A developer approached us to design a series of ‘modern beach town’ apartments on a thin site close to the beach in Pantai Lima, Bali. Their plan was to design the units and then sell ‘off plan’.

In total, we designed 6 studio rooms, 5 mezzanine apartments, 2 penthouse suites, a coffee shop and support areas.

As a thin piece of land we designed the units to have outward looking dual views – to the volcanos in the north and the ocean to the west. We incorporated large glazed operable openings to enable cross ventilation and reduce the need for Air Conditioning during the day.

A large roof overhang covers the building and helps protect materials from the harsh tropical climate. The three large openings cut into the buildings’ massing helps reduce the visual impact of the structure and enables airflow through the building. It also provided opportunities for balconies suspended from the structure. We also added planters and hanging gardens to help soften things up.

For the internal spaces we decided on a clean, crisp and modern interior. We kept things simple with an unfussy material palette, recycled teakwood furniture and breathable natural fabrics for bed lines, upholstery and drapery.

Where possible we choose to use local materials and textures like terracotta tiles, rattan and recycled timbers – mixed with modern finishes like handmade polished terrazzo tops and concrete tiles.

Unfortunately, the project was put on hold due to a lack of sales during the global pandemic.