Rising from the [Coal] Ashes

Abstract

Coal mining closure as part of the energy transition and global shift towards sustainability will have significant impacts on society, especially for coal-producing regions in developing countries that not only have to deal with the technical aspects but also the complex social, environmental, and economic dimensions. Comprehensive planning and intervention are therefore needed to ensure a just and seamless transition to a better life for the local people. On the other hand, this future planning of the coal mining region presents a massive opportunity for architects and designers to reflect and move beyond conventional practices toward a non-extractive building culture. This new culture entails taking into account the elements of place and time in the process of planning, designing, and sourcing materials. This project investigates the possibility of integrating the energy transition plan, land reclamation process, and agroforestry culture into a regenerative development strategy in the soon-to-be-closed mining area by envisioning a circular Post-Coal Community in Muara Enim, one of the oldest and biggest coal regions in Indonesia. Supported by thematic research on urban metabolism using material flow analysis to map the problems and potentials related to energy and materials in Muara Enim, the results of this project underscore a range of strategic interventions—from site planning the former mining pit for agroforestry, reclaiming the unused mining infrastructure for building materials, to developing a building system using phytoremediation plants and fast-growing timber with small dimensions that go hand in hand with the replanting and reforestation process of the mining area.