Dream Team| The way we think and put people as a framework
- Nous Team
- Sophia Team
- Episteme Team
- Phronesis Team
Dream Team | Kolaborasi Impian
The way we think and put people as a framework?
I’ve been looking for ways to understand systematic thinking in our architectural practice for a long time. And we found the systematics from Indah Widiastuti, who became my supervisor at ITB. Those moments were actually sparked during a discussion at the OMAH Library, even 21 years later. There we discussed ideas about the wisdom of sorting out how to think creatively and systematically. The systematics is Nous which is taken from 10 chapters of the book “Nichomachean Ethic Book IV” by Aristotle (300SM). This process is like a process that tries to go backward to look back.
The book contains advice like a father to his son about being a good person. This book describes the balance of the universe, which is described as a cosmic intelligence (such as the balance of the orbits of the moon, earth, and planets) which Aristotle then established for the human mind. In the discussion of Chapter 6 specifically discussed virtues and capacities to build insight, intelligence, and the ability to acquire intellectual and practical wisdom: Nous, Techne, Episteme, Phronesis, and Sophia.
Then this is what we made into the framework in Team Universe. This concept of virtue exists in our daily lives. The first, Sophia, is a more personal domain that forms courage and love for work. Luckily in the world of education, there is a second thing, Techne, which is simulated into a design studio reinforced by practical and professional lectures even though this learning is considered optional. In other words, the policies or learning styles of each university can be different. The third, Phronesis, is tactical intelligence in action. However, in the world of education, which is dominated by the listening learning style, there is very little room for practicing tactical intelligence. This creates a gap between lessons at university and the world of practice. The fourth, Episteme or science, has the largest portion because in education, we learn more by listening. And the four form a Nous, a capacity for building insight, intelligence, and acquiring intellectual wisdom.
How is our system formed?
Associate designers can be called architecture designers or designers or architecture assistants in several regions, in the US, UK, or any part of the world. The role is designed for a person in transition to knowing the practice of the profession. Here in RAW Architecture, they’re expected to obtain the license or understand the complexity of the design ecosystem, also to be fully adaptive, humble, critical, and creative on the problem seeking and the problem-solving.
Intermediate Associate Designer is a person who has the ability to bridge the integration between disciplines, architecture, other design specialties, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structures. Hence comprehensive details, including the cost estimations, analysis, and breaking down the S curve to carry out the project toward reality, will be fundamental for this role. “Intermediate”, they become the bridge between the internal ecosystem of RAW Architecture.
A Senior Associate Designer has a purpose of getting the project done and knowing the logic of the client’s purpose, and maintaining the service toward the project finalization. Senior Associate is expected to be able to control the quality of the project in terms of the implementation, method, and service, as well as to provide suggestions to achieve the most optimal use of time and resources.
An Associate Partner Designer has a role in sustaining the vision and mission in integration with the business proposal, the business itself, the internal ecosystem, and the social impact of the studio. The objective is to maintain and spark the legacy and improve Indonesia’s architectural ecosystem. The partnerships come with adapting to the ecosystem potential and fulfill the goal of providing sustainable practice and sustainable architecture that can be a benchmark in the architecture profession around the world.
Greetings,
Realrich Sjarief
Founder
Founder I (Realrich) act as the principal, guiding the vision of RAW Architecture, DOT Workshop, and OMAH Library, which express a deep love for architecture. In the studio, the principal ensures that this vision is carried out in every detail. Our design approach is rooted in four key principles: bioclimatic design, riparian design, unity in cultural diversity, and cognitive-based design. These principles define an architecture that listens to diverse contexts, stakeholders, and actors, while integrating networks and substantial theories. Ultimately, our architecture embodies the spirit of togetherness, laying a solid foundation for humanity in every project, at every scale, and with every participant involved.
