Less is More: minimalism amid affluence in north Jakarta

A minimalist house in Jakarta is the embodiment of subtlety and elegance.

Words: Willy Wilson, photography: Muhtar Holil

“Design isn’t always about shapes and colours,” says Indonesian architect Andi Wirawan.

Speaking from personal experience as a homeowner who built his house from scratch, Andi says a house is both financial and emotional investment.

“As such, clients have to dig deep into themselves to find out their aesthetics. Communicating the design preferences to the architect is also crucial,” points out Andi.

Fortunately for Andi, he was both the client and the architect of his family house that he shares with his wife and three children. He considers the house – an imposing minimalist structure located in north Jakarta – his best work yet.

“I’m the architect of my own house. I knew precisely what I wanted from the get go,” says the 46-year-old architect.

What Andi wanted from a house is “an uncluttered space with natural light and good ventilation”.

Built in 2008, his house captures the design philosophy he firmly believes in: minimalism.

Air and light

Sited on 1,722 sq ft of land (width: 26 ft, length: 82 ft), the façade of the house is dominated by white walls, aluminium shield and a sliding metal gate anchored in a raw concrete wall.

“To soften what would otherwise look like an intimidating structure, I placed three ketapang kencana (Terminalia mantaly) trees on the façade. Planted on the first floor and situated right in the middle of the house, the trees – together the aluminium shield – are also meant to filter noise and pollution,” he explains.

Despite its simplicity, the façade of the house contains great design ideas that mirror the interior of the house.

Andi’s three-storey house has a built-up area of 3,767sq ft. Upon entering the house, guests are greeted with an expansive living-cum-dining area and two small gardens measuring 77.5 sq ft each.

“I like the idea of having gardens within the house, for I believe that plants create a soothing atmosphere for a house. I created a vertical void through [the first and second floor] so that the plants have access to direct sunlight and fresh air,” he shares, adding that there’s another garden on the first floor.

He keeps the ground floor neat and tidy, with minimal furniture and built-in cabinets in which the electronic equipments are placed. Where lighting is concerned, Andi relies on sunlight that comes in through the roof.

“When it comes to the interior, I basically apply the same strategy throughout the house. On the first and second floor – whether it is the bedroom or the study – you don’t see children’s toys or magazines lying around. I keep everything inside the built-in cabinets,” he explains.

Static yet dynamic

A flight of steep and dramatic staircases leads guests to the first floor. Facing the front of the house is a balcony, sheltered by ketapang kencana trees. Sliding glass doors separate the balcony from the study area, where Andi and his wife spend most of their time.

A spacious area with only a few chairs and artworks, the study area is pristine and unadorned. Asked if he, like the rest of us, uses the table to work, Andi laughs.

“I do have a table – a portable one,” he says, pulling a custom-made table hidden in the lower half of a wall-to-ceiling cabinet. Evidently, even a table is too much clutter for his taste.

As with the rest of the house, the interior on the first floor consists of earthy colour tones such as white, grey and brown. As you may have expected, concrete, glass and teak are the material of choice. But Andi begs to differ if you think his aesthetic is unexciting or predictable.

“Did you notice the diagonal sunbeam on the wall that faces the study area,” Andi asks, pointing at a rectangle shaft of light on the opposite side of the room.

“It may look just like a beam of sunlight. But it actually moves from one side to the other, following the movement of the sun – thanks to the patches of glass roof,” he says with a hint of pride.

“Such light movements show that although the design of the house may seem static, it is actually very dynamic,” he claims.

Taste level

Andi’s house is located in Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK), an exclusive area in the north of Jakarta.

Situated about 20 minutes away from the airport by car, PIK is one of Jakarta’s many gated communities, protected by a high perimeter fence, barbed wire, and a guard who collects visitors’ ID cards and checks every visiting car for explosives. If you’ve ever been to a high-end mall in the Indonesian capital, you’ll know get the drill.

Unlike the nearby border suburb of Cengkareng, where sprawling, low houses sit on large lots, land is at a premium in PIK, especially after Singapore International School established a school in this estate.

Many of the residents here, like Andi, are second-generation Chinese Indonesians who have achieved success in their own rights. Owning a property here is a trophy, and many of them aren’t afraid to flaunt it in the form of faux Renaissance-inspired houses.

Andi’s family house is an imposing minimalist structure in a pool of ostentatiously designed houses.

“Since I was an architecture student, I have been drawn to clean lines and quiet design – I don’t understand the fascination of ornately designed houses,” says the Auckland University of Technology graduate matter-of-factly.

Hashtags: #design #art #interiordesign #architecture #designer #fashion #style #graphicdesign #interior #love #home #homedecor #decor #o #photography #artist #handmade #illustration #creative #dise #artwork #luxury #photooftheday #inspiration #logo #d #drawing #branding #bhfyp #furniture #beautiful #like #homedesign #decoration #lifestyle #follow #arte #instagram #picoftheday #photoshop #marketing #sketch #graphic #travel #digitalart #arquitetura #business #vintage #painting #beauty #photo #model #modern #nature #designinspiration #architect #graphics #brand #home #homedecor #interiordesign #design #love #interior #decor #realestate #homesweethome #house #architecture #instagood #homedesign #art #family #like #casa #photography #style #realtor #interiors #luxury #decoration #picoftheday #photooftheday #o #Bathroom #Bedroom #livingroom #kitchen #terace #lobby #pool  #furniture #lifestyle #bhfyp #ArchiMOZE

Source : starproperty.my