bamboo encloses chicken coop pavilion in jakarta park by RAD+ar

RAD+ar carves chicken hero pavilion as another hill in the park

In the Urban Forest Jakarta, RAD+ar’s Chicken Hero Pavilion humbly blends into its landscape. The sustainable intervention resembles just another hill in the park. A cavernous opening in the terrain becomes a tunnel that leads into the enclosed Chickencoop, a space that offers free, inclusive education and entertainment. Overall, the project is a self-initiated approach to inspire independent backyard poultry farming in Indonesia.

Combining ecological functionality with community engagement, the pavilion addresses critical issues such as food waste reduction, environmental impact, and public education, while showcasing a prototype for upcycled, eco-friendly chicken coop designs. Inside, the architects have ensured cross-ventilation and integrated indirect daylight. Reclaimed bamboo serves as the main horizontal-diagonal green roof structure, optimized for space efficiency. This ensures that the coops meet the needs of the flocks while effectively managing waste and preserving green areas, such as rainwater catchment surfaces, all while maintaining a stable and comfortable thermal environment for the chickens.

all images courtesy of RAD+ar

the pavilion inspires backyard poultry farming in indonesia

This initiative aims to reduce household and community food waste, addressing Indonesia’s significant challenge as the runner-up in global food loss and waste, with an estimated 1.6 million tonnes, or approximately 300 kilograms per person annually. Both the environmental and technical achievements of the Chicken Hero Pavilion are underscored by the fact that this temporary structure demonstrates a straightforward circular economy and sustainability within Urban Forest Jakarta.

During its four weeks of display, the pavilion actively served as a food waste processor for six on-site restaurants. The team at RAD+ar used all dried leaves and organic tree waste as bedding for chickens, which also helped to reduce humidity. The composted food waste and dried leaves were then transformed into garden and commercial compost, which was harvested every three days. Approximately 40 eggs were distributed back daily to the restaurants and served as a live harvesting souvenir for visitors.

RAD+ar completes Chicken Hero Pavilion

shaping reciprocity between visitors and chickens

The Indonesian practice notes that the pavilion showcases a simple construction technique that complements nature while creating inclusive spatial quality for the public. The reciprocity between visitors and chickens is a central design element that shapes the project’s discourse, helping to break the stigma surrounding backyard poultry. This aims to inspire visitors to become real agents of change in sustainability in their own household, neighborhood, and community.

Starting with the question of how to effectively decentralize sustainability across the nation without becoming overly reliant on sustainable architecture in a developing country, the Chicken Hero Pavilion emerges as a provocative prototype for both government bodies and developers. ‘It aims to achieve the Utopian goal of decentralizing sustainability and promoting a micro circular economy within neighborhood communities. This approach aligns with the current trend of ‘Glocalization’ (globalization + localization) in the sprawling archipelagos of Indonesia,’ reflects RAD+ar.

disguised as just another hill in the park in the Urban Forest Jakarta