Interviews med Darren Pirono

I studied and received my Architecture and Environmental Degree at the University of California Berkeley in 2019 and then pursued and received my Master of Construction Management degree from the University of Southern California Los Angeles in 2021.

I chose to become a designer as I believe it is my calling, and through this, I could help make positive changes for my clients, resolve their needs and struggles, and create harmonious surroundings through the spatial quality that I made

I did choose to become a designer myself.

I designed various architectural and interior spaces for residential, office, commercial, hospitality, and industrial buildings. I want to venture more into commercial and mixed-use buildings as they cater to and significantly impact society and the surrounding neighborhood.

I would suggest that they first find their purpose for design and start walking the process with God. They should enjoy and work wholeheartedly in every stage of the design life, starting from school and ending in the professional phase, as all of the phases are blessings in this life.

I would say that as long as we care for other people and try to tackle all aspects of design problems given on a project in addition to just merely beautiful aesthetic design and focus on the importance of other people than of our own, we are more than a good or a great designer.

A really good design is much more than just a good-looking building. It needs to have a positive impact on the user and the surroundings.

A good design tackles the needs of the user and surroundings, as well as the current and future problems that might arise from it aside from just a good-looking building. It will save lots of costs and avoid unnecessary nuisances that could arise later on.

If I had time, I would design a public and social space to create a better place for them to do their activity through design, such as schools, co-working spaces, churches, gathering areas, kindergartens, and mixed-use buildings.

My dream project is to plan a city with a supertall skyscraper, which has motivated me to design since I was little.

It is to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first, and all of these shall be added to you.

I do have broad designers to get inspired from and to study as precedents as they have their characteristics towards a design challenge, such as Kengo Kuma, Keiji Ashizawa, Fran Silvestre, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Woods Baggott, and many more.

Many designs have been my favorite, but most are Japanese designs, one of which is One Central Park Apartment, designed by Hiroshi Sugimoto. It's a tranquil Japanese-inspired space. The space is clean and straightforward, with just enough furniture or artwork to splash the spaces without making them plain or chaotic. The space has a poetic design and connects one place to another, like a storybook. Its precision and details is an excellent example of Japanese craftsmanship, and a great mutualism between the designers, clients, and the contractors.

The design that echoes the character and the needs of the client.

Design is to provide others with a solution by composing spaces with things that are accessible from our surroundings.

The obstacle is myself. But I decided to have faith in what He had promised me, that He is faithful enough to carry me into becoming a design master.

There are no guidelines on how designers should present their works, as their presentation is also part of the design. Designers will present however they like as long as it does not disturb the audience, creating a peaceful and harmonious environment for expression.

Many more exciting projects are currently and will be worked on. Notably, there are some residential and Hospitality projects. Stay tuned to Upper Room Collaborative Studio's Instagram page for future updates: @upperroom_studio

To give Glory to God through what I have designed.

Any projects that all parties are satisfied with.

It varies. Because each project has different needs, challenges, sizes, and uniqueness. Transparency in communication with all parties is critical to maintaining a good project delivery schedule.

I would start by praying and then meeting with the clients, gathering as much information as possible about the projects, both technical aspects and their life aspects, as this information will shape and create each project's uniqueness.

In everything you do, do it as if it is for God!

It is both ways, and it is a continuous cycle.

Technology helps a lot to visualize and shorten the design process, as well as helping to detect any problems that could be resolved before it get built.

We use PCs that support SketchUp, Cad Software, Lumion, and Adobe Software to accommodate our design process needs.

Think of a human as just a skeleton. It is a design without color, material, and ambient in design.

I believe in Co-design. In fact, I started my architecture company with a partner. It is a good way for us to give feedback to each other and understand our different backgrounds and approaches to design. In addition, even if we don't have a design partner, the way we interact with clients, vendors, and contractors is already a form of Co-design. Ideal design partners should have the same value and vision for a project.

All the people with whom I interacted influenced my design. Their stories or how they interacted gave me a different perspective and mindset on catering to them for my next or current design.

Those large, expensive, well-composed books of famous architecture and interior designers.

Patience. Practice. Observing. Learning.

Everywhere and every time.

Color: I like Blue, Black, and Wooden colors.

Place: Home

Food: Anything Noodles or Fried Chicken

Season: Fall and Spring

Things: Electronics, furniture, and Clothing

Brand: Anything Nice

No. I was thinking of design as my hobby. I like to draw and build my imaginary city with skyscrapers, taking inspiration from when traveling here and there. In fact, I wanted to become a pilot, but God has brought me into this field.

I studied and received my Architecture and Environmental Degree at the University of California Berkeley in 2019 and then pursued and received my Master of Construction Management degree from the University of Southern California Los Angeles in 2021. I chose to become a designer myself. I decided to become a designer because I believe it is my calling. Through the spatial quality I created, I could help make positive changes for my clients, resolve their needs and struggles, and create harmonious surroundings.

