Located in West Jakarta, at first GA Residence was an unoccupied building. Our client wants to rebuild that into a house with a different atmosphere but still comfortable to live in. With a client background who has lived in Singapore, we came up with the idea of a tropical Singapore colonial style in the design. It is an architectural concept that combines white walls and dark timber, with dark or light furniture, as well as tropical plants in the building.

This concept creates a space that makes you feel like you are permanently on vacation. In line with the client’s request, they want a homey dwelling that can enjoy natural light and wind. We proposed some solutions to that. One of them is through the window. Not only supporting the tropical Singapore colonial style idea, but the windows also allow sunlight and wind to enter freely inside the building.

Moreover, GA Residence is designed with large windows, as well as we deliberately designed each room with high ceilings and there are fans there. We also applied the high top on the second floor of the GA Residence. The existence of a fan on the ceiling allows the air in the building to turn correctly and the atmosphere becomes fresher. At the same time, the combination of many openings and high ceilings makes the room more spacious.

Boundaries between the inside and outside of the building are also obscured, especially the living room, pantry, and rooms that are directly connected to the green space. Whereas in other rooms, we put some plants so they can feel like they are in an outdoor area.

We also present natural vibes through the timber materials. This consistency is not only for residential interiors but also for the building facade. The contrasting color that arises between the white walls, dark timber, and black ceramics roof makes the GA Residence look new and fresh. Who will be realized that this was an old and uninhabited building? Meanwhile, the combination of white walls with wooden furniture in the interior area produces a beautiful contrast that makes our clients not feel bored looking at every corner of the space.

For furniture, we choose functional timber furniture, as well as good-looking and comfortable. Interestingly, all of the furniture is made with local craftsmanship. Even though it was designed with the concept of tropical Singapore colonial style, local impressions are still present here. One of the appealing pieces is a makeshift fireplace in the living room the main room in the GA Residence. It is made from dark teak wood and can be used as a storage or shelf.

Another fascinating thing about GA Residence is the void shape which is dominated by arches. Not only composed of one curved line but consists of many curves to produce a unique shape. It makes a balanced design in GA Residence which dominate with firm lines. The combination between the arches, the black color, and the beautiful classic lamps is charming!

In the end, this two-story tropical Singapore colonial-style residence is not only comfortable to live in, but also visually pleasing.

In addition, this design is also the first winner of the Daikin Design Award 2022 for Completed Project category.