Maria Chrismastyani Pratiwi – mariachris.wangsa@gmail.

com

Saturday, 12 November 2022

Dear OMAH Library,

Hello, my name is Maria Chrismastyani Pratiwi. I am an Architecture graduate from the Faculty of
Engineering. Diponegoro University, Indonesia.
I am passionate about urbanism, architecture, and urban design. My interests are philosophy,
sociology, behavioural study, architectural conservation-preservation, history, and criticism. You have
various projects requiring a broad way of thinking since architecture is such a complex field that you should
know and recognise about surroundings, logic, and even deep thinking about the users. This is precisely
what I like in this field.
Currently, I am thinking about my future in architecture. Should I run away? Or stay? Or learn it
for fun while waiting for the time to come while looking up to the sky; think about life philosophy which
makes me believe that architecture is the same as learning human life.
Yes, the reality made me think it was better for me to run away from this field. Sadly, my family
want me to earn a master's degree in a few years or even soon. Hence I still need more experience in this
field, even though it may start from zero, because I realised that I need to improve in architecture and its
branch. It is tough to be here. However, my former offices made me realise that I must go back to
architecture: to mix all my knowledge from my side interests and expertise.
Let us talk about my interest and understanding, even my reason for still being in
architecture today, even though it will be a long journey and story.
How I handled many typologies from my former offices and university made me think, what is
architecture? Should I stay? Specifically, because architecture is a complicated field, I feel challenged daily
to learn many things, including applying all life lessons to design works that can be good for humans,
especially users. And ultimately, all of my former offices taught me not to run away from this field and
reality because I could learn what life is and, at the same time, what architecture is.
Why is it also about life and philosophy? My very first office, MSSM Associates, taught me about
street photography and different design approach, which made me realise human behaviour and psychology
profoundly and deeply, which is all about how architects must learn about bottom-top first, strolling around,
researching and learning from everything around us; then, you can learn more about someone, even your
clients, better than you know. You should know about everyone’s behaviour to understand what you want
to do in architecture—also, human to human(s). Think first, write about what you want to do, then apply it
to your design which hypnotised me. You should know how your design affects its surroundings, every
class around you, and even the users themselves. Even De Certeau said, “It’s hard to be down when you’re
up” because everyone around us is more into God-like views and forgets about human-eye ideas even
though they are human, not God. We should respect everyone around us to design something good and to
get high respect from this universe. Which means it is about Life Philosophy.
That is why I am still here, hoping to use all of my knowledge, although it is not that deep because
I am still on my journey insofar.
 Suppose you are asking my specific reason why I am trying to join this voluntary respectively. In
that case, my only motivation is to learn more about architecture while diving into the practical part of the
architecture. Looks shallow and grandiose, but here is the only one.
I read some of OMAH Library’s books. My first was Filsafat Arsitektur Untuk Mahasiwa which
made me realise how architecture relates to human life more profoundly and even made me go deeper into
philosophy to apply in my designs, some of which can be found in the portfolio
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Ib12juDm9lSuNUM4tKIhkpMoH0llOZT/view?usp=share_link. I was
nothing in learning human behaviour, theory, and life philosophy, but this book was everything to me back
then. I am aware that the cultural literacy of architecture among students is very low, especially regarding
theory, so they do not explore what is, in theory, to be applied. Practice without theory is empty. Theory
without practice is also hollow. Specifically, about my life philosophy and essential matters, in architecture,
which can relate to my statement and my growing motivation in architecture.
From OMAH books, I was inspired to read more architecture books and learn more about life
matters because it correlates to everything in architecture. These things may not occur to anyone who dives
into architecture, but, one by one, they begin to realise. Of course, learning is never too late because life is
all about learning and doing.
I also learned from other OMAH books, and one of the most meaningful that helped me with my
Final Project is Titik Awal. Something is interesting, one of my great friends was an OMAH librarian. He
was the one who inspired me a lot to be here and stay focus on my dreams, although it is hard to be down
here, looking up even though I am nothing and nobody for now.

I realised that without OMAH, I would not be what I am now in architecture, especially in
practising architecture while working or continuing my studies and achieving my goals.

Here is my work experience:

I was a Student Intern at MSSM Associates from 2018-2019, a Junior Architect at rafaelmiranti
architects in 2020, a Junior Architectural and Interior Designer at TSDS Interior Architects in 2021, and a
Junior Architect at ma-ru from 2021–2022. My projects in TSDS Interior Architects were N Res, Kafe
Bawah Pohon, Euro City Bekasi, and Singapore Apartment (interior). In ma-ru, I handled Ministry Building
in IKN Nusantara, Bekasi Mall Interior, Pejaten Sports Club, Kebun Raya Bedugul, AS Resort, IKN
Competition — Judicial Office Building, Rest Area Toll Cikampek — Jakarta KM 19.5B, and MT House.
If you are curious about my achievements, you can check my CV and LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariachrismastyani/. I also put some of my projects, mostly about
architecture, on my Behance and attached portfolio if you want to know more about the RnD behind the
design executions and my roles in every project. Besides, I can be reached anytime by phone number or
email for everyone who reads this letter.

Thank you for reviewing this letter.

Sincerely,

Maria Chrismastyani Pratiwi