Cage House

This renovation project takes place in Cinere, Depok Indonesia. The existing house condition has two floors, which the second floor is using a reinforced concrete composite construction, wooden boards, and some steel girder.

The owner desires a house of one master bedroom with attached bathroom, two children bedrooms, and a living room. There is a special request delivered to us, the owner is dreaming of having a dominant living room, becoming the center of family interaction. And mainly, a limited construction budget.

Based on these three factors: space requirements, budget concerns, and existing conditions; simultaneously we try to explore the design possibilities. Until eventually the duplex concept emerge as a main concept, with this consideration: the wooden board structure on the second floor is cut in half of the total area and used as a framework for concrete cast, so that we could cut the expense for the formwork. By cutting half the wooden plate flooring, we create a high ceiling, and in this point we lay a living room. This room is becoming a central point where the owner could have activity freely and having a direct contact with downstairs and upstairs room, making it an unlimited space. Then the more private rooms placed in the most outer perimeter, having a view towards the street.

The most interesting part of the whole concept is dissolving boundaries between outer and inner space, in this case a garden/deck. This means by creating a cage which letting the sunlight and wind floating free, and limiting the incoming rainwater through the deck area so the area could be used for many activities in various weather condition.

The sense of spaciousness in this house is balanced with accentuated elements, forming a room within a room. A little orange cage is attached on the steel structure, aside from functioning as a reading space, this pod is also strengthening the room within room concept; so as the popped box on master bedroom functioned as a working room.

With no boundaries between outer and inner space, the concept brings a very own advantage, especially for limited land size condition.