A Stunning Sanctuary Home in the Heart of Bali’s Jungle _ Indonesia
In the beginning, we recognized the potential in dedicating something unique and special to the
land, which is nature itself. It's in a lush, rich forest that has a steep slope towards a running
river. Hi, I'm Maurizio, together with my partner Made, we are the principal designers of Bada Studio.
The owner shares the same sentiment of respecting the land and its surroundings
with traditional designs, so we are careful and make every effort to sustain the existing
natural landscape. All the trees were preserved and integrated into the design,
with some buildings being positioned to avoid them and some fully incorporated.
It also provides shade throughout the pathway down to each pavilion.
The house is formed by a cluster of five pavilions, four bedrooms and one central
living room, with half of the land left for landscape and open spaces.
It follows from the inspiration of the traditional Balinese housing compound
and the traditional Indonesian stilt house of Bajau. The pavilions are all elevated to keep
the land mostly untouched, which also mimics a feeling as if you are living inside a treehouse.
The idea was to integrate the building with the sloping landscape,
and we wanted to create a sequential experience while walking down to the central living room.
Along the walkway, we added some greenery at the side before the main living spaces.
Every pavilion is slightly unique. The living pavilion is positioned in the middle of the land
to become the heart of the house. It stands out with its tall wooden columns and the sliding
glass panels can be fully opened, blending the garden and the interior spaces more seamlessly.
The pavilion is positioned following the topography,
overlooking the three bedrooms below towards the river.
Its gabled roof extends out towards the corridors downstairs,
creating a sense of compression and decompression within its span.
We drew materials from the existing landscape to create timeless architecture that reflects
its ambience. The shaded surroundings inspired a darker palette with charred wood,
natural ironwood tones and dark grey stone. All the materials are locally sourced,
from the ironwood roof shingles and the bangkirai wood structure, both from the island of Kalimantan.
The grey para stone walls were taken from the Kalating village near the house.
For the ceilings, we used a locally crafted rata mat.
Every furniture piece has been handcrafted in-house with the owner's wood workshop nearby.
The solid wood pieces are made from local teakwood,
while the kitchen counter is cast on-site using handmade terrazzo.
Each element has been designed to blend with the architectural language.
Each bedroom, though similar in layout, has a different viewing experience,
whether it's facing perpendicular to the river, sideways or into the gardens.
The bedroom pavilions are designed to be integrated with nature as well,
with an outdoor terrace overlooking the landscape and a bathtub open to the natural elements.
For the interiors, the timber panelings, colour selections, all the way to the low bed frames
and furniture pieces, were inspired mostly by modern Japanese influences.
We embrace and take inspiration from the local contexts,
preserving culture and what nature has given.
With people who appreciate and respect nature, it's really fulfilling for us
as designers to be part of the journey, which deeply reflects our identity.
The mature trees are untouched and integrated into design,
which makes the house feel like it has been there forever.