A home away from home in Bali

Authors’ Comment

The site is located in an island country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia. On a continent with another time zone, different climatic and terrain conditions, our project is part of the urban tissue of the Seminyak region, Bali. It is a holiday home that allows the possibility of occasional rental. The architectural program involves the extention and redesign of an old Balinese dwelling.
The project aimed to maintain and integrate Indonesian culture through constructive interventions and understanding the space in the same way as the locals appreciate it, applying the principles that define them in everyday life. Thinking architecture in an extremely spiritual land, where one of the most important beliefs that shape the character of people and the spaces they inhabit, is living in harmony with nature, the environment and divinity - was something that we sought to integrate into the proposed architecture and layout.
In order to achieve a serene ambience, in which man feels connected to the surrounding environment, it is essential that light invades the spaces in abundance, in such a way that the boundaries lose their perceptible materiality, the functional areas allow the fusion of both inside and outside. Starting from a home with two bedrooms and a living area facing South, the building has been rethought in such a way that natural light penetrates widely although, due to the location, it meets the site dominantly on the north side. The original construction has been completely transformed by extending it with a new apartment unit, and by expanding and enclosing the living area. The roof has been re-designed and adjustments were made to its geometry by adding skylights. Keeping the initial structure and typology of the original home, traditional notes have been brought back to life in a contemporary appearance.
The living area merges several functions and is an extroverted space. The walls are mostly glazed, being made on site from teak wood, with a design inspired by Asian homes and can be opened completely, thus merging with the exterior, a necessary aspect in areas with tropical climates. At the same time, the three bedrooms benefit of privacy, being set back towards the north side of the house. We used glass walls to separate phisically the bathrooms from the bedrooms, alowing the spaces to merge together and create a visual communication between them. The connection with the sky is brought into the bathrooms through skylights placed above the bathtubs. The integration of exotic plants in these areas, together with the whole ensemble of natural elements, emerges the user into a relaxed atmosphere, the ritual of Zen. Whether we are talking about the kitchen, bathrooms or bedrooms, solutions have been thaught to make nature the center point in every room.
The floor finishes used are part of the local palette: handmade terrazzo in the living area, teak parquet in the bedrooms and terracotta in the bathrooms – thus creating a sensory experience on the lower level. The outdoor area consists of a series of social spaces such as a covered terrace, swimming pool and barbecue area where visitors can spend time together. As for the furniture, most of the proposed pieces in the design were conceived and drawn, then made by local artisans. The materials used were locally available: teak wood, stone, terrazzo, bamboo, rattan, terracotta, linen, ceramics. Each piece of furniture has been thought to define a local style and create a perfect holiday space.