January 2025 | VOL 14
RYOKAN + BALE BENGONG
her
words Onur Baştürk
photos Pempki
It’s a delightful surprise to come across a home in Ubud, Bali, that’s inspired by the traditional Japanese ‘ryokan’. Anna, the owner, was deeply moved by the sense of peace and completeness she experienced during her travels in Japan. Working with Bali-based Blancostudio, she brought this serene, Zen-like retreat to life, naming the project 'Her'.
“From the start, Anna and I had a shared vision of creating a wooden studio with Japanese influences,” says Blancastudio founder Conchita Blanco. Conchita, who spent much of her early childhood in Bali before moving to Australia, is the granddaughter of Spanish painter Don Antonio Blanco and Balinese dancer Ni Rondji. After completing her studies in Australia, she returned to Bali, first working at Indonesia's top architecture firm, Andramatin, before setting up her own studio.
The 'Her' project is inspired by the traditional Japanese 'ryokan', but it also incorporates elements of the Balinese 'bale bengong', which charmingly means 'daydream house'. This skillful blend of Japanese and Balinese design comes to life in 'Her', which was built using wood from an old tree found on the banks of the Bengawang River in Java. Now, let’s take a closer look at the story behind 'Her' through Conchita’s perspective.
How would you sum up Her in one sentence?
Her is a Japanese-influenced home escape on stilts with Balinese roots.
Anna's travels to Japan and her appreciation of Zen design are the two most important elements in the creation of the Her project. How did the design process evolve with these references?
As a mother of two, I understand Anna's need to have a space in the house where she can escape for a moment. That's why I wanted her to have her own oasis of calm that would give her a sense of detachment from her surroundings. I referenced both Zen and Japanese minimalist aesthetics in the design to create a peaceful, new environment for her.
What were the difficulties and benefits of designing a project inspired by Japanese ryokan in Bali?
Since the beginning of my architectural career, I often travel to Japan for inspiration and to learn more about design because I have always been fascinated by both traditional and modern Japanese design. So I wouldn't say it was a design challenge, but an asset.
You worked on this project with your husband, Avalon Carpenter, the founder of Kalpa Taru. What was Kalpa Taru's contribution to the project? Do you usually collaborate with your husband on projects?
I also work as a creative director and designer at Kalpa Taru. Since 2018, I have been designing custom furniture and products for high-end clients and designers at Kalpa Taru. Kalpa Taru's contribution to the project is key to the success of the project because I believe the success of any project lies between the relationship between the makers and the designer. Kalpa Taru delivered high quality woodwork and for this project we worked closely together from the selection of every wooden component, finishing and construction methods. Working with solid wood structures requires highly skilled carpenters, and this project wasn't about intricate wood carvings and ornaments, it was about creating something flawless with seamless joinery. And yes, Blancostudio and Kalpa Taru often collaborate on many projects, in fact I feel that our most successful projects are always the ones we have done together.
AND AS THE WIFE OF A CARPENTER, I HAVE A DEEP PASSION FOR WOOD, ESPECIALLY TEAK
How would you summarize Blancostudio's design approach and style?
Our design philosophy has always been to create something that will last, with a strong sense of belonging to the place and its users. We care about building something that exists in harmony with nature and is not intrusive, which is why we often incorporate the use of local materials while drawing inspiration from the vernacular style of the place. Our design style is minimalist with respect to traditional materials and methods.
What are your sources of inspiration?
At Blancostudio we work with a lot of natural materials because I believe it expresses their age and place in history. There is beauty in working with natural materials, where we often allow their patina to wear off and become part of our design, enriching it. And as the wife of a carpenter, I have a deep passion for wood, especially teak. There are so many layers to designing with wood, as each species has different strengths and beauty. It is really fascinating to me because it is a living material, you have to understand its nature and methods before you can design something out of it. However, our design approach comes from our respect for the material - and this is where I find most of my design inspiration.
What brought you back to Bali, Indonesia after living in Australia for 10 years?
Family - I have a big family and now as a new mother of two, I am happy to be back home and have my family close to help me raise my family.
THERE HAS BEEN A RAPID INCREASE IN MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT IN BALI, SO MUCH SO THAT I FEEL QUITE SAD ABOUT IT
How do you see Bali's future vision in design, is it getting better or stagnating?
There has been a rapid increase in massive development in Bali, so much so that I feel quite sad about it. Bali is known as the island of the gods, I feel that many of us here share the same concern of what Bali will become if it continues to cater to all these massive developments that have no respect for Balinese culture and its environmental impact. To stop this, we need the government to step down and put strict rules and restrictions on building, without this I am afraid that the culture of Bali will slowly diminish and the island will suffer in return.
