Innovative approaches to local topography
“Organic buildings are the strength and lightness of the spiders’ spinning, buildings qualified by light, bred by native character to environment, married to the ground.” Frank Lloyd Wright
Many of the most interesting architectural structures emerge as a direct response to their environment. Frank Lloyd Wright, considered by many the father of modern architecture, advocated what he described as an ‘organic’ approach, eschewing the established ‘classical’ styles to which his contemporaries were attached, in favour of one that drew inspiration directly from the site.
This symbiosis between natural and built environments has long guided the Balinese; their family compounds, built around garden courtyards, reflect the sacred to¬pography of the island and their unique cosmology, a blend of Hinduism and ancestor worship. Even beds are specifically orientated so that the head faces northward, towards the sacred volcano, Gunung Agung. A deep understanding of the challenges posed by Bali’s equato¬rial climate is reflected both in the use of materials and a ‘rejuvenation’ approach, where homes and temples are continually renovated, usually with a consistent standard of artistry.
Modern architects have found in Bali a manifold topographical terrain with which to work and while the island has its fair share of generic villa developments; it also boasts some of the most architecturally in¬novative resorts and stand-alone homes in the world. Environmental and climatic challenges encourage ar¬chitects to push the envelope, transforming potential problems into advantages.
HOT! Property looks at projects that reflect the diversity of Bali’s landscape. We ask the architects about the specific conditions each locale presented and how they engaged with them.
