BALI HOUSE

An overview of Balinese Architecture

Balinese architecture is a vernacular style - local materials to help construct buildings, structures, and houses.

Centuries old style of design - influenced by Bali’s Hindu traditions, and ancient Javanese elements.

Materials commonly used are thatch roofing, coconut wood, bamboo poles, teak wood, stone, and bricks.

The 7 Philosophies of Balinese Architecture

1. Tri Hata Karana – Creating harmony and balance between the 3 elements of life – the atma (human),
angga (nature), and khaya (gods).
2. Tri Mandala – rules of space division and zoning
3. Sanga Mandala – also a set of rules of space division and zoning based on directions
4. Tri Angga – concept or hierarchy among different realms
5. Tri Loka – similar to Tri Annga but with different realms
6. Asta Kosala Kosali – 8 guidelines of architectural designs regarding symbols, shrines, stages, and
measurement units
7. Arga Segara – sacred axis between mountain and sea

Materials
Interior with a painted "barba" depicting an epic Hindu legend

Traditional Balinese buildings seek to be in harmony with the environment. Traditional Balinese
houses are built almost entirely of organic materials.[2] They use natural materials such as thatch
roofing, bamboo poles, woven bamboo, coconut wood, teak wood, brick and stone. The thatched
roof usually uses ijuk (black aren fibers), dried coconut or rumbia leaves, or sirap (hard wood
shingles arranged like tiles) roof.[3] Stones and red bricks are usually used as foundation and walls,
while sandstone and andesite stone are usually carved as ornamentation

Four strength aspects of Bali house

A Good Ventilation System – Big windows are used to give full attention to air circulation. A large free
space between the roof and wall is also created.
A Strong Foundation – based on the Tri Loka philosophy, the human body is similar to a house – with a
strong foundation, such as the feet for humans, a house will have tremendous strength.
A Massive Yard – based on the concept of being in harmony with nature, a typical Balinese house or villa
must have a yard for which to commune with the natural surroundings.
A Guarding Wall – a high wall protects the home from public view, providing privacy and protection from
other people, as well as to ward off black magic and evil spirits from entering the property.
A Typical Balinese Home
A Balinese home is a compound of separate pavilions that serve different functions. One pavilion houses the
kitchen, while another houses the master bedroom, and another being the family shrine, and so on. All these
structures are connected through a series of gates.
A house also typically has a front open pavilion to welcome guests to the home. A Balinese home must also
have a landscaped garden with tropical decorative plants that merge the home with nature.

A typical feature of a Balinese garden is a floating pavilion surrounded by ponds packed with waterlilies,
usually used for meditation or relaxation purposes.

Balinese architecture provides a calm and relaxing atmosphere that forces you to reflect and be at one with the
earth.

Balinese houses and are not created as a single huge building, but rather a collection of numerous
structures within walled enclosure each with a special functions; such as front open pavilion to
receive guests, main bedroom, other bedrooms, pelinggihan or pemrajan is a small family shrine,
living areas and kitchen. Kitchen and living areas that helds everyday mundane activities are usually
separated from family shrine. Most of these pavilions are created in Balinese balé architecture, a
thatched roof structure with or without walls similar to Javanese pendopo. The walled enclosure are
connected with series of gates. Balinese architecture recognize two types of gates, the candi
bentar split gate, and paduraksa or kori roofed gates

