Pecatu House

This house was designed for a small family living in Pecatu, Bali. This house has several program as a small family house.

Balinese architecture has a neat and complete architectural system based on cosmology, namely “nawa sanga”. It is not built in a compact system structure, but separately as an independent structure that is interconnected. Normally, each structure inhabits a small family. Residents of these complexes are a large family of the same inherent. These complexes surrounded by a fence to separate it with external “jaba”.

Since our site is so compact, we have packed our program vertically, which means that the concept of “tri angga” must be adopted in this concept of designing and compiling programs. We compile in three hierarchies as it is called “tri angga” in traditional architecture, these three hierarchies are “Utama” as the main or head part consisting of the main room and library, “Madya” or middle part consisting of children’s room, guest room and living room, and “Nista” or part consisting of garden and service room.

The articulation of this house is highlighted by the use of locally fired bricks as the main material to show the locality, in addition to the brick composition that mimics the pattern of “Kain Poleng Rwabhineda”. A traditional blind ornament found in almost every corner of Bali as a sign of a sacred place or ceremony. The meaning behind “Kain Poleng Rwabhineda” are two opposite signs. Black and white, inside and outside, bad and good.

This pattern is to integrate the house into the culture and at the same time create transparency, which means lightness, openness instead of massiveness or stubbornness.