Realrich Sjarief
Principal Architect + Founder
Nous Admin
Administration focuses on the standardization of contracts, technology, and protocols. The team ensures that the studio and its ecosystem have the necessary resources to implement a smooth workflow. This division serves three main purposes: supporting employee health and well-being, providing effective reskilling and upskilling opportunities, and improving talent progression and promotion processes. The team fosters a strong mentorship system, aligning mentors with mentees to create a thriving ecosystem for everyone.
Laurensia Yudith
Director of Tax, Administration, and Finance
Caroline Moeljono
Head of Tax, Administration, and Finance
Pepen Effendi
Intermediate Associate Administration and Finance
Yuliana Putri
Intermediate Associate Administration and Finance
Reffi Nur Kusuma
Senior Associate Administration and Finance
OMAH Library Administration
Phronesis Engineer
In our architecture studio, craftsmen are not merely workers, but part of an extended family formed through long standing, intergenerational bonds. Some have been with us since the previous generation in the 1980s, while others joined over time, bringing a spirit of compassion and innovation shaped by the present era. Their diverse backgrounds, nomadic field experiences, and shared principles of discipline and courage in facing challenges create a process that is deeply humane, one that values ideas while balancing positive encouragement and firm guidance. Values of discipline, camaraderie, creative iteration, and total commitment form a lasting foundation, allowing the team to grow through a natural process of development, therefore enabling our studio to evolve as a warm yet professional community dedicated to realizing architectural work.
Structural, MEP, and Architectural Detailing
Singgih Suryanto
Associate Partner | Structural and MEP Engineering
Wisnu Wibowo
Craftsmen Leader
Sirin
Craftsmen Leader
Muhamad Enoh
Craftsmen Leader
Sakum
Craftsmen Leader
Solehudin Grandong
Craftsmen Leader
Engkos
Craftsmen Leader
Aep Syapuloh
Craftsmen Leader
Ujang
Craftsmen Leader
Itno
Craftsmen Leader
Komeng
Craftsmen Leader
Sumardi
Craftsmen Leader
Unang
Craftsmen Leader
Endang Syamiyudin
In memoriam of
Nous
Nous is the mandala of architecture and is the total manifestation of love to architecture. This concept was discussed with Indah Widiastuti, my beloved teacher in ITB. We discussed the beautiful thought of organizing the elements of the process with nous that is divided by 4 category, Sophia, Techne, Phronesis, and Episteme.When love is positioned at the head and the episteme is hard, our architecture should be the home for many people. Techne is the left and right hands, and then phronesis is the food when you had barefoot architecture, and we have the system of the phronesis already in the world.
When we have the thinking hand-driven by Juhani Pallasmaa, when we try to sharpen our thinking and work, there are the drawing and implementation. And toward the nous, we see the manifestation of the man of architecture. Some people call it Vitruvius Man, some people said this was the best Gestalt principle or golden section, and some people said that it’s Kawruh Jiwa from Ki Angeng Suryomentaram. It’s the way that when the soul unifies with the body and mind, it becomes the total of architecture.
So, Nous is the way of channeling architecture to touch human, the heart of the civilization. Architecture can touch the heart of a beautiful civilization. Our -insertanion said “Manunggaling Kawula Gusti” (the union of mind with God). It’s a spell that we need to beautify the world.
Strategic GUHA
Arlyn Keizia
Senior Researcher, Curator, and General Manager
Affiliation Master: Universitas Bina Nusantara, Bachelor: Universitas Agung Podomoro
Strategic RAW
Muhammad Irfan Al Mujaddidi
Senior Associate Designer
Affiliation Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember
Analytic
Sophia
I imagine the beautiful architecture ecosystem, which starts from the Sophia, meaning love and kind of wisdom.
Sophia means love, and its vision and mission start with love. Sophia is the start of everything. It’s a Genesis of architecture. In this part, we discuss how to make the world beautiful with architecture.
