Ouroboros is an ancient circular symbol of a snake/serpent or dragon eating its own tail, signifying variously infinity and the cycle of birth and death. It is one of the oldest mythical emblems in the world that represents fundamental concepts of life. Of this age-old never-ending ‘loop’, this entry seeks to present a modern interpretation […]
Coastal Reform: Muara Angke 2100 | FuturArc Prize 2024 Second Place
Jakarta, the largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, is among the world’s fastest-sinking cities. Due to massive groundwater extraction, its coastal areas experience land subsidence at an alarming rate of up to 15 centimetres/year.1 It has been predicted that around 90 per cent of North Jakarta could be submerged by 2050 if no counter-measures are taken, […]
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The Spatialization of Salt | FuturArc Prize 2024 Third Place
Of Muaragembong Estuary, the selected location upon which the proposal is based, the team described it as a prime example of what environmental historian Scott Gabriel Knowles calls a slow disaster. It has suffered from intensive salinisation due to nearly 50 years of anthropogenic landscape alterations, leading to a fresh water crisis. This area, where […]
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FuturArc Prize 2024 Jury Meeting Special
Deciding on the winners and runners-up of a competition that has brought in hundreds of submissions from around the globe is no small task. We recognise that each entry has been thoughtfully crafted by entrants to express their ideas in various site contexts. Hence, this year’s jurors, Dzung Do Nguyen, Farizan d’Avezac de Moran and […]
FuturArc Prize 2024: Architecture for Life After
The following Main Feature presents FuturArc Prize (FAP) 2024 winning and merit entries, as well as the awardees. The 2024 cycle’s theme Architecture for Life After required entrants to propose architectural solutions within Asia for the continuation of life after either one or both of the following scenarios: Climate Destruction and/or Endings. Climate Destruction scenarios […]
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A proof of concept for ‘human composting’
What is the most sustainable and respectable way to handle dead matter? Compared to cremation (which requires large amounts of fuel, hence releasing massive amounts of carbon as well as toxic pollutants like mercury1), land burial—where non-embalmed bodies naturally decompose over the years—is considered to have a lower impact on the environment,2 although it requires […]
Prabha
Prabha in Sanskrit, the ancient language of Hindu philosophy and classical Indian scriptures, means light or brilliance. It is interesting that this quaint ossuary hall, located on the grounds of Myorenji Temple in the city of Oita, Japan, is named using the oldest language in the world. Perhaps it is because the ‘purest’ meaning of […]
A proposal for a mycelium-based ‘temporary’ burial: Dan Cemetery Park
In Vietnamese culture, earth (interred) burial is the traditionally preferred method of treating the dead. Some regions have an exhumation and ‘reburial’ ceremony after up to three years, where the remains are washed, moved into smaller earthen coffins and reburied.1,2 This is considered to be the ‘final rest’ for the deceased. However, people are increasingly […]
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The Sri Aman Master Plan: Promoting the Green, Blue and Climate-Resilient Environments
The Sri Aman Master Plan (SAMP) is a first-of-its-kind sustainable regional plan in Malaysia based on a network of greenways and blueways, green infrastructure, sustainable management, and the promotion of agrarian residential communities. It fully responds to Malaysia’s commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The SAMP is the first step in initiating future sustainable development […]
The Gong: Reviving the Sound of Cambodia
A gong is a metallic percussion instrument that is played to maintain rhythm throughout a composition. The deeply resonant sound of a gong—often played at ceremonies or officiations—is also used to symbolically mark new beginnings. This is what The Gong, the largest music hall and cultural centre in Cambodia, is setting out to do: marking […]
Advocating an Informal Reuse of Waste and Circular Systems
Buildings have a lifespan, much like all lifeforms—they are ‘born’, ‘live’, and eventually reach their end. What happens to buildings once they have ‘outlived’ their usefulness? What happens during recycling versus reusing of construction and demolition waste? And what are the implications? DEMOLITION AND VALUE Nikhil Mittal, an architect from Delhi, recently demolished his house […]
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FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX) | 3Q 2024
Across the diverse Indonesian archipelago, FEX events spotlight leading architects and emerging ideas in the field of sustainable design. Each session showcases an architect’s repertoire, including recently completed and upcoming projects, as well as the most notable lessons learnt from successfully navigating challenges. Date 25 April 2024Audience BalikpapanVenue Swiss-BelhotelTechnology reviews Mulia Glass Block; Super Teknik; […]
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