Holiday home in Jakarta

HOLIDAY homes are likely to conjure images of tropical sunsets by the beach, or sweeping mountain ranges covered in rich autumn hues. 

Not for businessman Andreas Utomo, whose holiday lodging is a 3-storey house in an upscale neighbourhood in South Jakarta. This is where he finds weekly refuge from his day job as managing director of PT Aman Agrindo, a sugar manufacturing and distribution company that is based in Semarang, Central Java.

It seems ironic that he works in what has been touted as the “cleanest tourist destination in South-east Asia” but heads to the bustling Indonesian capital in his free time. 

But the house in Pakubuwono suits his needs just fine. It also has an office on site, which Utomo says “saves on travelling time in Jakarta which is notorious for its traffic jams”. 

Also, says architect Rene Tan: “The house is conceptualised as an urban oasis, which reverses the typical notion that holiday homes need to be by the beach, seaside or hillside.”

Tan is the co-founder of RT+Q Architects with TK Quek, and the company also designed Utomo’s home in Semarang. 

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“I like their interpretation of modern tropical architecture,” says Utomo, who hired the award-winning firm after seeing its work in a magazine. 

He gave the team a free hand but with a few requirements including the office, which had to be kept separate from the house both physically and visually. 

While located in a residential area, there are several car showrooms and workshops around. But Utomo likes the location as it’s not far from Jakarta’s main shopping street. 

The office building has a few private rooms and a meeting space. RT+Q Architects positioned the office to face the street, and the residence behind with private access. From the street, onlookers can’t tell there is a home at the back. 

Each space has its own distinctive design - a clean minimalist look for the office with an eye-catching spiral staircase, and a modern, tropical look for the home.

The latter is split into 2 sections, with the dining room, wet and dry kitchens, a bedroom and 2 helpers’ rooms on the right side.  

On the left is a tower, surrounded by a water feature and high green walls. A short walkway connects this to the main section of the house.

Inside the tower, a double-storey high living room mimics an island feel, complete with surrounding water and greenery. Plants grow on a chicken wire frame that is installed on the walls.

Tan says that the water helps reduce heat, dust and noise. “The running water also elevates the holiday experience,” he adds.

“It always feels cool and quiet here,” says Utomo of his favourite space. 

There are 2 more bedrooms on the second floor, and the master bedroom is on the third level. The top of the tower has also been turned into a roof terrace.

Besides the use of water to keep the house cool, the team incorporated perforated aluminium panels and natural timber screens for shade.

RT+Q Architects is no stranger to designing homes in Indonesia, having done so for the past 15 years. 

Director Jonathan Quek who also worked on the holiday home says: “Singapore architects have a good reputation here, and the Singapore brand sells well.”

He appreciates the high level of craftsmanship that goes into building homes in Indonesia, and “this allows us to be more experimental in our design ideas”.

With 2 homes to shuttle between, Utomo is still hoping for a third. “I would like to have a holiday home in Bali,” he says. He still has to convince his wife about this. “She doesn’t really like the sun, but I’ll try to persuade her,” he smiles.