We have been taking you to different parts around the globe in showing off educational institutions in cool, modern, and high-tech facilities. Different shades of color and shapes incorporated in the interior design aspect. This time, we will take you to a school where architecture and excellent craftsmanship works beautifully raw as one.

The School of Alfa Omega located in Indonesia screams with the spirit of locality from its building exteriors. The educational facility is located in Tangerang city. A bustling city of 1.5 million about 20 kilometres west of Jakarta. As one of Indonesia’s largest industrial centres, Tangerang is a place that attracts visitors mainly for commercial reasons.

Besides being a busy metropolitan city, it is also home to international schools and universities and houses that is unique in its own way. The School of Alfa Omega not only sits in a pretty unusual location for a school – a swamp and paddy field. Moreover, it showcases the locality’s craftsmanship through the structure of the school’s architectural design.

Because of the unstable soil condition, the Architects need to create a solution to the main problem. The 1700 sqm area’s structure raise to 2.1 m high above the ground. The architects uses materials that requires little maintenance like bamboo that were also locally available. In addition, the entire building is based on a steel structure framework which is durable and because of its construction speed.

The building integrates 4 modular buildings, with efficient access point in one central court yard. This is due to limitation of local land zoning of what can be built and what can not be built.

Furthermore, the architects hired diverse local craftsman, rather than employing prime developers in its aim to initiate a healthy collaboration connection with its people. The local craftsmanship are the answer of 3 problems. First is Optimum resource. Second is time constraint and lastly Manpower. Material resource can be found within 5 km from site that accelerates development and reduces carbon footprint at the same time.

Lastly, the school’s design is a passive cooling building, which relied heavily on natural cross air ventilation in its construction. The open high ceiling design is an airing pathway, followed by porous solid-void brick on each side of classroom’s wall. This way, interior air flow circulates optimally without a necessity to use an air conditioner. Bamboo and nipa roof is strategically used.

Consequently, the construction of the School of Alfa Omega is indeed architecture in its rawness state without sacrificing comfort. The site is chosen as part of the design scheme that corresponds to the natural surroundings. Giving the children a sense of closeness to nature, thus invoking outdoor-learning experience.