CIASEM HOUSE

Located in the elite neighborhood of Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta, Ciasem House is home to a couple and their three children. As a private residence in Jakarta, a city with both high sun exposure and heavy precipitation, and specifically sits on such hustling area with many public facilities, “stacking” is an approach taken to answer privacy and climate issues.

Three boxes are stacked and shifted to make the basic form of the house. The stacking not only to create a certain spacial dynamic, but also to represent hierarchy of zoning.

Each box then serves its own function and the higher it is, the more private it becomes. The middle box has solid walls facing the street, providing privacy. While the top box is semi-solid to allow sunlights and view to the street, also acts as the roof of the house. Gap between each boxes is made to have the illusion of lightness as if the boxes are floating on top of each other. The stacked and shifted boxes also helps create a shading space underneath it that blur the line between indoor and outdoor area.

On the right side of the house, another box appears and functions as the house’s main vertical circulation. Completed with stairs and elevator, this box connects all three stacked boxes together. By covering all of the boxes with different materials such as wood, steel, glass, and concrete, it helps identify the different zone and program of each box.

Entering the house is through a walkway leading to the front door placed on the house’s right side and then stairs straight to second floor. Entrance is purposely hidden but still has a spacious enough terrace with seatings. First floor acts as service area and consists of garage, pantry and MEP room to allow occasional maintenance without having to intersect with more private areas upstairs. Second floor has foyer, living room, dining room and kitchen, with ceiling as high as 3,2 meters and sliding glass doors which fully open up to the garden and terrace, creating an illusion of continuity between indoor and outdoor.