Music House is a 420 sqm residential built at Alam Sutera, Indonesia, for a musician family. This house is designed to cater the activity of family and guests, such as playing instruments, recitals and rehearsals. It is a project of poetic arts, that carries continuity and harmony of strains of musical tones as its design concept. The final shape is a result of transformation of one basic form into a seamless form that promotes continuity and connectivity from first floor to second floor. The idea of continuity and harmony are adapted in the building through in-depth exploration of layout, materials and details.
The facade consists of 2 types of element, solid and semi-transparent, just like how music has vocal weight. Solid facade illustrates heavy tones such as tenor, baritone or bass; semi-transparent facade illustrates high singing tones like soprano. The “solid element” is represented by materials like concrete, while the “semi-transparent element” is represented with glass and concrete grill to create the not-so-transparent effect.
The final shape of the building is a translation of one basic form into a seamless form that promotes continuity and connectivity from first floor to second floor level. The building mass at the back is created higher than the front to recite the flow of music tones, similar to how the music goes from low tone to high tone. From interior perspective, this house minimizes the use of partitions to create continuous and open living space. The stairs create the flow of space, and also functions as a space for displaying artworks. Inside the house, a large semi-transparent space functions as a living room. Then, the space continues to dining and kitchen area, and a large terrace with skylight functioned as an area for music rehearsal. The terrace is enclosed with curved pivot doors with glass to create dynamic look and open plan.
Located in a typical urban housing complex, which predominantly consists of semidetached housing, this project elaborates the indoor and outdoor relationship. The parcel is located at the end corner of the block and adjacent to the public park, which is seen as a directing point to the space planning concept. The tropical climate is taken as a main consideration to drive the architectural geometry concept, along with the material chosen.
Going through the house is an experience right from the very first entrance through the fence and end to the guest living room. Rather than the conventional space layout, semi-private family room is positioned at the front corner, elevated 3 meters above the street level. By doing so, the family gets the maximum view of the public park. Consequently, there is a pedestrian ramp all the way from the main entrance through the over flow swimming pool to the guest living room at the back part of the land, thus create the walking experience to the visitor.
The building envelopes itself using the floor to ceiling glass skin, in order to maximize surrounding view. The sliding folding glass door system makes the family room as flexible as ‘tropical’ terrace, adjacent to the infinity swimming pool. Using the 3,5 meter span of metal louver canopy, the master bedroom on the second floor was covered from the afternoon sunlight, without sacrificing the generous view to the adjacent public park from inside.
Inside the modern tropical architecture style of the building, TWS & Partners tries to put a traditional interior element, like semi-transparent wall partition in the family room, to soften the atmosphere. A piece of natural wood used as a dining table gives a warm feeling to this area as the main heart of this residence. In the master bathroom, gallery concept is elaborated, with the rectilinear space arrangement, which maximize the natural daylight through the gap between the room with the perimeter wall. The color and material palette are the earthy, creamy color contrasting with dark, aged and rustic wood appearance.
This project is located in Padang, Sumatera Island, the west part of Indonesian archipelago. Padang is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific ring of fire. The site has an irregular, trapezoid shape, with low-rise neighbourhood surrounding. The space is arranged parallel into one side of land and the main pitch roof parallel into another side. The result is an unpredictable, rich in details and playful space throughout the house. Thus the name Shifted House.
The pitch roof is made out of corrugated aluminium metal roof, which is light weight, to accommodate the anti-earthquake structure, ensuring safety for the occupants. The aluminium louver attached to the upper and vertical part of the building is to give rhythm and, in some parts, acts as a mild space separation. This architectural language is a sympathetic respond to the surrounding neighbourhood.
Guests are greeted by the in-outdoor space, as if floating in the middle of reflecting pond. The roof and outer part of the welcoming foyer is constructed out of wooden-textured aluminium, arranged so that they create a play of shadow on the concrete-finished wall. From there guests are led by the pathway, parallel to the pond, to the “separate” living pavilion. The rooms are arranged on another side, facing the perimeter garden, creating a private zone area to the residents.
Located in a very dense area in West Jakarta, Split House is a renovation and extension project on a 6 x 15 meters land, owned by a family of four. The aim is to provide a comfortable and adequate working space combined with a living space in one place. Both spaces need to be separated well to serve the functions.
The name of “Split House” is derived from the concept that visualizes two houses with slope roof that stand on two different land lots. One of them is rotated 180 degrees, so they are opposing each other. The family of four is accommodated in the part that has slope going down to the front street, while the other part of the house is the entrance for office space. The zone separation of living and working space is vertical, where the ground level is intended for office function and the upper level is used for living space. After passing the courtyard, there is a gallery space, directing visitors to vertical circulation area at the back. Vertical circulation is made in zigzag shape, imagining it as an artwork element filling the void area at the back. The gallery space is also used as an additional space for working area of the office if it is needed.
The position of family room on the second floor is intended to achieve privacy as well as visual protection from outdoor area. Meanwhile TWS & Partners still preserves the connectivity of views and natural air circulation between the family room with the outdoor area within the foreground of a tree from the courtyard. Entering further, the Master bedroom and kids bedroom are located at the sides of family room. These layout suits the best as a balance circulation to all residences of the house. Family room becomes a loft under the slope ceiling and roof that eventually direct the natural light and air to come in. This loft concept space for the family room also let the visual continuity to the front courtyard. The third floor is set up with casual lounge space for the family with the roof garden that produces an active natural air circulation changing with the front courtyard.
Stacking house is a residential project located in Jakarta. This house provides personal space for each member of the family. One master bedroom with a lounge and a walk-in closet, 3 kids bedrooms with a shared bathroom, guest bedroom, and parent’s bedroom with walk in closet. The family area is living and dining room that can gather up to 10 people, completed with grand piano. Other supporting areas such as garage, service area, both dry and wet kitchen are also provided to supply the needs of family members. As an addition, there are also private gym and spa area.
