A Tropical House Surrounded by Beautiful Gardens!

From the street, Atiga house doesn't look particularly large. In fact, at first glance, you might even think this is a simple single-story home. There's nothing overly dramatic about the facade. The roof is low, the architecture feels understated, and the house seems to blend quietly into its surroundings. But there's something you can't really see from here. Because behind this low-profile exterior is a 160 square meter home built on a 221 square meter corner lot. And yes, this house actually has two floors. So why would the owners intentionally make a two-story house look almost like a one-story home? And more importantly, what happens when we step inside? Before we dive deeper into the architecture, let's first talk a little bit about the people behind this house. The owners, Aufa and Meta, are both architects. So naturally, building their own home became something of a personal playground for experimentation. They divided the entire project into two main responsibilities. Aufa took care of the architectural side and construction, overseeing the technical details and supervising the build himself, especially since he also works as a home contractor. Meanwhile, Meta focused on the interior, from the overall look and atmosphere to all the little details that make the house feel like home. And honestly, having two architects with different strengths design their own home together sounds like a pretty perfect combination. The house was designed to have a low visual profile. Instead of creating a large two-story facade facing the street, the upper floor is stuck behind the roofline. So from outside, the house feels quieter and more private. And I think that's an important distinction. The owners weren't trying to make their house look as large as possible. They were trying to make the experience inside the house as good as possible. Because when you have limited land, you have a choice. There's another layer to the house that we can't see quite as easily. The building uses different structural strategies for different parts of the house. The heavier two-story section concentrates the major structural loads, while the lighter single-story areas can use shallower foundations. That helps reduce unnecessary construction work. Even the roof has a technical idea behind its clean appearance. The zinc column panels use a custom interlocking click system rather than relying on exposed screws across the upper surface, which usually cause water leaks from the roof. So that clean roofline isn't simply an aesthetic decision. It's also about construction and long-term performance. This is something I really like about architecture. The house sits on a 221 square meter corner lot, which immediately gives it an advantage in terms of openness. But there's an interesting detail here. Not all of the green area you see around the property actually belongs to the homeowners. Part of it is developer provided public green space, which cannot be built on. Instead of seeing that as a limitation, however, the house uses it to its advantage. You see the garden, you see the trees, you see open space beyond the walls, and suddenly the house feels much bigger. This is one of the recurring ideas we'll see throughout Etiga House. The best way to make a house feel spacious isn't always to build more. Sometimes it's to make the boundaries disappear. And this idea of controlling boundaries starts even before you enter the house. The front entrance isn't completely exposed to the street. Instead, there's a small transitional space. It's where a delivery driver can stop, where a neighbor can say hello, where a visitor can be welcomed, without immediately seeing everything happening inside the home. There's a unique part of this entrance. It has this iron grating that visually separates the indoor garden and the entrance. It doesn't block direct views, but also doesn't create a solid wall. Light can still enter, air can still move through, and the entrance still feels connected to the garden. Even the front door follows the same philosophy. It's tall, minimal, and uses a pivot mechanism that keeps the hardware almost completely hidden. It's a small detail, but it sets the tone for the rest of the house. Nothing here is trying too hard. And then, you finally enter. This is where the house begins to feel completely different from what you might have expected from the street. Instead of a dark corridor or a series of closed rooms, the interior immediately opens toward greenery. This is actually one of the most important characteristics of the house. The architecture constantly creates visual connections between inside and outside, rather than treating the garden as something that sits besides the house. The garden itself becomes part of the house experience. Now, let's take a look at this dining area, which is purposely put after the main entrance, as it is the most important space in the entire home, where everyday activity of Ova's family happens here. So, rather than placing the dining area somewhere along the edge of the house, they positioned it almost exactly at the center. And then, they did something really clever. They placed outdoor gardens on both sides. So, from here, you don't just see one garden, you can actually experience the outdoors from both directions. The dining area becomes the social heart of the house, but it also becomes the environmental heart of the house, because this is where the house