nspired by the quiet strength of Icelandic grass-roofed homes, Truf Villa is a reinterpretation of nostalgia — turning memories of a faraway land into architecture that breathes within the tropical warmth of Bali. For the client, a Norwegian who spent years in Iceland before settling in Bali, home had always been more than a structure — it was a feeling. A connection. A memory of dark timber façades and green roofs that once framed his horizon. Truf Villa was designed to bring that horizon back. The villa’s black façade and living grass roof bridge two worlds — cold and warm, north and tropic, past and present. The upper level embraces a European lifestyle: an open rooftop barbecue area where evenings stretch into laughter and smoke. Below, the living room connects seamlessly to a pool that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor — a daring design choice that celebrates immersion with nature. Structurally, Truf Villa breaks convention. The pool and the main building share one integrated load-bearing system — a complex yet poetic decision that reflects the project’s essence: bold engineering with emotional depth. Its grass roof isn’t just nostalgic; it’s functional — a centuries-old technology reborn. Cooling, insulating, and self-sustaining through a modern automated sprinkler system, it proves that old wisdom still works perfectly in today’s world.
Problem — A Complex Landscape and Rising Costs The site of Enggong Villa sat on a steep riverside contour surrounded by dense natural vegetation — beautiful, yet technically challenging. For many, it seemed impossible to build safely without reshaping the terrain. Earlier proposals suggested massive landfilling to flatten the site — an approach that would not only erase the landscape’s natural character but also inflate construction costs by several billion rupiah. Solution — Architecture That Follows the Logic of Nature Pillar Architect took a different path. We didn’t see nature as an obstacle, but as the starting point of design. Through precise measurement and structural calculation, the villa was developed without altering the natural contour. Its foundation follows the land’s elevation, allowing parts of the structure to “float” above the terrain — stable, secure, and completely integrated with the environment. This decision transformed the project on every level. The surrounding ecosystem remained untouched, and the client saved billions in unnecessary construction work — not through compromise, but through logic and accuracy. Every element — from the building’s orientation to the placement of the stairs — was designed based on sunlight, airflow, and view. The result is a home that lives in harmony with its landscape, visually and rationally. Philosophy — Respecting Nature with Logic and Discipline Enggong Villa merges Turkish minimalism with tropical logic, balancing clean geometry with the warmth of natural material. Behind its calm form lies a discipline of thought — a belief that every decision must be reasoned, measured, and meaningful. There are no assumptions here, only data, function, and respect for the site.
Wild, Aggressive, and Free. Berlano Villa was never commissioned by a client — it was born from an unstoppable inner drive. A passion project sparked by a lingering memory of an old wooden house by the beach — a place filled with laughter, music, and movement. People were drinking, dancing, and living without rules. From that memory, came the desire to recreate that same spirit of life — a villa with a beach-party soul, where architecture is not just form, but energy. Rather than repeating the past, Pillar chose to evolve it. Wood remains a key element, but now it stands alongside luxury finishes and modern geometry — a deliberate blend of refined design and organic warmth. This is where Berlano Villa’s philosophy takes shape: a modern structure with a wild soul. Every form — square, circle, and triangle — represents a different emotion: focus, play, and energy. Together, they form an architectural composition that dares to defy order. There is no rigid symmetry, no predictable formula — only harmony born from intuition and spatial logic. Eventually, the project found its new home in Marina Bay City, Lombok — a place where freedom and the sea breathe in the same rhythm. There, Berlano Villa stands as a bold statement: Architecture doesn’t have to behave. It just has to feel alive. From the alien-shaped pool to the rounded structure that challenges engineering logic, every part of the villa is designed around one idea — unlimited freedom. You can host meetings in the square space, party in the triangular one, or retreat to the circular villa by the pool — perhaps with a glass of champagne under the moonlight. Everything feels unrestrained, yet precisely calculated. That is the true definition of “Build No Drama.” Not recklessly wild — but measured wildness. Berlano Villa is living architecture — wild, aggressive, and free.
Balangan Villa by Pillar Architect introduces a new language of tropical luxury — one that merges bold structural gestures with visual harmony. The design’s strongest characteristic lies in its duality: black and white tones in constant dialogue, form and void in perfect balance. The structure appears to hover lightly above the ground, its left and right sides elevated to achieve a “floating” impression. This visual lightness is complemented by advanced structural engineering — pushing spans up to six meters without central columns. Facing the ocean, the villa’s defining feature is a second-floor glass-bottom infinity pool. The transparent floor creates a direct visual link between the pool and the sunken living room below, turning light, water, and structure into one immersive spatial experience. Behind it, an overflowing waterfall completes the composition, blending sound and motion into the architecture’s sensory palette. Unlike typical Balangan villas dominated by white limestone, this project embraces contrast — deep black stone, glass, and natural wood forming a contemporary and luxurious identity. The layout is intentionally minimal: only two bedrooms, with the lower floor entirely open to social and living functions. The focus is on spaciousness, view, and continuity rather than density. Strategically located in southern Bali’s Balangan area, the villa targets high-end investors seeking both strong aesthetics and commercial value. With its glass-bottom infinity pool and ocean-facing orientation, the design concept alone has proven potential to triple market value — positioning it as an exclusive investment opportunity.