House of the month
Height and Light in a Country Setting

The headlands of Kata Beach and Patong bays and northward to kamala beach and beyond, on Phuket's west coast, have become almost legendary in terms of luxurious villas and mushrooming spa resorts. However, tucked away in less well advertised corners of the island can be found some remarkable properties.

One such discovery in the Chalong area, south of Phuket Town, is very unusual in that the words "Balinese" or "Thai-style" can, under no circumstances, be used to describe this individual dwelling. As an additional surprise, not one single piece of wood has been used in its construction. Strange indeed.

This unique property was the brainchild of its German owner, who pored over many drawings and plans, making his own alterations along the way, for nine months before giving his builder the final go-ahead to begin construction just over three years ago. The owner's objective was to build a very practical yet comfortable home, avoiding unnecessary expense by eliminating the addition of garish architectural trappings.

The house stands on just one rai of former coconut grove, on a triangular plot and the house design, positioning and garden landscaping have made the very best use of the available land. Whilst the owner has built what many may see as an ultra-modern house, he has also taken great pains to create a classic country garden, mixing European and tropical attributes. Whether sitting inside looking out, or lounging at the poolside listening to the sounds of nature all around, this apparent dichotomy seems amazingly harmonious.

Entering the property via the electrically-controlled main gate, there are plenty of shrubs, palms and neat rows of tall fir trees to greet one. To the right of the main driveway is a lawned garden containing a spectacular oil palm, many other small trees and neat hedgerows. On a higher level, close to the main entrance, is a terrace offering a grand view of the front garden. The suite of wooden chairs, table and Nipa palm umbrella creates a great location for visitors' welcoming drinks or evening sundowners.

The carport forms a major feature with a large pyramidal roof and a massive 80 sq. m of space beneath. Several cars and one sizeable boat could be parked here and on the driveway. To the right of the house, a gravelled, zigzag pathway, amply shaded by trees and planted out with many decorative species, leads to the rear garden and pool; but more of these areas later.

The geometric shape of this house is perhaps best described as being a half, or three sides, of a hexagon, with the front and rear walls being parallel to one another. Here, however, the symmetry ends. A 9-metre-high atrium with a massive 600 cu. m volume forms the main frame of the house, acts as the central indoor living area and offers a view of almost the whole rear garden via floor-to-ceiling glass walls and massive glass doors. During daylight hours there is so much light pouring in through the glass and reflecting off the white walls that, together with the impressively high ceiling, the effect is almost surreal. The place is cavernous, yet feels homely; my assumption is that this is due to the skill of the owner and the time he spent in imagining just how the finished product would look.

At the rear of the atrium, near the front entrance (the garden being the focal point), is a small office area. Off to the right, up a short flight of steps, is the master bedroom suite and second bedroom, the master bedroom being entered through two huge swinging glass doors. Up another flight of steps to the left is the very compact kitchen area, being part of the open-plan atrium and the guest suite with its own entrance, comprising sitting area, bedroom-office area and en suite bathroom. There is also a laundry and utility room near here and both the latter have glass doors leading out onto the pool terrace. Internal area is 250 sq. m.

I mentioned that there is a complete absence of wood in the house construction. What there is however, is the aforementioned glass - lots and lots of it; cement walls and terrazzo flooring throughout. Black and white polished granite makes an appearance in the bathrooms, as wash-basin surrounds and in the kitchen as work surfaces. Interior walls are simply finished in white paint and light-gray plaster. The effect is surprisingly easy on the eye.

An architectural feature that fascinated me is the dividing wall between the master bedroom and its bathroom, which doubles as the bed headboard - a large one. The same feature is used to good effect in the guest bedroom, but here the headboard is surrounded by glass on the left, right and upper sides which forms the end wall of the house.

All indoor and garden furniture was made or found in Thailand, the inventive owner modifying it where he thought it necessary. Wood does make a useful appearance in two or three areas of the garden, as textured decking strategically located near the house, to serve as both a non-slip surface and to drain off pool water if you've just had a dip.

To me, the rear garden, especially, is as interesting as the house. Occupying, as it were, the base of the triangular plot, it has been very well thought out and expertly landscaped to resemble a European country garden. The 60 sq. m pool occupies the central area and is accessible from all rooms in the house, except the small bedroom. Apart from the many palm trees, frangipani and a host of bedding plants, the garden is host to over 150 potted plants. A rectangular pond with fountains is home to many different grasses and four large white concrete elephants, lovingly transported down from Bangkok.

A large pink-brown marble wall houses two shower heads for cooling off in the heat of the day, or rinsing off after a swim. Two enormous earthenware pots stand sentinel at either end. A wide pebble-wash pool surround provides plenty of sun-lounging space, not to mention an additional suite of furniture for enjoying some outdoor meals. Another large area laid to lawn is surrounded by the low granite perimeter walls, designed to allow a view of the remaining coconut plantation on two sides of the property - something you will not find in Europe.

A feature of this property, rarely found in any house, is a cellar covering the entire under-house area. This cellar houses a workshop, but more importantly, access to all electrical and plumbing circuitry is to be found here, making any necessary repair and maintenance tasks on these systems a breeze. Nearby, accessible from the carport area, is a 30, 000-litre water tank, fed both from a well and from the stainless steel guttering.

To say this is a property different from those more commonly found on Phuket would be an understatement. The owner is reluctantly putting it up for sale with a price tag of 595, 000 US Dollars, which includes all fixtures, fittings and every item of furniture, down to the last cup and saucer. Those interested should call Blaauw & Nassau Real Estate Agents on (+66-76) 263737-8, mobile: (+66-1) 892-9495 or Fax: (+66-76) 224113.

Tropical Living: February 2003, Volume 2 Issue 9

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