BALINESE TRADITIONAL HOUSE

Balinese traditional house refers to the traditional vernacular house of Balinese people in Bali,
Indonesia. The Balinese traditional house follows a strict ancient architectural guide which is a
product of a blend of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, fused with Austronesian animism, resulting in a
house that is "in harmony" with the law of the cosmos of Balinese Hinduism
Balinese house is built within a compound surrounded by wall of whitewashed mud or brick,
depending on the wealth of the owner. Different with the Javanese residential compound however,
the Balinese residential compound is dominated with pavilions (bale) which surround a central
courtyard (natah). Different architectural elements within the compound are laid out according to
Balinese conception of the sacred and profane within the cardinal points.[1]
Traditionally, the Balinese compound appears to lack the adequate provision for sleeping, eating and
bathing of the modern Western culture. All buildings within a Balinese compound lack wall; in the
most basic house compound, the only pavilion building that is enclosed with walls is the pavilion
where the head of the family sleeps. The rest of the family member sleep in an open pavilion.
Pavilions are often wall-less, erected over a low plinth, and surmounted by a clay pantiles or
thatched roof, which is supported by a timber or bamboo frame depending on wealth of the owner.
The wall, if erected, only constitutes a screen to provide privacy and not a load-bearing
structure.[3] Each building in a house compound is identified with a certain cardinal direction, body
organ, color and deity; depending on its placement.[3]
When a son of the family marries, his wife usually moves into his compound, so a compound is
frequently a place for extended families, each with their own sleeping quarters, but otherwise sharing
the facilities. Domestic activities take place outside or in the pavilion. Traditionally there is no bathing
facility in a Balinese compound as people take their bath in public bathing pools.

Central courtyard
The central courtyard (natah), is is basically a packed earth central courtyard which is always kept
free of vegetation except for a few ornamental flowers or decorative kamboja trees

THE FAMILY SHRINE

The family shrine is the most sacred area of the compound, located in the most auspicious northeast
(kaja-kangin) corner of a Balinese house compound. It is identified metaphorically with the
head.[1] The area of the family shrine is always enclosed within a sacred enclosure (pamerajan).
Inside the family shrine area are shrines dedicated to various Hindu gods (e.g. Surya, Saraswati),
nature spirits (Sridevi, Ibu Pertiwi), and family ancestors.[5] The most important shrines is
the sanggah kemulan, a shrine containing three compartments dedicated to the
Hindu trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The sanggah kemulan is a simple, house-like, wooden
structure raised on pillars and standing on a column made of brick or sandstone. Sanggah
kemulan is naturally located on the most sacred corner of the family shrine compound, the kaja-
kangin corner. In Balinese Hindu religion, Brahma is also associated with male ancestors of the
household, while Vishnu is with female ancestors. When a Balinese man marries, he should build
one of these shrines

Pavilions
Balinese pavilions (bale) can be identified with rooms in the western-style houses: each pavilion has
its own different function. The Balinese people classified the pavilions according to the number of
posts used in their construction. A four-posts pavilion is known as bale sakepat (Balinese "four-post
pavilion"), a six-posts is known as bale sakenam ("six-post pavilion"), and so on.[6]} The Balinese also
classified the pavilion according to its position within the compound: a pavilion in the east (kangin)
side of the compound is known as bale dangin ("east pavilion"), and so on.
The most important pavilion in a Balinese house compound is the pavilion of the head of the
household, known as bale daja ("north pavilion"), because it is located on the north (kaja) side of the
house compound. It is also known as bale meten (Balinese "sleeping pavilion"). The pavilion is the
main sleeping room of the head of the household. It is often the only enclosed or walled pavilion
within the house compound, and so it is also used to store family heirlooms. Bale daja is also the
only pavilion with pointed roof, others being hip-roofed; a pointed roof is usually associated with
sacred structure and is also used in the family shrines structure. Being the only place where privacy
is available, the bale daja can be used for the newly weds; during the occasion, the head of the
family will may move out temporarily.
Other pavilions in a Balinese house compound are bale sakepat ("four post pavilion") or bale
dangin ("east pavilion"), a pavilion with four posts and located in the east side of the house
compound. Bale sakepat is traditionally reserved for the head of the other extended families living in
the compound (usually brothers) or for holding important ceremonies (e.g. marriage or tooth-
filing).[7] The pavilion for receiving guests, the bale tiang sanga ("nine post pavilion") or bale
dauh ("west pavilion"), is situated in the west (kauh) side of the compound. The bale sakenam ("six
post pavilion") or bale delod ("south pavilion") is located at the southern (kelod) end of the courtyard;
a utilitarian pavilion which is traditionally used for women to do their weaving

Utilitarian structures

Distinctive shaped lumbung (rice barn) of southern Bali.

