RL House / Wiyoga Nurdiansyah

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The Passive Cooling System.The A-frame shape is inspired by a traditional North Sumatran wooden house, which has an impressive wood structure with high pitched roof for a natural cooling ventilation system within a tropical environment. The house stilts above a sloped terrain, giving potential air flows for ventilating the house from underneath. A massive pitched roof protects the house from heavy monsoon rain and tropical heat. Thus, the wood slats are used as the subfloor ventilation to passively control the heat from outdoor thermal with zero energy consumption. The high-pitched roof keeps the warm air high above the rooms. As the hot air rises, the subfloor ventilation naturally fluxes the house with cooler air to give the house thermal comfort during day time.The structural A-frame of the house was built in Tomohon, Indonesia, and was assembled later in Lombok. The house used Ulin wood, also known as ironwood, as the structural frame, flooring, and partition. Ulin wood is incredibly dense, and it requires the special skills of Tukang Kayu (i.e., woodworker) that has been mastering this kind of wood.The space.The house comprises two large bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a large outdoor lounge and terrace nestled in the bamboo canopy, and a beautiful outdoor bathroom. The house was built to minimize its impact on the area, with water recycling, a natural composting system, and a large private garden. On the side of the house, the massive roof is slightly pitched to give a maximum indoor-outdoor feeling to the house, giving maximal natural lighting to the bedroom and kitchen yet still giving adequate shade to prevent the heat from entering the house.The Wood.The unique wooden A-frame is tucked away in the jungle of Lombok, Indonesia. This project started shortly after Lombok was hit by an earthquake in 2018, leaving many buildings on the island in ruins. While many modern concrete structures in the area crumbled after the earthquake, most simple wood structural buildings would stand still. Wood is known for its unique characteristic that can flex in an earthquake, making it a great choice of material for a house that must withstand Indonesia’s volcanic conditions. In response to this geographical condition, the triangular frame or A-frame structural system is used for its stiff structure.