Experimental home gives room for the personal touch

Experimental home gives room for the personal touch

Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta

Young architect Daniel Sandjaya's dream was to have a custom-made
house that would be entirely personal, but still allow the
opportunity to experiment with design ideas.

The dream was realized in the form of a minimalist,
experimental house that he designed on an 8 m by 24 m plot of
land in Bali.

Aptly called Coba House -- literally experimental house, a
name given by Bali-based Japanese glass artist Seiki Torige --
the three-story house was planned in order to change over time
according to the owner's needs and budget.

"I needed a house and a medium to experiment with
architectural ideas that I can use for my future projects," said
Daniel.

The house subtly incorporates Chinese and Balinese
architectural principles with the use of a courtyard in the
center of its long, rectangular site.

"I love the courtyard. In Bali and in ancient Chinese
architecture, it has an essential role in a house where people
live with their extended families."

The courtyard serves as an open area to provide air
circulation and natural light in a fully covered building.

"Many clients prefer to have their houses built covering
almost the whole site, due to the fear that having a courtyard or
other open area would sacrifice a function or two. But in the end
what they get is a dark and poorly ventilated home."

In general, the eight meter side of the house is divided into
sections of five meters, two meters and a meter where the
spacious area is set aside for master and guest bedrooms, the
courtyard, sitting room, pantry and dining room. The smaller two
meter space accommodates a studio, storage area and the entrance
way.

"Based on this project, I can assure my clients that a one-
meter-wide or at least 83-centimeter-wide space is still
functional for certain rooms, like for the bathroom or shower and
storage," Daniel said.

He has since adapted the bathroom design for other projects as
well.

Bucking the usual system of building a storied structure,
Daniel focused on finishing the top story, where he could live,
before the rest of the project.

"It (living on the second story while completing the ground
floor) is cheaper and cleaner than doing it the other way around.
Other people's houses usually grow from the ground, while I grow
top-down."

Five months after the project was started, the architect moved
in but its completion will depend on the budget available in the
future.

White was chosen as the color for his experimental house
because it gives an enhanced sense of space and also meets with
the minimalist concept. Moreover, the architect did not need
"stand out" walls since he only wanted color to come from plants,
sunlight and other natural objects.

Attesting to the principle is a wall in the predominantly
white sitting room, where four white canvases are displayed as
the couple's own artwork.

"Bali inspired my wife and I to have our own gallery inside
the house where we can display our art collection," he explained.

Due to the limited budget, the architect had to find
inexpensive solutions that can blend harmoniously with the
overall modern minimalist concept. Daniel designed built-in
furniture or used cheaper items, like white plastic chairs for
the dining room.

"The plastic chairs are cheap and my guests, mostly my
friends, do not mind sitting on those bakso chairs," he said,
referring to the use of the chairs at sidewalk eateries.

There were also some failures in the experiments, such as in
the form of leaking, the wrong positioning of the skylight and
the use of fiber to cover the latter, which actually magnifies
the sound of rain during heavy downpour.

"It's like living near a subwoofer," he said laughing.

Other materials being used are roster (cement grid), sliding
glass doors and a fiberglass screen. The latter is used to shield
the wall-less sitting room in the rear part of the house. "The
area was messy because any strong wind could blow papers and
other light objects," he said.

The grid is used for the front wall. It shields the interior
but still allows fresh air, natural light and sound to enter the
interior. In the morning, it sieves the sunlight, leaving an
interesting shadow on the floor of the guestroom, which is still
covered with glass wall.

On the second story, the use of sliding doors allows a view
from the guest bedroom in the front part to the courtyard and
master bedroom in the rear of the house.

The architect did not use railings, saying it was
"unnecessary" because the couple does not have children and they
wanted to have an unobstructed view of the frangipani growing in
the courtyard.

"The second story has a spacious feel because there is no wall
that limits vision," he said.

The roof terrace overlooks the sea and Nusa Lembongan island
to the south, and the mountains far away on the other side.

"The view is fantastic and I want to design a studio on the
roof so that I can work while enjoying the view."

But he has had to postpone the plan because he is currently
working in Jakarta, with the house rented by an architect friend.

But he already has plans for the future.

"When I move back in, there will be other additional functions
added to the house, and I think I know what I'm going to add."