Clean living: Harmony in minimalist home
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.