Many is the visitor, whirled into the seductive vortex of Bali’s magic, who decides to build a house here. Lured by the affordability of such a project compared to home, these houses are often built to include air conditioning, lots of modern appliances, swimming pools and lawns like golf links.Bali is a small island of finite resources which are already being stretched to the limit. Frequent power cuts confirm that Bali is using more electricity than she receives from Java. Many local compounds, even in prosperous areas like Ubud, get by on 400 watts of electricity. (I’ve just learned that PLN refuses to upgrade my pembantu’s compound to 800 or 1000 watts so the family can run a refrigerator; they must take at least 2000 watts, the monthly bill for which will be unaffordable to them. Yet just down the road a foreigner has built a house using 15,000 watts. It seems somewhat inequitable.) Water is another issue. Much of Bali’s electricity and water go to service hotels and homes for the well-off, while ordinary Balinese have to live with a small water tank that might be filled two or three times a week and 400 watts of electricity.
There is middle ground for tamu who want to build a house in Bali while treading lightly on the island’s resource base. Tony Gwilliam, the British architect who invented the T House, has developed a concept of small communities with simple housing as part of a philosophy he calls Minimal Impact Living.Tony, who worked for many years with Buckminster Fuller & built Geodisic Domes, is deeply influenced by minimalism. "I’ve always tried to do more with less," he explains. "The most efficient systems are the simplest. My basic philosophy has always been to build a house that improves the environment instead of compromising it. I want to help people ground back into the earth, into Nature."
His compact Bali T houses faithfully meet that intention. Designed on the principal of Japanese architecture but using local materials, the houses are built of termite-proof ironwood with traditional pegged joints and ylang ylang roofs. They are airy and cool,
with plenty of circulation. Although the footprint is small, there is a feeling of spaciousness in each room and plenty of built-in storage. Furniture is built in to maximize space, with each house featuring a Kotatsu table which folds into the floor.
The pilot project, Bali T in the Rice, is located between Ubud and Lodtunduh on the edge of a stunning vista of uninterrupted rice fields.The concept of building a small community here underscores the philosophy of using less. The 6 houses will share a 14 metre lap pool, water supply and an orchard of papaya, bananas, jackfruit, rambutans, mangoes and coconuts. Each house is equipped with a wastewater garden, simple kitchen and whimsical outdoor bathroom. Later, the community will share a laundry and computer center, where the villagers will also have an opportunity to learn computer skills.
The houses blend seamlessly with the tranquil landscape, surrounded by shady gardens and facing a sea of emerald padi. Each patio faces the sunset. There is no traffic noise here and the air is pure and sweet. Behind the houses, groves of mature bamboo separate the project from the village. It’s hard to believe this is all happening 5 minutes from Ubud.
The village that leased this land to the project is deeply involved in its implementation. Tony and project manager Wayan Nama are consciously transferring skills and knowledge to the villagers who are working on the construction and the garden. They learn the principals of wastewater gardens, permaculture, waste management and building techniques, and will later look after the maintenance and security of the project. The women are employed as cooks and housekeepers. As far as possible, furniture and fittings for the houses are made nearby to help support local communities.
Tony exports the Bali T House to Hawaii and Thailand and has already sold several units in his new project. "People who buy these houses tend to be the type who have a strong sense of environmental stewardship and like to give something back to the community," he observes.
Wayan Nama, who has worked with Tony on other projects, is an enthusiastic proponent of open-air living. "The energy of sleeping at the edge of the rice fields is very powerful," he claims. "I sleep wonderfully here."
Tony thinks of his T houses more as beautiful wooden bowls or pieces of furniture than houses. "You really get to know your space intimately, you become an integral part of it. You come to know every texture and colour, every knot hole. It becomes a very personal space."
I was deeply impressed by the philosophy of environmental stewardship that is woven into the fabric of this project. Tony and Wayan have created a concept which enables foreigners to live in Bali with minimal impact on the land and its fragile resources. And at $22,000 for a transferable 20 year lease, the T House brings the dream of a home in Bali a lot closer to many visitors.
Tony and Wayan plan to hold an Open House at T in the Rice on the first Friday of each month to bring together like-minded people with an interest in environmental stewardship. The next open House takes place January 3 starting at 4:30. Anyone interested in joining them for tea as the sun sets over the rice fields is invited to call Wayan Nama at 0812 395 6811 for directions.
Contact Tony Gwilliam for information at 08123659398,
e-mail: glovil@yahoo.com or check the website at : www.tonysthouse.com
