Sukasantai is a family owned and run organic vegetable farm stay located on the highlands of Gunung Gede, Sukabumi, Indonesia. The six-hectacre, organic farm with its communal kitchen, dining space and twelve accommodation rooms, seeks to reacquaint city dwellers with nature and the origins of their food supply.

The project is situated in Sukabumi, a region in West Java, Indonesia. The 30-hectare site is located at the southern foot of Gunung Gede, at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level. The architects were guided by two beautiful Indonesian words, one which is ‘Suka’ meaning “to like”, the other “ Santai” meaning to relax. Together, Sukasantai means” to enjoy relaxing, to take things slowly, and be in the moment.” Architecturally, the space respects the surrounding landscape and views into the farm; it is simple and integrates seamlessly with the landscape. Functionally the project provides space that requires little maintenance and service, important for the eight-member family & staff who run operations. Priority was given to the landscape with its existing trees and it helped to guide the building footprint. The building was staggered into three different tiers, conceptually forming an elongated T layout. To reduce the occasional noise generated from the small road, the building was orientated away from the road, in turn facing them towards the gently sloping terrain that is fringed with a lush bamboo valley. The accommodation on both upper and lower courtyards has direct views towards nature from their living space.

Materials used in this project were locally sourced and manufactured. We worked closely with local manufacturer and artisans from the design of the cement-sand tile colour and pattern to each interior furnishing sets. The project was also conceptualised in Building Information Modelling (BIM); allowing us to collaborate closely with our Indonesian colleague.

Furniture: Strakx (Yogjakarta). Finishes: Solo Design (Yogjakarta). Fittings & Fixtures: Toto Sanitary Wares.

Photography: Fabian Ong