Design Anthology - Asia Pacific Edition
Jakarta
Quietly nestled among lush greenery in the heart of Jakarta, a house by mamostudio is a pristine wooden vision
Brutalist concrete edifices juxtaposed with raw nature are enjoying a new wave of worldwide appreciation, but a more natural approach can result in an aesthetic that’s just as striking. The Tree House by mamostudio, tucked away in a tree-filled corner in the Tanah Teduh housing complex, is a case in point.
Situated in Pejaten — a budding commercial district in South Jakarta — Tanah Teduh is the brainchild of PTT Family, and is a contemporary residential estate encompassing the work of nine architects. The Tree House stands out as the project’s only timber-clad property, where its dominant materials are obtained locally from renewable sources.
‘We avoid using forest wood because the country is filled with unsustainable and illegal logging practices,’ says Adi Purnomo, principal of mamostudio. ‘We opt for plantation timber — rubber wood in this project — as it’s renewable and in large supply locally.’ According to Purnomo, rubber plantations in Indonesia make up a third of the total rubber growing areas in the world. ‘We focus on rubber wood for the interiors because of its softer and light-toned texture, and ulin, a kind of dark ironwood, for the exterior because it’s waterproof,’ he explains.
After a three-year negotiation with the developer followed by a four-year preparation and construction process, the result is an airy modern home that spans 350 square metres and three levels, shielded in a stark exterior contrasting the warm and bright internal spaces.
Special consideration was given to the shape and massing in the context of not disturbing the natural beauty of its backdrop. The resulting structure flows in direct response to the compact nature of the building plot. ‘We planned around the pre-existing tree plot to avoid cutting down any trees out of respect to the surrounding environment. The resulting abstract shape gives the house a unique appearance,’ says Purnomo.
Entering the house comes with a sense of discovery. Visitors traverse a junglelike garden until a rather hidden entrance comes into view on the side of the house, maximising privacy and seclusion for its inhabitants. Inside, a generous ground floor plays host to an airy dining area, a kitchen, a den and a living room wrapped in full-height glazing that opens up to the courtyard, where wooden walls create a visual connection with the surrounding landscapes. Adjacent to the living area is a shimmering light-filled stairway winding up towards the second-floor master suite and ascending to the top-floor bedrooms.
The vista continues in the study on the second floor, which is generously furnished with natural light through a floor-to-ceiling glazing that holds a casement window in the centre. ‘The fixed glass on the upper floors is all installed over a metre above the floor level as a safety precaution for any potential children in the house,’ says Purnomo.
The second property sold in the Tanah Teduh project, The Tree House is now owned by an art and timber lover and his wife. ‘Good architectural design is not only about achieving ecological or aesthetic purposes, but also about the small details that make it feel like a home,’ concludes Purnomo.