Established in 2020, upper room collaborative studio provides architecture and interior design service, where they focuses on residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. Our studio focuses on contemporary style simplicity with timeless and coherent design characteristics, where the design acts as a canvas that allows a custom environment for our occupants to express their life on their dwelling fabrics. We combine natural elements, cultural incorporation, materials, collaborations with occupants, and our partner's values and vision to create a built narrative through iterations of research and developments.

Design is to provide others with a solution by composing spaces with things that are accessible from our surroundings.

Anything Architectural and Interior designs, also a product that aids them.

Many designs have been my favorite, but most are Japanese; one is One Central Park Apartment, designed by Hiroshi Sugimoto. It's a tranquil Japanese-inspired space. The space is clean and straightforward, with just enough furniture or artwork to splash the spaces without making them plain or chaotic. The space has a poetic design and connects one place to another, like a storybook. Its precision and details are an excellent example of Japanese craftsmanship and a great mutualism between the designers, clients, and contractors.

I designed a small 3-bedroom apartment suite in Northern Jakarta.

I like to play between Wood, Glass, Metal, and anything kinetic.

I feel most creative, mainly during my relaxation time before sleep or leisure. I then make a quick sketch whenever the opportunity arises and use it for design ideas during office hours.

In architecture and interior design, we must go through and solve all design aspects during the process, as they are all interconnected and affect each other.

I don't know the exact word, but it is a mixed feeling of thrilled, excited, nervous, and a bit of adrenaline rush.

Of course, I would feel delighted and relieved. I then translated that into Thanksgiving.

When the design focuses more on tackling all aspects of the design problems, all parties are satisfied with and make an impact on the society, environment, and places it is built. The most important is when the design is less about you than others.

As designers, we should create, educate, and maintain our designs so that they do not harm society and the environment in which they are placed.

My designs are heavily influenced by simple geometry and Japanese craftsmanship. The design should act as a canvas to accommodate the client's needs; It should not have overpowered them. When beginning a design, a detailed interview with a client is essential as it will shape the final design product.

I live in Jakarta, Indonesia. The cultural heritage heavily affects my design process; aside from traditional culture, the world culture brought here also plays a big role. The pros are the chance is significant as it is a growing metropolis. The cons are that design services are still undervalued.

I started with prayer and self-bible study and began working out on some days. I went to the office, followed up on work, discussed internal meetings, and then periodically attended client meetings and site visits on a project. I went home, had some time with my family, refreshed for a while, and ended my day with a short Thanksgiving prayer before going to sleep.

I would suggest they find their design purpose and start walking the process with God. They should enjoy and work wholeheartedly in every stage of the design life, starting from school and ending in the professional phase, as all of the phases are blessings in this life.

In everything you design, do it as if it is for God!

Any management, especially time management, and communication with all parties involved.

To accommodate the design process's needs, I use PCs that support SketchUp, Cad Software, Lumion, and Adobe Software, as well as large, expensive, well-composed books by famous architecture and interior designers.

Schedule and Time Management are essential. Be disciplined and set a designated time when it is time to rest—you have to sleep—and when it is time to design, start to design.

It varies. Because each project has different needs, challenges, sizes, and uniqueness. Transparency in communication with all parties is critical to maintaining a good project delivery schedule.

The most critical Job Experience is actually outside the Job Experience. It is when you learn from people by interacting or observing how people work and behave. This adds a lot of unteachable experiences.

My Clients vary, ranging from Private Clients to Property Developers.

I work as a team. I started my architectural and Interior design company with my business partner and have single but talented designers. We must work on a design together, as we can conduct a peer review and give different perspectives and feedback to enhance the project. Working with Clients, Vendors, and Contractors is also a form of teamwork.

Reach me through my Company's Instagram account: Upper Room Collaborative Studio @upperroom_studio.

When we first entered the apartment units, we and the clients were stunned by the view of almost 180-degree sea view; virtually all areas of the apartment have this direct natural sea view access that has currently no reclamation development, combined with the apartment's iconic slight blue tint glass, it enhances the image of endless blue sea as if we are in a cruise ship. We decided to use very contrasting materials, such as wood and dark colors, to shift the attention toward the sea view. However, we juxtapose the interior by adding touches of blue and beige color for the accessories, decorations, and loos furniture to pull a bit of sea essence towards the interior.

The inspiration is back to essential proportion and geometry ratios. As we could not alter the ceiling height, we divided the spaces into a couple of sections using partitions and into a couple of intimate areas. Thus, it will create the illusion of the space not being too cramped as it becomes proportional in ceiling height to room area ratios. In addition, this is where the directive approach plays a part, as we want to avoid dividing the spaces using straight-up solid walls. Instead, we assess each area and determine whether the partition material is solid, transparent, or translucent, also giving the sense of continuity and curiosity and hide-reveal as a person navigates from one space to another.

