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| T-HOUSE-MINIMAL IMPACT LIVING |
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British architect Tony Gwilliam
designed the T-house
with a philosophy of environmental stewardship
uppermost in his mind and heart. T-houses
are modular so that any number of rooms may
be configured to suit individual family needs.
He thinks of such houses more like a well-executed
piece of furniture or the fine workmanship
of the components on a boat where each part
not only has a purpose but is also aesthetically
appropriate.
Tony designed the T-houses
with a concept of forming a small community
with simple housing, a plan for ‘minimal
impact living’. He has started such
a complex in the village of Lodtunduh near
Ubud on the edge of extensive rice terraces
situated within a grove of bamboo, coconut,
banana, and jackfruit trees. There are nine
individual T-houses
positioned for maximum privacy, each with
a view of the sawah landscape and spectacular
Bali sunsets. Part of Tony’s philosophy
is to never build on the rice fields but
to use land untellable for rice cultivation,
which is usually on the edges of existing
sawah or in river ravines. Many fruit trees,
flower and organic vegetable gardens have
been planted for communal sharing, as are
the 14-metre lap pool, computer room and
laundry room that are being planned. |
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| Tucked into a tropical garden
for shade and privacy, T-houses
blend into the landscape rather than impose
on it. This T-house
has an alang-alang roof on the two-storey
module and ironwood shingles on the meditation
pavilion to its left. Sleeping rooms are located
on both floors of the main structure and a
semi-outdoor kitchen is to the right. A bathroom
with outdoor shower shares a secret garden
with the meditation bale. |
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Ironwood–which is extremely
dense, impervious to termites and lasts indefinitely,
even in the hot and humid tropical climate
of Bali–is used exclusively in T-house
construction. Cut and sawn in Kalimantan and
assembled on site by village labour, the ironwood
is oiled for the final finish; if left untreated,
the wood develops a soft grey patina.
Gwilliam is the lead architect on the Lodtunduh T-house project
along with architect Marita Vidal. The project’s
construction is by Nyoman Sarma and its
project manager is Wayan Nama. For this
project, the team agreed that the village
of Lodtunduh was to be closely involved–neighbours helping neighbours–and so they taught the local people construction
techniques and how to grow vegetables and
plants the organic way. In keeping with
the communal aspect of the project, the
people are also being trained to after maintenance,
cooking and housekeeping services. Says
Tony, “This a win-win project. We
learn local farming culture and crafts from
the locals and we share our global knowledge
with the villagers.” |
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| The actual footprint of a T-house is small,
but all rooms are organized for optimum use
like the rooms on a boat. There is a feeling
similar to traditional Japanese design. Beautifully
proportioned sliding doors open to the breezes
and integrate the indoor and outdoor spaces. Here, in this meditation pavilion, a kotatsu
table for dining can be lowered into a recess if a larger floor area is desired. The bridge to the meditation pavilion is over
the water garden that surrounds and flows
under portions of the T-house. |
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| Before coming to Bali, Tony
Gwilliam worked with Buckminster Fuller for
many years and was actively engaged in the
design and building of geodesic domes. This
experience led Tony to the premise for the T-house: “The
most efficient systems are the simplest. My
basic philosophy has always been to build
a house that improves the environtment instead
of compromising it. I want to help people
reconnect to our past, each other, our planet,
our universe–recreating a synergetic
and co-creative relationship with nature,
not a separation." |
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Gathering places, Balinese
Architecture - A Spiritual & Spatial Orientation
by Barbara Walker. Jay Graham |
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