Pa Yaung The Water-Purifying Umbrella with Self-Produced Filter
2022 | Jakarta, Indonesia
Academic | Individual | KADK
Flooding, Water Purification
During a one-month field study in an informal settlement, I witnessed how the absence of public infrastructure and emergency systems left residents in a state of constant vulnerability.
From this context emerged Payaung — a hybrid object that functions both as an everyday umbrella and as a rainwater-harvesting device during floods.
Its canopy is crafted with traditional Batik dyeing techniques, depicting the annual rise of Jakarta’s sea level. When hung beneath a roof during heavy rain, the umbrella collects and purifies water through filters made from coconut fibers and activated charcoal, followed by UV sterilization, providing clean and drinkable water in times of crisis.
Process & CollaborationThe project was developed collaboratively with local residents and craftspeople, combining vernacular skills with low-tech innovation.
All materials were sourced from resources easily accessible in the neighborhood, ensuring both sustainability and replicability.
Through a series of community workshops, the making process became a platform for dialogue and empowerment — residents not only learned about water filtration and environmental adaptation but also reconnected with a sense of agency in facing climate uncertainty.
The umbrella thus became a collective gesture — a poetic tool that redefines resilience through shared labor and mutual care.
ReflectionPayaung transforms design from an act of production into a form of social imagination.
It is a tool, a ritual, and a reminder that adaptation is not mere survival, but a practice of co-existence and re-creation.
“When the rain falls,
what it gathers beneath the eaves
is not only water,
but the courage to rebuild a world together.”
Index|Architecture|Photography|Installation