Problem solved to create a comfort zone<\/p>\n
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Call it the day-after blues: The initial excitement of securing a
\npiece of land of their own can quickly be overshadowed by a
\nfeeling of disheartenment for some prospective home owners.<\/p>\n
It was the situation faced by a couple who bought a plot in
\nRagunan, South Jakarta, who feared that various unforeseen
\nproblems might thwart their dream of creating a comfortable,
\nhealthy house.<\/p>\n
Problem number one was the owners' ignorance of the
\ngovernment's regulation on setback lines, regulating the
\npermitted distance between a house and the street.<\/p>\n
It meant a significant decrease in the original building site.
\nThe property's 15 x 30 meters (450 square meters) only had an
\neffective building site of around 4.5 x 22 meters (99 square
\nmeters) under the regulation.<\/p>\n
Another problem was that part of the property had been used as
\na dump by local residents.<\/p>\n
The owners hired architect Adi Purnomo to help them accomplish
\ntheir plan to build their home by overcoming the difficulties and
\nnot creating any additional ones in the process.<\/p>\n
"My plan was to design a realistic home without sacrificing
\nthe house owners' needs amid the unfavorable conditions," Adi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The result is a comfortable two-story house that perfectly
\nblends in with its surroundings. The narrow, rectangular house is
\nan architectural bridge between the plush residences at one end
\nof the main street and simple, kampong-style dwellings at the
\nother.<\/p>\n
There are three bedrooms, including a master bedroom; a
\nmultifunction room that serves as a living room, sitting area or
\nfamily room; dining room; kitchen; study; garage and service
\narea; and servant's bedroom.<\/p>\n
Considering the space limitations, most areas in the house are
\ndesigned to ensure flexibility in accommodating other functions.<\/p>\n
"Even the garage can also serve as a play area during the day
\nand the garden can transform into a playground for children in
\nthe neighborhood," Adi said.<\/p>\n
The front gate leads to the garage, and on the right is the
\nentrance door to the multifunction room where the owners can
\nreceive their guests.<\/p>\n
"The service area is designed for the first floor, and the
\nsecond floor is for the owners to maintain their privacy," Adi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In order to create a spacious impression, the architect used
\nlarge windows and glass doors along the front side of the house
\nto provide clear views to the garden.<\/p>\n
The large windows allow for natural sunlight and are opened
\nfor good ventilation. For optimal use of the building site, Adi
\ndesigned cantilevered balconies on the second floor.<\/p>\n
Main materials used to build the house include glass, parquet
\nto line the first floor, timber for the railings and staircase,
\ntiles for the second story and metal for the roof.<\/p>\n
"There is a gap between the metal roof and the house wall from
\nwhich fresh air penetrates and heat escapes from inside the
\nhouse," Adi explained.<\/p>\n
The front garden is planted with tropical plants, like bamboo
\nand philodendron, but Adi said the owners also planned to grow
\nother plants like mango and banana trees.<\/p>\n
"I encouraged them to create a small yet lush bamboo forest,
\nwhich will help screen the house from passersby on the street and
\nprovide a little greenery for the interior."<\/p>\n
The house owners also decided to set aside a piece of their
\nland as a temporary disposal site to help solve the neighborhood
\ngarbage problem. The dump, Adi explained, was relocated away from
\nthe house living space to a corner near the street.<\/p>\n
"A properly planned landscape arrangement, like planting tall
\ntrees along the fence, spares the house owners from the
\nunfavorable sight of the dumping area," he said.<\/p>\n
Fragrant plants have been planted around the dump, and it is
\ndoused with water at garbage removal time.<\/p>\n
"But (managing) this site requires local responsibility and
\nparticipation to keep the dump neat and unoffensive. This way it
\nwon't pollute the air or be an eye-sore."<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/problem-solved-to-create-a-comfort-zone-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}