Sekali+Semua: Translating Kampung Life into Vertical Social Housing | Masters Design Project

Site Context

The project is grounded in Kalianyar, an informal settlement in Jakarta bordering the Duri train line, chosen as a case study of the tension between informal slum living and formal vertical housing. Site observation revealed a settlement built from corrugated metal, repurposed materials, timber, and banners, threaded by narrow alleys and scaled-down, self-made architecture.

Kalianyar homes hold minimal private space; instead, households extend into shared alleys, forming a tightly territorial, close-knit community that is highly self-sustaining, folding business and leisure into every window and opening. The programme responds directly to these patterns: social housing organised around four activity typologies drawn from site life — To Borak (chat), To Main (play), To Niaga (trade), and To Lihat (view).

The urban strategy also proposes reconnecting Kalianyar with the neighbouring Duri side by bridging across the railway that currently divides them, easing residents into vertical living by lifting their existing alley activities into elevated, communal platforms rather than erasing them.

Design Process

The process began with a literature review of vertical social housing in Jakarta, looking at precedents such as Rusunawa and the recurring challenge of housing a growing population on limited land. This was followed by case studies of Jakarta’s past attempts to formalise slum communities, building an understanding of why the shift from slum to vertical living has historically been difficult.

Through “jalan jalan Jakarta”, the research moved into the streets of Kalianyar, walking its alleys, speaking with residents, and observing their daily routines firsthand. This was an eye-opening part of the process. Interviews and time spent in the settlement revealed how vibrant and resourceful everyday life was, capturing a texture that no map or photograph could convey. These observations directly shaped the project’s approach to density. The findings were then translated into an urban-scale strategy by mapping key nodes and activity spots and exploring how a platform-based intervention could connect Kalianyar and Duri across the train tracks.

From this study, the concept of New+Grounds emerged as a series of platforms threaded through the building’s section, bringing alley life off the ground plane and into the tower. The design then moved into block development, using a four-storey clustering system, before moving into unit design and flexible post and beam typologies suited to kampung life.

Final Outcome

Sekali+Semua resolves into a vertical kampung: stacked four storey blocks, each organised around a central bale bale that creates a mezzanine between floors, with New Grounds distributed through the section to support To Borak, To Main, To Niaga, and To Lihat activities.

A kolam, or communal pond, doubles as a laundry space by day and a place for gathering in the evening. Jendela, bay windows extending into each corridor, allow residents to bring everyday activities such as trading, chatting, and cooking into shared space, much like they would in the kampung.

Units come in three typologies: single, double, and double+ duplex, each compact but adaptable to different household needs. Maintenance is organised block by block rather than across the whole building, keeping upkeep local and responsive. Together, these systems create a living framework shaped by human scale, passive surveillance, and access to daylight. The project aims to carry the memory and social rhythm of the kampung upward, rather than replacing them with a conventional model of high rise living.

Conclusion: Ultimately, the project reimagines vertical housing through the social logic of the kampung, bringing its everyday rituals, shared spaces, and sense of community into a denser urban form, where growth upward does not mean leaving kampung life behind.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]