Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Windows, Garden, ForestChameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Waterfront, Forest, GardenChameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Sofa, Table, Chair, Beam, DeckChameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Garden, ForestChameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - More Images+ 34

Kediri, Indonesia
  • Collaborators: Triloka Bali- Robin Bimantoro
  • Builder: Johannes Weissenbaeck
  • Client: Johannes Weissenbaeck, Emmanuelle Flahault
  • Site: 3430 m2
  • Architect In Charge: Valentina Audrito
  • Design Team: Abbie Labrum, Dewi Arianti, Agung Sudarma, Rachel Fabrina, Levina Sunarjo, Firman Azi, Parinita Dewan
  • City: Kediri
  • Country: Indonesia
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Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Windows, Garden, Forest
© Daniel Koh

“Chameleon Villa”  located in Buwit, a village in the lush interiors of the southwest coastal area of Bali.  Constructed on an acre of land, overlooking a dense forest and a gentle river below, the villa sits on a steep contour with an 11-meter difference of level between the arrival area and the river that runs the western length of the property.  Given such a spectacular location, the challenge was to create an architecture that truly connected with its surroundings and that integrated well with the topography of the site.

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Sofa, Table, Chair, Beam, Deck
© Daniel Koh

We worked on the idea of ‘landscaped architecture’, by blurring the boundaries between natural and built environments. As a result, the buildings appear to be a part of the land itself sometimes disappearing within it, and then at other times, emerging from it.

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Waterfront, Forest, Garden
© Daniel Koh

The buildings are situated on different levels of the land and they follow the contour lines in a way to take in the vantage points towards the river below and the forest across. The rotation of the volumes on the land follow these criteria and allows the creation of in - between spaces and gardens to enjoy which would otherwise be difficult to experience on a land of such a steep pitch.

Ground floor plan

As per traditional Balinese architecture the different pavillions accomodate different functions and all communal spaces are kept open towards the elements whereas the bedrooms and other more private spaces such as office, gym and media room are closeable volumes.

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Chair, Garden, Forest
© Daniel Koh

Throughout the property a sense of discovery develops from the moment we land in the parking.  Across us we can only see an uninterrupted view of the forest ahead to then discover we are looking over the roof of the building below, to the moment we dive into a deep slit in the land and we find out it is the way to the guest bedrooms positioned at a lower level.

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Garden, Forest
© Daniel Koh

The main building which is on two levels follows the idea of rectangular volumes stacked on one another off-axis as if they were resting on the land. They are composed of an outer frame which holds and protects the inner one where people would tend to spend most of their time.

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Table, Chair, Windows, Beam
© Daniel Koh

The purpose of the outer frame is to protect the spaces from the elements and provide insulation. The supporting ‘camouflaged’ roofs provide a cooling effect to the spaces below and assist with rainwater collection whereas the spaces below these frames have been used to store all the technical equipment.

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Stairs, Column
© Daniel Koh

The result is a composition of volumes that are clean and modern but at the same time they feel ‘earthy’ and organic. The material palette is largely comprised of natural and locally sourced materials, meaning that not only could local suppliers and artisans be supported by this initiative, but it also minimized the home’s carbon footprint.  

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Beam, Bed
© Daniel Koh

Green systems considered for this project, besides passive cooling and  sustainable materials selection, have been the use of solar panels to produce electricity and a water recycling  and rainwater collection system for garden irrigation.

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture - Image 16 of 39
© Daniel Koh

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Cite: "Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth Architecture" 05 Jul 2018. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/897287/chameleon-villa-word-of-mouth-house> ISSN 0719-8884

© Daniel Koh

变色龙别墅 / Word of Mouth House

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