The Lakehouse restaurant sits amid the lush pine forest in Jawa Barat, Indonesia

The Lakehouse, a restaurant designed by Lukie Widya-led Luwist Spatial, lies in the centre of a forest in a remote location in Jawa Barat, Indonesia. As the main restaurant is a part of the Pesona Alam Resort area, the building with the extended water body becomes the focal point in the middle of the lush green pine forest. The architects have applied a modern-contemporary architectural style that blends effortlessly with the natural surroundings.

The shape and form of the building has been stretched to create an experience, united with the existing atmosphere, to create an embracing gesture with the forest. – Lukie Widya

In response to the government regulations for infiltration areas, the idea was to design an artificial lake, which was originally a basin that would flood during the rains. This became the lowest elevation point for the design on the site. It was a conscious decision that when someone is arriving at the restaurant, the lake becomes the main attraction for people coming through the forest. The atmosphere of the lake becomes lively and energetic with the equipped sunken seating area, which allows visitors to interact closely with the water element.

The building creates a dramatic composition on the edge of the lake. The surrounding pine forest area comes under the official recharged zone, making it necessary to provide a Basic Building Coefficient (KDB – Government rules for green zone area) of five per cent of the built form. “The distance between the trees was relatively tight, so the solution that our team at Luwist sought was to create the footprint area within the relatively large distances to obtain the mass of buildings between the trees,” shares Widya.

The porous and reflective mass of the main building consists of three floors that are covered with exposed terracotta brick material, which has been used as a representation of the furnace.

As the primary restaurant in Pesona Alam Resort area, the Lakehouse applies a unique concept on each floor. The ground floor has been designed as a gathering area that is equipped with a sunken seating space. The first floor is a lounge area, while the second floor is surrounded by a glass roof intended to be used for private events as it offers vast views of the pine forest.

The composition and placement of the Lakehouse also create a theatrical impression. As a hardscape element, the existence of the lake makes the scale of the building appear friendly in reference to the contoured forest topography. “Through a combination of slick and contemporary forms clad in exposed terracotta brick, the integration of the artificial lake with the required functions creates an architecture that responds with an organic gesture of the entire designated area,” concludes Widya.

Project Details

Name: The Lakehouse Restaurant
Location: Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Gross Built Area: 600sqm
Design and Construction time: 4 Years (2015-2019)
Construction time: 3 Years (2016-2019)
Architecture Firm: LUWIST Spatial
Lead Architect: Lukie Widya
Design Team: Reza Marsulaya, Arman Masudi, Restu Andrea, Fredd Chriswantra, Arie Priya, Ramadhan Adita, Latifah Utary, Dewa Ayu