The Rumah Rempah umbrella front yard

It begins with a pile of old construction material stacked away in a warehouse, and then comes a multifunctional structure that has been uniquely designed, a pleasure to look at and a source of inspiration.

This particular structure is located in Gajahan Village, which is near Adisumarmo International Airport in Surakarta. The name of this unique building is Rumah Rempah (House of Spices), which derives from remukan sampah (debris).

Rumah Rempah’s architect, Paulus Mintarga, is a civil engineer with a special interest in architecture. Rumah Rempah comprises three structures in a 2,280 square-meter area; two of its buildings are dome-shaped and resemble a pair of bird wings when viewed from above, while the other takes the form of a giant umbrella that shades the front yard.

“It all started to come together when the warehouse’s lease was about to expire and could not be extended. When I would go to and from work, I kept seeing all this used material and wondered how I could use them”, said Paulus.

He then told his household staff to sort the steel pieces according to their shape, length and size and make suitable angle cuts that follow the shapes of the steel scraps.

A patch of water between the domes to keep the air fresh.
“To me, this is a miracle. What used to be just steel scraps, irregular in size, have now become two buildings. This is an outstanding piece of work that was built out of coincidence. I did not design this building, the materials did it on their own”, said Paulus.

Consisting of three stories, each of the domes’ walls is covered with different cuts of wood that would normally be thrown away by a carpenter, thereby creating mosaic art works.

The same goes with the windows and doors, all are made of used material. The roof was initially constructed from used cement bags layered with liquid asphalt and covered with fibers. However, since the roof started to leak and break apart due to poor installation, the roof has now been covered with tarpaulin to prevent leakage.

What’s interesting about the materials used for its flooring is that the foundation is made from a series of bamboo frames that has been covered with a layer of polystyrene and then cemented. The surface is made of woven bamboo coated with resin.

“The floor arrangement was an experiment. I hope it’s durable enough to last a long time. But if it’s not good enough, then we’ll just have to redo it” said Paulus.

One of domes is currently being used as office space, which offers multi-functional rooms, while the other is used as a workshop. The twin buildings are separated by a pool that functions to cool the surroundings.

Rumah Rempah is located near paddy fields on the outskirts of Surakarta.
The umbrella-like structure located in front of the domes serves as lobby and lounge area. The giant umbrella is made from scrap metal that has been turned into a comfortable, innovative and durable shelter.

To cover the structure of the ceiling, he used a range of flower pots for some parts and white fabric for other spots. Since the flowers pots are hard to reach, they are fitted with water pipes to keep them watered. Passion fruit plants are deliberately propagated on its primary steel rods to support the giant umbrella structure, making the steel rods appear at one with nature.

This building not only utilizes scrap and used material, but also uses energy-efficient LED lights. LED lights are mounted in such a way that they are not visible on the surface, not too bright and very subtle.

For Paulus, Rumah Rempah resembles spices that flavor a dish, a variety of ingredients that create something delicious.

“Like our lives in Indonesia, despite being from different backgrounds and having different traditions, if we work together we will have the ability to create useful things and produce remarkable results,” he said.

One of the domes’ outer walls, which is made of various materials.

A corner of a building made of pieces of wood.

A water tower made from old cars.

A multifunctional room at one of the domes.

— Photos by Tarko Sudiarno