© Arti Design Studio / Photography: Mario Wibowo

Coffee cultivation took off in Indonesia during the country’s colonial era in the late 1600s, and this led to the country earning fourth place in the 2021 ranking of the planet’s biggest coffee producers. And while its prized black gold is served on five continents, Indonesians too, especially the archipelago’s savvy young urban demographic, have also seen a modern lifestyle emerge built around coffee consumption. Publichood‘s new café and roastery in Jakarta‘s residential Pasar Minggu neighbourhood is indicative of this trend. The venue is tucked away in densely built area and can only be reached via a secret entrance to a private residence. As such, the location is affected by the urban heat effect which also increases year by year due to global warming. With these specific circumstances in mind, local architecture practice Arti Design Studio has designed an environmentally friendly yet comfortable refuge that’s built using local materials with simple techniques by local hands.

Interestingly, Publichood‘s new outpost is literally based on a two-storey abandoned building whose ground floor now houses a roastery and a meeting space on the upper floor. To meet modern requirements, the ground floor has been redeveloped and sees an airy open space which seamlessly connects to a patio in the backyard where both a gazebo and a lush plants provide shading and lowers the heat. A metal pathway connects the coffee bar to a spacious wooden deck where additional seating can be found in sunken form, in addition to a pool. The venue has also been built with low maintenance in mind—the trees don’t have to be watered, the concrete walls don’t need to be cleaned manually, and all the repurposed timber used doesn’t require replacement for decades. Also, no electricity is needed in the mornings and afternoons as the venue is constructed as such that each room is permeated with both daylight and fresh air. Publichood serves a menu of various coffee concoctions and juices, all paired with hot Indonesian bites and dishes.

Publichood
Warga Indah Complex, Jalan Attahiriyah 12, Shop C8 (Pasar Minggu)
Jakarta 12510

© Arti Design Studio / Photography: Mario Wibowo