Red Brick Influences House Design

Designed by: Andyrahman Architect.

Location: Sidoarjo City, Indonesia | Latitude: 7.45˚ S

The beautiful red brick dominates the front façade of this house. However, there are other places where red brick occurs. Several brick walls in various patterns appear throughout the house.

Andyrahman Architect is the architect for the Omah Boto. 

They utilise the skills and expertise of craftsmen in the design process. This collaboration produces a home that embodies the rich culture of Indonesia. 

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

In addition, it incorporates strategies that create a cool house in its hot tropical climate.

Location, Site and Climate

The house, Omah Boto, is in Sidoarjo City. This city is on the eastern side of the island of Java in Indonesia. 

Java is the most populated island in the world, with 151.6 million people.

At 7.45˚ S latitude, Sidoarjo City is in the tropical region south of the equator. 

It has a hot, humid climate, and the temperature typically ranges from 23˚C to 34˚C. 

This site is near the Pari Temple and Sumur Temple in Sidoarjo, East Java. It offers a glimpse into the historical use of red brick as a building material. 

East Java has a long history of utilising red brick in architecture dating back to the Majapahit Kingdom era. 

Trowulan Village craftsmen still use the techniques and materials to this day. Artisans are still passing down these skills to this day. Hence, visitors can fully appreciate the tradition and heritage of red brick architecture.

House Design Brief

The family house has three (3) bedrooms and three (3) bathrooms. It is for a single-family residential dwelling.

This house was completed in 2019 and is 325 m² or 3,498 sq. ft.

The client asked an interesting question when the house was already under construction. The question was, “how to bring up Indonesian vibes in this house?” 

This request became an exciting challenge for the architect.

Home Design Approach

Omah Boto adopts the Javanese house’s conceptual ideas. 

The zoning in Javanese houses has three main parts.

• Pendhapa is a public or communal area in the front part of the house.
• Pringgitan is a transitional area in the middle.
• Dalem is a private area in the back.

In a Javanese house, this arrangement occurs horizontally. However, in Omah Boto, it takes place vertically. 

Therefore, the lower floor is for the communal room. The middle floor is for the living room, while the upper floor carries bedrooms.

Incorporating Red Brick Craftsmen In The Design Process

There is a lot of red brick in this house. However, the designers incorporate it in unique ways.

For this creative expression to occur, Andyrahman Architect fits the flexibility of the artisans within the workflow of the project. 

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

“In the Omah Boto project, craftsmen are invited to be a collaborative partner during the architectural process, so they can feel like a subject that determines the success or failure of the design on the field.”

– Andyrahman Architect

Red Bricks As A Central Element In The House Design

The clay bricks are a central element in Omah Boto. 

“Bricks in Omah Boto became the main element and processed holistically, even as a gene or cell of the building.”

Andyrahman Architect

The dimensions of the brick are 5x10x20 cm. These dimensions become the primary measuring standard for all architectural elements in the home. 

Elements such as the sill height, door or window width, and even the room area, follows these measurements. 

The names of the house come from the brick. 

“…this is the reason why this house was named Omah Boto, which means Brick House that combined with other Nusantara elements using bamboo, wood, rattan, etc.”

– Andyrahman Architect

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

In this house, the prayer room or Musholla is a sacred area. It “is a contextualisation of the ‘Garbhagrha’ / ‘Guwagarba’”. This reference is through applying brick on the floor, wall, and ceiling. The architects intend for it to “remind people of their origin and purpose of life in the world”.

Red Brick Patterns Respond To Indonesian Cultural Heritage

Nusantara is the Indonesian name that typically refers to the archipelago of Indonesia. The architects combine various materials such as brick, wood, rattan and bamboo throughout the home. This use of materials creates a home that feels rich with Indonesian culture.

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

“The existence of this variation forms an inter-material dialogue of Indonesian characteristics.”

– Andyrahman Architect

Additionally, some terracotta clay brick arrangements get their inspiration from Batik designs. 

“The Parang and Pucuk Rebung motif are used for wall and floor brick tectonics, Kawung motif on bathroom ceramics, and many else.”

– Andyrahman Architect

These patterns come about through Andyrahman Architects’ experimentation with brick. They bring back the traditional rhythm and character of brick arrangements from ancient times.

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

The thirteenth brick pattern in this house uses tectonic techniques requiring great precision. The process was a visual collaboration between the architect and artisans. 

The terracotta brick features result from the architect’s design precision and the artisans’ understanding of the material’s character and quality. According to Mr. Hasan, the brick project leader, “The architect may be famous outside, but it’s the craftsmen who shine within.”

According to Andyrahman Architects, designing in collaboration with craftsmen can produce remarkable results and add value. Omah Boto revives the spirit of craftsmanship and showcases the contemporary appeal of Nusantara Architecture.

Breeze Wall Offers Natural Ventilation And Shade

The outer skin at the house’s front façade uses red clay brick. It is an interpretation of a gedheg. A “gedheg” is an Indonesian screen or sheet of hollow, woven bamboo. 

The red brick forms a breeze wall. This breeze wall reduces glare from direct sunlight while allowing maximum natural ventilation through. It also helps maintain the privacy of the homeowner. 

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

Light passing through the spaces in the brick breeze wall also creates dynamic patterns. This combination of light and shadow moving through the home adds another layer to the experience.

“This brick tectonic also creates the fourth dimension inside the house along with daylight.”

– Andyrahman Architect

Allowing Natural Ventilation Through The House

Along with the breeze wall at the front of the house, natural ventilation is a significant part of the home’s design.

One side of the living and dining room has doors open to the outside. There is a small terrace and green wall along the entire length of those rooms. They are openings along both sides of those rooms. This arrangement allows air movement to flow through the room from one side to the next.

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

The master bedroom has tall casement windows. These windows allow ample ventilation and natural light.

Elsewhere in the home are louvre windows, screens and breeze blocks providing natural ventilation.

Construction and Materials

The main feature material in this house is, of course, the red terracotta brick. It takes prominence throughout the home. Apart from the front facade, red clay bricks create feature walls inside. These feature walls are in the kitchen, corridors, bedrooms and bathrooms. 

I have two favourite brick feature walls in this house. The first is the wall behind the bedhead in the master bedroom, and the second is in the communal space next to the garage. However, the brick patterns throughout the house are stunning.

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

The red brick contrast nicely with the fair-faced poured concrete structural frame and slabs. General walls are grey cement rendered.

Doors, window frames and fixed furniture use a natural finish wood. They add to that modern tropical decor and are custom-built.

This mix of materials creates a modern home with a tropical industrial feel. The raw, natural finishes of the wood, brick and concrete emphasise this. 

In addition, the metal pipe door pulls and balustrades, along with surface-mounted conduit and fittings, add to this aesthetic. 

Conclusion

Omah Boto is a beautiful example of a tropical home that blends with its cultural heritage. 

Its use of clay red bricks on the walls, floors and ceilings is a fantastic demonstration of the material’s flexibility. This house also shows how local craftsmen can add incredible character and mastery through their craft.

Blending cold modern materials with warm natural materials creates a beautiful harmony that is cosy and familiar.

Adding tropical design principles like natural ventilation and sun-shading ensures a comfortable home in its hot-humid climate.

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Photographer: Mansyur Hasan
Architect: Andyrahman Architect