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Architects: Stilt Studios
- Area: 165 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Ryan Albert, Tommaso Riva
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Manufacturers: Ateson, Paloma, Toto
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Lead Architect: Prayoga Arya Wirasana
Text description provided by the architects. Nestled in the Balinese village of Pererenan lies Bawa House, a sustainable, low impact take on modern tropical living. Once a barren piece of land, inhabited only by chickens, it has been brought back to life through the project’s use of natural building materials and a lush tropical garden.
Raised upon stilted foundations, the project complements the neighborhood’s traditional built environment, with the single-story design mirroring surrounding Balinese houses. It embraces a symbiotic relationship with the land, preserving green spaces and minimizing its ecological footprint.
Adhering to Stilt Studios’ ethos of environmental stewardship, the house is made of prefabricated building elements and responsibly sourced materials, emphasizing wood for carbon storage. It uses a 3x3 meter modular system with efficient steel structures and extensive customization options, speeding up construction time while maintaining full quality control over materials. This approach not only reduces waste but also significantly lowers the building's carbon footprint, blending design with eco-consciousness.
This minimalist family home comprises a main living space, three bedrooms, and an office, with each room designed to connect with the outdoors. Solid walls are kept to a minimum with large sliding doors and floor-to-ceiling windows allowing natural light to flood in throughout the day. Elevated wooden walkways connect the buildings while also extending the living area. These features create long lines of sight, adding to the sense of space and openness on a relatively compact site.
The three buildings are positioned at different heights. This play with vertical space creates changing perspectives across the square plot. The areas between the buildings are filled with trees and plants, making the house feel as though it is floating amongst the greenery. The garden also uses vertical lines, surrounding the highest building in the canopy of trees and then spiraling down to the broad tropical leaves that surround the swimming pool. The vibrant garden has quickly attracted wildlife back to the land while also creating a microclimate that helps cool the site during the hottest months.
Bawa House was conceived as a counterpoint to the high-density development that is sweeping across Bali, showing that modern family living can be achieved sustainably, with minimal impact on the environment and local community. An oasis of calm in the constant movement of southern Bali.
