A House on a New Ground

In a densely populated metropolis like Jakarta, greenery is often introduced into the house as an interior amenity or framed as a distant view. K-Thengono Design Studio has taken the opposite approach, reorganizing the spatial arrangements to connect with the existing landscape.

Situated in a residential area in North Jakarta, the house is exposed on three sides. A tree-lined pedestrian path runs along the eastern edge, an open field faces south, and a smaller walkway borders the north. These conditions offer multiple opportunities for openness, but also present the challenge of maintaining privacy.

The strategy begins by consolidating all service functions at ground level and concealing them beneath planted earth mounds, reducing the house's presence at street level and blurs its boundaries with the surrounding landscape. Above this, a raised platform establishes a new ground plane for daily living. This platform extends toward the eastern boundary, bringing the main living spaces closer to the trees. A swimming pool is positioned along this edge, followed by a lawn that serves as the house’s primary outdoor space.

A two-storey L-shaped volume rises above the platform, accommodating communal spaces on the lower level and bedrooms above. The rooftop adds an indoor recreational space alongside an outdoor lounge. Large glazed surfaces maintain views toward the greenery, while a secondary skin made of woven synthetic rattan is applied to areas that require privacy. Projecting concrete planes provide shade for the interiors and reinforce the horizontal layering of the elevated volumes.