Clean living: Harmony in minimalist home
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Bogor, West Java
Nestled amid beautiful natural surroundings in Cimahpar, Bogor, the compact, three-story house is a comfortable yet functional home for its owners, and stands as a work of art in the neighborhood.
Architect Wahyu Edi Suwarno came up with the design to make the most of the small, contoured piece of land while ensuring the house's clean, minimalist appearance stands out while blending harmoniously with the greenery of its environment.
The house was built as a mono building, occupying only 81 square meters of the total 378 square meters plot, leaving enough space for a yard and not overwhelming the surroundings.
Owners Peto Syamsul Alam and wife Mia Amalia are an active, professional young couple, whose lifestyle requires inclusion of various functions, practicality and, to some extent, the adoption of technology into the house.
The limited space does not compromise on the owners' wishes, with every function neatly and efficiently accommodated inside the house.
The house is divided into a semi-basement for garage and various service activities; the ground floor -- raised to about 50 centimeters above street level --- is the family's main living quarters and the mezzanine accommodates the study and an office.
In the living quarters, Wahyu made enough space for a foyer, a master bedroom, a bedroom, a dining room, pantry and living room. To enable the owners to better enjoy the soothing view of the nearby valley, he used huge windows and a floating terrace at the back of the house.
"The house's design also allows nature to dominate the interior of the house," the architect said.
Wahyu used batu candi (temple stone) for the tower, slate for the terrace and the master bedroom's shower, merbau wood for the treads of the staircase, and steel for the floating terrace, staircase and roof. A walkway in the front garden was created using slabs of Padalarang stone, combined with loose natural stones.
The use of natural stone provides interesting textures and hues, contrasting with the clean, white walls. These materials also serve as accents that give a down-to-earth appearance to the modern house as well as helping it blend in harmoniously with the setting.
The natural minimalist look results from the functional design with simple yet esthetic details and carefully chosen materials.
"The house only needs practical maintenance thanks to the simple design," Wahyu said.
An Indonesian style tropical garden was chosen for the landscape. The architect created a reflecting pool stretching along the front part of the house, and embellished it with a terra-cotta pot and water plants. The reflecting pool also provides the soothing sound of rippling water.
Due to the land's contoured shape, the house has a two-layered garden, stretching from the front garden on the ground floor to the basement yard.
Lighting is designed to delicately highlight artistic objects and interesting features in and around the house, allowing them to stand out as eye-pleasing ornaments during the evening as well. They combine to bring out a gentle but exotic effect that flatters the house after sunset.
"The lighting creates esthetic silhouettes that serve as accents during the evening and they leave a beautiful sight on the reflecting pool," Wahyu said, while adding that ordinary lamps are used as a cost-cutting measure.