This beautiful villa is called Ashoka Canggu, designed by Danish-based studio Mencke & Vagnby, in co-operation with architect Peter Sand as a summer residence in Bali for a Hong Kong based couple. It is located in the small village Canggu one hour drive north west of Denpasar. The 3,229 square foot (300 square meters) villa combines Scandinavian traditions with the openness and materials.

The ground floor is kept open and in close contact with the garden and pools, while keeping a clear view over the rice paddies to the west. The surrounding Balinese stone wall continues inside and becomes the main structure, to further blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. The same applies to the stone floor, which only changes surface structure from a rough surface around the pools to a slight matt indoor surface.

In contrast to that, the first floor box is kept in white concrete, reflecting the sunlight and providing shade for the ground floor, while it contains the three master bedrooms. The bathrooms are inspired by caves and also kept in a local stone with a large sky window over the shower and bathtub. The “v” shape of the villa is a result of the sites shape, surrounded by rice paddies, rain forest and a local holy path.

Photos: Alexis Menting