'Cutting Wall' improves circulation

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It used to be an ordinary single-story house identical to the others on the block, but a relatively low budget renovation project in 1997 turned the now two-story home into an interesting showpiece of architecture that also provides more comfort for the owners.

The house, situated in the Pamulang housing complex in Tangerang, stands on a 140-square-meter plot -- a relatively small piece of land that has become the norm of most urban homes in crowded Greater Jakarta.

Before the renovation, the owners -- a young couple with two children -- had grown tired of the house's poor air circulation, which seemed to trap heat inside the house.

The couple then entrusted the renovation project to architect Adi Purnomo, who, after a series of briefings, fixed in his mind an aim to create an environmentally friendly, energy-saving and budget-cutting dwelling.

He later came up with a design called "the Cutting Wall," derived from the appearance of one of its walls that seems to cut through the structure. The design, Adi said, was also the outcome of the problem-solving plan.

Adi recalled that when he accepted the project, he noticed that the roof could hold the solution to the owners' problems.

"From this point, we discussed a plan to experiment with the house's air circulation, while aiming at creating an air generator to enable the hot air from inside the house to escape through the upper vents," he explained.

"I wanted to build a more efficient and energy-saving house, and even without air conditioners, the house can be comfortable," he added.

To improve circulation, the house was designed with an open area at the rear of the building and for an optimal view of the outdoors, some tall but slim windows were added, through which the sun could also shine optimally into the house.

"From these windows, the orange-hued sunlight is captured during sunset," Adi smiled.

With a budget of Rp 136 million (US$15,111), the architect used simpler details and exposed the home's plastered walls and concrete floors. He used iron for the railings and scrapped the roof tiles, replacing them with polycarbonate and concrete instead.

"This was a strategy to limit project expenditures as we started it when the (economic) crisis hit," he added.

As a result, the renovated house has a determined look and at the same time gives a minimalist but functional impression. "The style of the house was not the focus of my work. It's rather an expression of the concept," Adi explained.

After the renovation, the two-story house has five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a family room, a living room near the terrace and an open landing on the second story that can be converted into another terrace, Adi said.

For lighting, pendant lamps are used to provide sufficient illumination for the interior. The lamps have two purposes: to give proper illumination only to the areas that need it and to allow an easy change of light bulbs.

The house practically requires a minimum of maintenance and for cleaning, apart from the ordinary household tools, a long- handled broom is needed to reach the high ceiling.

Over the years, Adi said, daily cleaning and exposure to the outside elements might give the house a desirable effect.

"Daily mopping will make the surface of the floor smoother and exposure to heat and humidity will encourage moss growth, giving the impression that the house has blended in with its surroundings," Adi explained.