This office and showroom for Javaplant, a traditional medicine manufacturer, show how 'vernacular principles and modern architecture could interact'. The complex attempts to blend in with its rural surroundings through its colour scheme, form (particularly its gable roof) and choice of materials (red terracotta brick, timber, traditional clay tiles and glass). In view of the remoteness of the site, only locally available materials were used. An experimental arrangement of bricks in the walls creates ample openings for natural light and cross-ventilation, which is crucial for tropical architecture.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture