\nbelieve that the property developers and the local architectural
\npartners never informed the international firm of the existence
\nof the mosque. Pei Cobb Freed have committed themselves to
\nrethink their designs.<\/p>\n
Rumors have it that Gae Aulenti, the Italian architect of the
\nMusee D'Orsay in Paris, will be designing Indonesia's new
\nNational Gallery of Art. Her design will certainly add another
\nsignificant work to the architectural scheme of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Other Indonesian firms have tied themselves to international
\ndesign firms in a fashion much like fast-food franchises.
\nPartnerships with international firms guarantee transfer of
\ntechnology which enables standards to meet international
\nexpectations and requirements. This seems to be the way to go.<\/p>\n
Indonesian professionals not affiliated with international
\nfirms don't mind learning from the best. With the global market
\nencroaching, the saying "when in Rome, do what the Romans do" is
\nno longer valid. So instead, as American architect Robert Venturi
\nlearned from the commercial strip in his book Learning form Las
\nVegas, Indonesian architects can learn much from the traffic of
\nworld architecture at its new crossroads in Jakarta.<\/p>",
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