Ridwan Kamil – Professional Professor

At the elevator in the architecture department ITB, I met one guy wearing a nice suit. His looks were quite different than ordinary people at ITB. He was pretty neat, professional, and corporate looked with vest and suit. I managed to meet this man several times. I heard from my friends, “that is the new lecturer from Hong Kong, his name is Emil. The one who won Kota Baru Parahyangan Competition.” I hear his name because, in the second year, my three friends and I entered that competition and found out that we could not finish it because the scale was too big. Yes, I remember it now. He was the man who was then the leader of that team. He won several competitions in a row, and I heard that he worked in Hong Kong and traveled back and forth from Bandung to Hongkong a few times a month.

He was super busy.

I had to work at several jobs because I need to increase my saving and experience. Looking back two years before, I performed in my first design studio, second studio but not in my third studio. I was too busy with the student organization. It was an organization that seldom for somebody to be active. The organization is like a dark cave where swallowed people inside. It was filthy, filled with many seniors and not many young ones. So when I try to be active and fix that, it swallowed my time, my training to be a good student who performed in the third year. The result was, I was the only person that was failed that year. I cried, and my hope shattered. At that time, I was in Cigadung 24,

It was a small boarding house that I stayed. Asep came to me, and he heard that I failed in the design studio. We sat down and talked.

He said, “Realrich, failing is common. I know many successful people. There has been a failure in their life. But the key is they can recover and fight back. And, that is a big guy with a big heart.”

After hearing that from Asep, I feel that I need to learn architecture again. Luckily, people know me well because I like to help people, able to use rendering, drafting software. People like to work with me. So many people wanted to help me, train me, and open doors to learning so I can recover. I was busier than before, bus on fighting and recovering my learning curve. I worked studied in a multimedia lab, many design studios, working for competitions. I feel rebirth and glad that my third studio failed.

In my fourth year, I met mas, Emil. Because I failed in the third studio, I had to take a short semester course, and at that time, there were only. Two people in his team. Me and lady. Lady was my close friend. She. and her boyfriend were my closest ones in the student organization.

I remember mas Emil encouraged us with his story about his contemporary viewing architecture. Hi showed. Many buildings have a simple, spiritual form, integrate with materials, graphics. He introduced building designer by Herzog de Meuron, Rafel Moneo, Rem. Koolhas and many European masters.

He pushed us by raising the bars and telling us that “the world is advancing, they have their story, and where is your story ?” he teaches us to make. Simple transformation diagram using metaphors. He pushed with encouragement. I was very fortunate to have him teach me. He was one of the jewels in the architecture department in ITB. I remember I pushed the limit by making big models of the design. The model was so big that I had to Borrow My friend’s car.

In the final presentation, He complimented my work, congratulates me, and I feel great.

At that time, that. It was after the presentation. And Lady sat at floating stair in front of library and studio. Lady told me, “Realrich, I know you. You pushed the limit very far. I am happy. for you, I hope you can be an architect that can reach your dream.” I learn that to Improve, and I need encouragement. Mas Emil did that, Lady did that, Asep did that. I was fortunate to meet persons like them. Man can’t live alone. To transform, they need somebody to pull the triggers, and for me, encouragement is so damn important. It’s time for me to be grateful. That was in the fourth year. After that, I had to take my professional class, worked as an internship in a real studio. I was asleep for more than 10 hours after the jury with mas Emil.

Urbane Time

At that time I was working in mas Emil’s office. I look up to him, and mas Emil is Ridwan Kamil, now is the governor of West Java. He was the one who sparked my curiosity about architecture by enlightenment. I remember meeting him in my 4th year. He was the one who challenges me and appreciated my progress. He complimented the hard work and our recommendation based on his view on precedents. At that time, European and American architecture shows monolithic and banal platonic forms based on layered solid stories. That was the view brought by him—a story of form-making that Texas Ranger started and influenced him through his experience in SOM and HOK. Mas Emil also has a unique background. He is an urban designer, architect, and also activist. His office, Urbane in Sumur Bandung 20, has been memorable, and I remember the office with system and brotherhood. The system is on a partnership basis, associate, and junior designer. The organization is simple and changing over time.

Thank you mas Emil for the formative year of my learning curve by your encouragement.