As mentioned, where almost 180 degrees of the unit faces a clear ocean, it is constantly affected by the sea breeze, which causes the salt content to be very high and damp. It is essential to look at each material and construction method to avoid corrosion on the units as they are inhibited, and a child's child is on them. For each fixed piece of furniture, we ensure it is constructed with 100% anti-termite-coated engineered wood and finished with laminate. We minimize steel construction; the thin black frame and furniture accessories are made of hollow stainless steel, which has been powdered and coated in multiple layers to protect the material even more. In addition, all the "marble" like countertop countertops and backsplashes are replaced with sintered stone slabs imported from Spain, which are durable and can handle high humidity and damp areas. Finally, for the stone wall treatment, we don't use a natural stone skin texture as it is porous and prone to mold; we use a play of thin plasterwork and apply a coating of synthetic granite finish texture paint to mimic natural stone looks and texture, we also fill the gaps with light plaster so that it won't sound hollow when knocked.

The space is inhabited by a young family with children where activity is very flexible; for example, hosting a gathering on the unit, playtime with the children, Parents and Kids sleeping together in the master room, and switching the office space as a temporary playing space. With this, the need for the space to be flexible is imperative. In addition to implementing a high number of loose furniture placed in the area, the lighting conditions need to be adaptable following the change in room configurations. Thus, the magnetic lighting system helps the owner. In a simple plug-and-play system, they could change and alter the lighting placement according to their new room configurations. In addition, the air conditioning diffuser is connected to the magnetic lighting track, making it easier for the owner to shift the diffuser following the new configurations without any significant work on the ceiling.

The most crucial lessons learned are to be humble and understanding toward all parties involved and not push for one's sole agenda. Simply trusting your partner vendor to perform their work is also essential, while keeping regular supervision to make sure it aligns with the design goals.

The property is unique, especially in Jakarta, where a luxury apartment that has an unobstructed view of the sea is rare. We took an opportunity where the apartment was just a home and tried to make it a healing space. As the owner come home from their "city" activities such as school, work, shopping, or simply running errands, they will transition through the foyer area, which is like the rest of the interior, has wood and dark features but has this fluted glass panel that reveals slightly blue tint from the sea view, In this foyer, they will open up their shoes, jacket, and placing all stuff in the cabinet, as they then moved to the main living space, they will be invited to this framed blue sea view that they will enter a state of vacation in a seaside villa or cruise and left behind their "city" errands. The sequential spatial revelation adds up the anticipation of relaxing at home after a long day in the "city."

It started mainly from how the space was wide and open after the primary inter-unit partition was demolished, also how the main living-dining-pantry area was opened up towards the entry, and all of the rooms surrounding it, making the space look like a cage and visually accessible from all areas, even from the service areas for Household helper. We decided to study each area space and try to work on how human behavior works when transitioning from one space to another; what do they see first? What do they expect to see or not to see? Do they feel comfortable relaxing in the living area, directly adjacent to the household helper and the main entrance area, which can always be opened? We then try to break the viewpoint from each room and direct their view with a directive approach method explained before to ensure each transition from one room to the other has its own unique experience, maintaining privacy but keeping openness from its owner and towards the sea view.

We think that the recognition is not being awarded to us just because of its aesthetics; we do acknowledge that many of the design out there has better aesthetics than our design, but it is the "fruit" that has been produced in the background in all aspects of the projects starting from the design process, the permit, the construction process, until the after-service, it helps to shape each design features placed so that the design is not just aesthetically pleasing, but it is fully functional, philosophical, and catered personally towards the client, and of course to elevate the living conditions of the owner. We are blessed and thankful that the A' Design Award Jury could recognize the hard work implemented towards this project.

Effective and transparent communication was essential in collaborating with the client, contractors, engineering team, property management department, and all the vendors involved in this project. By prioritizing clear communication, we could address most of the challenges. Maintaining a humble attitude and continuously educating ourselves helped us brainstorm alternative solutions for those encountering built or technical issues in real-time. Our primary focus was not solely on prioritizing design aesthetics for the project's success—while preserving design integrity is essential—but on effectively confronting and adapting to challenges with design alternatives that could be just as good or even better.

Luxury living in apartment space is not just concerned with aesthetics but is curated towards the site's conditions. Even though it is a typical apartment, considering the climate, dampness, humidity, and salinity level is essential, and it affects the use of materials and functionality in this apartment, especially in the coastal areas. In addition, even though the condo has provided us with a stunning sea view, we could elevate it more by using materials and geometry element placement throughout the apartment to frame the view more. In conclusion, having inclusivity towards the site as well as the needs of the clients is essential. It helps to shape the design aspects, especially in apartment renovations in coastal settings.