Breezeway creates tropical home with breath of fresh air
Breezeway creates tropical home with breath of fresh air
Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta
Tucked away from the busy area of Cipete, South Jakarta, the
tropical house was designed with a corridor to allow a fresh
breeze and natural light into its interior, as well as provide a
view of the peaceful garden outside.
The man behind the design of the 1,000 square-meter plot is
Bayu Witjaksono from Image architecture firm; the land belongs to
his mother.
"The aim was to bring in the outdoor element to provide a more
comfortable and natural home for her to live in," Bayu said.
The house was his first project.
A long and narrow driveway flanked with neat flower beds leads
to the front of the house and a garage off to a corner.
Here, the view is calming, thanks to a cultivated landscape
and a pond filled with several flowering water plants, such as
lotuses and water lilies in profusion of colors when in bloom.
"The pond absorbs the harsh heat and thus makes the interior
of the living room cooler and more comfortable during the day,"
Bayu explained.
The external architecture is a smooth blend of opposite
elements of hard and soft -- the house and the landscape -- light
and heavy -- stones and glass -- and light and shade. The
elements are carefully blended to create a unified overall
appearance.
The breezeway, in the middle of the house, is a steel
structure with glass panels, topped with a louver. A light, wood-
and-steel staircase accompanies this spacious and airy structure.
The breezeway also functions as a corridor that lends a sense of
seclusion to the other two sections of the house.
Dozens of family photos are arranged atop a cabinet at the
entrance to the house and along the wall of the staircase.
"Many people who have come to this house said that it is
homey," said Ibu Wahjudi, the architect's mother.
An Indo-European nuance fills the interior. "I was looking for
a suitable style for a tropical house. One of my concerns was
optimal ventilation to allow plenty of fresh air into the
interior," Bayu said.
Inspired by public spaces in European countries, the architect
designed the breezeway to resemble European streets, complete
with antique lampposts and benches along its sides.
The two other sections of the house feature a living room,
bedrooms and bathrooms. Most rooms are furnished with antique
furniture, several of them decorated with crocheted tablecloths
made by Ibu Wahjudi's patient hands.
"I like crocheting. I keep some of my pieces in my wardrobe,
some others are displayed. When I am crocheting, I like to sit
here," she said, pointing her finger at a chair in front of a
miniature version of Michael Angelo's Pieta.
The house is filled with mementos of her late husband and a
special cabinet in the family room was specially designed by the
architect to hold his father's belongings, such as grooming
implements and watches.
Aside from the flower pond, Bayu also allotted an expanse in
the backyard for a garden. His mother loves gardening, and the
space again has a functional object of separating the main house
from the service area.
Mango, banana, rambutan and matoa trees shoot up from the
garden.
"Most of the trees are easy to grow. They don't require a lot
of maintenance," said Ibu Wahjudi, explaining that some of the
plants had an emotional value, as they recalled sweet memories of
loved ones.
"I like planting trees and watching them grow. I just let them
grow naturally without any pruning or trimming. I do think they
look more attractive that way," she said.
Filled with breeze and sitting among lush greenery, the house
is indeed a tropical hideaway, a secret treasure among the dusty
confines of Cipete.