The team that work within the Sophia boundaries has a deep love for arts, buildings and life, which are beyond architecture. The people here try to glue numerous intangible entities within architecture, and we discuss deeply through a lot of paradises. The book references Pilgrimage meeting new masters and discussing history, trying to open up new barriers to architecture. It is a journey about an un-ended love of architecture. It’s the way we can see that the horizon is always needed between the heaven which is the vision, the sky which is the goodness, and the earth which is the mission. It tells us to grow and to protect our beautiful roots. That’s what Sophia is meant to be.
Episteme
Episteme is a total reflection of the previous three continuums. Episteme is the relation that occurs when the three of the universes are combined. Is total wisdom something that we can learn from the process? It’s a total systematic knowledge, the type of “know”, what is the “know-how”, and the relation between each of the universes within one project and another, bringing another part of the groundwork theory, one of the obligations of what architects or creative people can do. In this epistemic world, the focus is to nurture the young minds and to open some barriers in learning.
The keyword of the epistemic world is long-life learning. The activity of learning includes reading situations, reading books, reading a lot of complexities, analyzing, discussing it, and then writing it into various reflections. Reflections can also be done by asking the intellectuals to join our discussion because we’re never perfect. Epistemic world is never-never perfect. It’s an imperfect beauty. That’s the beauty of knowledge. It’s always fragile. Being knowledgeable means that humans are able to stay fragile all of the time, eager to learn and open up many-many barriers for others and for yourself.
The epistemic world makes us reflect that there are many ways to explore. It’s a world of old minds. We discuss problems, ecosystem, nature, resources, art, philosophy, identity, nation building or home for people who love architectufe, to the unknown territory. Epistemic is the world of others in architecture. The epistemic world is the home, meaning OMAH. Architecture should be home to many people.
Writing
Hanifah Sausan Nurfinaputri
Senior Researcher, Curator, and Editor
Affiliation Gadjah Mada University
Branding
Photography
Techne
In this team, I believe that architecture is a continuous training, a way of sharpening the thinking in producing shop drawing from the stage of conceptualization until the implementation. Toward the end-to-end of the extremes is a never-ending relationship with the people involved: the clients, the builders to the other calling a crisis a lot of people will see, and the architecture workshop we feel. The sharpening process includes the various methods that we always deepen and invent through multiple inspirations in our practice.
We believe that each project contributes to one another’s transformation. One project inspires another. They are like brothers and sisters, and making it a family. That’s a beautiful architecture if we can drive it to the taxonomy of architecture. Which means in whatever we’re doing, we have sparks of shyness characteristic that started from the seeds of our goodness from the relations between our clients, our team, and our friends, as well as my deep reflection.
In this team, we believe architecture is like the blacksmith’s process. A bar of steel needs to undergo multiple process to forge it into a beautiful sword. So at the end of the day, we’re trained to perfect our method until the last drop of our blood ends our totality.
Techne Normative
Joshi Noel Parlindungan Situmeang
Intermediate Associate Designer
Affiliation Bina Nusantara University
Techne Substantive
Phronesis
Phronesis is a very unique way to understand the context of architecture, especially in Indonesia. The layers of the culture and craftsmanship, as well as our way of doing things is very different from the other areas of the world. In the countryside or the city, there are always collisions between industrialization and rationalization, and the maturity between both.
We believe that both of the extremes can be harmonies with the total adaptation. It’s a very difficult journey because to achieve it, we need full sensitivity on the site. The drawing may be changed, and the understanding may be varied, but the goal is to have the most optimal way of using the resources in the field. The discussion about building cost, the time schedule, the relations with the client, happy and positive insight, the relation between the team and the client, and every hellish will be more important to tech. The fabric of architecture is the relation itself. And the working (time) on architecture should not be too short. It should be long relations.
In this team, we have a long marathon attitude. The method is for sure a bloody battle, but for sure, we’re gonna win the battle as long as we have a spirit of totality.
My Mayonnaise Jar 