This contemporary resort-inspired home was designed by SAOTA Architects, located in Uluwatu, a place on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula of Bali, Indonesia. Dramatically perched on a limestone cliff edge, this home showcases exceptional ocean views. The name Uluwatu comes from ulu, meaning ‘lands end’, and watu, meaning ‘rock’, perfectly describing the rugged beauty of the region. Uluwatu is also one of the hottest surf destinations in all of Bali, not to mention a spiritual destination.
Deeply connected with its stunning surroundings, the design of this luxurious holiday home reflects a contemporary spin on local materiality and vernacular architecture. The architects designed this house on an expansive east-west oriented site, where it faces the ocean on the eastern side. The vastness of the site enabled for the design of a resort‐inspired layout, where individual suites and living spaces were set in a fragmented arrangement that connects indoor and outdoor spaces.
Project Team: Architects: SAOTA / Architect of Record: H+H Architecture / Structural Engineer: Saka Undagi Design / Lighting Consultant: Nipek / MEP Engineer: Wija Kusuma Nadi (Design & Construct) / AV Consultant: Twotimesmono / Quantity Surveyor: Penjor Bali Mandiri / Contractor: CV Adi Jaya Utama / Interior Designer: Molteni & C / Landscaping: Bali Landscape Company
A series of courtyards, gardens and other planted terraces are deftly woven into the architecture, combining structured and naturalistic planting and creating a sense that landscape and architecture are meaningfully integrated. In fact, the design of this resort-inspired home was partly inspired by the way in which rocky ruins are, in time, reclaimed by the landscape, and come to seem almost as if they are part of it.
What We Love: This resort-inspired home offers its inhabitants an idyllic location to enjoy both the tropical setting and rugged ocean views. Focused on indoor-outdoor living, the design of this home is deeply connected with its environment to create a feeling of tranquility. We are especially loving the master bathroom and it’s connection with the outdoors… that outdoor shower would be so refreshing!
Tell Us: What do you think of this home, would this be your idyllic vacation getaway home? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments!
Note: Have a look at a couple of our most favorite home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of SAOTA Architects: Spectacular modern dream home on the island of Ibiza and Sumptuous concrete dwelling in Cape Town offering sea views.
A large palm‐lined entry courtyard creates a dramatic sense of arrival with a grand staircase floating over a cascading water feature. Monolithic stone‐clad walls add a singular design statement to the experience of entering the house. The centralized entrance creates a focal point on arrival, where a lounge, dining room and covered terrace form the core of the cellular arrangement of buildings and pavilions, which radiate outwards, organically interspersed with planted courtyards and terraces. A large courtyard to the west provides an enclosed counterpoint to the vast views to the east.
Not only does the fragmented nature of the building and outdoor spaces do away with internal passages entirely, but it also facilitates the home’s “chameleon quality”, a responsive arrangement that expands or “shrinks” to accommodate both small and large groups of people. Even if the homeowner was to visit without guests, he could occupy the main suite and living areas without being aware of the additional guest rooms, so the grandeur of the arrangement never loses a sense of intimacy. Similarly, throughout the plan, large spaces such as the entrance, pool terrace and western courtyard are balanced with intimately proportioned living spaces.
Aesthetically and stylistically, SAOTA took inspiration from the local architecture’s unique hybrid of mass and lightweight elements, evident in traditional temples as much as in contemporary buildings. The arrival areas of this resort-inspired home are characterized by large‐scale, monumental mass walls featuring dark local stone cladding deeply scored by hand, in keeping with the scale and character of the house. Organic weathering imparts a sense of natural patina and materiality.
In the main living areas, the distinctive vernacular timber pavilions typical of Balinese architecture have been reinterpreted using glass curtain walling, and the local lightweight timber roofs have been re‐envisioned as a floating concrete roof form, beautifully crafted with board‐marked concrete. This subtly playful reference to the timberwork prevalent in the local architecture has once again been elevated in keeping with the scale of the project. The eye‐catching slope of the roof is a climatically appropriate response to the east west‐orientation of the house, inviting in the morning light and opening up ocean views to the east, while providing shelter from the harsh afternoon light from the west.
The way in which architecture and external courtyards are interwoven means navigation through the buildings involves constantly crossing between architecture and landscape, facilitating a powerful sense of place. The seamlessly integrated indoor‐outdoor lifestyle is also a response to Bali’s climate. A range of covered outdoor spaces and courtyards, pavilions and terraces offer a variety of outdoor experiences with varying degrees of cover. The porous nature of the design encourages naturally cooling cross ventilation to flow in from the ocean. When the heat becomes oppressive, it’s possible to retreat into fully the fully enclosed, air‐conditioned lounge and dining areas.
Throughout the house, the texture of the concrete and natural finishes such as local stone have been overlaid with distinctive timberwork. Vertical screens, joinery and decorative metalwork, such as the faceted bronzed aluminum behind the bar and in the cigar lounge, enrich the raw materiality with thoughtful details. Honed and unfilled travertine floors provide a luxurious finish underfoot while the continuity of the finishes imparts a sense of calmness and cohesion. High‐quality imported European furnishings and finishes introduce a sense of understated luxury with a contemporary take on pared‐back mid‐century design.
Photos: Adam Letch
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