Dharmawangsa House

The house is interplayed with various floor levels not only to depict the importance of hierarchy, but also to create different experiences throughout the house. As Jakarta is a flood prone area, the floor plate of the entire liveable space and lap pool was elevated by one level. Due to the tropical weather in South East Asia, the humid conditions were countered by creating a suitable design with cross ventilation, in promoting air circulation throughout the house. The sun’s movement pattern was studied over the year to better understand and design the open areas, providing a natural, cool sheltered area over the swimming pool and outdoor communal area. As this is a residence, the property was planned from its geographic point of view. The main level was originally the same as the street level. The client’s brief was to attain more privacy, hence, it was recommended to elevate the entire property by one level. There were two aspects of interactions; one would be how the owners and guests use each space, and the other, how to incorporate the fine floral and landscape planted outside into the interior spaces. On the social aspects, it was important to ensure that the spaces flow seamlessly from public to private zones, and how each space can be hidden away. The property should also allow different experiences through the year for its users. Other spaces were carved with intimate proportions. Several studies were done for the project. One of them was the one year study of the sun movement over the property. This interprets the usage of the facilities like the sun deck and the mechanism of the large overhangs. It defined how the owners could make use of the spaces between the living space to the dining hall, from the master bedroom to the pool deck. The creation of the overhangs was carefully crafted to shelter the users from the extreme tropical weather patterns. Be it rain or shine, the users could still do much of their preferred activities. Heavy down pours, blistering sun shine, warm and humidity of 90% are very much how life is in tropical Asia. The design had to provide a proper solution to overcome these problems faced at the property. While the huge roof overhangs and covered areas managed the sun and rain, the massive sliding doors and pockets of air wells at the rear allowed fresh air through the property. The basic formula of warm air convection did its job in keeping the interior air quality cool and fresh. “Bringing in the landscape” from the outdoors adds the riot of freshness and foliage to the private areas. Textures and materials used in the creation of spaces engaged the owners sensory experiences. Creative handling of the project was achieved not only through the tedious brainstorming sessions for ideas and to be constructed locally, but also in ensuring that the design researches have been proven in its actual design and function as it is. The geographical aspects – the land size of approximately 620m2 with side to side properties, busy street in front, a back-to-back property at the rear – makes this plot of land very compact. Privacy, climate and weather conditions added on to these problems. The first rule of thumb was to not over build the property like the neighbour’s residence. The other rule was to ensure that every space has a spectacular experience. The design had its focus on the internal swimming pool and the foliage in the middle. Raising the entire main living quarters also meant that the indoor view is elevated from street view and serves as a better preparation against seasonal floods. The design of the roof kept most of the building’s glass façade under the shade; thus, a more efficient cooling system can be achieved. This was further enhanced by the support of cross ventilation through its corridors, walkways and air wells. With its minted comfort, owners can use many parts of the house and the spaces in most weather conditions.