Echoing Nature

In Balinese, Ibu means ‘mother’, and ku means ‘mine’. Ibuku is therefore a fitting name for an architectural practice that aims to restore our deep and innate connection to nature and the earth. As the studio explains, “Every building celebrates the natural world while providing sanctuary for its inhabitants. We design with the intent to reconnect something inherently vital, keeping in mind that humanity is also a part of nature.” Ibuku was founded in 2010 by Elora Hardy, continuing a legacy of sustainable design and bamboo architecture that began with her father John Hardy in the 1990s. Together with his wife Cynthia, Hardy built the Green School in 2007, a feat of bamboo engineering and a new model of sustainable education located next to the Ayung River in Bali. Ibuku is renowned for awe-inspiring bamboo structures that nestle within the province’s lush tropical landscape, incorporating cocoon-like spaces and curvilinear forms that somehow feel simultaneously futuristic and organic.

Echo House exemplifies Ibuku’s approach. This family home is part of the Green Village, a master-planned community built along the sloping river valley of Sibang in Bali. One of fifteen bespoke homes within walking distance of the Green School, Echo House contains five bedrooms, five ensuite bathrooms, two powder rooms, a poolside kitchen, a games room, a waterslide and a secret passthrough. The structure sits within a canopy of trees and follows the natural tiered typography of the landscape. Floor-to-ceiling windows and open volumes celebrate natural light and ventilation while also blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior.

The structure sits within a canopy of trees and follows the natural tiered typography of the landscape

This is a building that honours its unique location. Ibuku designs with a respect and an understanding of place, celebrating the contours of the land, the natural environment, local materials and artisanship. As well as designing the external envelope of a building, Ibuku collaborates with local craftspeople to create bespoke interior furnishings. Central to Ibuku’s practice is the use of bamboo, a material chosen for its sustainability and strength. Bamboo has long been used in Asia for building temporary structures – yet thanks to Ibuku’s treatment of the material using an ecological salt solution the bamboo it uses is reliable for long-term use. With a compressive force of concrete and the strength-to-weight ratio of steel, it is used to construct ambitiously engineered projects characterised by meticulous attention to detail and a handcrafted approach. Bamboo grows quickly, with some species growing by 4 centimetres an hour, making it an incredible renewable resource. This unique material also results in interesting challenges and imaginative design solutions, including circular windows that pivot, and leaf-shaped roofs reminiscent of forms found in nature. As Hardy enthused in a 2015 TED talk, “No two poles alike, no straight lines, no two-by-fours here. The tried-and-true, well-crafted formulas and vocabulary of architecture do not apply here. We have had to invent our own rules.”

Floor-to-ceiling windows and open volumes celebrate natural light and ventilation while also blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior

Echo House is one of the largest homes in Green Village and is unique for its incorporation of diverse materials including terrazzo floors, steel and glass walls, wood, stone, local brick and a copper shingled roof. It is a celebration of natural materials and their inherent qualities. Organic forms are echoed throughout the property in the nest-like spaces, curving canopies and rounded soft furnishings. Echo House is a place of wonder that exemplifies groundbreaking engineering and demonstrates a deep affinity for the natural world and those who inhabit it. 

Read more interior features here.