give this house character and substance. Certainly they offer an internal feeling of protection, as well as excellent natural ventilation, but there are other features of note. The use of materials—wood, natural stone (paras and palimanan)—and furniture crafted from shells, bones and coconut shards gives the house an earthy, organic quality suitable for indoor/outdoor tropical living. Of particular note is the open-plan living and dining areas: Situated over two levels with open access to deck and pool, the entire space is a pleasing mix of curved and perpendicular volumes, hard and soft surfaces, and light and dark shades.
If one were to view the home from an aerial perspective, the two volumes would look a little like two turtles crouching down into the surrounding vegetation. But when one is at ground level, all is airy, light, breezy and natural—and the surrounding trees, grasses, water plants and ornamentals are not merely surroundings. They are part of the entire whole.
Precision cutting, curvy shapes and a natural flair for organics such as coconut, bone and penshell result in some beautifully crafted decorative pieces from the atelier of Etienne de Souza.
The open-plan living room, wrapped by a soaring timber roof propped by a large V-shaped support, leads out to a palimanan stone deck on right and has a raised dining space behind, which opens up to another upper wooden decked terrace outside. A teakwood sculpture by Yasukazu Nishihata for Nakara complements teakwood flooring and a décor theme of organics.
Wood decking, lawn, water and pebblewash and terrazzo are only some of the surfaces used in this entirely natural home.
Elegent detail of a long bench made from Tahiti mother-of-pearl by Etienne De Souza.
The compact upper dining area features some furniture designed by Etienne De Souza from natural materials: of particular note is the square grillage table in bone-and-shell strips with legs in metal and resin with matching chairs in the foreground. Artworks are in keeping with the general organic theme—a painting by Peter Dittmar and a triangular teakwood art-piece from Ideas. The floor is composed of ivory palimanan to distinguish it from the teakwood section below (seen here on far right).
The open-plan living area, with warm teakwood floor, features a low square sofa and coffee table constructed from bone shards; the camel-toned upholstery is in suede. The duo complement the coconut and penshell tray on the coffee table and the standing lamps in bone and shell. All were designed by Etienne De Souza.
Precision cutting, curvy shapes and a natural flair for organics such as coconut, bone and penshell result in some beautifully crafted decorative pieces from the atelier of Etienne De Souza. They work well in this airy, organic-themed home. Above left shows some art stools in the foreground and a pair of “botero” vases in bone and penshell stripes; above right details the bone and shell star pattern of the coffee table.
The entrance to the villa is via a curved pathway that leads off the main access road. Two similarly-shaped curved shingled roofs shield both buildings: On the right is the master bedroom and bathroom, while, on the left, the somewhat larger volume houses the living and dining areas, the kitchen and another bedroom.
The modernist villa compound of this Indonesian businessman is dominated by a metal framework “roof” that stretches over the largest building. Both practical and aesthetic, it is composed from ulin wood and steel. The compound itself is imaginatively constructed over a number of different levels, using asymmetry as an overriding motif. Architect, Andra Matin, describes this as a “non-linear spatial experience, both horizontally and vertically”. On left, a sculptural wooden teak root emerges from a reflecting pool; it goes some way to balancing the presence of the imposing, inclined frangipani tree in the middle of the compound.
The open-air living area in the double-height building is characterized by low-level tables in teak and simple merbau wood couches, designed to the owner’s specification. Lime-green and beige cushions with a tree motif and purple upholstery offset a large modern painting by Indonesian artist Yuswantoro Adi.
The two-storey building is open air below and enclosed above.
The frangipani tree (Plumeria sp), ubiquitous in the tropics, is planted extensively in Bali because of its sweet scent, interesting shape and for its cultural and religious significance. The blooms are frequently used in an assortment of decorative and ceremonial purposes. On this Seminyak site, a number of old frangipani trees, leaning in various contorted directions, cast their pristine flowers on the grass and their shade over swathes of lawn. They also serve as the inspiration for the design of the single outstanding architectural statement in this compound—an audacious steel roof framework.
It’s the most eye-catching feature here—and not only because of its size and shape. Projecting over the entire mass of the only double-storey building in the compound, it seems to have a life of its own. “The framework derives its shape from the branches of the frangipani,” explains Jakarta-based architect Andra Matin. “Creeping vertically and hovering horizontally over the concrete roof deck, it is extremely expressive.” Consisting of steelwork clad in wood, it is both artistic and functional: it makes a strong sculptural statement and shields the flat concrete roof from direct heat and tropical rain.
Beneath its intricate webbing is a two-storey structure that stretches in an east-west alignment. The ground floor, entirely open to the elements, houses a living, dining and pantry area, while above are two children’s bedrooms. According to Matin, the building is inspired by the traditional Asian stilt house where lower levels are open to the elements and enclosure is only made at the upper levels. Throughout the day, the living quarters benefit from cross breezes, ample sunlight and a seamless connection to the surrounding gardens.
