Architect Denny Gondo, together with his wife, interior designer
Joke Roos, established Studio Air Putih in 2005. Deny is known for his contemporary, simple and tropical architectural works, with clients mostly hospitality, commercial, office, and residential property developers. Indonesia Design talked with Denny about Permata Hijau House that he designed. Following is an excerpt of the interview.
What briefs did you get from the client?
The brief was to design a house that was modern, functional and should not look glamorous, but have a strong character.
How did you translate the briefs into a design?
I interpreted it as a whole and simple dimension with raw finishing materials. We should neiher use cosmetic stuff and nor added finishing work.
How long did the process take from designing to construction completion?
I think it was about three to four years.
Is there any part of the design that was influenced by the pandemic? For example, having big windows or proving a lot of outdoor areas in the house.
The house was designed before the pandemic, so there was no specific idea related to it in the design. However, we did take the light element into account in the house as much as possible, so that the rooms were well lit and healthy even though there aren’t many outward openings.
What was the most challenging part in designing the house?
The hardest thing was to maintain the quality of the construction because a design without ornaments means it has to be built really neatly in order to show its values.