Project fuses environment and real estate design

Project fuses environment and real estate design

Joseph Kirschke
Contributor
Jimbaran, Bali

In the mind's eye of most people -- from residents to visitors to
those who harbor flights of fancy -- the word Bali conjures up
endless visions of little more than sun-kissed beaches, palm-
fringed streets and breezy sidewalk cafes and stores.

Norman Hoff, an environmental management consultant on the
island, knows better.

As part of a "high impact" video he shot to educate local high
school students about the torrid shape of Bali's neglected
environment, he turned his lens to several places to illustrate
how waste buildup through human neglect is gravely endangering
their health, and the quality of life on the idyllic paradise,
while seriously jeopardizing its future as a tourist draw.

One of the sights that shocked him the most was the desecrated
state of Denpasar River, host to every type of industrial
pollutant, a graveyard for dead dogs and, not least, a receptacle
of human waste.

"The health risks in terms of chronic disease are
overwhelming," he said. "It's frightening."

So it was no surprise that, when Hoff was approached by an
Indonesian investor and his coterie of clients who had organized
to erect Temple Hill, an environmentally friendly real estate
development in Jimbaran and the first of its kind on the island,
he jumped at the opportunity.

The idea, according to the principal investor, Dian Wirjawan,
is not to only make money, but rather to set a higher standard
for the real estate market in Bali, which caters to people from
all over the country and all across the world.

"It's a beautiful piece of land that has been undeveloped for
ages as you can see," said Dian, gesturing out across the beach
of Jimbaran Bay, one of the most beautiful on the island, which
spreads out into a half-moon shape in front of where the homes
will be built.

But more importantly, he added, "we can do business while
saving the environment -- and make this a test case and see if
there's a market for this and to minimize the use of all things
artificial, toxic and environmentally damaging".

Project developer Nils Wetterlind said that altogether the
complex will consist of 19 villas ranging in size from 216 to 335
square metres facing a bay which is protected by a reef and will
located in one of the most exclusive areas on the island, in the
vicinity of hotels like the Four Seasons, the Inter Continental
and the Ritz Carlton.

"But it's still Bali," he said. "There's a fish market nearby,
you've got kids playing on the beach, it still has that Bali
traditional feeling -- and you can have lunch at the Four
Seasons."

Bali, as everyone knows, may have more temples than any place
its size anywhere on earth and, as its name suggests, Temple Hill
is no exception. A slate-gray single-floor temple overlooks
Jimbaran Bay through the shade of trees. No expense will be
spared, says Wetterlind, to accommodate the structural integrity
of the temple -- which will remain as it is -- and to keep the
trees, which will be re-planted.

"It was very important for us to set a benchmark of
development in Bali -- we wanted to set a standard that we and
others could follow in Bali," he said. "We would never, say,
build on rice paddies -- we wouldn't want to be responsible for
that. There is hardly any top soil on the land."

"It's the right thing to do," he added.

The buildings themselves will be ultramodern minimalist with
huge floor-to-ceiling windows and solar power -- something, says
Wetterlind not to be taken for granted in a place like Bali.

Electricity in Bali is unreliable at best, so not only is it
good for the environment -- it saves you money and you get a
reliable power source," he noted.

Further use of light and color will be designed to make each
house appropriate to its environment, according to chief
architect Walter Wagner, who previously worked at The Begawan
Giri, one of the most exclusive hotels in Bali. Since then he
designed several upmarket villas and resorts. Wagner plans to
make the houses "contemporary tropical".

"Each land has a different language -- different needs,
different exposure to the elements -- you don't want to overheat
the rooms, for example," he said.

No measure has gone unspared with respect to the environment
in the development, according to Wetterlind: even the wood in the
homes are even stabilized with a non-toxic wood preservative.

Other eco-friendly features of the project are: The main
building material, an Australian product called Q-panels, which
are irradiated, reinforced panels that are fire, moisture, sound
and earthquake-proof and are also three times stronger than
traditional bricks and mortar. This cuts down on the need for
bricks and cement and cuts the construction time in half.

All the wood that is used comes from inspected plantations,
not from the rain forest. This means the timber cost is three
times higher than the average commercial hardwood, but does not
contribute to deforestation .

Other eco-friendly features include a sewage system that is
100 percent organic with no emissions, using no chemicals; A
garbage system that is separated and recycled; Pools that use
non-toxic chemicals; Buildings designed to be "solar passive" --
maximizing shade and ventilation while minimizing air
conditioning; Wattage that saves energy by being low wattage and
low voltage; Appliances to be used from the energy using ranges
from LG and Ariston, which use 75 percent less energy than
standard appliances; Solar power; the first development in Bali
to use it.

The official groundbreaking on the site was held on Feb. 20
and villas range in cost from US$270,000 to $505,000, or about 25
percent below market cost, according to Wetterlind.

"We're not in this just for the money -- we're out to make a
name for ourselves as developers who build beautiful homes
without damaging the environment," he said.

So far, seven homes have been sold already, making it the
fastest-selling development in Bali.

Among the takers is Hubert Kasner, a native of Texas who
currently works for a company in Singapore and is looking forward
to his retirement in Bali in the next couple of years.

"I'm in love with Bali and I wouldn't want to do anything to
hurt the environment," he said. "I like the beautiful place where
they are building the homes -- I was impressed".

Hoff was quick to add that such cooperative efforts in the
realm of environmental projects are rare.

"My life is a world of compromises, but to find a developer
willing to act on his commitments, that's really fun."