Wood In Architecture Issue 1, 2023

BIG PICTURE
2 3
1 The library has a net where kids can lie down,
relax and read but also directly communicate
with people underneath
2 Bangkirai-based finger joint laminate was
used for columns and beams
3 A wide tribune seating at the entrance for
watching presentations or movies
with parents and friends in the space
underneath. It is important to have this multiprogrammatic
approach to make the library a
popular place, since reading alone is not yet
considered a fun activity in the country.
The Microlibrary Warak Kayu is the latest
addition to the architecture landscape of
Semarang. It is built at Taman Kasmaran, a
public square in the city centre with direct
proximity with a river and has a view to
Kampung Pelangi, or Rainbow Village, a local
tourist attraction. The square has a cafeteria
with warungs, also known as small vendors,
underneath, and there is a local school nearby.
The library will be part of the city’s tourism
route where the bus tour will stop. In that
sense, the library serves not only the local
neighbourhood but is embedded in the larger
city network and thus has an increased reach.
A MODEL FOR FSC-CERTIFIED
CONSTRUCTION
The building can be seen as a living
educational spot for wood material and
construction techniques and is Indonesia’s
first Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
project certified building. This is possible
with the donor and client, Arkatama
Isvara Foundation. A variety of Kayu Lapis
Indonesia’s available materials and products
for construction are used and only the
foundation, footings and roof cladding are not
wood-based materials.
The design process includes a bottom-up
process, where all available products in the
factory were first evaluated, and the design
was developed from that. As one of the
design-exploration results, the brise soleil
was based on the Zollinger Bauweise, a
construction system developed in the 1920s
in Germany. It is a form of reciprocal system,
resulting in a distinctive slightly shifted
diamond pattern. This pattern happens to
resemble a local mythical creature, Warak
Ngendog, and its dragon-like skin, displayed
during annual festivals in Semarang. Hence
the name Warak Kayu in Indonesian,
meaning wooden Warak, which is a positive
narrative for communicating the design to a
wider audience.
CLIMATE DESIGN, MATERIAL AND
CONSTRUCTION
The Microlibrary Warak Kayu is designed
around passive climatic design aspects: No air
conditioning is used, and therefore no energy is
spent. Semarang has a tropical monsoon climate
according to Köppen climate classification with
temperatures up to 34°C during the end of dry
season. The building is cooled down by means
of cross ventilation and solar heat is prevented
from entering using shading elements. The roof
overhang provides shading around noon. The
longer facades are oriented north-west and
south-east due to site restrictions. Therefore, an
eggcrate-like deep screen is designed to block
the lower sun altitude angles in the mornings and
afternoons. That means direct sunlight cannot
enter the building in an unobstructed way. As a
result, the diffuse-reflected sunlight is sufficient
to read books without artificial lighting. In
addition, the depth requirement of the Zollinger
brise soleil was determined by the angular
relationship between the sun path and building
rotation. The cross ventilation aspect also helps
to drag moisture out of the building and prevent
books from getting mouldy or damaged.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 1– 2023 15