NEW YORK, NY–Urbahn Architects, a prominent, full-service planning and design firm based in New York City, has launched Urbahn International, a new affiliate to focus on multi-family, public, commercial and institutional work globally. Urbahn International will operate in both New York City and Jakarta, Indonesia. The Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, Zulkifli Hasan, announced the formation of Urbahn International at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York during a business forum focused on real estate development opportunities in Nusantara, Indonesia’s planned new capital city.
“We welcome Urbahn International to the family of major global companies joining the government of Indonesia in developing the new capital city of Nusantara. The initial public investment of $35 billion, devoted to building Nusantara’s infrastructure, has resulted in numerous real estate organizations from the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia committing to developing commercial office buildings, housing, hotels, retail, R&D and other projects within this 633,000-acre (2,561 square kilometer) sustainable urban project,” shared Hasan.
“Following its design work in the U.S., Africa and India, Urbahn International will take advantage of the growing commercial real estate and public construction markets throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. In particular, our Asian team will focus on projects in Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital city,” said Urbahn’s Managing Principal Donald E. Henry, Jr., AIA, LEED, CPHC.
Urbahn International’s regional office will be located at l. Bangka Raya No. 5H, RT.13/RW.11Bangka, Kec. Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta City, 12720, Indonesia.
Pratt Institute-educated architect Rafi Haikal will serve as Urbahn’s Director of ASEAN Region Business Development. According to Haikal, “Urbahn International has already won two projects in the region, both at Sanur KEK in Bali, a 106-acre beachfront health and wellness tourism complex. These include accessibility consulting for the restoration and upgrade of the Grand Inna Bali Beach Hotel, originally designed by Indonesia’s first president and architect Sukarno, and the design of 70 villas for convalescing patients and their families.”
According to Haikal, “Urbahn’s expertise in the planning and design of sophisticated residential and other facilities, healthcare projects, transportation infrastructure and hospitality developments align very well with the rapid, government-driven urban development taking place in the region. This expertise is further reinforced by our firm’s experience in sustainable and accessible design practices.”
In addition to its vast U.S. portfolio, Urbahn has worked as a planner and architect delivering residential, hospitality, commercial and public projects around the globe. These include the Paradise Crossing Lifestyle Community and Recreation Center in Jamaica; Usha Martin University Master Plan in Ranchi, India; Four Points by Sheraton Piarco International Airport Hotel in Trinidad; and Georgetown Marriott Resort Hotel and Gaming Center in Georgetown and the 140-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Timehri, both in Guyana.
Nusantara: Located between North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara regions in East Kalimantan, on the Indonesian part of Borneo island, Nusantara will serve as Indonesia’s new capital. It is envisioned as a highly sustainable urban project, with all residents living within a 10-minute walk of green recreational spaces, robust public transportation, and 60% of the city’s land remaining either forested or green. Nusantara will feature financial and business, government, innovation and research, education, tourism and leisure, residential, shopping and mixed-use, and renewable energy districts. Indonesia offers significant tax incentives for firms involved in setting up the new city’s infrastructure and public services. To date, in addition to Urbahn International, several major U.S. firms have already expressed interest in investing in a variety of public and commercial projects, including Silverstein Properties.
ASEAN: Headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, ASEAN is a bloc of 10 states in Southeast Asia, with a combined population of over 600 million people and a GDP of around $10.2 trillion. Established in 1967, the organization aims to promote economic growth, regional peace and stability, and cultural collaboration. Its members include Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
Urbahn Architects: Since its founding in 1945, Urbahn has designed projects for organizations and institutions that operate in the commercial real estate, public and governmental services, transportation, residential, healthcare, education, justice, science, hospitality, multi-family residential, and infrastructure sectors. The firm served as the architect for some of the nation’s most iconic structures, including the Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL, and the Fermi National Accelerator Lab in Batavia, IL. The total value of Urbahn’s current domestic and international projects exceeds $1 billion.
Building Design & Construction magazine ranks Urbahn as the 83rd largest architecture and planning firm overall, 36th largest government building designer, 21st largest designer of justice facilities, 48th largest hospitality designer, 99th largest designer of healthcare projects, and 104th largest university architect in the United States. Engineering News-Record New York magazine recognized the firm as the 2019 Design Firm of the Year.
Five principals lead the firm: Donald E. Henry, Jr., AIA, LEED AP; Natale V. Barranco, AIA, LEED AP; Martin D. Stein, AIA, LEED AP; Rafael Stein, AIA; and Ranabir Sengupta, AIA, LEED AP.
Urbahn’s portfolio includes the $70 million Tides North multi-family residential development in Arverne, NY; New York City Hall Mayoral Offices and Emergency Situation Center and Public Health Lab Redevelopment Master Plans in Manhattan; Centro Medico Correccional in Bayamon, Puerto Rico; Jersey City Municipal Services Complex, Jersey City, NJ; the New York City Transit subway station flood mitigation resiliency program; renovations of multiple MTA subway stations in New York City; numerous projects for the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit; SUNY New Paltz Engineering Innovation Hub in New Paltz, NY; Lehman College School of Nursing in the Bronx, NY; Columbia University Baker Field Facilities Master Plan in New York, NY; renovations and accessibility upgrades of multiple MTA subway stations in New York City; numerous projects for the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit; Newark City Subway Improvements in Newark, NJ; and rehabilitation of six train stations on the IRT White Plains Road transit line in the Bronx, NY.