Adapting Nature into Hotel Design

What was the brief that was given to you by the owners of Six Senses Uluwatu?

The owner actually started this project five years ago if I’m not mistaken. This is only phase one of the whole development of the entire land, there will be two more phases in this whole project. He wanted to build something that stands out and is unique compared to the other luxury resorts in the area. There are a lot of brand names such as Alila and Bvlgari that have been here for a long time, and he wanted us to focus on differentiating Six Senses from the rest. Another thing that was asked of us was to ensure that all villas and public areas have a view of the ocean, and to have several wedding venues in the property.

How did you conceptualise this brief into your design?

We did a lot of research before making our design. We studied the areas of several luxury resorts in the area and we actually learnt a lot from this. The biggest thing we realised was the importance of the design of the public areas to the success

Doddy Tjahjadi, managing director of PTI Architects was in charge of the architectural design of the luxurious Six Senses Uluwatu alongside one of his architectural designers, Ahmad Grenaldi. Together, they ingeniously created a one-of-a-kind development that utilises the natural surroundings of Bali whilst providing an exquisite resort all at once. Indonesia Design had the privilege to interview them to get further insight into their vision.

of the hotel. So what we did was we put the restaurants, swimming pools and other public facilities on the whole stretch of the land that is by the cliff, so that it has the best view. Not only will it please guests, but it will also attract outsiders into the F&B venues. Then, in order to allow all villas to have an ocean view, we had to carve out a lot of the limestone in the area. This part of Bali is very rocky and filled with limestone, so it was quite a challenge to have a layout that cascades downward to provide these unique views. You can still see some of the boulders in the area actually.

What are some design highlights for Six Senses Uluwatu?

In terms of design, we tried to make everything very simple and modern, because that’s what the brand is all about. In order to keep the layout minimalistic, we hid the large buildings underneath, such as the ballroom which is hidden under the restaurant. It is still by the cliff and makes for a

magnificent wedding venue but it doesn’t ruin the resort’s simple façade. One of my favourite areas is definitely the Penthouse Sky Villa. In my opinion, this is one of the best villas in Bali. It’s a bold statement but I believe it’s true, because it’s perched on the highest point of Six Senses Uluwatu. When you enter the villa you are greeted by this large open space, and the swimming pool is on the edge. The view from this pool is incredible because you are overlooking the entire resort with the Indian Ocean in the background.

Were you given the freedom by the owner to design or were you guided closely?

I actually worked very closely with the owner, because he is a developer who is also an architect, contractor as well as mechanical engineer. He has a lot of experience and was very much involved in the whole project. His passion for this development is amazing, and he had so many ideas which were very useful in the design process. We also had to adapt the sustainability concept into our design due to the commitment of the Six Senses brand to do so, and we were happy to do it. Six Senses guided us and gave us input on how to incorporate their sustainable areas into our design. We used natural and local materials all over the resort, such as the timber used in the rooms. We definitely had a lot of guidance during this project, but we were very happy to accommodate them and we learnt a lot as well.