Located on a 600 sqm land area, the challenge was housing such a big program, and to realize the dream to have a garden house concept.
So the strategy is to stack the garden house one above another and positioning the yard on the front side.
Then we have the garden house which have the spacious view from inside.
Located in Jakarta, Wall Less House is another residential project with a total area of 600 sqm. This house consists of living and dining area, one master bedroom, one studio room, two kids bedrooms, and one guest bedroom.
The ground level is lifted 2.8 meter above ground to provide a privacy and spacious open living dining area with an outdoor opening on three sides.
To separate the zone within the open area, the folded partition is hanging from ceiling. This strategy also provides a canopy form tropical sunlight.
Water Cascade house is a project located in Jakarta with a total area of +/- 2,200 sqm. There are two separate buildings in this house, the first building is the main private building and the second building is function room. The function room was designated for a small office. This house is also facilitated with garden and fish pool as a design element.
Imagine as a series of overlapping, stacking, and cascading water pond. The massing is arranged coming down from public at the front, to private at the rear. Waterscape becomes a background for the architecture and unity for various programs.
Located in Jakarta, Blown House is a private residential project with a designed area of +/- 1000 sqm. To fulfil the requirements that it should accommodate 10 people, the house consists of spacious living and dining rooms that fit 10 people, one master bedroom and two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. The house is also facilitated with one studio with home theatre system, dry kitchen with breakfast area, wet kitchen and swimming pool.
The studio is separated from the main building, creating a free-standing massing. Depicted as a sail within an ocean of green, the massing is blown to form access stairs and double-height space to house the main area, allowing generous natural light and view to a green field across the building.
Cross House is a design concept that translates into a 800 sqm residential site. The design is to elaborate split level concept house, as the site is divided into two different ground levels. In response to the fact above, the program is divided into two massing, which are connected to each other with steps, crossing across the two area.
This split mass level creates a sequence of space and make a clear separation between public and private area.
The grey granite stone used to clad the facade, is juxtaposed with a glass wall, creating an understated building appearance.
Located in suburban Jakarta, Distort House is blessed with an exquisite surrounding of lush vegetation, which has become a luxury in the metropolitan city. Right in front of the site, lays a public park with some old tropical trees. In response to these advantages of the lush surrounding, TWS & Partners aims to create a living space with maximum view and connection to its green surrounding.
The building mass is split into private and public functions. Visitors are greeted by a spacious front yard, and by rotating the building by 15, they are spoiled by a richer quality of view from both inside and outside of the house. It offers a great interaction between the house and the lush surrounding and create a visual bridge of transition between the public park and the house itself.
The private area is positioned on the upper level so that it has endless view of tree leaves and endless feel of fresh air. The ground level is then fully maximized for public and semi-public area with a huge living room that connects directly to the surrounding garden creating the feel of living in the middle of a natural forest. Those areas are connected through a “twisted” staircase crossing a little semi-courtyard, bridging the whole mass as one experience of inside-outside, ground-upper, man-made and nature.
Repurposed material are applied in this house in a creative way; recycled wooden window, steel bar, and clay roof. The wooden window varies from top hung opening, swing opening, and fixed window. The patchwork pattern is created to retain the original size of each window, combined with louver, clear glass, and exposed concrete rooster creating a more dynamic patchwork pattern. The various size and shape of steel bar are also being rearranged to create the front gate and steel door handle. In each space, the columns and beams are exposed to its natural concrete plaster color, among the white walls. Wooden structure for the roof is applied with wooden ceiling finish made from recycled wooden plank that was once used for box packaging. The unglazed clay roof is also used as a responsive act toward environment. It can disperse up to 70 percent less heat into the house creating a cooler temperature inside the house.
As the result of the treatment to the mass, stairs, and roof, TWS & Partners achieved a distort angle of shape and form combined with a dynamic patchwork pattern facade created from the repurposed materials. For these reasons the house is called “Distort House”. Distort House represents the idea of new feel, new look, and new experience towards today’s environmental friendly home.
E House stands for Evolution House, which means a step-by-step design process, in forming the space and architecture elements. The design strategy is an attempt to break the old believe that architecture cannot go along with fengshui methods.
Then superimposing one space/element to another as an additive design strategy, results in the rich inter penetrated space and mass, forming a new inter connected and penetrated architectural language.
The building program, shape, facade and material is dictated by the specific energy within each divided area (according to fengshui geometric symbol).
This strategy is resulting the dynamic and unpredictable space and architectural form.
Located at a mountainous area in Bandung, the site takes benefit from the beautiful surrounding of deep valley. It also has an added advantage because of its proximity to the forest conservatory, which provides tranquil quality of the mountain site.
Entering the building from street level, guest are led to entrance level or second floor, where they can enjoy the surrounding view through an open timber pathway, side by side with water garden as a welcoming element. Then visitors will pass through the shaded circulation to living room and dining room. Living and dining room offer open view to water garden and timber deck that leads a gazebo and Jacuzzi. The shifted orientation at the upper level provides shading to the open wooden deck terrace underneath it. The materials used in this building consist of natural concrete wall and slab, recycled wooden rib, and green tinted glass.
The idea of the building mass is originally taken from stacking boxes which are rotated through their corner axis, in order to create different walking experience from different angle of view. This strategy also allows the users to have different orientation in different room and have almost 270 degree view to surrounding valley. Timber shading horizontal and vertical circulation wrapped ‘behind’ the box, provides a second skin to building’s rear facade which gives privacy from front side of the building.
