Bali-based architect Alexis Dornier has designed a four-bedroom house on stilts in the shape of a cross surrounded by a circle, located in the artsy Ubud area. The cross is the primary building component in the 420m² house, whereas the circle is the secondary element.
The circle holds programmes such as the atelier, the pool, the sound studio and back of house program. The living room becomes the continuous landscape brought through the underneath of the sculpture, and is the heart of the circle. The primary building component is the elevated cross, where each of its four ends holds rooms that point into different directions, framing specific views into the vicinity.
Each of the four bedrooms is crowned by a specific roof shape that seamlessly blends into the other extremities of the building. Blending vernacular roof silhouettes into something new, the structure’s combined and transmutesd architecture and visually connected design to neighbouring roofs has been designed not to stand out, but to blend in with the surrounding structures.
Bedrooms face towards the inside and can be opened to become visually connected to the inner atrium. The visual relationships of the distinctive building components add to a certain significance and atmosphere and manifest a built, out-of-the-box experiment. The bedrooms can be accessed by the two central staircases that complete each other in the form of a helix. Underneath these staircases a sunken living area defines the heart of the home.
The material palette is dominated by the appearance and use of reclaimed wood of different kinds. Intricately textured walls through different patterns, sculptures, artwork and flora create an artistic environment. The loft-like character of the house stays true to the context of tropical modernism, while highlighting its experimental nature.
Photographs: Kiearch
