Wood Box House by Indra Tata Adilaras

The Wood Box House is located in an area of 11.7 x 25 meters in a residential area in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. The local climate is ideal for outdoor activities and architects office Indra Tata Adila had the challenge of designing a house to provide both indoor and outdoor spaces in continuity.

The architects divided the house into two volumes: one that includes private rooms, kitchen, bathrooms and a garage, and a transparent case for common open areas including the living room, dining room, study and circulations.

The enclosed volume is built entirely of concrete, while the transparent box is a steel and glass lined vertically local plant cover – a technique common in tropical contemporary buildings. The strategy is to combine the two boxes to form an intermediate space. This generates a double-height space as a living room for family and also a place open to tropical environment.

The base of the transparent box is formed by a concrete slab that can function as a platform seat, table or staircase with recessed storage compartments. The platform is built surrounded by boxes, arranged above one meter, to give the feeling of being slightly underground.