starts to breathe. Open the glass doors on one side, and then open the doors on the other. Suddenly, air has a direct path through the house. This is called cross ventilation. Fresh air enters from one side, moves through the interior, and exits through the opposite opening. Ova and Meta weren't only thinking about how the house would look. They were thinking about how it would feel. How it would feel in the morning. How it would feel when the breeze comes through. How it would feel when the windows are open and the house becomes connected to the garden. Good architecture doesn't always require complicated technology. Sometimes, it simply requires understanding the environment. Right beside the dining area is the kitchen. And once again, the design is compact. But compact doesn't mean inefficient. The u-shaped layout keeps the main work zones close together. The island becomes a preparation area, a sink, and a natural transition between the kitchen and dining room. There's even a small horizontal window along the front that creates additional depth for storage and everyday kitchen tools. And this is something you'll notice throughout Atega House. Ova and Meta aren't trying to fill the house with unnecessary features. They're asking a much more practical question. What does this space actually need to do? And then, designing around that answer, simply said, form follows functions. At the far end of the house is the living room. And on paper, it isn't particularly large. The clear width is only around 3.45 meters. For many homeowners, a room that narrow might feel restrictive. But standing here, it doesn't. The reason is quite simple. The room doesn't visually stop at the wall. Instead, the entire side opens toward the garden through large floor-to-ceiling glass doors. So the garden effectively becomes an extension of the living room. The physical room is still 3.45 meters wide. But your eyes experience much more than 3.45 meters. This is another beautiful lesson from the You don't always need more square meters. Sometimes you just need to make the space you already have feel connected to something beyond it. Even the ceiling height changes here. It's slightly higher than the dining area, making the living room feel more spacious than actually is. Floating cabinetry keeps the floor visually open. The air conditioning units are carefully concealed behind timber screens. Everything is quietly reinforcing the same feeling. Calm, intimate, and connected to nature. At this point, you might start noticing something. The gardens aren't really separate from the architecture. They're woven into it. They bring daylight into the house. They create ventilation paths. They provide privacy. They create views from the bedrooms. And they give the living spaces somewhere to visually expand into. In other words, the courtyard isn't a leftover space. It's part of the entire house plan. And I think that's one of the biggest reasons this house feels so much larger than its actual footprint. Like Alva said to us, I think the most expensive part of this house is this inner courtyard. With this beautiful view from all directions inside the house. Now, let's head back to the other side of the house. Right across from the dining room. Here, you'll find four doors, leading to four different rooms. And just like the rest of the house, they're designed with a very clean and minimalist look. Extending all the way from the floor to the ceiling. The two doors leading to the kids and master bedrooms use a warm wood veneer. Giving the private areas a softer, more natural feel. Meanwhile, the doors to the surface areas are painted white. Allowing them to almost disappear into the walls. They're also wider and taller than standard doors. Making it easier to move furniture in and out. While creating a much cleaner, more seamless hallway. And instead of regular exposed hinges, they use concealed knife hinges. Allowing the doors to sit almost flush with the wall. Without bulky frames. Simple looking doors, but with quite a lot of thought behind them. The kids bedroom is only around three by three meters. So again, it's not about having a huge amount of space. It's about using that space well. The room faces the garden. Giving the child a direct connection to greenery. There's also a small side opening. Around 60 centimeters. That helps with natural air flow. And the window treatment was chosen with safety in mind. Using roller blinds instead of long cords. Maytha also said that in the future, as their toddlers get older and bigger. These baby cribs and other stuff could be easily replaced with bigger beds. As this three by three meters room still fits for a queen size bed. Hmm. Nice. Next, we have the ground floor bathroom. Measuring around 1.8 by 3 meters. It's a relatively compact space. So the layout needs to be very efficient. The bathroom is divided into clear, wet, and dry areas. Making the long narrow room easier to use. There's also a subtle detail on the wall. Where a slim metal channel marks the transition between the two zones. At the corner, there's a small window opening that brings natural daylight into the bathroom. While the upper part uses wire mesh to allow warm and humid air to escape. It's a simple space, but the design makes very efficient use of its limited dimensions. Now, we move into the master bedroom. At around 3.6 by 4.2 meters, it's not a huge room. But it feels warm and comfortable. The area itself is divided into four segments. En