The kitchen (paon), rice barn (lumbung) and sometimes a pigsty is identified with the legs and feet.[1]
The kitchen is typically situated in the southern end of the courtyard, the hearth is identified with
sexual organs.[1] The kitchen is usually the simplest structure in a Balinese compound. A kitchen
usually employs a gable roof which is relatively easier than hip roof construction.[8]
The lumbung on the other hand is the most elaborate structure in a Balinese compound. Similar with
other region in Indonesia, a lumbung is associated with goddess of rice Sridevi. A Balinese lumbung
is basically a rice storage made of wooden deck raised high off the ground on posts that stand on
foundation stones rather than a masonry plinth. Often a wooden platform is built below the rice
storage, providing a shaded workplace by day and a sleeping deck at night. The design of the roof of
a lumbung vary place to place; to the majority southern Balinese employs a hull-shaped thatched
roof with horseshoe-shaped gable ends for their lumbung. This distinctive lumbung roof has been
replicated for many bungalow resorts in Bali

House gates

Gate houses marks the entrance to a private compound in this Balinese traditional village of Penglipuran.

The house gate (lawang) – the entrance to a compound – is ideally placed at the most inauspicious
side of the compound, usually in the west wall towards the south end (kauh-kelod). It is identified
with the anus.[1] Sometimes this entrance is flanked with gate shrines (apit lawang). A small screen
wall (aling-aling) is built directly behind the opening, screening off the interior and preventing evil
spirits to enter the house compound.[1] These house gates can be constructed with a simple alang-
alang grass thatch or heavily ornate, the degree of elaboration reflects the economic status of the
owner of the house

Hierarchy of a house compound

A scene within a Balinese walled residential compound belonged to a common man.

Balinese Hinduism is strongly influenced by the caste system and ranks; this in turn affected the
Balinese domestic architecture. There are four divisions in Balinese society: three noble caste
(collectively named triwangsa) and the common man (shudra). The triwangsa is subdivided into
royalty and warriors (satriya), priests (brahmana), and merchants (wesia).[9]
The caste of the common man is entitled for the most basic type of a house compound:
the pekarangan ("enclosure"). The pekarangan contains all the basic components: the sleeping
pavilion (bale meten or daja), the other pavilions for mundane activities, a rice barn, and a kitchen;
all are arranged around an open courtyard (natah). Family shrine is always positioned in the most
auspicious corner at the north-east (kaja-kangin).[9]
The residential compound of nobler triwangsa caste is built using the same principle as the common
man's but with more complex proportion and decoration. The simplest type is the jero, which is very
similar to the pekarangan with its single courtyard, although more elaborate. The main difference
between the triwangsa caste with the common man is that the triwangsa is allowed to erect a bale
gede ("grand pavilion"), a large pavilion supported by 12 posts and used for entertaining guests[1] or
for important family rites of passage.[10] Another type of pavilion allowed for this caste is the bale
dwaja ("standard/flag pavilion"), traditionally reserved for members of the satriya caste; and the bale
lembu-gajah ("cow-elephant pavilion") traditionally reserved for Hindu or Buddhist priest. Other bale
allowed for this caste is the bale bengong("contemplating pavilion"), an pleasure pavilion used for
resting or chatting.
A Brahman who becomes a priest (pedanda) is entitled to a larger residence, called griya. Similarly,
royal families are entitled a puri ("palace"). Both griya and puriconsist of multiple courtyards instead
of single courtyard. These multiple courtyards, similarly surrounded by pavilions, create its own
subdivision within the extensive house compound. Each subdivision follows the same importance,
and so the subdivision located in the kaja-kangin direction is always the most auspicious where the
most important of the family shrines are usually located. In a royal palace, each courtyard compound
corresponds to a specific use relating to royal duties. Despite the complexity of a griya or a puri,
spatial orientation and hierarchical organization principle remains the same: the kaja-kangin is
always the most auspicious corner. Principally, the consistent spatial orientation and hierarchy of
alinese traditional houses, whether it is the most lavish or the most humblest, are harmoniously
linked with each other