The problem statement focuses on the livelihoods of the residents of the kampongs in the historical city center of Bandung, Indonesia. The livelihoods within the kampong are mainly based on self-employment in the form of goods and services. This type of economic activity is widely known as the informal economy and consists of certain risks. The conditions and circumstances in which they work, which is in most cases, established on a ‘work at home’ basis, are not designed as such as the type of work requires it to be, such as the lack of sanitary facilities and the required space and light, in other words, a healthy work environment.
These observations led to the following design question: how can the cultural values within the kampong community be implemented in order to contribute to the transformation of the old colonial city center of Bandung and vice versa? Therefore, the purpose of this project focuses on sustaining balance in the livelihoods of the local kampong residents through the cultural values of their community within the colonial city center of Bandung.
The design solution is based on creating public and semi-public space within a colonial heritage building, where both the residents of the kampong as well as the users of the historic city center, or more specifically the Braga Street. Thus, this resulted in the transformation of the old Hellerman building, where the heritage is used as a showcase for reconstruction, reinterpretation, and adaptation, and where the programme is based on urban farming, communal kitchens, dining space, and an education hub.