Interview with the Architect

In a recent interview with designer/architect, Eric Hawkins, we gained a bit more insight into his design for the tropical eco-home.

Q: What inspired your design for this home?

“The client was inspired to live a more environmentally sensitive lifestyle. He was very enthusiastic about simplifying his lifestyle needs, and he desired a home that would encourage and support that.”

“Being among many like-minded individuals in Ubud, he quickly saw a need for sustainable housing models in Bali.  He wanted his home to be more than just a home, but also a leading example for others.”

Q: What were some of the constraints with this project?

• Low Budget
• Scale of Site
• Language Barrier Among Suppliers and Workers
• Toilet Design and Waste Management
• Cultural Values/Hindrances
  • Dependence upon cement in Indonesia
  • Poor quality materials commonly used
  • Bamboo seen as a poor man’s building material
  • Lack of awareness and understanding of alternative building methods
  • Lack of transparency among  Indonesian culture and business practices

Q: What makes this home “eco”?

“The life-cycle analysis (LCA) of the architecture is secondary to the LCA of the individual.  The design focuses on sustainable materials and building methods but more importantly encourages a truly sustainable lifestyle.”

“It inspires a lifestyle of self-sustainability by curbing the demands and necessities of a typical consumer/inhabitant. It awakens sensitivity to our environment through material choices and site integration. It inspires a shift in lifestyle paradigms by inviting the inhabitant to be more interactive in a reciprocal relationship with nature.”

Q: What examples of sustainability are incorporated into the design?

• Alternative building methods:
• • Rammed Earth
  • Bamboo
  • Ferrocement
• Use of on-site excavated materials and existing waste during construction
• Limited embodied energy through use of materials that are durable and structural without the need for maintenance and chemical-based treatments
• Sustainably harvested and treated bamboo and designed and according to principles of bamboo design
• Sustainably harvested or recycled wood
• Affordable housing
• Employed local labor
• Passive Solar Design which eliminates the need for manual interior climate control
• Controlled heat absorption through green roof
• Rainwater catchment
• Closed-loop black and grey-water filtration, purification, and aquaponics system

Tri Hita Karana

Tri Hita Karana was derived from Sanskrit– meaning: three, welfare, and cause. In the culture of Bali the complete sentence of Tri Hita Karana symbolizes the three aspects that bring about well being. These harmonious relationship are:

(1) Spiritual environment (Parahyangan) = the relationship between human being with God, (2) Social environment (Pawongan) = the relationship of human being with other human being and (3) Natural environment (Palemahan) the relationship between human being with the environment and other creatures.

1) The harmonious relationship of Human being with God:

The sacred texts known as the Vedas are the basis of Balinese Hinduism which say that God (also called: Brahman) created this universe with all of its contents. The Almighty placed the planet and heaven in the sky. The Balinese believe that harmony is not only for human beings but for all creatures, the earth, the heaven, God, and the universe including animals and plants.

2) The harmonious relationship of human beings

When the human being can maintain the harmonious relationship with God, then it is reflected in his/her daily actions towards other human beings.   These actions include positive discussions, working towards a general consensus, building happiness together, and releasing all the difficulties of life for the sake of each other. In most of the mantras God mentioned the importance of human relations– to avoid bad actions and negative outcomes. The Almighty God has given the same opportunity to all human beings.  Humans must recognize the importance of making the right choices in life, because the choice of one impacts all.  The harmony must be implemented in truth, for it comes from the inner-most part of the heart of every individual. In Bali Culture, harmony can be shown through sincere tolerations and respect, not only for the ones we know but also for the the ones we do not know.

3) The harmonious relationship between human being and the universe, environment & other creatures

The source of happiness depends on the harmony between human being with
universe, the earth, the sky, and with other creatures. The Culture of Bali is to think, speak, and show this harmony through all daily activities.

When harmony among these 3 aspects is realized, the Balinese believe the maximum benefit to human spiritual mentality and physical well being will be achieved.

There is so much we can learn from the Balinese culture and people.  One of the primary focuses of the Tropical Eco Home is to teach others how to design and build a strong, safe, responsible structure with utmost respect for the environment and all of its inhabitants.

What is the Tropical Eco Home?

So you may be wondering, “What is the Tropical Eco Home all about?”

Well, the tropical eco-home was designed to be a self-sustainable, affordable, chic, and enticingly comfortable home in the tropical climate of Bali.

The creative minds behind the project firmly believe in the Principles of Permaculture and hope to educate others in this field of knowledge.  Their intention is for the tropical eco-home to be a working model for others to see and become inspired.

What is Permaculture?

“Permaculture is a philosophy of ecological design which attempts to develop sustainable human settlements and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.”

What is sustainability?

“Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of responsibility, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible management of resource use.”

Why is sustainability important?

Many people believe the way our world and present society functions today is leading us down a dark road of destruction and despair. However, once we become educated we then become empowered and motivated to work together towards positive solutions.

Now, more than ever, people are becoming interested in sustainability and how they can decrease the negative impact they are having on the planet.  The tropical eco-home offers solutions and inspiring new ways to design, function, and live so that we can protect and improve the health of our planet for future generations.

 

Welcome to Bali!

The very first tropical eco home is going to be in the heart of Bali!

For those of you who are not familiar with Bali, it is one of the 17,508 islands of Indonesia.  The total population of Bali is 3,891,000 of which the majority (92%) adhere to the Hindu religion– the rest adhere to Islam, Buddhism and Christianity.

Bali is famous for being the largest tourist destination in Indonesia, and is well known all over the world. The popular image of the island is that it is rich with sophisticated arts like traditional and modern sculpture, leather, painting, dance, music, metalworking, and of course rice farming.

The heart of Bali is Ubud. Ubud is arguably the best place to use as a base if you’re visiting Bali; if you’re looking for culture, comfort, nature and inspiration. Ubud is surrounded by most of the things that bring people to Bali — scenic rice fields, small villages, art and craft communities, ancient temples, palaces, rivers, cheap accommodation and unique luxury hotels. And it’s central location makes it easy to get from Ubud to the mountains, beaches, and major towns.

While the population of Ubud is around 30,000 people, a large majority of the residents are foreigners.  Ubud draws people who add something; people who are actively involved in art, nature, anthropology, music, dance, architecture, environmentalism, “alternative modalities,” and more.

Today the concept of sustainability is infiltrating Bali at a rapid rate, especially here in Ubud.  This is the perfect moment and place for a truly sustainable, tropical eco home to be built as a model for others (local and non-local residents alike, as well as tourists) to see so that they can become educated and inspired.  I couldn’t think of a better place to be!