Raul Renanda - designer

Raul Renanda adalah seorang desainer dibidang arsitektur, interior dan desain prodak. Pria berumur 36 tahun ini telah memiliki karir selama lebih dari 12 tahun, mulai dari proyek besar seperti gedung teater, kantor-kantor, apartemen sampai fungsi yang lebih kecil seperti rumah mewah, cafe dan restoran. Desainrenanda yang dipimpinnya telah berkiprah di Jakarta sejak 2002 dan telah menghasilkan desain-desain dan konsep yang menarik untuk rumah mewah dan restoran di Jakarta, Hongkong dan Perth.

Renanda on the web

Official Homepage: This is my official homepage
Meibo at Core 77: Raul Renanda design on a communication tools, it was designed in year 2000, but submitted to world class industrial design website Core 77 5 years later.
Interview with leading Korean architecture website: This interview about designing architectural piece with 3D modelling techniques.
Interview with Radio One Jakarta: One professional profile interview 2003.
Me as a singer: This website is about Baron & Kafilah project. Raul sing in 1 song titled PERBEDAAN, in this project, Raul not only act as a singer, but also designed the CD cover, the website and video clip.
Digital Photos: Me trying hard to be a photographer...
Rumah Tinggal Blog: Blog in Bahasa Indonesia, about what you need to know if you planning to build your dream house.
Curriculum Vitae: Need my CV?

Kontak Raul Renanda

Cara menghubungi

Raul Renanda dapat dihubungi dengan menggunakan alamat

email : design@renanda.com

atau bila ingin chat dapat menggunakan
messenger : raulrenanda@yahoo.com

Phone: 0-888-1-99-44-99 (or 62.888.1.994499 if you from overseas)

Raul sangat senang berbincang-bincang mengenai dunia desain, terutama bidang pendidikan, bila anda mahasiswa ingin mengenal lebih lanjut maupun berkonsultasi dapat menghubungi Raul, pasti email dibalas...

Q&A with Raul

What is your first project?

My first project was fantastic, it's different with usual first graduate in architecture who start from small project, I did a very big single function building, a proscenium theatre, okay..it's an opera theatre. Located in Taman Ismail Marzuki - Jakarta, this project was assigned to my former employee Atelier 6, and I designed the building from the conceptual up to design development. I quit after 3 years working there in 1996 and the building still under construction up until today (2006)...
How many years in architecture world?

I was graduated in 1994 and started work immediately, so if you count up until today that means about 12 years...
What kind of building that you designed?

Because the nature of my design flow which is more like a process to find something new to learn, I tend to like exploring new functions, types and styles. I designed almost all types of building, I did a restaurant, caf%uFFFD, luxury residential, school, religious buildings, office, theatre, factory, apartment, car showroom...many, many things...and each project, whether it was developed or just conceptual, giving me understanding of each character...I did a mosque, and I also did the Buddhist temple, and by doing it I try to learn even in a glimpse what the philosophy behind it, it history, and it's story, I also learn about I-ching fortune teller when I develop a concept for a restaurant in Hong Kong%u2026even things which consider as 'typical project' like an apartment, I tend to try rediscover new idea, or new point of view which I hope will lead to new kind of design later on%u2026
What is your style?

It's hard to tell actually, I really love to study lots of new style, and I rather not to stick to one type of design. I do not afraid if some people think of me not to related of one particular "signature style" because, by the end of it, all style that I designed has its own character, some of people say I do have a very masculine - straight line design, forward, edgy and minimalism character, maybe they right. I did from tropical, to modern, to classical and like music; I do listen from Jazz to Heavy metal. What I know there are 2 kinds of music, a good one and a bad one. That also implies in the architectural style to, which I refer as good design and a bad one. So the answer, my style simple the good one of course!
Where is your studio based?

Desainrenanda is based in Jakarta, but our works and network is close to regional area, such Singapore and Australia, we have close partner on those 2 neighborhood countries. So to work some project in the region won't be any problem for me.
Do you have partner?

Yes of course, I do believe that I can't do anything on my own. My partner name is Agus Setiawan, he is in charge on technical and project management issue, Agus and I know each other back to Atelier 6 era and become a partner almost 3 years with me.
what do you want to call yourself ?

I rather people called me as designer, no matter what discipline, since I believe the design is a way of thinking process and my point of design is more about visual experience, my works is expanding not only in architecture, but also in interior, design product and graphic design. Recently I'm preparing my self to do a demo for popular music recording while my actual music desire is jazz.
what is your design philosophy ?

My philosophy is that design should create a better world, so based on that point of view, acting as consultant I have a responsibility to satisfy my clients and also have a greater impact for the 'environment'. I hope people can get excited with my works, and make people happy, always a great experience. So maybe my tag line should be like this 'design that make you happy!'
do you have design award or any highlight ?

While I'm not really active in design competition, I do win several design competition from a very limited participation, so far I just enters 4 design competitions, and win 2 of them and finalist on the rest, for 2 monument projects and a bus station in Indonesia, and finalist for the international design competition for subway station in Singapore. But the project that makes me proud is still designing a Theatre building as a very young designer, I was 24-25 at that time, and given the trust from my former employee at that time is the thing that inspires me to give a chance to young people who help do my projects right now.
What other activities you have?

As said before, music. That is my real passion actually, I can play instruments, such Piano, Guitar and Drums, I can write, compose and arranging the song...one think that I feel I lack is singing capability, I'm working on it right now. My target is very simple, as long as my voice is not annoying to do simple record, that considers a huge accomplishment.
What is your philosophy when you design a house?

This sentence sometimes sounds weird, but I always say to myself, "this is not my house". Not in term that I don't want to make it "good", but the idea what's good itself is rather subjective. The most important think is that people actually ask my help to built "their" dream house. No matter I invest time and energy in designing their house; it won't beat what they will experience later. They will stay there for decades, and my work should be lasting and make them happy for decades. So then, I have to give the best I can fro them, not for me. I try to remember that every people from the poor to the rich, always try to give the best effort to their house, I have to be careful deal with this kind of commitment, the keyword is, trust.
Is there any special method in design?

We are using the virtual design as much as possible, typical design firm rely on sketches, which usually good to communicate ideas, but sketches tend to very subjective because we only draw the part that we want to see or people believe, while 3D environment could tell you almost the truth - but then again, it is not easy to do for most people, we perfected the using of this technology for more than decades. So we know what to do, and "how" to do it. The other unique is the two sides of coins between me and my partner, we are on the different side and using different angle to see the projects and yet we are know where to compromise, a good design, with the good technical approach, with the good cost projection and time spend is what people really need. The other part is very, very important, trust, the project always work very well if the both parties, we and our client, trust and respect each other.
Finally, why people should hire you?

I know it's really a temptation to say things that make people wants to hire me, nice words and blazing presentation and good well known name is a major factor to get a project, but at the same time it prone to abuse. There is a quick formula that I know it works very well, but the basic rules of being a consultant, acting as person who cares with the clients and the project always build a strong relationship and long lasting products, the project that matters, the design that matters. But at the same time, we are proud of our capability, desainrenanda just at it infancy, but we already invited and compared to big boys, that because we are a lots of potential and commitment.