Eddiy is a man of a few words, which stands in stark contrast to his creations as an architect and project designer of residences and restaurants, among many other things, that can be seen throughout Surabaya. He is well known for his accent-centred designs, playful colours and the superb artwork selections that adorn his architectural and interior design projects. We met Eddiy at a restaurant he designed near the centre of Surabaya for a conversation where he discusses his views on design.
Photo by Ed Architectural Works Doc.
Why pursue architecture?
My father is a contractor who supplies wood for government projects. That meant I virtually grew up in the environment of a workshop, which piqued my interest in design. I studied architecture at Petra Christian University, during which time I interned for nine months at Han Awal & Partners in Jakarta. I returned to Surabaya to finish my studies with the intention of going back to Jakarta once I graduated. Unfortunately the May 1998 tragedy prevented me from going to Jakarta and I decided to start working in Surabaya.
What was your first project?
My first project was to design a home. I was still studying in my fourth semester of university when I started the project, which I obtained from my uncle, who happened to own a workshop. That was quite memorable–to be given such huge responsibility when I was that young and had practically no experience in the field.
How did you get started as an architect?
I graduated from school after the May 1998 tragedy and the economic conditions weren’t that good, especially to start a new project. That’s why at first I only considered architecture as a side job. I tried starting a few other businesses, including opening a restaurant for one of our family’s favourite chefs, but my love for architecture dragged me back into this world.
What do you think about the development of design in Surabaya?
I think the design development here has been rather slow. The current trends in home design in Surabaya have been around in Jakarta for a few years. Here, the people are quite nervous to try new ideas, and this has caused home design to remain relatively the same over the years.
How do you handle projects and clients?
In Surabaya, clients who come to me do not usually bring a concept with them and tend to be quite accepting of the ideas of the architect. This makes it easier for me to do the designs–but I still have to conduct interviews to find out the lifestyles and habits of the clients. Of course, there are clients who come with a thousand ideas of their own, so that we have to stop them from going all over the place and making the design too over the top. Nevertheless, we have to remember that these clients are the people who will use our designs in their daily lives. Therefore, we should not let our works become a strange thing for them.
Why live in Surabaya?
My expertise fits with several aspects of the architecture market in the city. Surabaya is also relatively comfortable to live in, probably because the hubs for public activities are well distributed. Moreover, the traffic here is more relaxed and traffic jams are rather fewer in number. We also have various kinds of delectable street food here, from rawon, sate, soto, and, not only one, but several kinds of fried rice!
What are your hopes for the city?
I hope Surabaya, as a city of commerce, will not turn into a rigid place, but, on the contrary, will become a more fluid city, especially in term of design. In addition, I hope that this city becomes filled with culture.