Landi desings Inc.

Close to nature

This Bali holiday home is sensitively designed to respect the surrounding landscape

One of the challenges when deciding to build a new home on an isolated or pristine piece of land is finding a design solution that maintains the beauty and integrity of the area.

A desire for total peace and quiet, well away from the hustle and bustle of a busy tourist destination, drove the design of this holiday home built by architect Alessandro Landi for himself and his family.

However, Landi recognised that to show his respect for the local landscape, his plans and design for the property had to blend with the surroundings as much as possible.

"Clearly, during the building process itself there was some impact on the land, but now that the work is completed, the plants have grown again and the house has integrated into the landscape. From the distance, you can barely make out the roofline above the forest, and the house is almost invisible. I believe we have succeeded in merging our modern lifestyle with the natural setting," says Landi.

"My intention was to design a house that was modern, clean, functional and secure against the local weather, which can be very wet and stormy. I also wanted to make the most of our beautiful setting on a cliff top with views of ocean and forest in every direction," he says.

The steeply sloping site faces the sea, so Landi decided the best approach was to cut out a small flat area for the main living spaces, while at the same time building so the house steps down through two levels, following the natural contours of the land. This had the benefit of ensuring all the rooms in the house could be positioned to enjoy views of the sea and forest.

The garage is at the lowest point of the house, its concrete roof topped with a lawn that opens off the living area and swimming pool one level above. A flight of timber steps leads from the car parking area up to the front door and into the large, glazed foyer of the house.

The kitchen is on the same level as the foyer, the uppermost floor in the house, and the indoor and outdoor living areas are a few stairs lower.

To maximise the views, the spaces are all as transparent as possible. The living area has glazing on three sides, opening it up to vistas in almost every direction. Elsewhere, Landi has used mirrors and mirrored glass to reflect the outlook. Two of these walls open up through folding glass doors suspended from a track along the ceiling, allowing the granite-tiled floor to flow uninterrupted out to the terrace, and large eaves are an extension of the internal ceiling.

On the side of the house exposed to the stormy, westerly wind, the glass is fixed.

"When the doors are fully open, there are no tracks in the floor or anything to indicate whether you are inside or on the terrace," says the architect.

The swimming pool butts up to the terrace, so images in the water of the sun and sky reflect on the ceiling of the living area, helping to bring these spaces closer together.

Views can also be enjoyed from the master bedroom, which is along a mirrored hallway past the kitchen. An outdoor staircase at one end of the terrace leads down to a separate area containing four bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms. The concrete terrace on the upper level forms the ceiling of these bedrooms.

"Because the site is fairly compact, our design had to be condensed to accommodate everything we needed.

Although the bedrooms are quite small, the use of mirrors and large areas of glass makes them appear airier and brings in plenty of natural light.

A limited palette of materials – stainless steel, timber, glass, stone and mirror – keeps the interior uncluttered, simple and modern. "In addition, we have increased the sense of space by blending the various areas into each other," says Landi.

Suspended Between Ocean and Sky

CASTAWAY, SOUTH BUKIT COAST – BALI
Architecture, Interiors & Landscaping: Landi Designs Inc.

Castaway is a secluded, modern 4-bedroom residence nestled on a forested hillside in Bali’s southern peninsula.
Almost invisible from the arrival point, with only a precise roof line to indicate the controlled composition within.

Past the small wooden entry gate, a granite staircase zigzags through the landscaped bays of an exuberant garden, flanked on one side by a curved wall of Bengkirai in various height and thickness. Gradually, the sea and forest view open up and the transparent living area appears magically suspended between ocean and sky.

The architecture has been informed by the site: the building base blends into the hill with minimal intrusion; the floor plan follows the natural topography with an open, split-level layout, invigorating the feeling of being part of the surroundings. The result of the synergy between the designer’s vision and the qualities of the site, perfectly integrated into each other.

The immediate sensation is of being sheltered, protected by the solid structure, while at the same time completely left open to the elements.
This seamless relationship between indoor and outdoor is achieved mainly with the use of large expanses of glass; all of them frame-less. “To interfere as little as possible with the view” the designer says “an invisible barrier that retracts on smooth gliders at the push of a finger”.

The landscaping shows a restrained use of plants, with fields of single species grouped together in careful compositions all-round the property.

The palette of materials strikes a balance between rough and smooth surfaces, solidity and lightness.
The masculine strength of the untreated Indian slate in the living room wall is echoed by the flamed granite flooring.
This provides a sense of permanence and anchors the residence to the rocky terrain. In contrast the reflective skins of the clear, mirrored and back- colored glass help to lighten the structure and to bring inside the surrounding views even more.

All volumes are very rectilinear: the long spanning overhang of the concrete roof, a slender lap pool, aligned to terraced lawns and decks.

The interior displays a dynamic quality that adapts and shifts during the day. At morning, the pool surface casts an intriguing reflection to the plasterboard ceiling, while in the afternoon the wood and stainless steel grilles combine to create striated patterns of light. Later at night, the building becomes a luminous entity, glowing in the jungle.

