JAKARTA — For some people, a house is merely a place to live. For others, it is a statement of the values they uphold, the way they live, and how they view the relationship between humans and nature. Meanwhile, for others still, a house serves as an expression of identity and prestige.

Amid increasingly dense urbanization and the growing reality of climate change, there are people who speak about sustainability. Some of them even truly embody it through the homes they build.

Public awareness in Indonesia regarding green buildings is indeed not as high as in other countries. However, slowly, people are beginning to question what an ideal home should look like.

Building efficiency, ranging from ventilation and natural lighting to designs that reduce electricity needs, has become one of the most effective mitigation strategies. This means that the way we design our homes can be a simple step to reduce emissions while simultaneously improving quality of life.

It is at this point that the stories of homeowners who apply green principles will be explored, from the simplest efforts to the most comprehensive. These homeowners are not only building houses, but also helping to care for the Earth.

One of them is Jeanny Primasari, founder of Zero Waste Nusantara, who built an environmentally friendly home amid the density of Jakarta. There is also Stefan, the owner of Kabinkebun, a small habitat that serves as a public educational space.

While many people are only now becoming aware through news about climate change, Jeanny’s journey began in her childhood. For her, environmental issues are not merely discourse, but close and tangible experiences involving waste problems, air pollution, and forest destruction. All of these shaped her worldview.

Later, when studying architecture at Parahyangan Catholic University in West Java, the concept of sustainability, which was already part of the curriculum, became even more deeply ingrained in Jeanny’s life principles.

“A green building is one that has as little negative impact on nature as possible. Especially in Jakarta, where the environment is already dense and hot, buildings should be designed not to add to the problem, and if possible, to make a positive contribution,” Jeanny said while speaking with Validnews on Wednesday (12/11).

This awareness was so deeply rooted that when she built her house in 2019, the entire design process was directed toward creating harmony with the environment. Every detail was planned to make it easier for all occupants to live a sustainable lifestyle.

From these simple principles came various design decisions that may seem small, yet have a significant impact on comfort and energy efficiency. One of the most important decisions was to separate the house from neighboring buildings.

At a glance, this decision may seem trivial, but it actually became the foundation of the entire green housing concept she applied. By providing a one-meter gap on both sides of the house, a multifunctional corridor was created that continuously supports daily living.

This corridor serves as a pathway for sunlight, provides natural air ventilation, offers rainwater absorption areas, and functions as a service space that allows water pipes to be installed and easily maintained.

Rather than being meaningless, the corridor transformed into an air circulation channel that keeps the house cool throughout the day. It is therefore not surprising that Jeanny and her family almost never turn on the air conditioner.

“I also designed two large gardens at the front and in the middle of the house as green spaces that work continuously. These gardens function to capture and absorb rainwater, improve air quality, serve as places to grow various medicinal and food plants, and process household organic waste into compost,” she explained.

In addition, the windows were designed with careful calculations so that every part of the house could ‘breathe.’ Each window was placed strategically to create cross ventilation. Meanwhile, the types of openings were selected according to function, ranging from sliding, awning, swing, to louvered windows.

At certain points, exhaust fans were also installed to help push air circulation. As a result, air truly ‘sweeps’ through the corners of the house, providing natural airflow that is fresher, healthier, and certainly more energy-efficient.

“I also used a gable roof, designed with a sufficiently high empty space beneath the tiles. This space acts as a heat buffer so that hot air does not directly descend into the interior,” she said.

Even in terms of materials, she paid very close attention.

Jeanny used paint free from harmful chemicals, chose zincalume roof frames and aluminum window frames to avoid termite problems, and reused old furniture to reduce waste.

“So, comfort can actually come from carefully thought-out design,” she emphasized.

This does not mean that the entire process went smoothly. Jeanny admitted that there were many challenges, ranging from consistently opening windows amid Jakarta’s dust, resisting the temptation to turn the air conditioner back on, to the higher costs of certain materials.

In addition, limited land in urban areas often makes people hesitant to provide open spaces that homes actually need. Even so, all these efforts paid off.

“The house becomes cooler, brighter, and cleaner, while electricity and water costs drop drastically. Sometimes, small challenges actually open the way to much greater comfort,” she explained.

