Nature's way far enough from the madding crowd<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
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\nSTANDFIRST: Living in the crowded capital amid spiraling concrete
\nedifices makes all of us yearn to return to the leafy embrace of
\nnature. The design of this home in an exclusive North Jakarta
\nhousing complex shows that such a wish can come true.
\n=============================================================<\/p>\n
A home as well as a sanctuary are the two qualities of this
\ntropical house.<\/p>\n
In contrast to the ostentatious mansions surrounding it, the
\nhouse has eye-pleasing, soul-revitalizing features within the
\ndown-to-earth facade. Apart from a small front garden, a terrace
\nand an entrance door at the front, a sizable part of the area is
\nallocated for a two-car garage.<\/p>\n
But the main feature of the house is not in the front space
\nbut hidden right behind the front door.<\/p>\n
Standing on 500 square meters of a fan-shaped plot of land
\nnear the sea, the house's front door opens up to a courtyard, the
\ncenter of the home. The soothing feature gives the owners, a
\nyoung couple with children, extraordinary luxury of living in a
\nnatural oasis.<\/p>\n
The house only covers around 50 percent of the land, with the
\nrest set aside for the courtyard and the rear garden -- an
\narrangement that takes into account the existing but often
\noverlooked regulation allocating desired land and building
\ncomposition.<\/p>\n
The design is in harmony with the owner's wish to return each
\nday to a home close to nature in a cozy, resort-like home.<\/p>\n
Large windows provide views into the courtyard and the garden
\nfrom the terrace. The owners can also enjoy the morning light and
\nthe fresh sea breeze from a deck on the second story.<\/p>\n
\"(In my opinion), it is advisable that houses in tropical
\ncountries like Indonesia are designed with gardens and terraces
\nto allow the owners to enjoy the space to the fullest,\" said the
\narchitect, Sonny Sutanto.<\/p>\n
\"But the most important thing is that the house (design)
\nshould be suitable with the climate.\"<\/p>\n
Since the owners' everyday activities center around the
\ncourtyard, there is access to it from every part of the house.
\nThe flow is arranged to actively connect one room with another
\nfrom both the interior and exterior.<\/p>\n
A conscious decision was made so that no single room\/feature
\nis \"inactive\", as in the case of many, difficult-to-access upper
\nterraces.<\/p>\n
The interior was furnished mostly with specially designed
\nitems like modern furniture and elegant door handles.<\/p>\n
Sonny also designed the interior with a double-height ceiling,
\nwhich together with the huge windows help give a sense of space
\nthrough the views to the outside. The design allows those in the
\nfront part of the house to see straight to the rear garden, and
\nthe courtyard can be viewed from every part of the house.<\/p>\n
\"The clients said the house works for them because their
\nchildren can play freely around the house and still be easily
\nmonitored,\" the architect said.<\/p>\n
The upper story can be accessed either through the external or
\nthe interior staircases. The aim of having two entry points was
\nto provide a playful design, as well as allowing the owners to
\nbetter enjoy the space outside.<\/p>\n
For the architect, every project is unique but he always
\nleaves his signature on each design. In this home, it is in the
\nform of his signature railing and fence.<\/p>\n
Sonny also designed curvy shapes for various details in parts
\nof the house. The shape was chosen to depict the sail of a ship
\nbecause sailing is the owner's favorite activity.<\/p>\n
\"The curves of the sail fits nicely with the house's overall
\ndesign and location,\" he said.<\/p>\n
For the external wall, the architect used batu susun sirih
\n(stone arranged in a pile), which was popular in the late 1950s,
\nand for the courtyard floor, he used batu motif acak (limestone
\nflooring with irregular patterns) from Yogyakarta. Both elements
\ngive off an attractive textured effect.<\/p>\n
To foster a tranquil atmosphere in the evening, lighting was
\narranged to illuminate the courtyard as the center point, and
\nhighlight frangipanis as the main decorative elements in the
\nlandscape. In the interior, the architect used mainly indirect
\nlight and a spotlight on certain tables.<\/p>\n
Since the house is exposed to strong sea winds, flat and
\nsynthetic roofing was chosen to protect the house from damp.<\/p>\n
\"We did not use a traditional roof because it allows moisture
\nladen wind to penetrate inside, which in turn causes damp-related
\ndamage,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other materials for the home were also carefully chosen
\nbecause the humid coastal area is conducive to corrosion. The
\narchitect used bangkirai timber for the exterior, with the
\nsurrounding iron fence given an anticorrosive coating.<\/p>",
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