Unlike other hospitality buildings built for mass tourism that often obscure the tourist destination itself, the Terrario Tangkahan villa avoids disturbing the local eco-system by using lightweight stilt construction. It also eludes charges of exploitation by using local materials, using as-found materials so that goods carried during construction were lighter and easier for builders. For example, timbers from fallen trees in nearby rivers were used as the main supports or for cladding panels. The roof was made of dried leaves gathered from the forest floor. And instead of enclosing the whole building with glass, the villa used arrays of wooden strips as "brise-soleil", which allows air to penetrate walls while preserving privacy. Traditional stilt construction provides the interior with extra ventilation from below, making the inside temperature cooler, and prevents insects and the humidity of the wilderness from getting in.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
