Rumah Haruku in Pejeng Bali

Completed 2023

We fell in love with the site as we found a whole ecosystem of mature trees, sloping steeply down on the search of the flowing water from a small river at the bottom of the site. Behind, where we first found an entrance, an open rice paddy field bordered by coconut trees. Exactly as one imagines Bali. The land reflected a strong and comfortable energy. It was like the kind of sheltered place you want to arrive to when you go on a hike through the forest, and we wanted to reflect this into the design.

As one of our core principles in our design philosophy, our mission was to preserve what nature has given. As a result, we keep all mature trees and graciously incorporate them into the design. The house feels like it has been there forever. In addition to the idea of preserving what nature has given we added a numerous of tropical plants to add biodiversity.

As we take inspiration from locality, for Rumah Haruku we take inspiration from the traditional long-house of Borneo (“Rumah Panjang”). It is a long narrow shape house on stilts in the middle of the Borneo rainforest. The materiality takes inspiration from traditional Indonesian architecture reflected in the use of locally sourced materials together with the Balinese inspired hipped roof known as “Grantang”. The roof uses Bangkirai wood for its structure and “sirap ulin” wooden shingles for its cover. Doors and Windows, wall panels, and wooden flooring use the same Bangkirai wood to have a synergy in the whole architecture. The shower and kitchen floors use terrazzo flooring combined with custom made cement tiles applied to the walls.

One unique material we used is “karpet lontar”, a material traditionally used for floor coverings in Balinese ceremonies. At Rumah Haruku it became the ceiling of the whole house creating a contrast of texture and colour.

Another main feature of the house is the expandable living space. This also takes inspiration from “Rumah Panjang’s” design where the surrounding corridors are for communal activities. The space is completely openable creating an intimate connection between the interior and the surrounding tropical nature. When opened, the bench railing surrounding the living space doubles as additional seating. As a result, it allows the living room to enlarge for an expanded gathering space.

Photos: Iker Zuñiga / Pempki