Indoor-Outdoor Tropical Living
| Project | 11 Luxury Townhouse in Jakarta, Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Client | Agung Podomoro Group, Indonesia |
| Date | 2014 |
Design Brief
Commissioned to design the interior of the 11 townhouses after completing the architecture, our brief was to take inspiration from the courtyards as sources of natural light and ventilation. The client requested our team to maintain a sense of openness and provide opportunities for communal and personal enjoyment of the outdoors.
“By adopting the concept of visual continuity across spaces, we opted to blur the boundary between the interior and the exterior environments through the use of sliding doors and large glass windows along the perimeter walls.”
Design Concept
Departing from the compartmental layout of typical indonesian houses, we worked towards the integration between indoor and outdoor areas. The open plan of this project’s interior, though a common feature of Singaporean homes, is atypical of residences in Indonesia, where the norm is to have a series of dividing walls to create multiple rooms.
By adopting the concept of visual continuity across spaces, we opted to blur the boundary between the interior and the exterior environments through the use of sliding doors and large glass windows along the perimeter walls.
In the entrance foyer, we created a small verandah-like patio that looks into the courtyard pond adorned with a vertical green wall. This space created an open and relaxed atmosphere – an in-between space – which was further reinforced by the use of outdoor timber and furniture.
“This interior design illustrates our idea of “boundless” spatial connectivity, where the home becomes a personal retreat to accommodate a lifestyle of luxury in nature.”
Transitioning from the patio into the living room area, we paid attention to the detailing of the furniture and fittings by using dark shades to evoke a blend of tradition with contemporary furnishings. The kitchen and dining area express a more zesty atmosphere that captures the the lively indonesian tradition of forging strong bonds between family and friends. The kitchen opens out to the rear courtyard and encourages seamless transition between indoors and outdoors so it becomes not only a place to cook, but also a space to entertain.
On the second floor, ample natural lighting and ventilation permeate into the bedrooms, allowing these spaces to receive unrestricted views of the ornamental pool and rear garden below. Warm tones of marble complement with dark granite and timber floors to further blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors.
This interior design illustrates our idea of “boundless” spatial connectivity, where the home becomes a personal retreat to accommodate a lifestyle of luxury in nature. Through this project, we further reinforced the principle to centre our design on the human experience and to structure light and ventilation around daily life in the tropics.
