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."