House Tour: This minimalist 3-bedroom retirement home is designed to age gracefully
By Asih Jenie -
What do you want from your retirement home? Peace of mind? A beautiful space that is also low-maintenance? A space that inspires wellness? Named after the Japanese word for 'healing', the Iyashi House is all of the above. The 462-sqm home in Bandung, Indonesia is owned by a couple in their 60's, who moved to the location to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
The decidedly minimalist three-bedroom property is meant to be their retirement home, and it has been designed to be both low-maintenance and age gracefully. Designed by Bandung-based architecture studio Pranala Associates, Iyashi House aims to rejuvenate its dwellers by immersing them in an environment that is free of clutter both digital and analogue, and makes the most of its tranquil setting.
"The design of the home is deceptively simple, but it was thought of so cohesively and carefully," says architect Erick Laurentius. "When we designed the architecture, we had thought of the construction methods needed to realise the design. We also concurrently developed the interior design and the placement of key built-in furniture and specified the fittings, so everything is integrated."
Erick founded Pranala Associates with fellow architects Ronald Pallencaoe and Darius Tanujoyo in 2007. The firm is known to draw inspiration from Japanese design, and adapting its philosophy to suit the tropical climate. Iyashi House is the studio's latest exploration on Japanese-inspired tropical minimalism.
The material palette is minimal, comprising concrete and ulin wood, a local hardwood traditionally used to build piers and ships thanks to its durability against water and the weather.
"The owners wanted a home that would look the same 10, 20 years from now," says Erick. "The materials we selected are those that will gain patina and character over time. They will age gracefully."
The owners live in the house with their two shih tzu pups, Snowy and Panda. Occupying less than 60 per cent of its 797.95-sqm site, the pups has plenty of room to roam and explore.
The interior is open. There are no walls and partition to separate the living and dining area. The walls are mostly floor-to-ceiling glazed surfaces that blur the boundary of inside and outside.
Most of the key furniture pieces are custom-made by the architects, and adopted the same minimalist aesthetic, featuring pale ash wood and light grey upholstery. The sofa for instance, has a cantilevered base that creates an floating effect, much like the roof of the house.
The concrete roof is exposed. The perceived coolness of the concrete architectural shell is tempered with custom timber furniture by the architects and natural rattan panels by Byo Living installed on the ceiling.
Strips of architectural light highlight the geometry of the roof and frame the view of the lake behind the house. "This house invites nature in, and when you are inside, you feel like you're a part of it and proximity with nature has been linked to one's wellness," shares Erick.
Located 700 metres above the sea level, the city of Bandung enjoys a pleasant 18-26 deg C. Most of the windows are left open during the day. The breeze cools off the concrete, on which pets and grandchildren lay about.
The bedroom features a study furnished with Vitra's Eames elephant and one of the Japanese modern design icons, the SANAA-designed 'rabbit ears' chair from Maruni. Cabinets and storage are embedded to the wall using steel plates installed during the construction.
The house is elevated 40cm from the yard. The gravels used to decorate the lower step are pieces of split stones from the construction that have been washed, cleaned and curated for their size.
The breathability of the house has been designed both for the wellness and ease-of-maintenance. The natural ventilation eliminates the need for air conditioning. The expansive windows feature a hidden gutter that conceals blinds, which can be pulled out when privacy is wanted.
The custom built-in bathroom fittings are also embedded to the wall, making cleaning the floor easier than ever.
The wet parts of the bathroom are finished with white mosaic tiles. The rest of the surfaces are exposed concrete, which serve as a perfect canvas for minimalist bathroom fittings from Axor's Bouroullec collection.
The inspiration for the house might be Japanese, but the considerations behind the house are all tropical. The roof of the house feature a generous four-metre overhang, providing its many terraces an ample shelter from the rain.
And at just 18cm-thick, the roof is something of a construction marvel. "That roof is also deceptively simple," shares Erick. "It looks effortless and minimalistic and but it definitely required a thorough planning to execute."
Designed by Larch Studio, the landscape was designed to deliberately blend with the surroundings, featuring rainbow eucalyptus tree and Chinese fountain grass that sways poetically against the concrete perimeter.