In with the old in a nod to tradition

Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor, Jakarta

Everyone has their dream house; for one home owner returning from living in Europe, it is in the form of an old-style house that blends in with its surroundings, is in harmony with the tropical climate and offers an inviting garden full of the sound of birds.

Architect Bambang Eryudhawan's task was to come up with a design that would suit the climate and fit in with the other buildings in the neighborhood.

The home makes the most of the 1,500 square meter plot of land in Pondok Aren, Tangerang, with a "borrowed" landscape view and energy conserving design.

The architect ensured proper cross ventilation from the windows and allowed natural light to drench the interior during the day. The house is cool thanks to its high ceiling, the old style of ventilation before air-conditioning.

"It (the design) is not just about the look but also about how to make the house work in an energy friendly way," said the architect, better known as Yudha.

The owner is a woman who spent several years living in Vienna. For her retirement, she wanted an old-style residence that would provide refuge from the heat and humidity of the tropics.

Before he started the design, Yudha inspected the site and found that the plot of land was located right next to a house designed by respected architect Tan Tjiang Ai. Apart from making a design that met his client's expectations, his goal was also to ensure the newly built house would be in harmony with the one next door.

Yudha also noticed that the neighbor's house had a couple of tall palm trees along the side fence, which inspired him to make the most of the side view for his client's house. He designed a space along the trees, which was then transformed into a side garden to enable his client to enjoy a soothing view from the "borrowed space".

"I tried to respect various elements in the site and to create a house that reflected them," said Yudha, who is also president of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Institute of Architects.

At first, his design was opposed by a family living next door, who argued that the two-story house, with windows facing onto their plot of land, would disturb their privacy.

But they relented after reassurances from Yudha that the new house would not intrude upon their daily activities.

The roof was set at a 45 degree inclination, and old-style ventilation blocks were installed in a diamond shape.

There are plenty of windows, giving an ample supply of light to all points within and also a view outside.

There are three main sections -- the semiprivate, private and service areas, with a swimming pool in the center.

The semiprivate area includes the main door that opens to a living room flanked by a dining room, a sitting area, staircase, storage and pantry. The architect created a void in this particular area to allow interaction between those on the second story and the ground floor.

The private area accommodates bedrooms and a master bedroom with walk-in closet, while the service area consists of a garage, a bedroom, bathroom and a TV/sitting room.

Since the service section faces the private section and the swimming pool, the architect concealed the service area with a wall equipped with ventilation and a skylight to ensure light penetration and air circulation.

The fence was designed with a pattern taken from the balustrade in the interior, and was set conjoined with walls made from slabs of natural stone. On the side bordering the house next door, the fence helps to frame the palm trees.

The side garden uses coral stone; grass cannot thrive in the shady spot and thus there is no threat of mud spatter on the walls during rainy days.

For the front garden, trusty frangipani was chosen to give a tropical nuance, while in the rear garden where the pool is, the owner preferred fruit trees, like rambutan, mango and banana, because "she wanted plants that attract birds to the garden", Yudha said.