Project Build Length: 8 Weeks

Project Leaders: Niall Robson, Jessica Lau, Tien Le, Zak Kurtulus

Project Partners: Friends of Nature People and Forests (FNPF)

Local Participants: Basuki, Amir, Samsu (Isam), Turyatno (Nonok), Rusdiansyah, Elida, Ajiz, Hadri, Judir, Ahmad, Ali, Mulyadi, Bayu, Ridho, Nor Faridah, Joy and Udin

International Participants: Raf Dierick, Laura Nolan, Natalie Cabrera, Jamie-Lee De Groof, Hermien Bynens, Zoe Fontana, Beatrice Lockhart, Molly Wallwork, Emma Purchase, Levine Motamedi, Caroline Cornish, Emma Hutton, Simon Garnett, Rona Bisset, Ifsah Chowdhery, Hannah Furnival, Will Smith, Isabella Lane, Eloise Johnson, Becky Leeman, Jack Hodges, Madeleine Benyon, Talia Turay, Floor Karstens, Georgie Blears

Photographs: Jessica Lau and Tien Le

Our Services: Community Consultation, Brief Development, Site Analysis, Full Design, Construction, Project Management, Educational Workshop Delivery.

With a long history of illegal logging, deforestation and palm oil monocultures destroying local ecology, FNPF are on mission to protect their environment. Through education and positive daily action the charity work with domestic and international visitors to conserve the natural world around them. Working from their base in Pangkalan Bun they have several outposts including their rural site in Jerumbun.

In 2025 we collaborated with FNPF to extend the workshops and services they are able to deliver; through the design and construction of a flexible hall space. This building will be the focal point of the settlement they have created, providing a large, open and sheltered area for groups to learn and engage.

The aula (hall) design is one that takes into considerations both its natural and built surroundings. The building is situated in a natural clearing, nestled in the natural rainforest around it and is raised off the ground to account for the heavy rainfall and inconsistencies within the ground line below. It is orientated towards the rest of the main build elements of the FNPF facility, welcoming users up its large masonry steps.

Structurally, the timber-framed hall provides a large unobstructed space, suitable for teaching in large groups and more physical, hands on sessions. The frames have been dimensioned to respond to the varying timber sections and lengths available; utilising a laminated portal frame approach.

Built with sustainability and longevity in mind, the structures incorporate materials sourced locally, including the timber itself. Large overhangs will protect the building fabric from the heavy rains and a unique drainage feature sees a raised brick rill protrude from the entrance steps. These features will not only protect the building and surrounding site for longer, they are also designed to be easier to maintain over the years to come.

The design was an active and moving feast. Aspirations from the local community and charity staff were developed and implemented, whilst on site. As the building project came nearer to completion, smaller details like the bracing, handrails, doors, windows and even handles were re-designed to feel more in-keeping with the context around it. The timber internal finishes on both the floor and walls create warm internal atmosphere and provide a sense of comfort in from the rain.

Throughout the 8-week construction process, international participants worked alongside local workers, learning from each other and sharing skills in a collaborative build that reinforced the project's community-centred ethos. Despite unexpected site conditions and the logistical challenges of building within a remote forest patch, the team delivered a beautiful space that will serve nature, people and the forest, as the charity have always intended.

This project stands as a quiet counterpoint to the everyday - a place where nature and architecture meet to support those that cannot always protect themselves. It’s a space of connection, bringing human beings and nature together harmoniously.

We would like to say a huge thank you to all those that contributed to this project by way of participation, expert consultation, donation, supply of materials or just a helping hand! A special mention to Bayu, Agung, Basuki and Amir for always driving the project forwards and going the extra mile to ensure that the whole team had an incredible experience!

www.fnpf.org/