Hubithat: From Hometown Roots to a Rooftop Revolution

By: Meilun Yu

October 27, 2025

Arifin’s earliest memory of home looked like the tranquility of Indonesia’s countryside, which eventually transformed to the concrete jungles of Jakarta as he grew into a young man. From this fond memory came his love of architecture, an evolution that began with simple building sketches, and ultimately became an idea to transform the future of green space: Hubithat.

Hubithat is transforming unused rooftops into vibrant green spaces with unique capsule hotels, offering sustainable urban escapes and breathtaking city views.  Each site integrates capsule style eco cabins with beautiful communal areas, solar energy systems, and rainwater harvesting technologies, creating a model for low-impact living.  Beyond hospitality, Hubithat collaborates with property owners, architects, and local governments to retrofit rooftops, turning once unused spaces into active, revenue-generating assets that contribute to urban sustainability. 

The defining moment came in 2017, during a flight from Jakarta to Singapore. “Looking down, I saw a sea of flat, empty rooftops. That’s when it hit me: these are the most valuable underutilized lands in any modern city. I saw potential for life and community where others saw emptiness.” stated Arifin. Unlike traditional firms, Hubithat was imagined as an urban transformation operator. Arifin explains that what sets the company apart is the fact that Hubithat activates existing rooftops instead of building from scratch. It’s faster, cleaner, and significantly reduces waste. Every site is within five minutes of public transit, redefining mobility and reducing dependence on cars. 

Currently, Hubithat is in its proof-of-concept stage, finalizing architectural and technical designs while forming partnerships for its first pilot project. “Once this pilot succeeds, growth will be exponential,” says Arifin. “Every major city has thousands of flat rooftops waiting to be transformed. Our vision is to become the operator of the world’s greenest compact accommodation network—reshaping skylines and redefining urban living worldwide.”

However, like with most entrepreneurial ventures, the path to innovation is rarely straightforward. “Two main challenges define our journey so far: regulation and market education,” Arifin shares. “Building codes weren’t designed for life on the roof. We’ve tackled this by collaborating with legal and structural engineering experts to ensure that our proposals are not only safe but actually enhance the value of the properties.” As for changing perceptions, he points out that the idea of ‘living on a rooftop’ does sound radical. However, he plans to address this with strong visualization and data, proving that their cabins are safe, and perfectly aligned with modern, sustainable lifestyles. 

For aspiring sustainable architects and entrepreneurs that were once in his shoes, Arifin offers advice grounded in experience and optimism: “Don’t start with the solution, start with the problem. Design for human challenges like pollution, congestion, and isolation. Every big idea takes time to bloom.” This advice is built upon the story of Arifin’s vision, where he took overlooked spaces and transformed them into a Rooftop Revolution, making people realize that the roof is the new frontier of sustainable property development.