Muara Baru + Waduk Pluit

After our expanded site visit to Waduk Pluit and Muara Baru we decided to focus our design intervention around the Pluit, its supporting systems and surrounding context. We had two main issues in mind. First was how to deal with the large amount of trash flowing through the site and ultimately out to Jakarta Bay. Second, we wanted to maintain or expand the capacity of the Pluit. Consequently our proposal can be looked at as a symbiotic relationship of two parts - one an expanded system of clearing trash and then oxygenating the water flowing through the river to the Pluit - the second is the creation of a ‘market street’ that links a new pier and paper/fiber board factory that uses hyacinth harvested from the Pluit to make its products.

For dealing with trash we proposed two additional trash gates be installed further upstream from our site. These would be staffed by individuals and operate as the flow of water, i.e. trash, increased during rain events. We know from our research the water contains a high nutrient load from the large amount of grey and black water systems emptying into the canals and rivers. The water is also low in dissolved oxygen which means flora and fauna struggle to exist in the water. We proposed two ‘Bubble Parks’ where seesaws, carousels and other pieces of playground equipment were repurposed to power pumps pushing air into underwater blowers and above water fountains. Ultimately with the removal of trash and the increase of dissolved oxygen we hope to have trash-free, nutrient rich water flowing into Waduk Pluit thereby creating a hyper-eutrophic condition. This sets up the second part of our proposal - by generating this condition we hope to amplify the growth of Water Hyacinth in the Pluit creating a viable source of raw fiber for a medium scale paper factory located North of Luar Batang next to Sunda Kelapa. The introduction of this factory and its subservient economies is further amplified by the creation of a ‘market street’ connecting the factory to the pier. We see this corridor as a place of transaction (to borrow from Simone - see earlier post) where the various actors involved in the sale, movement and processing of the raw material invites ancillary markets. However, we also believe that by carving out free and open public space we create an area where various parties can meet, gather, discuss and trade perspectives. If the system of hyper-eutrophication and Hyacinth production is successful we hope the city of Jakarta could possibly gain a system of usable raw water on its Northern edge that can be pumped, filtered and cleaned to be used by the local community as an alternative to the reliance on groundwater extraction, thereby mitigating the threat of flood from continuing subsidence.

UMich: Catharine Pyenson, Jared Heming

HKU: Huang Feng, Yang Peng

UI: Leta Lestari, Mikhail Johanes, Miktha Farid

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