Cowbright: Building in Bandung

dirt pile below for making concrete

Like most cities in Indonesia with a highly concentrated Muslim population, Bandung is growing rapidly. It's a common sight to see the construction of new buildings. We can't help noticing the differences in the building materials and methods used here vs what we're used to seeing at home. I've snapped a few photos as we've been out and about to try to give you some idea of what building construction in Indonesia looks like.

Often we'll see a building being built where something else once stood. Space is tight, so if something gets too old or dilapidated, something else goes up in its place.

Not knowing the first thing about construction, I really can’t comment intelligently on the topic so I will just share some simple observations. First of all, it’s common to see piles of black (volcanic) dirt lying around. This dirt is filtered through a framed mesh screen to remove the largest particles. Then it is mixed to make concrete, one wheel barrow at a time. No big cement trucks here.

large building going up

As you can see, construction materials just have a more primitive look. Scaffolding is made from bamboo because it is strong, light weight and flexible. Lumber yards here are giant piles of bamboo. While the conveniences of modern building techniques may be lacking, there is certainly no shortage of man power. It's amazing that they build what they do with what they have. Things do get built. Sadly, they do not get maintained.


another construction site launched

One has to wonder if any safety standards exist. There is a noticeable absence of heavy building equipment. Instead, one man sits crushing rock to use in making concrete. Another man squats on the ground shaping rocks with a hand tool. Construction here primarily consists of men doing manual labor.