Designing for Passion

Can you tell us the background of this project?

Djony Gouw, principal of Gouw Architects, has a humble personality that’s opposite to his luxurious architectural works, as seen in this private residence. We visited him at his office to talk about the project.

The owner is a friend of mine. He has an architecture background, but he trusted me with designing his house anyway. The land consisted of seven lots, but we merged them into one. It’s sandwiched between two roads, so it actually has two entrances. Guests are directed to enter the house from the front yard, while the family can enter the common area from the backyard.

The owner has four children, so the house is designed for the entire family. It also reflects their lifestyle and taste, that’s why some part of the house is very modern, and some rooms are designed in an oriental décor.

What makes this project special?

The house is very personalised, almost everything is custom-made. The wooden panels at the pavilion, for example, were made in Semarang, mimicking the pattern of the kunci tiles that were brought from Yogyakarta. The door is made of copper, moulded with the famous Megamendung batik pattern. The panels of the stairs were inspired by Japanese design. They were also made with copper, and skewed into sticks before we installed them.

The owner appreciates heritage and natural objects. That is why you would find antique bricks at the entrance, wooden logs and onyx slabs at several points in the interior.