The signature roof form is instantly recognizable in this seminal new Balinese house.

Isandra (Andra) Matin Ahmad was born in Bandung in 1962 and graduated from the Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung, in 1989 whereupon he took up a post with Grahacipta Hadiprana, initially as design architect on the Bali Intercontinental Resort at Jimbaran. He stayed with the practice until 1998, designing numerous projects, until he resigned to set up his own practice. Matin was one of the founding members of Arsitek Muda Indonesia (AMI) and today is considered to be one of the leading architects of his generation, producing highly innovative buildings.

The Joelianto House was designed for a Jakarta-based communications engineer and entrepreneur. The dwelling consists of two elements: a two-story rectangular pavilion containing private bed-rooms and bathrooms above an open-sided ground floor housing the living/entertainment area, dining area and open-plan kitchen; and a master bedroom suite with an attached outdoor bathroom in a smaller single-story pavilion. The larger of the two pavilions is conceptually a glass box within a louvered box. The two pavilions are arranged in an L-shaped configuration embracing a swimming pool and a water garden set inside a typical rectangular Balinese compound surrounded by a high wall. The owner, Joelianto Noegroho, collaborated with Andra Matin on the landscape design.

The house is accessed from a modest entrance in Jalan Sari Dewi, a narrow lane in the town of Seminyak, and thence by an open-to-sky passage that emerges in a spacious water court. Turning sharply to the left on entering the compound, a broad timber walkway invites visitors to proceed along a diagonal route, over a shallow pond, to the principal pavilion.

The loose wooden planks resonate when crossing the bridge to the living area. Small round gray pebbles glitter beneath the surface of the pond, and the gentle splash of water cascading down a vertical green wall forms part of the magical experience on entering. The central feature of the garden is a majestic frangipani tree that drapes gracefully over the 25-meter blue-green lap pool. A raised timber terrace equipped with rattan reclining chairs overlooks the pool. Water is a key component of the design and the garden draws inspiration from the traditional rumah air (water palace). There is utter silence in the garden except for the gentle splash of fountains and the murmur of the wind.

The unique feature of the house is the structure of the main pavilion, which combines the artistic legacy of Bali with sound building technology. The basic concrete-framed structure is overlaid with a steel mesh trellis and steel louvers, the geometry of the steel “veil” having been inspired by the branches of the tropical frangipani. The pavilion is open-sided at the ground-floor level, with a glazed upper floor that, sheltered by the protective metal screen, has the option of using air-conditioners or natural ventilation. By contrast, the smaller master bedroom pavilion is topped by a densely planted green roof, and a screen of hanging vines acts as a solar filter, thereby reducing insolation. The private realm is quite separate from the more public areas of the house.

A “curtain” of green vegetation shades the master bedroom pavilion.

A steel mesh “veil,” inspired by the leaves of the frangipani tree, protects the house from solar insolation.

The extraordinarily beautiful Joelianto House is the outcome of Andra Matin’s imagination. It is a design of such sensitivity that it confirms him as one of the most accomplished designers of his generation. His architecture has assurance and composure that can be compared favorably with the best in the world. Art works in the larger pavilion complement the design and include “Sofa Artwork Puzzle” by Yu Swant Ashoro.

Andra Matin explains it thus: “Indonesian culture is like an unpolished diamond, and this allows many possibilities—one has the freedom to put one’s imagination to work. Contemporary Indonesian architecture reflects a huge number of cultures on the hundreds of islands in the archipelago and balances local conditions and global inspiration.”¹

Ground floor plan.

The entrance to the courtyard viewed across an enchanting water garden.

The galley kitchen with the living area beyond.

The main house viewed from the swimming pool.

A diagonal flight of stairs ascends to the veranda of the master bedroom.

The open-to-sky bathroom and toilet at the rear of the master bedroom.

The narrow entrance to the house precedes the dramatic space explosion of space in the water court.

Water cascades down a vertical wall in the courtyard.

Footnote

1   Quoted in Bert de Muynk and Kim Sang-Ho, “New Indonesian Tropical Architecture/Affordable+Green Public Housing,” in SPACE voice maker, ESpace, edition 498, May 2009.