suite bathroom, built-in wardrobe, the bed, and workspace nook. One thing you'll notice is the herringbone pattern flooring. That helps create a softer atmosphere. Compared to the main tile used throughout the living spaces. Let's first take a look at the en suite bathroom. That is placed right across the master bedroom door. Inside the bathroom looks the same as the bathroom before. Only this one is wider. The other thing that you might notice is additional skylight from above. To bring plenty of natural light into the bathroom. The vanity and the sink is also extra wide. So the couple can even brush their teeth together with their child. And below it, the floating shelves are made from Ulin wood. A very durable type of Indonesian ironwood that can handle moisture well. And naturally becomes darker as it ages. Just beside the bathroom, Meta has a built-in wardrobe area. The wood finish matches the kitchen. Creating a consistent look throughout the house. But what makes it special is how personalized the storage is. There are dedicated spaces for their marathon medals, watches, perfumes, and everyday accessories. So instead of simply hiding things away, the storage becomes part of the design. In the sleeping zone, you'll notice that the bed faces the side garden through large floor to ceiling windows. The windows aren't just there for the view. The side sections can be opened to let fresh air move through the room. Creating natural cross ventilation. And in the corner, there's a small desk that works as both a vanity and a workspace. It's a relatively simple bedroom. But with the garden, natural light, fresh air, and personalized storage. It has everything this family needs. That's really the idea behind this home. It doesn't need to be bigger. It just needs to work better. Now we can finally answer the mystery from the beginning. Remember the house that looked almost single story from the street? This is the second floor. The staircase itself introduces another layer of detail. Ulin wood, a kind of iron wood from Indonesia, is used on the step edges for durability and grip. LED lighting is integrated into the stairs for nighttime safety. If we look directly above, there's a hidden aircon covered with a white colored grill that blends with the design. There's also narrow windows on the wall that bring small glimpses of the greenery outside into the stairwell. But then, there's one detail that's particularly clever. The upper railing isn't simply a railing. It becomes a bookshelf. A smart and simple solution to make one element able to perform multiple functions. Along the hallway on the second floor, there's also a small workspace overlooking the trees. But by the time we're taking videos in their house, it's not yet fully functional. Currently, they use it only to put decorations above the table. Right across the stairs is the laundry area. The location isn't random. It's positioned where airflow can move through space. These same metal grills, like the one we saw downstairs, allow wind to enter and help dry clothes while also preventing the laundry area from becoming completely exposed from the street. Finally, the last room, which is the guest room. At around 3 by 3.6 meters, it's a fairly compact room. META mainly envisioned this space for visiting family members like their parents or friends who come to stay. If no guest visits them, this bedroom has another role. Serves as a dedicated workspace for the homeowner. A quiet place to focus and get work done without the distractions of the main living areas downstairs. Two windows facing the front of the house bring plenty of natural light into the room while also giving it a more open elevated view of the surroundings. It's a simple idea but a very useful one. Instead of dedicating an entire room to something that's only occasionally needed, the owners designed a space that can change with the family's needs. Today, it's a quiet office. Tomorrow, it can become a bedroom for their parents or friends. So after all of this, how much did the house actually cost? Construction began in February 2024 and the family was able to move in around December 2024, making the total construction period roughly 10 months. The construction cost was approximately 9 million Indonesian rupiah per square meter. So, the total budget? Yeah, you can calculate them by yourself, right? The figure included the main building construction as well as major built-in elements such as the kitchen and the master bedroom wardrobes. The loose furniture and decorative elements were not all included. So, let's go back to where we started. From the street, Adiga house looks modest, almost understated. But after seeing the entire house, that simplicity starts to make sense. The second floor is hidden. The gardens make the house feel larger. The dining room becomes the heart of family life. The layout encourages natural airflow. The living room borrows visual space from the garden. The bedrooms prioritize privacy. Storage becomes part of the architecture. And even the smallest details are designed around the people who actually live here. Maybe that's what makes a great home. Not how impressive it looks from the outside, but how well it works once you live inside. Perhaps that's the most valuable lesson from this home. Good architecture isn't always about adding more. Sometimes, it's about making every decision count. Thanks for watching our channel. What do you think about this house? Please comment down below.