Characterful Homes from Reused Materials

Unlike Jeanny, who developed a green home in the middle of the city, Stefan brought the concept of sustainable housing to a broader scale. On a 1,500-square-meter plot of land, he built a small ecosystem called Kabinkebun.

For him, building an environmentally friendly home is a form of personal responsibility toward the Earth.

“A house is a primary human need. Therefore, it should be built by minimizing the burden on nature,” Stefan told Validnews on Thursday (13/11).

He became familiar with the concept of green homes through various readings, discussions, and even Pinterest, which gave him visual ideas of what could be realized. Stefan began with one principle: using recycled materials as much as possible.

“Doors, windows, structures, decorations, everything is sourced from recycled materials or leftover items from other houses,” he said.

He explained that initially, the garden at his home was monocultural. Over ten years, it transformed into a small habitat with more than 1,000 plant species living side by side. Within this ecosystem, humans are just one small part. For Stefan, a house is not a standalone structure, but part of a living ecosystem.

Today, Kabinkebun has even become a public educational space. More than 2,000 people have come to learn, stay overnight, or simply experience a way of life closer to nature.

Many of them end up feeling inspired. Unfortunately, with the large number of visitors, inorganic waste has become a challenge in itself.

“There is only one partner who manages inorganic waste and can come to the area, and the cost is quite high. But I still choose to manage it properly, because environmental responsibility is not only about the waste we produce ourselves, but also the waste left behind by our guests,” he explained.

Becoming a Positive Trend

Although small in scale, the two examples above prove that change is underway. Slowly but surely. More families are beginning to rethink what an ideal home should be like amid an increasingly urgent climate crisis.

This question was addressed by Sigit Kusumawijaya, an architect and eco-friendly and sustainable design advocate. According to him, although the application of green building principles at the residential scale is not yet widespread, the trend shows a positive direction.

“Ten years ago, the concept of green building was more widely applied to office buildings, campuses, or commercial projects. Now, a new awareness is emerging among urban communities to apply it in their own homes,” Sigit told Validnews on Friday (14/11).

Sigit explained that this development is also driven by the presence of the Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI), which launched the Greenship Homes 2.0 certification. This certification provides clear guidelines for homeowners and architects to apply green building standards, ranging from site management, energy efficiency, water conservation, the use of recyclable materials, indoor and outdoor comfort quality, to environmental and waste management.

“All of these principles can now be applied even to small houses,” he added.

In addition to regulatory and educational factors, Sigit mentioned a natural push from the community itself. This shift occurs due to a combination of awareness and trends.

Some people start from ecological concern, while others are driven by lifestyle trends such as eco-living or sustainable homes that are increasingly popular on social media.

“Many content creators now discuss healthy homes, energy efficiency, and green spaces. This exposure makes people increasingly aware that a good home is not only visually beautiful, but also comfortable, healthy, energy-efficient, and not wasteful of water,” he explained.

The pandemic also became an important turning point in environmental awareness.

After spending one to two years at home, many people realized how important healthy living environments are. This awareness has persisted and even grown, driving changes in housing design preferences.

On the other hand, Sigit warned that many homes that look beautiful on social media do not actually apply sustainability principles behind their appearance. “It would be a shame if design only pursues visuals without considering the green philosophy behind it,” he said.

In fact, tropical house design can reduce energy consumption by 30–50% compared to conventional homes. This means that even if someone adopts the concept simply by following a trend, the positive impact remains real and significant.

This positive trend has also received a response from the University of Indonesia urban planning observer, Muh Azis Muslim. He believes that the growing interest in environmentally friendly homes does not come from just one direction.

“The application of this concept arises from awareness, but at the same time also develops into an aesthetic trend or lifestyle,” Azis told Validnews on Friday (14/11).

According to him, these two aspects go hand in hand. On one side, people are increasingly aware of the importance of protecting the environment, while on the other, they also want to have environmentally friendly homes that are still stylish and modern. This combination makes the green building concept more easily accepted and continues to expand.

Cost Perceptions and Mindset Shifts

Sigit emphasized that the biggest challenge in developing green homes is not merely technology or cost, but public education. According to him, many misconceptions arise because people are too focused on beautiful visuals on social media.

Homes that look aesthetic are often assumed to be environmentally friendly, even though they do not necessarily have ecological responsibility behind their design.

