Tantowi Residence, Jeffrey Budiman and Ilham N.J.B Architects

Elevated above the road, a large rectangular swimming pool screened by a low slate wall greets visitors to the house. A rich variety of materials, colors, and textures are used to treat the walls and floors of the pool plaza, including the portico leading to the guest room to the right of the pool.

In designing the residence of Indonesia’s leading television presenter and host of the Indonesian edition of the “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” game show, Tantowi Yahya, architect Jeffrey Budiman maintained his architectural maxim of creating highly livable spaces within a relatively modest enclosure. “After all, a house should be enjoyed when spending time living inside it, not from the outside. There is little use in flaunting a flashy exterior, especially during times like this in Indonesia,” the architect explains.

Clusters of comfortable chairs and sofas are interspersed with a dark glass-top coffee table and matching dining set in the main living and dining room, sandwiched between the entrance plaza in front and the garden behind. A few well-chosen artifacts complement the tones of the furnishings.

A wall of decorative terra- cotta blocks created by artist Teguh Ostenrik, their irregular surface highlighted by four lamps suspended from a girder over the dining table, adds color and warmth to the dining/living space. Blinds on both sets of doors afford transparency as well as privacy.

The Tantowi residence, situated in the middle-class neighborhood of Bintaro, thus appears unassuming from the outside. Set on a plateau raised above the level of the road, the hipped roof house is almost invisible from the street.What is visible is a low wall retaining the raised elevation, which also acts as a barrier against the eyes of passers-by. Only after ascending the steps that cut into a small opening in the wall do visitors realize that they have entered the compound and can see the house. From the top of the steps, the inside and outside spaces open up, flowing and merging fluidly, echoing the eloquence and warmth of the owner and his family.

A reproduction of Le Corbusier’s chaise longue forms a comfortable reading chair in the music room. A small terrace at the corner of the site brings addi- tional light into the room.

A comfortable chair on the porch outside the guest bedroom is a wonderful place to relax and view the pool, plants, and artifacts decorating the plaza area. Water- resistant hardwood planks are both warm and safe to walk on.

The first (ground) floor plan of the house shows the irregular composition of spaces around the pool. The main house volume lies between the pool plaza in front and the garden and courtyard at the back.

The music room onthe far right corner of the site is dominated by a built-in display cabinet holding Tantowi’s collection of guitars, a television set and audio-visual system below it, and photographs and other memen- toes on the side shelves.

An old wooden artifact mounted on a wall of horizontal stacked slate makes a stunning centerpiece in the master bed- room. The smoothness of the parquet flooring is a delightful contrast to the coarse texture of the stacked slate, the white slatted doors, and the pattern on the rug.

The architectural elements are organized on the site in such a way that their irregular placement is barely noticeable.The main building is strategically placed in the middle of the site, behind the pool, just where the layout of the house starts to slant to the right. At the same time, it divides the open spaces of the house into two: a larger entrance courtyard dominated by the swimming pool in front, and a smaller garden at the back of the house.The more formal entrance courtyard draws visitors to the living and dining area, strategically placed between the two open spaces. Beyond, to the right and also facing the back garden, is Tantowi’s hobby room, which houses his collection of guitars and music paraphernalia. On the far corner of the hobby room is another smaller courtyard.

The swimming pool and its surrounding plaza take center stage in the Tantowi house and are a perfect backdrop for relax- ing, cooling down, exercising, al- fresco dining, entertaining, or simply as a reflective artistic feature of the house. A piano at one corner of the porch, adjacent to the open-plan living room, is ideally placed for entertaining, while ample seating around the pool allows for contemplation. Beautiful old objects make a dramatic visual statement. The children’s bedrooms on the second floor have commanding views of the pool through large, painted, wood-framed glass openings.

The low structure on the other side of the pool facing the guest bedroom annex accom- modates the service areas of the house, including a pantry where the family can enjoy a quick break- fast or a meal by the pool. For more formal dining, the adjacent living-cum-dining room is easily accessed from both the kitchen and the pantry.

The service areas of the house—kitchen, laundry, and storage—are arranged to the left of the entrance courtyard. To the right of the pool is a guest room fronted by a portico. A stairway providing vertical circulation is placedin the triangular-shaped space between the service areas and the main building.

The bedrooms are arranged on the second story of the main building. Although the master bedroom faces the inner garden, it also has access to the entrance courtyard and pool. As Tantowi’s children are still relatively young, the children’s rooms are placed adjoining the master bed-room, with a connecting door providing direct access from the master bedroom to the room of the younger child.

Tantowi House is composed of relatively thin masses cross-secting the site to offer not only a flowing progression of spaces but also other environmental facilities. The three open spaces of the house channel sunlight into the spaces, while the differential air pressure they create causes fresh air to flow throughout the house, making it cool and airy even on a day when the Jakarta sun is blazing hot. Comfort in the Tantowi house is achieved through the use of a simple and logical architectural composition.

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