Bamboo dwellings: The priceless jewels

Bamboo dwellings: The priceless jewels

DENPASAR (JP): Charming dwellings hide within a tranquil
valley in Nyuh Kuning, south of Ubud. The estate's owner has
elegantly decorated the simple structures, transforming them into
priceless jewels.

The owner is interior designer Linda Garland. She has lived in
Bali for almost 20 years. Working closely with Indonesian,
particularly Balinese, artists and craftpersons, she has created
a 10-hectare masterpiece. Garland sees her estate as a
"monumental land sculpture" created with the help of some of the
world's most talented sculptors.

"The art is in the placement of the houses in the landscape,"
claims Garland.

A three-tiered structure, called the bale gede sits in the
middle of her estate. The structure was initially built for her
two sons, and she had planned to place her own house in front of
it. However, once built, she couldn't bring herself to construct
another house near it. The site "seemed so beautiful, like female
breasts in Henry Moore's sculptures," she explains.

Garland uses Indonesian arts and crafts for her international
projects. In her own house, she blends Asian and European motifs
with Indonesian decorative elements. Giant bamboo, which she uses
for her well-known gigantic bamboo sofas, is used for the
internal stairs. It is a functional sculpture which leads to her
bedroom.

The other buildings have all utilized the talents of the local
craftspeople from the farming village of Nyuh Kuning. They
prepared the terraces, dug the decorative ponds, erected the
bamboo pavilions and prepared the paths and connecting bridges.

To the north of the bale gede, are special huts for cooking,
dining, bathing and sleeping. At present there is one large
chamber which functions as a master bedroom, with three
additional smaller rooms. The sleeping chambers, constructed out
of bamboo of course, are adapted from traditional Balinese forms.

"This type of structure is easy to make here, as locals are
versed in its construction. People have made them for centuries,"
Garland says. Each hut is carefully placed to capture the breeze
coming off the valley and the river that runs alongside the
estate. They also have views of the rising and setting sun.

Volcanic mounds, discovered when the southern part of the site
was cleared, have been carved with jungle scenes by Balinese
stone carvers. The decorations clearly originate from the reliefs
at Goa Gajah and Yeh Pulu, near Ubud. The carving of volcanic
rock is an old Balinese tradition.

In the west, just above the river, is a large structure called
the school house because it was once used as an informal
classroom. Although in front of the bale gede, this house is
hidden on a lower terrace. Nearby, Garland has placed a West
Sumatran rice barn. It stands elegantly in the midst of yellow
coconut trees, as a metaphor of the estate in the yellow coconut
grove of Nyuh Kuning.

-- Amir Sidharta