RAD+ar Engages Chickens with Design in 'Chicken Hero Pavilion'

RAD+ar's pavilion, located in Urban Forest, Jakarta, is a prototype for a pragmatic approach to sustainable organic waste management. It was presented from December 25 to January 11 at the end of 2024. 

The pavilion's original initiative was the idea that Indonesia has been throwing away 21 million tons of unprocessed food, making it one of the most unsustainable household waste countries in the world. This provoked RAD+ar (Research Artistic Design + architecture) to create a pavilion that educates the general public on alternative waste management systems that are easier and can be utilized more efficiently by integrating chickens into households or communities.

The core of the pavilion is a cross-ventilated interior space illuminated by indirect sunlight. This space is covered by reclaimed bamboo as the main horizontal-diagonal green roof structure, optimized for space efficiency. This was done to ensure that the pavilion could meet the needs of the chickens while effectively managing waste and preserving the green area as a rainwater catchment surface, which in turn provides comfortable air for the chickens.

One meaningful impact of the pavilion is that the six restaurants in the Urban Forest are assisted with food waste management, supporting the circular economy and sustainable waste management. The site's dried leaves and organic tree waste are bedding for the chickens and help reduce humidity. 

The resulting food waste and dried leaves have been composted during the pavilion's existence, which is then turned into compost fertilizer for the plantation, which is harvested every three days. In addition, the pavilion's impact is that as many as 40 eggs have been redistributed daily to restaurants and also served as live harvest souvenirs to visitors.

The pavilion successfully attracted visitors' attention during its presence at Urban Forest, proving that architecture and design not only have a direct impact on humans but can also be utilized for farm animals such as chickens, which can also systematically help sustainability in waste management.