“Many people think building a green home is expensive, when in fact many construction elements are more economical in the long term because they reduce electricity and water usage,” Sigit said.

He added that without proper education, it is difficult for the public to understand that the main benefits of sustainable design lie in long-term efficiency, ranging from thermal comfort and energy savings to indoor air quality.

Therefore, he believes that knowledge about how to maintain a home should also be introduced from the beginning. If a house is not designed with green principles from the outset, it will be difficult to achieve the efficiency and comfort that could otherwise be obtained.

Reinforcing this view, Azis stated that the concept of green buildings actually has very simple principles that can be understood by anyone, especially the general public who want to start with small steps.

“The essence is how the design and the building can be environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and sustainable,” he said.

In fact, the basic principles are very simple, such as creating biopores, maximizing natural lighting, or planting more greenery in the yard. While high-cost technologies like solar panels are ideal, they are not mandatory to get started.

Sigit also stressed that the concept of green homes should not be understood as a luxury, high-tech project, but rather as a shift in mindset.

“It’s not about sophistication or high costs. It’s about the mindset of how buildings provide comfort for their occupants while reducing negative impacts on the environment,” Sigit explained.

He further noted that humans often behave egocentrically in land use. Many housing developments actually provide 20–40% of land for absorption areas and gardens, but homeowners often cover them up to expand their buildings. In fact, the loss of green space means the loss of important ecological functions, from rainwater absorption to natural cooling.

Sigit explained that an ideal green home should meet six aspects: sustainable site, energy efficiency, water conservation, the use of environmentally friendly materials, indoor comfort, and building management.

However, for people who want to start with small steps, there are many simple ways to do so without large costs. For example, opening ventilation to create cross air circulation, using LED lights, choosing energy-efficient appliances, collecting rainwater or air conditioner runoff for irrigation, and avoiding hazardous materials such as asbestos.

“There are also many paint options now that are certified as low or even zero VOC. So there are actually many simple steps that can be taken without having to build a house from scratch or incur large additional costs,” he added.

Small Homes Changing the Urban Landscape

Sigit emphasized that ‘green’ homes have an extraordinary impact on the urban environment. When one house applies green principles, the effect may seem small, but if thousands of houses do the same, cities can change systemically.

He likened houses to small green shells that, when connected to one another, form an ecological network at the city level.

“If every house contributes, even a little, the city will change,” he asserted.

Conversely, if a small house is built without green space, it may seem insignificant. But if an entire city does the same, the result is urban heat islands, the loss of absorption areas, and increased flood risk. Therefore, he emphasized the importance of each family’s awareness to provide at least 20% green open space on their land.

“If everyone implements green building principles, cities will be far greener. Flooding will decrease, environmental temperatures will drop, and microclimates will improve in quality. This is not theory; I have proven it in several houses that I designed. Massive greening on a single small site alone can reduce heat and carbon footprints,” he explained.

Sigit also referred to a World Resources Institute report (2022), which states that if 20% of homes in urban areas apply basic green principles, carbon emissions from the urban building sector could decrease by 15–18%. This figure shows that small changes starting from homes can grow into tangible urban planning impacts.

“Therefore, the concept of green building should not stop as an architectural trend. It must become a new awareness movement about how we live harmoniously with nature,” he emphasized.

From the observations of Muh Azis Muslim, this phenomenon could become a major opportunity for the government to align policies with changes occurring in society. According to him, current spatial planning regulations actually already provide rules regarding green space proportions and built-area limits, but their implementation still requires greater public awareness.

“The concept of green homes can serve as inspiration for urban planning,” Azis asserted.

He believes that individual initiatives such as using leftover space as gardens, choosing environmentally friendly materials, utilizing alternative energy, and reducing waste can be adopted as part of broader urban development strategies.

The government, according to him, can study good practices that are currently applied by only a small portion of society and integrate them into wider urban policies. However, he emphasized that education remains key so that the public understands the direct benefits of green homes, both for the environment and for their health.

“In the end, sustainable urban planning can only be realized when public awareness and government policies move in tandem,” he concluded.

Dr. Muh Azis Muslim, M.Si.
Lecturer of Public Administration

Source: https://www.validnews.id/kultura/rumah-hijau-wujud-tanggung-jawab-manusia-terhadap-alam