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The competition, organized by Midea Building Technologies (MBT), brought together university teams from around the world. This prestigious event challenged students to design efficient and sustainable Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems.

The MazCool team consists of Frenaldi Sam Faidiban (Mechanical Engineering 2022) as the team leader, along with Juan Aaron Norata, Gravin Hotasi Zakharia (Mechanical Engineering 2022), Ahnaf Irbah Hidayat, and Muhammad Mirza Adhiyarahman (Engineering Physics 2022). Under the supervision of Dr. Rahmat Romadhon, S.T., M.T., the team successfully outperformed more than 20 other teams from various universities.

The competition ran from April to September 2025, with the final round and winner announcement held on September 2, 2025, followed by an awarding ceremony at Grand Whiz Hotel, South Jakarta, on September 30, 2025.

In this year’s competition, participants were tasked with designing an HVAC system for the 10-story Platinum Hotel Jakarta under the theme “Ensoul Building: Building is the Carrier of Life and Life is the Soul of Building.” The challenge covered active design components, including cooling load analysis, air conditioning unit selection, as well as the layout design of ducting and piping systems; while the passive design components involved the Building Management System (BMS), Water Management System, Biophilic Architecture, and Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (PDRC).

“As Mechanical Engineering students, learning about HVAC is crucial, but we never had the chance to apply it directly before. This competition became a great opportunity to learn and prove ourselves,” said Sam.

One of MazCool’s main innovations was the application of Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (PDRC) technology on the hotel’s 2,200-square-meter rooftop. This technology utilizes a nano-photonic coating layer that reflects sunlight and radiates heat directly into the atmosphere without requiring additional electricity.

Based on ANSYS Fluent simulations, this technology successfully reduced the cooling load by more than 60 kW, equivalent to a passive cooling capacity of 193 kW. The team also developed a Building Management System (BMS) featuring real-time energy monitoring, smart water and waste management, predictive maintenance, and security and elevator monitoring systems. “We wanted to show that the future of HVAC design is not only about thermal comfort but also about efficiency and smart integration,” explained Juan.

From an architectural perspective, MazCool incorporated Biophilic Architecture by adding vertical gardens and climbing plants to the hotel’s balconies, creating a natural ambiance while lowering the surrounding temperature.

“This biophilic concept made our design not only energy-efficient but also enhanced occupant comfort and well-being,” said Sam. Additionally, their water management system reused air conditioning condensate and rainwater for domestic hotel needs, further improving water-use efficiency.

The journey to victory was not easy. The team members had to balance competition preparation with internships and fieldwork. “The biggest challenge was time management. Many teams dropped out midway because they couldn’t manage their time, but we stayed disciplined and supported each other,” shared Sam. Ahnaf added that they also had to quickly adapt to new software and troubleshoot numerous design errors throughout the process.

Despite coming from different study programs, interdisciplinary collaboration became MazCool’s key strength. “It was really fun to collaborate with friends from Mechanical Engineering, we exchanged perspectives and learned a lot from each other,” said Ahnaf.

Gravin added that this victory serves as motivation to continue ITB students’ legacy in this competition. “Some of our seniors also won in previous years, so we wanted to carry that spirit forward,” he remarked.

Through this competition, the MazCool members not only honed their technical skills but also developed their abilities in communication, leadership, and project management. “I learned a lot about Building Information Modeling (BIM) and how crucial coordination is in a team.

Beyond the technical side, managing time and progress was equally valuable,” explained Sam. Finally, Mirza shared a message for other students: “At first, we didn’t understand HVAC at all, but with strong motivation and curiosity, we made it here. So, don’t be afraid to explore fields outside your main expertise,” he said.

MazCool’s international victory stands as tangible proof of ITB students’ innovation, collaboration, and global competitiveness. Through a design that integrates energy efficiency, sustainability, and smart technology, MazCool demonstrates that Indonesia’s young engineers are ready to bring forward-thinking technical solutions for a greener and smarter future.

Reporter and Translator: Dina Avanza Mardiana (Microbiology, 2022)