Local architects must gear up for free trade era

Local architects must gear up for free trade era

Rita A.Widiadana, Denpasar

Bali is home to priceless architectural legacies, with thousands
of beautifully designed temples, shrines, palaces, public and
residential buildings sprawling across the island. A number of
the world's most renowned architects have drawn inspiration from
rich Balinese architectural elements, adopting them into their
modern-style buildings, many of them star-rated hotels, luxury
resorts and villas in Bali.

Architect Geoffrey Bawa from Sri Lanka and Peter Muller and
Kerry Hill from Australia have carved names for themselves
internationally as experts in Balinese architectural styles.

The question remains, however, about the role of local
architects. Where are the Balinese architects, whose ancestors
were probably the island's best undagi (traditional Balinese
architects)? What are they doing? Where are their footprints in
their own courtyards?

According to Made Widnyana Sudibya, chairman of the Bali
Branch of the Indonesian Architects Association (IAI), Bali has
numerous talented and professional architects working both
domestically and internationally.

The association currently has 165 members from Bali, West Nusa
Tengggara and East Nusa Tenggara provinces. "Our members have
been involved both in domestic and international development
projects," said Sudibya, adding that only a few people recognize
local architects' achievements due to a lack of information.

In order to provide comprehensive information on the
activities of the association's members to both the public and
potential clients, IAI is presently organizing a one-month
architectural exhibition as part of the ongoing Bali Arts
Festival at the Denpasar Art Center.

"This is the first major architectural exhibition organized by
IAI Bali. It brings together practitioners, academics, students,
bureaucrats and other related parties in an integrated event,"
Sudibya said.

The exhibition, which mainly aims to raise the level of
understanding of architecture and to inform the public about the
role of architects in their lives, features the work of more than
30 architects and design consultants. The exhibition will also
have seminars, competitions, book reviews and other activities.

"It is expected that visitors will embrace the ideas, messages
and objectives of the displayed works. But what is more
important, the exhibition also functions as a wake-up call for
local architects to be prepared to face the present challenges,"
he pointed out.

IAI member Ketut Arthana, principal architect at Arte Design
architectural consultant, said that second only to the capital
Jakarta, Bali gets wide international exposure since it has been
grown as Indonesia's top tourist destination.

"Architects around the world want to create works on the
island since their creations will be easily viewed by people
coming to the island," he said.

Bali, he said, has become a fertile, prolific and profitable
place for architectural projects and has become an effective
training ground for young and inexperience architects.

"The deluge of foreign architects is inevitable. In this era
of globalization, we (local architects) cannot just sit and wait
and become passive viewers of the island's busy development
projects," Arthana commented.

There are a number of pressing problems currently facing the
local architecture community, he said.

First is a lack of research and studies, as well as written
documentation, of local architecture.

Second, there is no adequate standard or guidance in regards
to designing, building, etc. Weak law enforcement to control the
various development projects in Bali is another problem.

Like it or not, the era of free trade has forced local
architects to improve their skills and basic knowledge, and equip
themselves with adequate weapons to compete in the cutthroat
architectural world, added Arthana, who is now working on major
development projects comprising a theme park, golf course and
resorts in Taiwan, Maldives, Hawaii and Costa Rica.

"Many local architects such as Popo Danes and my other
colleagues are involved in various projects overseas. We have to
convince international clients that Indonesian architects are
competent and are ready to enter the world market," he said.

Sudibya and Agus Salendra, IAI's secretary, however, admitted
that there were still many architects who neither had the
opportunities or the ability to handle large, international
projects.

They agreed that better communication and education was
necessary to produce quality architects. "At present, IAI is
working to improve the skills and enrich the knowledge of its
members. We also work with universities that have architecture
departments to provide both lecturers and students with wider
access to information, books and construction and computer
technology," Sudibya said.

In addition to education, IAI is also establishing closer
cooperation with provincial governments.

"Bureaucrats and politicians are important elements in the
planning and implementation of development activities that will
have tremendous social, cultural and environmental implications,"
he said.

IAI and the Bali provincial government have agreed to set up a
design committee that will jointly control and monitor all
development projects on the island.

"There must be strict controls from someone or some
institution that knows about design and construction, and about
how developments are carried out and how they affect people's
lives," Sudibya said.

The architectural exhibition will travel to several cities in
Bali, including Singaraja in North Bali.