The layout is designed to encourage the easy sharing of family activities. Two of the bedroom suites are adjacent to the living area and open to private gardens, with two more located in the lower garden wing.
All of them are quite self- contained, they offer comfort and, most importantly, privacy.

All furnishings are custom-designed by Landi Designs, mixing to great effect sleek sofas and lounges, large indoor planters, untreated timber pieces and abstract artworks on glass.

In this project the designers opted to not use details or ornamentations typical of the Balinese style, in favor of a more muted palette blending modern forms with functional design to create a place that is at the same time a home for a busy family, an holiday retreat, a space ultimately flexible and habitable all-year-round.

On a practical side, this building displays several sustainable and energy-efficient solutions. It adapts itself with the natural contours of the land with minimal excavation, this being “the no.1 rule for a responsible approach to the environment” points the architect. It also employs materials that are both recyclable like glass and renewable like the bamboo used in the bedrooms, it retains all rain water for domestic use and thanks to the constant cross-ventilation requires a minimum use of air-conditioning.

An exercise in restraint

This home by Landi-Designs is unabashedly modern, with a simple layout that embraces open-plan living. In order to optimize spectacular views over its remote southern coastal location on the Bukit peninsula, floor-to-ceiling glazing is liberally used. To further the feeling of living with nature, the apparent lightness of the structure is countered by an exuberant use of rough, unfinished textures-from slate and stone masonry to granite and bamboo flooring. The overall result is an international-style, contemporary home with no rice field in sight.

Inspiration for the four-bedroom house came from the work of mid-century modernist architects such as Richard Neutra, John Lautner and Pierre Koenig. “These architects advocated that architecture should serve as a mediating force between man and nature,” explains Landi. “Their work epitomized the essential joys of modern living: sun, space, greenery.” Landi was keen to embrace these ideals in his own home, as the surrounding terrain is somewhat unusual for Bali being rather drier and less “jungly” than in other areas. It lends itself to a more cosmopolitan style.

Unlike many homes in Bali, there is little reference to Indonesian culture either inside or out. The entrance is a particular case in point. Access from the carport is via a wide staircase of flamed granite, flanked on both sides by bright yellow plantings, a smooth concrete garage wall and a grille of vertical benkerai wooden slats in different widths and heights. This international atmosphere is furthered once you enter the house: interiors represent a departure from the norm in Bali where Indonesian accents tend to predominate.

The palette of the interior echoes that of the exterior: Several shades of grays are utilized from a light hue on the ceiling, columns and floor. Charcoal sofas and dining chairs, as well as a black glass bar and kitchen cabinets, comprise the main elements in the open-plan living/dining/bar/kitchen space. These are juxtaposed with calculated splashes of colour-a bright red chaise longue on the deck, a crimson rug in the living area, red and chrome bar stools and a triangular awning on the deck.

The open plan interior features casual, yet modern, furniture pieces that work well with the Indian slate and granite flooring. Planter boxes with geometric grasses sit alongside abstract paintings on glass by Landi.

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Using nitrocellulose paint and an array of mixed media, they are supported on volcanic stone blocks. An imposing Asmat war shield by Just Jens’s in Seminyak is the only nod to Indonesian art. According to Landi, it has been left casually leaning against the living room wall “as if abandoned by a warrior at the end of a headhunting expedition”. The glass-topped coffee table sits on top of rough blocks of wood.

All around are views of the garden with minimalist landscaping, a narrow lap pool lined with irregular blocks of green sukabumi stone, and the Bukit scrubland. As an exercise in restraint, the house is perhaps unparalleled in this book.

Castaway

Get away from it all on the bukit’s south coast. The modern castaway has been found.

Castaway is an apt name for this new home recently built by Landi- Designs. It is sited on the south east coast of the Bukit, Bali and is quite isolated, surrounded by lush mature forest and it feels like you could be a million miles from anywhere. For many people it could be too far away from town but for others it may be the ideal getaway house of their dreams. The building itself and its natural surroundings would surely entice anyone with a modern perspective and environmental leanings, and if Alila, Karma and Bulgari are in the neighbourhood, Castaway is in good company.

After the rocky track up to the house and through the entrance, the modern lines and open space of the design becomes apparent.
This contemporary, four bedroom home is stylish in all its facets.
The upper, split level is the main living area of the house and is accompanied by two bedrooms. The modern fully-appointed kitchen converges seamlessly to the slate floored living room and out to the timber decking and swimming pool area. From all points upstairs the magnificent 270 degree views of the quite distant ocean and surrounding country can be appreciated. Walking downstairs via an outdoor flight of steps, two more bedrooms can be found that open up to the surrounding lawns and gardens. The sliding, unframed glass doors allow the home to be opened entirely to catch the breezes. One intriguing and quite unique element of this house design is the use of glass paneled walls. The thick, colored or mirrored surfaces help to create an incredible feeling of space, style and above all, they give the house a taste of the extraordinary. This wall finishing has a 6-star luxury feel.

The quality workmanship, the innovative design and materials, and having the space and the natural landscape all around would make Castaway an inspiring home to live in.