Project fuses environment and real estate design<\/p>\n
Joseph Kirschke
\nContributor
\nJimbaran, Bali<\/p>\n
In the mind's eye of most people -- from residents to visitors to
\nthose who harbor flights of fancy -- the word Bali conjures up
\nendless visions of little more than sun-kissed beaches, palm-
\nfringed streets and breezy sidewalk cafes and stores.<\/p>\n
Norman Hoff, an environmental management consultant on the
\nisland, knows better.<\/p>\n
As part of a \"high impact\" video he shot to educate local high
\nschool students about the torrid shape of Bali's neglected
\nenvironment, he turned his lens to several places to illustrate
\nhow waste buildup through human neglect is gravely endangering
\ntheir health, and the quality of life on the idyllic paradise,
\nwhile seriously jeopardizing its future as a tourist draw.<\/p>\n
One of the sights that shocked him the most was the desecrated
\nstate of Denpasar River, host to every type of industrial
\npollutant, a graveyard for dead dogs and, not least, a receptacle
\nof human waste.<\/p>\n
\"The health risks in terms of chronic disease are
\noverwhelming,\" he said. \"It's frightening.\"<\/p>\n
So it was no surprise that, when Hoff was approached by an
\nIndonesian investor and his coterie of clients who had organized
\nto erect Temple Hill, an environmentally friendly real estate
\ndevelopment in Jimbaran and the first of its kind on the island,
\nhe jumped at the opportunity.<\/p>\n
The idea, according to the principal investor, Dian Wirjawan,
\nis not to only make money, but rather to set a higher standard
\nfor the real estate market in Bali, which caters to people from
\nall over the country and all across the world.<\/p>\n
\"It's a beautiful piece of land that has been undeveloped for
\nages as you can see,\" said Dian, gesturing out across the beach
\nof Jimbaran Bay, one of the most beautiful on the island, which
\nspreads out into a half-moon shape in front of where the homes
\nwill be built.<\/p>\n
But more importantly, he added, \"we can do business while
\nsaving the environment -- and make this a test case and see if
\nthere's a market for this and to minimize the use of all things
\nartificial, toxic and environmentally damaging\".<\/p>\n
Project developer Nils Wetterlind said that altogether the
\ncomplex will consist of 19 villas ranging in size from 216 to 335
\nsquare metres facing a bay which is protected by a reef and will
\nlocated in one of the most exclusive areas on the island, in the
\nvicinity of hotels like the Four Seasons, the Inter Continental
\nand the Ritz Carlton.<\/p>\n
\"But it's still Bali,\" he said. \"There's a fish market nearby,
\nyou've got kids playing on the beach, it still has that Bali
\ntraditional feeling -- and you can have lunch at the Four
\nSeasons.\"<\/p>\n
Bali, as everyone knows, may have more temples than any place
\nits size anywhere on earth and, as its name suggests, Temple Hill
\nis no exception. A slate-gray single-floor temple overlooks
\nJimbaran Bay through the shade of trees. No expense will be
\nspared, says Wetterlind, to accommodate the structural integrity
\nof the temple -- which will remain as it is -- and to keep the
\ntrees, which will be re-planted.<\/p>\n
\"It was very important for us to set a benchmark of
\ndevelopment in Bali -- we wanted to set a standard that we and
\nothers could follow in Bali,\" he said. \"We would never, say,
\nbuild on rice paddies -- we wouldn't want to be responsible for
\nthat. There is hardly any top soil on the land.\"<\/p>\n
\"It's the right thing to do,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The buildings themselves will be ultramodern minimalist with
\nhuge floor-to-ceiling windows and solar power -- something, says
\nWetterlind not to be taken for granted in a place like Bali.<\/p>\n
Electricity in Bali is unreliable at best, so not only is it
\ngood for the environment -- it saves you money and you get a
\nreliable power source,\" he noted.<\/p>\n
Further use of light and color will be designed to make each
\nhouse appropriate to its environment, according to chief
\narchitect Walter Wagner, who previously worked at The Begawan
\nGiri, one of the most exclusive hotels in Bali. Since then he
\ndesigned several upmarket villas and resorts. Wagner plans to
\nmake the houses \"contemporary tropical\".<\/p>\n
\"Each land has a different language -- different needs,
\ndifferent exposure to the elements -- you don't want to overheat
\nthe rooms, for example,\" he said.<\/p>\n
No measure has gone unspared with respect to the environment
\nin the development, according to Wetterlind: even the wood in the
\nhomes are even stabilized with a non-toxic wood preservative.<\/p>\n
Other eco-friendly features of the project are: The main
\nbuilding material, an Australian product called Q-panels, which
\nare irradiated, reinforced panels that are fire, moisture, sound
\nand earthquake-proof and are also three times stronger than
\ntraditional bricks and mortar. This cuts down on the need for
\nbricks and cement and cuts the construction time in half.<\/p>\n
All the wood that is used comes from inspected plantations,
\nnot from the rain forest. This means the timber cost is three
\ntimes higher than the average commercial hardwood, but does not
\ncontribute to deforestation .<\/p>\n
Other eco-friendly features include a sewage system that is
\n100 percent organic with no emissions, using no chemicals; A
\ngarbage system that is separated and recycled; Pools that use
\nnon-toxic chemicals; Buildings designed to be \"solar passive\" --
\nmaximizing shade and ventilation while minimizing air
\nconditioning; Wattage that saves energy by being low wattage and
\nlow voltage; Appliances to be used from the energy using ranges
\nfrom LG and Ariston, which use 75 percent less energy than
\nstandard appliances; Solar power; the first development in Bali
\nto use it.<\/p>\n
The official groundbreaking on the site was held on Feb. 20
\nand villas range in cost from US$270,000 to $505,000, or about 25
\npercent below market cost, according to Wetterlind.<\/p>\n
\"We're not in this just for the money -- we're out to make a
\nname for ourselves as developers who build beautiful homes
\nwithout damaging the environment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
So far, seven homes have been sold already, making it the
\nfastest-selling development in Bali.<\/p>\n
Among the takers is Hubert Kasner, a native of Texas who
\ncurrently works for a company in Singapore and is looking forward
\nto his retirement in Bali in the next couple of years.<\/p>\n
\"I'm in love with Bali and I wouldn't want to do anything to
\nhurt the environment,\" he said. \"I like the beautiful place where
\nthey are building the homes -- I was impressed\".<\/p>\n
Hoff was quick to add that such cooperative efforts in the
\nrealm of environmental projects are rare.<\/p>\n
\"My life is a world of compromises, but to find a developer
\nwilling to act on his commitments, that's really fun.\"<\/p>",
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