Roam, co-living and co-working in Bali by Alexis Dornier

Is it really possible to live and work in a dream place and support sustainability and the sharing economy? It certainly is on the island of Bali in Indonesia. The architect, Alexis Dornier created a contemporary urban space called Roam based on the traditional Balinese community housing structure.


In the village of Ubud, the cultural hub of the Indonesian island of Bali, the German architect Alexis Dornier has crafted a project - Roam - that merges co-living and co-working with the goal of creating a micro-society, where people can find their own dimension in shared and community spaces as well as private areas.
He took the rather run-down courtyard compound with three separate buildings and revamped it for its new end use, based on the motto “all under one roof”. So Alexis Dornier redesigned the floor plans of each level by knocking down walls, opening up spaces inside to make the most of the usable area, and adding new windows to expose the exciting views and bring in more air and sunlight. The three volumes are now connected by bridges and have a new canopy and roof that has been turned into café, bar, restaurant, lounge and garden area. The courtyard features a pool surrounded by plants as well as the community kitchen and the interior of the buildings accommodate apartments in addition to office spaces and meeting rooms.
The architect focused a great deal on the theme of sustainability through the aware use of building materials. A choice that is closely connected with the location, because when you think of Bali you automatically think of lush, relaxing vegetation.  So, green plants become an integral part of the design, because as Dornier says, “The less you build, the better. This is why we chose to work with an existing building, renovate it with the least amount of material, and add components with an efficient and slender hollow steel structure.”
Without falling into the trap of a trite vernacular rhetoric, the idea comes to life in the actual co-living and co-working concept because it responds to the Balinese tradition of high-density society, which drives community living.
So, Roam by Alexis Dornier really impresses you because of its skilful mix of references to tradition and its contemporary feel at the same time. Are you already thinking of moving your office to Ubud? 

Christiane Bürklein

ARCHITECURAL DESIGN: alexis dornier
CONSTRUCTION: surya kembar properti
INTERIOR DESIGN: alexis dornier
LOCATION: ubud, bali, indonesia
SIZE: 1750 m2
YEAR: 2015
PHOTO CREDIT: alexis dornier
CLIENT: https://www.roam.co/